Configuring Samovar Parameters

This page describes all Samovar parameters available in the web interface on the “Settings” page. The description corresponds to firmware 7.00.

When you first open the settings page, the “Main” tab is shown. There are seven tabs in total: Main, Temperatures, Pump, Beer, Cheese, NBK, Other. You switch between them with the buttons at the top of the page.

Initial values can be loaded from the text file Samovar_default_settings.txt from the tools/ folder. To do this, on the “Other” tab click “Load settings file” and select the file on your disk. The same tab has a “Download settings file” button, which saves the current values to a text file. This is handy if you use several sets of sensors: you can save a separate file for each and load the one you need when you change equipment.

“Main” tab

On this tab you set the operating mode and the general process parameters.

• Operating mode — a choice of one of seven modes: Rectification, Distillation, Beer, BK (wash column), NBK (continuous wash column), Cheesemaking. The Sous-vide mode and Lua are selected separately, on the “Program” page or via /lua. After the settings are saved, the controller applies the selected mode without a reboot: the set of active sensors and the regulator logic change.
• Rectification, distillation and BK up to boiler temperature — the boiler temperature threshold at which a distillation or BK process is considered complete (99.9 °C by default).
• Time to monitor distillation completion — the time in minutes during which the boiler sensor reading must not change for the controller to stop the distillation or BK run. Range 0–255 min. Default is 60 min; a value of 0 means this is ignored.
• Use pressure correction — if enabled, the controller adjusts the hearts take-off temperature when atmospheric pressure changes (based on a BMP180/BMP280/BME280 or MPX5010DP sensor).
• Use the phlegm level sensor during rectification — enables phlegm level monitoring for an automatic take-off pause.

Column parameters

• Diameter — the inner diameter of the column in inches (1.5 / 2.0 / 3.0).
• Packing height — the height of the packed section in meters (0.50–2.50 m in 0.25 m steps).
• Packing density — a slider from 0 to 100 %.

Impurity breakthrough detector (rectification)

• Use detector — the main switch. Without it the detector does not work. It watches the temperature trend on all lines of the rectification program (on heads it only observes), pauses the take-off if the rise becomes critical, and resumes it automatically after stabilization.
• Reduce take-off speed when temperature rises — works only together with the detector. When the trend rises above the threshold, the detector smoothly reduces the pump speed and restores it when the trend settles.
• Speed reduction step — the percentage by which the speed changes in one correction (0 = default of 5, maximum 20).

Pressure and MPX5010DP

• Pressure that triggers an alarm — the pressure threshold for emergency shutdown (mmHg).
• MPX zero point — the ADC reading of the MPX5010DP sensor at zero gauge pressure. It is subtracted from every measurement.
• MPX counts per 1 mmHg — the sensor scale (factory value 12).

Buzzer

• Use buzzer for notifications — enables audible indication of events. When the parameter is off, the buzzer is disabled completely.
• Use buzzer for notifications in the browser — enables audible alerts in the browser.
• Sound the buzzer when the program changes — a short beep on moving between program lines.

“Temperatures” tab

On this tab, for each of the five DS18B20 sensors you set the address on the 1-Wire bus, the reading correction, the temperature deviation setpoint and the pause trigger delay. The “Scan sensors” button is used to find the addresses of the connected sensors.

The sensors: steam before the dephlegmator (Steam), column section at 2/3 of the height (Pipe), cooling water (Water), boiler (Tank), TCA (ACP).

• Sensor address — the serial number of the DS18B20 on the bus. If the sensors are not yet bound to their locations, you can connect the sensors one at a time and save the settings after each connection to fix the address.
• Correction — a correction of the readings in °C. It is used to calibrate the sensors against each other: for example, when water in a common container is heated to 70–80 °C, the sensor readings are adjusted to a single value.
• Setpoint / Deviation from setpoint — the permissible deviation of temperature from the reference value during hearts take-off. When it goes outside the limits, the take-off is paused.
• Trigger delay — the time in seconds that the readings must stay outside the setpoint before the take-off is paused.

For the steam and column section sensors, setpoints are mandatory: without them hearts take-off will be unstable. To start, you can set 0.1 °C for the steam sensor and 0.4 °C for the column sensor, and adjust them while the column is running.

Calibrating the sensors against each other for consistent readings does not affect how the controller works, since Samovar works with relative temperature values, but it makes visual analysis of the process and reading the logs easier.

“Pump” tab

• Stepper motor step count — a calibration parameter of the local peristaltic pump: how many stepper motor steps correspond to 1 ml of liquid.
• I2C pump step count — calibration of an external pump connected over I2C (if one is installed).
• Use the I2C pump above the reflux condenser — enables the pump’s participation in rectification. The pump takes part only if it was detected when the controller started. For heads it becomes the primary pump; for hearts and pre-flooding it works simultaneously with the local pump.
• Second I2C pump speed — the take-off speed of the second pump in L/h.

