Guide - Fermentation Control

FCS is a modular control system designed, developed and manufactured by Brewtools in Norway.

The vision behind the system is to take industrial technology and make that available for microbreweries and homebrewers. Using the latest electronic component technology and clever software engineering, we are able to make features that used to be very expensive and complicated available for everyone.

The system can measure temperature, pressure, density/gravity*, level* and power consumption and based on that - control cooling, heating, pressure/co2 in, pressure/co2 out, agitation*, automatic hop additions* under pressure and more! Fermentation profiles will automate the whole process and give you ultimate control of your fermentation process. (* Not available at first launch.)

The system will also constantly monitor the process and notify you if something isn't right. For example, we measure the current draw of solenoid valves and heating elements, and will notify you if these components aren't working as they should.

The software is currently in a state of early adopter beta, and should not be used for critical production.  We will continue to develop software and new sensors/actuators based on customer feedback and requests.  If you cannot find a sensor or actuator that fits your setup, please reach out to us and let us know.

Click on the system schematic to see a full suggested setup.

Note that we do not take responsibility for any lost/destroyed beer or raw materials. 

Below you will find a guide to getting the parts you need. If you want to start with a kit, have a look at the FCS Fermentation Kits.
 

FCS Modules

The Display Module and the I/O Module are the two key parts of the system. Communication, data handling and processing is done by the Display Module. The I/O module handles sensors and actuators, and power the entire system.

You need 1 Display Module and 1 I/O module.

Note that power supply and cables must be selected separately.

Ball Mount System

The Display Module comes with a mounting ball for our Ball Mount System. We offer several options for mounting the display.

You need one ball (wall or pipe mount) and a connecting rod to connect the two balls.

Choose one of each below.

Power supply and Display Module cables

The I/O module powers the whole system and requires a 24V 40W power supply to operate. 

You also need a cable between the I/O module and the display. Typical mounting points for the I/O module is on the wall behind the fermentation tank. The Display Module is typically mounted with a clamp on the blow-off pipe.

You need the power supply and an LP12 6-pin cable based on the distance from the I/O Module to the Display Module.

Temperature Sensors

FCS is designed to use PT1000 temperature sensors. We use Platinum RTDs with an accuracy of ± 0.15%°C and top-of-the line interfaces for reading temperature with cable resistance compensation. 

Choose a temperature sensor that fits your tank.

Temperature Sensor cables

The temperature sensors use LP12 3-pin cables. Choose the length that fits your application.

The temperature sensors plugs in to the I/O module normally fitted on the wall behind your tank.

Cooling

FCS can control cooling with a solenoid valve or with a pump. The I/O module can directly power a solenoid or a 24V DC pump (max 1A).

In the future, we will offer module that can control AC solenoids and other solutions for controlling cooling.

Choose a solenoid or pump that fits your tank. See our cooling system guide, for more details. 

Cables and connectors for cooling

The solenoid or pump will connect to the I/O module using the LP12 2-pin connector. For our solenoids, you also need an adapter cable from LP12 2-pin to the DIN connector. We use DIN43650 form A for our glycol solenoids.

Our submersible pump connects directly to the I/O module and does not require another cable.

Cables for pressure sensor / solenoids

You need a LP12 5-pin CAN bus cable for the pressure sensor. Choose the length required to connect the sensor to the I/O module.

For each solenoid, you need an LP12 2-pin cable plus the adapter cable from LP12 to DIN 43650 form B for our Ø2.0 orifice solenoids for gas/air.

Heating / Relay module

If you ferment in cold rooms, use Kveik yeast or other use cases where you want to introduce heat during fermentation, we offer several solutions to this.

For our unitanks, we recommend a 2" TC heating element. We also offer 1.5" TC element for MiniUni or other tanks with a 1.5" TC port. TC 34mm is also available.

You also need a relay module to control the heating element. The relay module will also measure current draw and has safety features like overcurrent protection and fuses.

Choose a relay module and the heating element that fits your tank.

Cables for heating / relay module

The relay module requires a power cable with LP20 3-pin 10A connector. It is normally installed next to the I/O module on the wall behind the tank. 

You also need a power cable from the relay module to the heating element (LP20 3-pin male to female).

You also need a 7-pin LP12 cable from the I/O module to the relay module. Normally, a 1 meter cable is sufficient.

Accessories

To complete your FCS setup, some accessories may be needed. 

- An airlock for the pressure out solenoid valve is recommended. For smaller tanks we recommend our polycarbonate airlock. For larger tanks (300l+) you should use a TC34mm to 12mm barb and a 10x16mm silicone tube or equivalent.

- Tri Clamps and gaskets. Based on your tank and setup, you may need some extra tri clamps or gaskets.

- For MiniUni+, you need to replace the Mini Spunding valve with an M24 to Tri Clamp adapter and a 90 degree TC34mm elbow to fit your spunding assembly (if you want to use our TC air lock. No need for elbow if you use tubing as airlock). Rembember clamps/gaskets.

More pipes, fittings and adapters can be found in the "Valves and Fittings" section.

Enjoy!

That's it (for now). More sensors, actuators, accessories and software updates will come soon!

Estimated release time on other components:
- Pneumatic HopDrop - February 2025
- Density sensor - March/April 2025
- Agitator - March/April 2025

Questions, or missing something? support@brewtools.no