automated electric brewing system...brew-boss® v3.03 operation manual automated electric brewing...

Brew-Boss® V3.03 Operation Manual

Automated Electric Brewing System

Operation Manual V3.03(For Brew-Boss® App Versions 2.07 and later and Brew-Boss Controller V2.0 or Greater)

www.Brew-Boss.com

V2.0 Brew-Boss Deluxe COFI System with Brew-Boss Brew Stand


1 - System Overview

The Brew-Boss® home brew system is an all electric home brewing system that allows home brewers to brew extract and all-grain recipes with complete and accurate automatic control of temperature and timing. Complete systems are available in 10, 15, and 20 gallon sizes. The 10 gallon version produces a 5 gallon net batch, the 15 gallon system is primarily designed for 5 gallon batches but is capable of 10gallon net batches, and the 20 gallon system is capable of 5, 10 and 15 gallon batches.

The Brew-Boss® System utilizes a power control box that controls one electric heater element, a high temperature circulation pump, and an optional Hops Boss® automatic hops feeder. The Brew-Boss®controller communicates with an Android Tablet App that provides a color touch screen graphical user interface that allows complete control over the brewing process. All steps and parameters relative to the brewing process can be modified by the user to control nearly any brew setup. It operates in a completely Automatic mode, or can be operated in manual step mode for those that want manual control over their brewing process. The base system provided operates as a Brew-in-a-Bag system witha single kettle. A version is also available with a COFI Mash Infusion Filter that replaces the mesh bag in a BIAB system and offers a few additional advantages. The controller will also control 2 and 3 vessel systems as well!

The Brew-Boss® controller interfaces with the Android tablet (or iPad but less desirable) via a Wi-Fi interface.

The Brew-Boss® controller can be purchased as a part of a complete system or the controller can be purchased separately to add to your existing system.

Brew-Boss® system can be supplied as a Brew-In-A-Bag (BIAB), Brew-In-A-Basket, or with our patented COFI mash infusion system.

Complete systems include the following components:

10, 15, or 20 Gallon Stainless Steel Kettle with TIG welded Triclamp ferrules for the pump and heater element, and an Accessory Port used to connect the COFI Filter, Swirl-Boss whirlpool device, Accu-Fill Autometed Kettle Filler, and the our CIP (clean in place) spray balls that makecleanup a breeze.

240 Volt 3500 or 5500 Watt Electric Heating Element Microprocessor Controlled Brew-Boss® Brew Controller with LCD Display and Integrated

WiFi Router High Temperature Brewery Grade Pump Recirculation System with Camlock quick connect fittings and Brewery Grade Hoses (Silicone

not Vinyl) Infusion System. Either the COFI Mash Infusion Basket or BIAB with a false bottom and mesh

bag. Accessory Port Mounted Sparge Sprayer for BIAB version


Digital Temperature Sensor Probe (Accurate to 1 degree C) Optional 10.1” Android Tablet with Brew-Boss® Software

Note: This system is sold as a complete kit with a L6-30 twist lock plug installed on the power input cable. You will need to install a L6-30R receptacle in your brew area or cut the supplied L6-30P plug off of the supplied cable and install a plug that matches your receptacle. A minimum 240 volt 30 AMP circuit is required for the Brew-Boss Controller. A Ground Fault Interrupter is highly recommended as well for this circuit.

VERY IMPORTANT!!Test the System with a “Wet Run” with only Water

Read the entire document before attempting to brew with the system and potentially waste good ingredients. The vast majority of tech support requests and issues we hear about are clearly described in this document, but were never read. Read the entire document so you fully understand how the system operates, then, do a “Wet Run” with only water for the entire brew process. You can use the “WetRun” Brew Definition file included with the application to test the entire system in a shortened amount of time. Please do the Wet Run before trying an actual batch.

VERY IMPORTANT - Disclaimer!!Do not leave the area where you are brewing during brewing! It is the responsibility of the operator to monitor the progress of the brew session. Automation is great, but it can fail. Garbage in garbage out. Be very careful creating your step files as improper programming can cause boil overs and ruined batches. We are not responsible for batches of beer that are ruined or damaged because of system malfunctions, programming errors, etc. Always stay withing eyesight of the brew session and monitor the progress of the brew process, especially when transitioning from one brew step to the next!


