How to Add a chil Phase in the schedule

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yeager1977
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How to Add a chil Phase in the schedule

Post by yeager1977 »

After I mash, then I boil everything (I added a boil stage in the Schedule) how can I get the "chill" phase then transfer to fermenter pahs. I have tried a few things but it doesn't really like that. Can that be added or is it there and I am missing how to use it?
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Bobby_M
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Post by Bobby_M »

Maybe I'm crazy, but do you need a line in the schedule to tell you you're supposed to chill now? ... or are you thinking more in terms of documenting how long the chill takes for referencing later?
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starsailor
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Post by starsailor »

I agree that this would be a useful feature, especially for those of use that want to document and track all the critical path times in a brew day using the schedule in BTP. On a fundamental level it makes no sense the the schedule should be limited just the mashing steps as opposed to all the steps it takes brew a batch.

I've kind of hacked it in a way that sort of works for my brewing process using my immersion chiller. I configured my immersion chiller as a "Heat Source", really a heat sink, using a 5gal batch as the "Calibration Volume" and a NEGATIVE VALUE for "Time to Heat 18 °F (10 °C)" that I measured in the middle of the cooling temp range, 70 °C down to 60 °C. Then I configured "New Direct Heat" schedule step using that heat source. It's not intuitive, but it works in the schedule and the temp graph. To finsh the brew out I have a "whirlpool" rest step, a "transfer to fermenter" transfer step, an "airation" rest step, a "pitch yeast" rest step, and lastly a "stow the fermenter" rest step.

This way of configuring a chill step works for any kind of in place chilling where the wort isn't transfered at the same time, but it wouldn't work for a CFC or plate chiller because they transfer at the same time and a transfer step doesn't involve any heat calculations.

BTW, I know that this is big hack and crude a approximation. A "Direct Heat" step heating with a burner etc. is pretty much a linear calculation because the heat source temp can be assumed to be way higher than the target temp. So, my use of a "Direct Heat" step as a heat sink where the ultimate "Heat Source" temp is equal to the target temp means that this heat transfer isn't near linear and really begs for a different kind of calculation, that's the hack part and why I calibrated it in the middle of the cooling temp range, but it at least gets my schedule in the ball park.
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