HeaterMeter monitoring wine storage cabinet

[CraigMW]

Here's a graph of my HM4.1 monitoring my newly installed 600 bottle capacity wine cabinet (a Vinotemp 600E). I'm simply monitoring the wine cabinet, and not using the HM fan control to modulate the cooling unit on this I obtained this from a friend of my father, as he no longer needed the unit. Since the cooling unit appeared to be dead, he didn't charge me for it. So, when I got it home, I took apart the cooling unit and verified that it was blowing only warm air. Given that a replacement cooler unit costs more than $1200, I decided to try to fix it before spending that cash on a new one. I ended up adding more R134a "Freon" and decided to try out the non-functioning cooler unit. After re-installing this in the cabinet, I grabbed my HM to monitor the temps and see if it could bring the unit down to around 55-60F, the optimal temp for wine.



Note that the unit is being controlled by its built in mechanical thermostat set to its lowest temperature. I placed the HM inside the cabinet with the pit probe (orange) just below the return vent of the cooling unit (a WineMate WM2500CD). As the had passed below 50F, I set the mechanical thermostat on the cooler unit a bit higher, trying to hit a range between 55F and 60F. I also used a longer probe to measure temp at the bottom (light green) and a second probe was placed outside the unit to measure my garage temps (yes, it's warm here). The large temp swing after reaching 50F was due to me opening the door on the unit to adjust the cooler unit. After this, it relatively quickly began a typical heating/cooling cycle. This morning, I bumped the thermostat up a bit to get closer to the range I'd like.

The point of this post is that these HeaterMeter units are incredibly versatile! It was so easy to use this to verify that I'd fixed the cooler unit (which just saved me $1200... thanks Bryan!). I think it would be super cool to build another HM unit purpose built for the task of controlling my wine cabinet. Seems like it would be possible to control the AC to the cooler unit using the HM, right? How does one go about this with the current software? Also, it would be super cool to have this send an email and/or SMS warning if the unit exceeded a certain temp. It would also be cool to be able to measure longer times (say over a few weeks instead of just 24h) to keep track of the cabinet performance as the weather changes.

Of course, I'd also like to do something similar for a fermentation controller for beer brewing, so I'd love to see how this is done if anyone has tried.

 

[Bryan Mayland]

Yeah! I've used mine with a wine minifridge (which I couldn't figure out which direction on the thermostat was "warmer"), various places in my main fridge (which is colder, "deli" "chill" or "fresh"?!?), in the fermenter freezer, in the kegerator, in the HVAC vent, in my car before/after window tint... I use it for everything! It's even more fun with the RF transmitters you can just slip anywhere and leave the HeaterMeter outside.

You can't really use the HeaterMeter to control a compressor because the longest interval output it can do is 10 seconds which will murder it. Even with an SSR it only works on resistive loads like heaters or peltier modules.

I made another project called KeezerStat that accounts for minimum run time / off time. I was going to do the whole web server thing too but after a few months I realized I didn't care so much about the temperature. I felt it was like putting a website on a lightbulb-- it does its job, there's no need to check on it.

For the fermenter I have an RF transmitter that straps to the side of the carboy. It's been running on a single A123 battery for something like a year and a half with no signs of losing a charge. Right now it just outputs to a remote SSR-controlled outlet that basically unplugs the fridge and has a 3x 7 segment display. It was in my plans to make a controller board that replaced the existing controller but I've been having a hard time finding parts the right size to fit in the existing cavity (an X2 2.2uF capacitor rated for 250VAC is giant).

 

[CraigMW]

Hmm, interesting point about the HM not being optimal to control something like a compressor due to the short cycle times. This isn't something that can be modified by one of the PID values? Seems like a flip flop and 555 timer circuit could be devised to prevent the compressor from being switch on and off to often. Maybe I need to dig into your code to see how tricky it would be to add a function like this in software.

I can see your logic in not adding a web server for the KeezerStat, since longterm temp plotting for a keezer is not really necessary. But I do like the idea of being able to use the functionality of the HM to send an email/SMS about failure of the wine cabinet. It's a pretty heft investment in all of that stored wine, and failure could lead to some pretty messed up wine if not noticed soon enough. Of course, it'd also be cool if it were possible to use one of the extra probe inputs to monitor humidity in the cabinet. For fermentation control, it would be pretty slick to be able to monitor the temp over time, and be able to slowly ramp temps (similar to BrewPi).