2 - Brew-Boss® Controller & Android Tablet

The Brew-Boss® controller contains all of the necessary control elements to allow automated control of the brewing process. A small embedded controller (Arduino) with a purpose built control circuit board are the heart of the controller.

The controller accepts input from a plug-in digital temperature probe and controls the heater and the pump via industrial quality Solid State Relays (SSR's). A 20 Character by 4 line back-lit LCD display is provided to allow viewing of the temperature, power setting, fermentation mode, Hops-Boss


position. and the pump state The controller itself will do nothing without instructions from the Brew-Boss® application running on an Android Tablet or iPad (Tablet). The controller simply receives commands from the tablet and provides status information back to the application, but does not actuallycontrol the brew process on its own.

Before brewing, you must install the Brew-Boss application on your tablet. Make sure you have created a Google (Android) or iTunes (iPad) account on your tablet and that you are connected to a Wi-Fi network with internet connection. Open the App store. In the applications area, search for “Brew-Boss”. The Brew-Boss application should be found in the search results. Install the application, but donot run it yet, as you must first connect to the Brew-Boss controller.

The controller connects to the Tablet via a Wi-Fi interface. To connect via Wi-Fi, it is required that youfirst connect to the “Brew-Boss” network using the tablet's wi-fi settings before connecting to the controller, where “Brew-Boss” is the SSID of the Wi-Fi controller. The Brew-Boss controller must be powered on for at least 1 minute for the Wi-Fi radio to start up. Please note, that the Brew-Boss®controller acts as it's own server, and that you will not be able to communicate with the internet or your home/work network on the tablet while connected to the controller. It is recommended that before you run the Brew-Boss® application that you “forget” the network you connect to the internet with. This isbecause the tablet will try and connect to the strongest powered network with internet access automatically, and should the signal strength of the Brew-Boss network drop, the tablet will automatically try and connect to other stronger wifi networks. So all other networks other than the Brew-Boss network should be “Forgotten” prior to running the Brew-Boss® application. To forget a network, simply touch the network SSID in the tablet's Wi-Fi settings and select the “Forget” or “remove” option.

Once you have connected to the Brew-Boss controller, run the Brew-Boss® application. The app screen shows the status of the connection to the Brew-Boss® controller in the upper right hand corner of the screen. If you have connected successfully, the Status Bar should turn green and display “Connected” as indicated in the picture below.


You can test the connection by selecting the menu, other, test alarm. The alarm inside the controller should sound indicating the tablet is communicating.

3 - System Setup

Select a LocationSelect a location for your system. The ideal location is within access to a 30 AMP 240VAC power panel or outlet (Stove, Dryer, Welder, etc.) for the 240VAC system. Your location should ideally have aventilation system that removes steam vapors and sends them outside. This could be a range hood, etc. You should have a sturdy work surface such as a counter top, work bench, or table. Basements and garages are ideal. If you brew outdoors, avoid windy areas or cold temperatures below 50 degrees F. The wind and/or cold temperatures can greatly affect the ability of the system to maintain temperatures.

Ideally, some type of overhead support such as a floor truss, ceiling truss, etc. for mounting a lifting device above the kettle is helpful as well. For the COFI version, this is required. Brew-Boss offers a very nice block and tackle type hoist on the brew-boss.com web site. We also offer a high quality brewstand with an integrated boom hoist and mounting plate for the controller.

Access to a water supply and sink for cleanup nearby is essential.


Brew-Boss® Controller Connections

CAUTION!The Brew-Boss® controller operates on 240 Volts AC. UK/Universal style 240 volt receptaclesare provided for the tablet and the pump. We have moved to this style receptacle with the V2 controller as it is universal worldwide and can be used in most countries. Please note that thesereceptacles put out 240 volts!

DO NOT PLUG 120 VOLT USA devices into these receptacles, you will damage the appliance or device!!!

The tablet and pump power supplies that Brew-Boss provides will operate up to 250 Volts, so they will operate correctly using the travel adapters. Again, do not plug devices or electronics into those receptacles if they are not designed to operate at 240 volts! If you have a 120 volt pump that you want to use with the Brew-Boss® controller, please use a power stepdown transformer (available for purchase at brew-boss.com).


