🍺 BrewKegs Instructions

1. BrewKegs Overview

BrewKegs tracks a beer from fermentation through to the final pint. The normal workflow is:

1. Start a new brew using Beer Brews.
2. Monitor fermentation using an iSpindel.
3. Capture or enter Original Gravity and Final Gravity.
4. Transfer the finished brew to a keg.
5. Use KegScales to measure beer remaining by weight.
6. View live beer level, pints left and brew details on the Live Keg Dashboard.

2. iSpindel Setup

1. Go to Manage iSpindels.
2. Add a new iSpindel device.
3. Copy the generated receiver details into your iSpindel configuration.
4. The iSpindel should send readings to your BrewKegs receiver.
5. Once readings arrive, use Beer Brews to start a new brew.

3. Starting a New Brew

1. Open Beer Brews.
2. Select the correct iSpindel.
3. Press Start New Brew.
4. Enter the brew name, start date and Original Gravity.
5. Choose either Beer Kit or Ingredients / Recipe.
6. Save the brew.

During fermentation, BrewKegs will display live gravity, temperature, battery, tilt angle, ABV and attenuation.

4. Transferring a Brew to a Keg

When fermentation is finished, use the Transfer To Keg section in Beer Brews.

1. Enter or capture the Final Gravity.
2. Select the keg, for example Keg 1.
3. Enter the transferred volume, for example 22.60 litres.
4. Enter priming sugar if used.
5. Select the status after transfer, for example Conditioning or Ready.
6. Press Transfer To Keg.

This links the brew to the keg using transferred_keg_id. KegScales can then use the brew Final Gravity to calculate beer left more accurately.

5. KegScales Hardware

KegScales uses a Raspberry Pi, HX711 amplifier and load cells/strain resistors.

6. KegScales Raspberry Pi Setup

The Pi runs a local web app, normally available at:

http://kegscales.local:5000
or
http://your-pi-ip:5000

The Pi should be configured to auto-start with systemd, so you should not need to SSH in after setup.

Pi Web Pages

• Home - live weight, beer left and current keg.
• Setup - BrewKegs API details and device token.
• Kegs - select which keg is on the scale and store empty keg weight.
• Calibrate - zero scale and adjust calibration factor.

7. Adding a KegScales Device in BrewKegs

1. Open Manage KegScales in BrewKegs.
2. Press Add KegScales Device.
3. BrewKegs shows the device details.

Use the same style as iSpindel setup:

Enter these values on the Raspberry Pi KegScales Setup page and press Connect to BrewKegs.

8. Empty Keg Weights

Each keg can have its own saved empty weight.

1. Open the Pi KegScales page.
2. Go to Kegs.
3. Select the keg currently on the scale, for example Keg 1.
4. Put the empty keg on the scale.
5. Press Use Current Weight as Empty Keg Weight.

If you repaint a keg, change fittings, add labels or change the disconnects, repeat the empty weight capture for that keg.

9. Calibration

Calibration makes the scale match a known weight.

1. Remove all weight from the scale.
2. Open Calibrate on the Pi.
3. Press Zero Scale Using Current Reading.
4. Place a known weight on the scale.
5. Adjust or calculate the factor until the displayed weight matches.

For best results, calibrate close to the real working range. A full keg around 20-25kg is better than a small 1kg test weight.

10. Beer Left Calculation

KegScales measures weight. BrewKegs converts the beer weight into litres.

Beer weight = Gross weight - Empty keg weight
Beer litres = Beer weight / Final Gravity

Example:

Beer weight: 22.758 kg
Final Gravity: 1.007
Beer left: 22.758 / 1.007 = 22.60 litres

This is why transferring the brew to the correct keg and saving the Final Gravity is important.

11. Live Keg Dashboard

The Live Keg Dashboard shows:

• Keg name / number.
• Brew name.
• Beer left in litres.
• Pints left.
• Beer level percentage.
• Final Gravity.
• ABV.
• Status.
• Last seen time.

The page refreshes every 60 seconds. Future versions can use AJAX for smoother live updates.

12. Reboot and Shutdown

The Pi KegScales home page has:

• Reboot Raspberry Pi
• Shutdown Raspberry Pi

After pressing shutdown, wait for the green activity LED to stop flashing before removing power.

13. Troubleshooting

14. Recommended Workflow

1. Start new brew with iSpindel.
2. Ferment as normal.
3. Capture Final Gravity.
4. Transfer brew to Keg 1, Keg 2 etc.
5. Put empty keg on KegScales and save empty weight if not already saved.
6. Fill keg.
7. Open Live Keg Dashboard to view beer left.