 

[Tom Golden]

What about humidity?

 

[CraigMW]

What about humidity?

The unit I have does not have adjustable humidity control, but it does have a coil to control humidity. Basically, this coil comes directly off the high pressure side of the compressor and then sits inside the condensate pan (on the compressor/hot side of the unit). I guess that the higher temp of the high pressure line helps to evaporate some of the condensate, and this is then pumped out of the vent on the back of the unit to the outside. On their newer units, the electronic controller turns the fans on and off when the compressor is running, although I'm uncertain about the purpose of this. In any event, my unit does an impressive job of dehumidifying. After running about an hour in open air, the condensate pan was nearly full of water.

Humidity is important, but only so that the humidity doesn't get high enough to lead to mold growth. Beyond that, I've read that humidity control is not all that important for long term wine stability, so long as the wine is stored on its side with the cork kept wet by the wine.

 

[Tom Golden]

An associate of mine has one of those $50,000 walk-in wine coolers (not kidding!) and I know he always talks about humidity control. Was just curious... Also CAO gadgets makes some neat temp/hum monitors for those not using an HM

 

[CraigMW]

An associate of mine has one of those $50,000 walk-in wine coolers (not kidding!) and I know he always talks about humidity control. Was just curious... Also CAO gadgets makes some neat temp/hum monitors for those not using an HM

Yeah, there certainly are very expensive units that control both temperature and humidity. But, you can purchase relatively inexpensive ($3-5K) units that store hundreds of bottles of wine and have control over temperature and humidity. The replacement unit I was going to buy has control over both temp. and humidity, so when I do finally replace out the cooler unit, I'll have better control over humidity than the current unit. I will say that the unit does seem to be holding up quite well, including the RH (measured with a RadioShack humidity monitor). It's very hot here in Southern California right now, and despite this, the temperature has been quite stable, except when I opened the doors a few times to add a bunch more wine. The HM has been very useful for confirming how stable the temps have been.

 

[Tom Golden]

It is a cool application of a neat device. Nice out-of-the-bottle thinking.

 

[Bryan Mayland]

All this is cool and all, but how about a picture?! I get so proud when my wine storage fills up, and it only holds 36 bottles. It lasts that way for under 24 hours, absolute maximum, so it never has enough time to go to my head.

 

[Tom Golden]

You drink 36 bottles in 24 hrs??

 

[CraigMW]

So here are a couple of pics of this monster. It is in my garage (which may come back to bite me considering the power this consumes), and in its stock configuration, holds about 450 bottles. If additional racks are added to the top part of the unit, it can store up to 600 bottles. I still have to add the rest of my collection which is about 350 or so bottles. Note that each slot holds two bottles, head to tail.

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I've been thinking more about control for this. Currently, it is using the HM to monitor the air straight out of the cooler unit (top middle of the cabinet), the lower part of the unit, and the outside/garage temp. I've found the information quite useful, because it suggests that I might need to replace the door seals to prevent loss of cool air to the garage. The cooler unit itself is controlled by a mechanical thermostat, and seems to work okay. I don't foresee needing to change the temp often, so that may be sufficient. I do think the HM would be useful here if I can figure out how to have it send me text messages or emails if the temperature rises about a set threshold to let me know that my wine is about to get cooked so I can do something to fix it. It would probably be best if there was a way to only send out such warning messages if the temp hit this maximum for a set period of time (say 2 hours) so that I don't get panic messages when I go in searching for a bottle.

I've also considered using a BrewPi for this, but I think the HM is better for monitoring and its ability to send alarm messages. I just need to figure out how to program it.

 

[Bryan Mayland]

That's so sharp looking! I just can't keep wine like that. It all keeps disappearing on me.

And no I can't drink 36 bottles in 24 hours! I come back from the Total Wine with enough bottles to fill my fridge, then almost immediately they start disappearing until all that is left is Riesling, late harvest Chardonnay, and other whites and it is time to do it all again.