Wiring/Power

According to the web site: www.safeelectricity.org/information-center/library-of-articles/55-home-safety/317-ground-fault-circuit-interrupters-gfcis

“It is recommended that GFCIs be installed in areas where appliances and power tools are used in close proximity to water”

The Brew-Boss® system is designed to be as electrically safe as possible considering the fact that it is being used to heat water and pump water and several amps are involved.

After receiving your system, you will need to facilitate powering the unit with 220-240VAC. The controller requires a minimum 30 Amp 240VAC (220-240VAC is OK) circuit to operate if using the 5500 Watt heater and a 20 amp circuit if using the 3500 watt element.

220-240 VAC CircuitThe Brew-Boss controller is equipped with a 15 foot long 240 volt power cord terminated with an L6-30P twist lock plug that is molded onto the cord. It is recommended that you install an L6-30R receptacle on the GFI circuit you will be running the Brew-Boss system on. If you do not have an L6-30R receptacle and want to use an existing dryer or range outlet, you can simplycut the molded L6-30P plug off of the cord and install a plug that matches your outlet (obtain from local home supply or hardware store). The power cable from the controller has three (3) wires, Black, White, and Green. The White and Black wires get wired to the HOT prongs of your plug (L1 and L2). The GREEN wire gets wired to the GROUND prong of your power plug. If you have a 4-wire receptacle, simply do not use the 4th prong, which is the Neutral wire.

Warning - Shock Hazard!This is an all electric system. It eliminates the many dangers associated with gas fired systems, but working with electricity is dangerous. You can be seriously injured or worse die by electricity. This system requires that you provide a 240VAC 30 AMP circuit (5500 watt heater) or 20 Amp circuit (3500 watt heater) and the appropriate power receptacle. A ground fault interrupter circuit breaker is highly recommended! If you are not comfortable or not knowledgeable with electrical wiring please have a certified electrician wire your system.

*** By ordering this product, you accept all liabilities for any and all damages that may occur by yourusage of this equipment. Further you agree to install all equipment in accordance with your local codes and regulations as required. ***


Place Kettle on Work SurfacePlace the kettle on a surface that can handle high temperatures. We recommend using silicone trivets asthey prevent thermal losses to the surface and prevent slipping as they are fairly sticky so they keep the kettle from sliding around. The picture shows the type we are suggesting. Position 3 or 4 of them in a pattern that assures the kettle is completely supported.

Install the Heater Element AssemblyThe Brew-Boss® heater element assembly is a Tri-Clamp device and needs to be clamped to the Tri-Clamp ferrule(s) on the lower left side of the kettle using a Tri-Clamp clamp. Install the Red silicone gasket between the heater and the ferrule on the kettle. Make certain the gasket is centered in the grooves and does not get pinched while installing the clamp and tightening. Hand tighten the clamp, donot use tools to tighten the clamp. For 240 Volt 10 gallon systems, install the cap on the spare ferrule as there is only one heater.

Brew-Boss® Heater Element Assembly


Brew-Boss® Heater Element Assembly Installed in Kettle

Insert the Digital Temperature ProbeThe temperature probe plugs into the controller using a headphone type stereo plug on the right side of the controller. The system includes a weldless temperature probe coupler that allows direct contact between the sensor and the water. This provides faster and more accurate temperature control. Install the weldless temperature probe coupler to the 1/2” diameter hole in the kettle as shown in the drawing below.

Care must be taken to properly install the temperature sensor. Fist, install the nut and two rubber O-


rings as shown in the picture.

Next, insert the assembly into the coupling on the kettle as shown so that about ¾ – 1 inch protrudes into the inside of the kettle. Make certain it will not interfere with the COFI infusion filter if you are using that device. Apply a very small amount of petroleum jelly to the O-rings for lubrication before each use.

Tighten the nut by hand (never use a wrench) until it is just tight enough to prevent it from coming off on it's own. If it leaks, tighten a little more. Over tightening will damage the O-rings, so be careful and lean towards too loose rather than too tight. It is very important here to make certain the sensor is not touching any metal of the weldless fitting.If it touches metal, it will measure the temperature of the kettle rather than the liquid(water or wort) in it. The probe should be insulated by the two o-rings and rest centered in the hole when viewed from the inside. It should protrude as far as possible into the

kettle while clearing the COFI filter or false bottom.

