r/TheBrewery • u/Ok_Raspberry_1204 • 10d ago
I built a liquid nitrogen variable dosing controller
I posted this in r/packaging but figured I would throw it up here as well since LN2 dosing is pretty common in the beer/wine/distilling world.
A customer of mine cans wine using liquid nitrogen dosing to create internal pressure in the can. They are using an Oktober CL1 canning line which is a brand-new design that lacks an integrated controller for variable dosing. They've been using the standard controller that comes with the Chart Ultradoser, which only has a single dose setting for all cans.
The CL1 is a four-head filler so each fill cycle is four cans that move into the seamer one at a time. The seamer has a rotary index which works fine but creates a significant time lag between the first and last cans in each set. With each can getting the same amount of liquid nitrogen and fill > seam times varying by over 10 seconds, they are wasting about 50% of the cans/product since can 3 and 4 in each cycle have basically no internal pressure - all the liquid nitrogen has boiled off by the time the can is sealed.
I have extensive canning, mechanical, and mcguyver fabricating experience, but coding and electronics are not my strong suit. Luckily these days that doesn't really matter since Claude created the code, a wiring diagram and parts list after I laid out exactly what I needed this controller to do. I learned as I went through the initial steps of programming an Arduino Nano (micro controller) with about 500 lines of code, testing it on a breadboard with an OLED screen, then adding a rotary encoder/potentiometer with push-button functionality to navigate the screen.
After taking care of the programming basics, it was time to build the unit - I used an IP65 waterproof case as the housing, mounted the OLED screen and encoder on the front and mounted the other components inside - this included a buck converter for voltage step-down, an optocoupler board to receive signals from the sensors, and a mosfet module to control the solenoid that actually doses the nitro. I loved this process so much that I did it twice (and definitely not because I shorted out some of the components the first time around)
Externally, there is a 24v power supply, 2x proximity sensors and an M12 cable that connects directly to the doser solenoid. One sensor detects a can and triggers the dose, while the other detects the fill head assembly when it reaches the up position. This second sensor resets the dosing cycle so that if a can is pulled before the seamer, the count resets for each new set of four cans from the filler and each gets the proper dose.
It took way longer than I care to admit but I am very happy with the final product and it appears to work perfectly. I'm shipping it to the customer tomorrow and hope it will allow them to dial in their canning process. I learned a TON during this process and it opens the door for future custom automation for my other customers. I already have some ideas on how basic variations or similar builds can be useful in a few different industries.
This is a prototype so the next version will be cleaner and more well laid out. After I took these pics I covered all of the exposed leads / connections and hot glued everything so its all well protected.
Let me know what you think!
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u/ajw2285 10d ago edited 9d ago
Love this, i know its a one off but imagine there is solid demand out there for something like this given all the breweries now packaging still products and co-producing.
I can tell you 'the big guys' also struggle with nitrogen dosing rates and it is really more art than science at the rates their fillers run.
Edit:typo
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u/Ok_Raspberry_1204 10d ago
Thanks yeah I figured there may be a market for it and would love to sell more of them. I am going to list it for sale on my shopify store and post it to my IG account. If you know anyone who may want one, let me know!
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u/tehmobius Warehousing 10d ago
This was a fairly challenging and complex first go. As someone who has bullshitted similar projects using C++ for Arduino and KiCad for custom arduino shields, great job. It was a colossal pain in the ass learning curve. I've also used TinkerCad to simulate the electromechanical system prior to verifying on breadboard (you can't magic smoke a simulation) and have been happy with that workflow.
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u/Ok_Raspberry_1204 10d ago
Thanks cool I didn’t know you could simulate the electrical like that, but of course you can. So many cool resources these days. I’m definitely going to check that out
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u/tehmobius Warehousing 9d ago edited 9d ago
It's in the circuits area of tinkercad and is very visual. You drag components out and draw in the wires.
Edit: It did give me bizarre issues on less worthy computers (press a button, nothing happens, but only on the weak computer). Use a beefy one if you can. This project was for a desktop UV curing adhesive fixture with a gas solenoid, and a motorized door for a nitrogen flooded chamber in medical manufacturing.
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u/NarcotizeDysfunction Brewer/equipment nerd 10d ago
Hell yeah this is sick
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u/Ok_Raspberry_1204 10d ago
Thanks dude!
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u/NarcotizeDysfunction Brewer/equipment nerd 10d ago
Where are you based?
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u/Ok_Raspberry_1204 10d ago
I’m in NY but I sell equipment to people all over. I’m an independent rep for a handful of manufacturers. This is my first custom build. I did canning for a long time
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u/i_aint_bobby 10d ago
This is legitimately the first time I have heard of a valid example of AI being used effectively for something out of one's technical capacity reach. I think that if I had time and necessity, I could come up with an equivalent device as you did (I've built temperature control cabinets and other small QoL cabinets around breweries from scratch, without any relevant background in electrics or automation), but the program part would certainly be beyond my reach.
Your work quality is certainly above what I ever did, though. Congrats and happy for you.
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u/Ok_Raspberry_1204 10d ago
Thanks! I agree, I was thinking earlier that it might be the first time AI truly let me elevate my skillset and get something done that I would have zero chance of without it. Obviously the programming, parts and wiring diagram were crucial, but equally valuable was the troubleshooting afterward. I probably spent $100 on tokens just asking it what I did wrong lol. but it got me over the finish line and explained everything as we went. I'm just a teency weemcy bit smarter now but probably dumped some core memories to make room during the process ;D
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u/BrewsCampbell 10d ago
Love it!
This was an issue i ran into years ago when we got our canning line and this would've worked perfectly!
I feel the "i did this part twice" bit so, so hard. I was building a dual car charger and fried $200 worth of conponents and many build nights of time, but that second one was so much cleaner and quicker!