 

[CraigMW]

So here are a couple of pics of this monster. It is in my garage (which may come back to bite me considering the power this consumes), and in its stock configuration, holds about 450 bottles. If additional racks are added to the top part of the unit, it can store up to 600 bottles. I still have to add the rest of my collection which is about 350 or so bottles. Note that each slot holds two bottles, head to tail.

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I've been thinking more about control for this. Currently, it is using the HM to monitor the air straight out of the cooler unit (top middle of the cabinet), the lower part of the unit, and the outside/garage temp. I've found the information quite useful, because it suggests that I might need to replace the door seals to prevent loss of cool air to the garage. The cooler unit itself is controlled by a mechanical thermostat, and seems to work okay. I don't foresee needing to change the temp often, so that may be sufficient. I do think the HM would be useful here if I can figure out how to have it send me text messages or emails if the temperature rises about a set threshold to let me know that my wine is about to get cooked so I can do something to fix it. It would probably be best if there was a way to only send out such warning messages if the temp hit this maximum for a set period of time (say 2 hours) so that I don't get panic messages when I go in searching for a bottle.

I've also considered using a BrewPi for this, but I think the HM is better for monitoring and its ability to send alarm messages. I just need to figure out how to program it.

Thanks Bryan. And the price was right... a nice bottle of wine for the guy who gave it to me, a bottle of 134a and refrigerant manifold valve kit. I've got less that $100 into it, not including the cost for electricity to run it during our SoCal heat wave.

I've been collecting for a few years, and often purchase by the case when we go wine tasting here in California. Plus, I'm in a couple of wine clubs, so that ends up giving me more bottles than we can go through. It builds up over time, especially since I'm also a homebrewer and tend to serve beer at our get togethers.

I'm really keen to use a HeaterMeter to control this thing. Where in the AVR code can I find the code to accomplish this?

Thanks again for your outstanding work on the HeaterMeter!

 

[JayC]

I was going to start a new thread about wine storage and HM but did a search and here it is already!

I've been working on a walk in wine room for a while and finally have it up and running. It's about a 10'x6' room and is going to hold somewhere north of 600 bottles when it's all done--I'm still working on the design. One thing I was curious about was what it would look like over time as far as temperature cycles because the WhisperKool split system is showing 55 degrees and sometimes 56 on the thermostat with a bottle probe inserted in an old wine bottle filled with water.

So, I stuck my HM in there with two probes--one is in the ambient air and one is in an old VinoTemp wine refrigerator in the ambient air inside of it. It's no longer plugged in but I simply don't have the bottles needed yet to have enough thermal inertia in this room and that VinoTemp has a lot of mass so it's going to stay in there for a while--plus I don't have anywhere else to keep it and it's nice to have a backup for the really good stuff should something go wrong with my split system.

Here is the plot and it's interesting to see what is going on.

Obviously, the 55 degree red line is the desired bottle temperature but of course the HM is NOT controlling that. This is just a monitor. You can see that the ambient is bouncing around 48-58 degrees and that even though the wine fridge isn't plugged in, the ambient doesn't really change much in there. It's like a double oven oscillator only it's a double refrigerator in this case. Intuitively, I wasn't expecting the near step function after the split system cycled off but then after seeing the plot, it made more sense. The thermal mass of all of the wine and the 30 something gallons of water I have to help stabilize the thermal inertia are all at 55 degrees so of course it goes shooting up to 55 almost immediately after the split system turns off. Then it drifts over a much longer period of time until the bottle probe in the split system starts to wander away from 55 degrees and the cycle repeats. What I thought was a little strange were these flat periods that are consistent in those plots over that drift period from 55 degrees to 58ish degrees. I've changed the time axis to an hour here:

What I realized after talking through it is that we're seeing the thermal inertia of the probe itself as the temperature change on the other axis is only few degrees. I'm going to have to hang the thermocouple out there and see if that plot goes more linear in those last few degrees of warming just for fun. Anyway, I thought you guys might be interested in that. Sorry, Bryan, no pictures of the wine cellar yet. I'll get some after I finish the first few racks I'm making. They will be African Mahogany and 304 Stainless steel and are about 80% designed and 0% built. I'm hoping to make some progress as I've found working in the wine cellar in Texas in the summer is probably one of the smartest things I've ever done. August is always going to be inventory month from now on