If you are seeing readings 5-7 degrees F below actual, you probably have not installed the probe properly. The sensors supplied with this system are digital and are certified accurate within 1 degree C.


Install Recirculation Plumbing ComponentsThe system includes several stainless steel threaded fittings. It is important to wrap all threads with a high quality Teflon thread tape. We like “Blue Monster PTFE” tape.

Wrap all male threads in the steps below with 4-6 layers (about 10-12 inches) of tape prior to assembling all connections. Wrap in the direction shown in the picture so that when threading the fitting on the tape is forced to wrap onto the thread rather than removed.


Install Accessory PortInstall the accessory port to the hole on the side of the kettle near the top rim.

The accessory port has a Camlock nipple on the inside and outside of the kettle.

DELUXE Accessory Port Assembly

The Camlock fitting shown on the left of both images above is installed inside the kettle. To install the accessory port, first wrap the threads of the male threaded Camlock nipple with Teflon tape as described above. Then, install the thin stainless steel washer over the wrapped threads. Now install thehigh temperature gasket over the threads being careful not disturb the Teflon wrap. The nipple will look like the following picture when properly assembled.

Inside Accessory Port Camlock with Teflon Tape, Washer, and Gasket Installed

Next, carefully push the inside accessory port Camlock nipple through the hole on the top of the kettle from the inside, being careful not to disturb the Teflon wrap.

Install the second Stainless Steel thin washer provided over the threads from the outside. Now, thread the female nipple onto the wrapped threads. Using two wrenches, tighten the two nipples together untilthe gasket just begins to compress visually. The accessory port can remain installed and typically does not need to be removed. Just make certain when cleaning, to run a small round brush through the hole to remove any trapped debris.


Please note that the rubber gasket supplied with the accessory port is used mainly as a spacer and as a flexible material to absorb any shock that may be caused by pulling on the hose attached, etc. It is not designed to be a water tight seal! The water/wort level in the kettle should never be higher than the embossed ridge near the top of the kettle, thus this gasket should never be in contact with water inside the kettle. The accessory port is mounted just above this embossed ridge.

Install Pump to KettleInstall the input side of the pump to the Tri-Clamp to male pipe adapter and install the ball valve as shown to the discharge side of the pump. Make certain to wrap the threads on the pump with Teflon tape before attaching the Tri-Clamp fitting and valve. Make certain the valve handle when in the open position is pointing outward as shown.

Next, connect the male Camlock fitting to the discharge port on the valve as shown below. Make certain to wrap the threads on the Camlock fitting with Teflon tape before attaching to the valve.

Once you have assembled the pump to the Tri-Clamp fitting and valve, you should never need to disassemble those components.

Pump mounted to kettle

Install the pump/valve assembly to the Tri-Clamp ferrule on the bottom front of the kettle (below the Brew-Boss Logo) using the clear silicone gasket between the valve and the ferrule on the kettle. Make certain the gasket is centered in the grooves and does not get pinched while installing the clamp and tightening. Hands tighten the clamp; do not use tools to tighten the clamp.

The Brew-Boss® system includes 4-6 feet of silicon brewery grade tubing depending on the system you purchased. You will use this tubing to connect the pump/valve discharge to the accessory port. You may cut it to a shorter length if you desire, just make certain it is not too short that the hose will


want to kink. Next, insert the high flow female Camlock fittings into each end of the tubing, making sure to place one of the hose clamps on each end first. It takes some effort to insert the high flow barbsinto the tubing. It helps to wet the barb on the Camlock slightly with water. Tighten the hose clamp to retain the Camlock onto the hose as shown on the photo above.

Option: Install Lifting DeviceWet saturated grains can get very heavy (each 9 lbs of grain absorbs about 1 gallon of water) and when they are hot, can be difficult to work with.

When removing the wet grains, it is desirable to let the grains hang above the kettle for a while to allowthe trapped wort in the grains to drain into the kettle.

If you are using the BIAB mesh bag style system, you'll need a lifting device like the one shown below.Simply tie the end around the BIAB bag with a slip knot. These locking lifts are nice as they self lock as you pull them up, so the bag won't drop uncontrolled if you accidentally let go of the rope. We offer these on our web site as well.

Self Locking Lifting Device (Available on Brew-Boss Web Site)

We recommend mounting an eye hook above the kettle to the ceiling, truss, joist, etc. so this can be utilized.