The pump is calibrated on a separate “Pump calibration” screen (the calibrate.htm page). Water is fed to the pump inlet (it is better to calibrate on spirit and at the take-off temperature), and the outlet is directed into a measuring container. After you click “Start calibration” the pump turns on; when it reaches 100 ml you need to click “Record 100 ml”, and the controller will remember the number of steps per 1 ml. If an encoder is installed, turning it adjusts the stepper motor speed during calibration, and pressing it ends the calibration.

“Beer” tab

On this tab you set the parameters of Beer mode and of the heating regulator.

• Brewing order — the brewery layout, not a recipe. Available options: All-in-one / BIAB (the mash is heated in the boiler), HERMS (PID on the water sensor in the boiler and a continuously running pump), RIMS (PID on the column sensor on the return line and a continuously running pump). The mashing method, infusion or decoction, is set by the step type in the imported BeerXML recipe.
• PID coefficients — Kp, Ki, Kd for the heating PID regulator.
• Regulator voltage/power in temperature holding mode — the regulator voltage or power in thermostat mode (StbVoltage).
• Regulator voltage/power in heating and boiling mode — the working voltage/power in boiling mode (BVolt).
• BK power after boiling starts — the working power of the wash column after reaching operating mode (BKPower).
• Use the boost heating element when boiling — if a boost heating element is used, it can also be engaged in boiling mode. In distillation, when the option is off, the boost heating element is switched off as soon as boiling starts.

“Cheese” tab

In Cheesemaking mode the PH-4502C pH probe takes the LUA_PIN pin, and the drain valve is connected to relay No. 4. The operator must physically connect either the PH-4502C or the MPX5010DP pressure sensor to the shared analog input, and either the drain valve or the boost heating element to relay No. 4. In the other modes the MPX5010DP, Lua and the boost heating element remain available.

The pH probe is calibrated on a separate “pH calibration” page (calibrate_ph.htm).

“NBK” tab

Automation parameters of the continuous wash column (NBK).

• Inertia — the time in seconds it takes the column to settle into a new steady state after a change of power or feed. Default is 180 s. For thick grain washes and columns with preheating it is usually 300–600.
• Delta — the permissible deviation of the stillage temperature from the reference Tn, within which power and feed are not changed.
• Power step — by how many watts the automation changes power in one correction.
• Feed step — by how many liters per hour the automation changes the wash feed in one correction.
• Steam T — the upper working limit of the steam temperature. As it approaches this limit, the automation reduces the feed.
• Flooding pressure — the pressure sensor threshold at which flooding is registered. The working pressure ceiling is half of this value.
• Completion T (stillage) — the reference temperature of the spent stillage.
• Switch the flow with the servo on flooding — on flooding, position 1 (dirty flow) is selected; position 0 (clean flow) is restored only after a full recovery pause or when the NBK run finishes.

“Other” tab

• Blynk token — a field for the Blynk app authorization token. The controller uses Blynk as a background library for communicating with the samovar-tool.ru server. The main channel for notifications and control is the Android and iOS mobile apps, the web interface and the samovar-tool.ru site.
• Camera video URL — a link to the camera stream (HTTP or RTP). The video is shown on the “Video” tab of the main page and in the mobile app (local network only).
• Time zone — an offset relative to Greenwich for displaying time in logs and charts.
• Use regulator connection check — if an external power regulator is used and communication with it is lost, the controller will switch off heating.
• Heating element resistance for power calculation — used when working with a regulator that has feedback, where the controller sets the voltage and receives confirmation from the regulator.
• Mains voltage — the nominal mains voltage in volts. Used for power calculation.
• Use water flow monitoring — if a water flow sensor is connected, its readings are taken into account when monitoring cooling.

Sensor colors

On the “Other” tab you set the colors in which the readings of the five temperature sensors are displayed in charts and on the main page. You can pick colors with any color picker, for example the w3schools color picker.

Relay levels

For each of the four relays you set the active level: LOW (on is logic 0, off is logic 1) or HIGH (the opposite). The choice depends on the type of relay module used.

Saving and loading settings

At the bottom of the “Other” tab there are four service buttons:

• Download settings file — saves the current parameters to a text file on your computer.
• Load settings file — loads parameters from a previously saved file.
• Reset WiFi settings — resets the Wi-Fi SSID and password, and the controller switches to access point mode.
• Reboot Samovar — a full reboot of the controller (needed only when changing firmware or after recovery operations).

Applying settings

After you click “Save” at the bottom of the settings page, the controller writes the parameters to non-volatile memory and applies them without a reboot: the operating mode, the set of active sensors and the power regulator parameters change. A reboot is needed only when changing firmware or after a Wi-Fi reset.