If you are using the COFI mash infusion filter, we recommend the rope lifting device above, but an electric hoist is much better! This is what we use. It is a 440 pound capacity hoist and we got ours from Harbor Freight for $100. When using this, be careful not to hook your COFI filter on the heating element or the temperature probe. It has a lot of power and can do damage quickly.


Add Water to KettleTo validate everything is working and that there are no leaks, we need to add water to the kettle. First, making sure the valve is closed, add enough water so that the water level is just above the temperature sensor. Check for leaks around the heater element, faucet, and temperature sensor. Make certain gaskets are positioned properly if you have any leaks.

Note: Never never never ever power the system without enough water in the kettle to cover the heating element! The element is designed to be submersed and if powered on without being in water can burn out very quickly (< 2 seconds). We do not warrant the heating elements for this reason.

Connect Heating Element to the ControllerThe heating element simply plugs into the controller using the L6-30 twist lock connectors.

Care should be taken when installing/removing the cord to/from the heating element to assure that the twist lock is released by turning counter clockwise before pulling. The cord should come off easily, do not force the cord off or damage could result to the prongs on the heater element. Always rotate gently with just enough force to rotate the plug.


Plug Pump into the ControllerThe pump supplied with Brew-Boss systems is a 24 Volt DC pump and uses an AC to DC power converter to power it. The power converter operates on voltages from 90-250 Volts AC, so it can be directly plugged into the pump outlet on the controller. If you have a 120 volt pump that you want to use with the Brew-Boss® controller, please use a power stepdown transformer (available for purchase at brew-boss.com).

Turn the Master Switch OnTo turn the master switch on the front of the controller on, move the red lever switch on the front of thecontroller to the “ON” position. You can use this switch as an emergency stop switch for the heater if for some reason you need to turn the heater off quickly, like when you inadvertently turn the heater on without water! Upon power-up, the LCD on the controller will display a start-up message indicating if the temperature probe was found or not. It will then display the main LCD screen, which shows the firmware version on the top line. If you forgot to plug in the temperature probe, the controller will beep and warn you that no temperature probe was detected. The Wi-Fi radio in the controller takes 20-45 seconds to start up. Wait at least this time before trying to connect to it with the tablet.

Start the Brew-Boss® ApplicationAfter the controller is powered up as described above, make sure you are connected to the Brew-Boss network as described in Section 2.

After connecting to the Brew-Boss network, you can start the Brew-Boss® app on the Tablet.

The Brew-Boss® App attempts to connect to the controller automatically on start up. The Controller Connection Status window at the top right side of the screen should turn Green and indicate “Connected” as shown in the following picture.


Make certain that your system parameters are set up properly as described in Section 6 in this manual.

The temperature shown on the controller LCD should match that shown on the Brew-Boss® App. Once successfully connected, you can proceed to testing the heater, pump, and Hops Boss® hops feederif you have one.

Test the HeaterTest the heater by pressing the Heater Toggle button so that the little green indicator turns on as shown.

The heater power slider bar should change to 100% and the heater power on the LCD display on the controller should change from 0 to 100.

Look at the heater element, you should see small bubbles coming off the heater element and most of thetime, hear it heating as well. If it appears the heater is not functioning, confirm that the heater is plugged into the controller.

Now try dragging the yellow heater power slider to the left with your finger. You should see the power setting change. Let up on the bar and you should see the corresponding power setting on the LCD display on the controller. You can also set the power directly by tapping the header text just above the heater slider. This will bring up a dialog box that allows you to directly specify the desired power (this is useful on tablets with small screens where sliding the power bar may be imprecise).

Test the PumpOpen the valve on the pump and wait for a few seconds for the water to flow into the pump. You should see water in the hose exiting the pump. The pump should never be run dry, so make sure the valve is open and water has filled the tubing to the pump.


Warning: Never ever ever try and run the pump without water in the kettle and the valve on the kettle open. Running the pump dry can/will immediately damage it.

To test the pump, simply press the “Pump Toggle” button on the App so the prompt changes from “Pump Off” to “Pump On” and the little green light on the button lights up.

The pump should turn on and begin circulating water (make sure the discharge hose is connected to the accessory port!) By the way, the toggle pump button is a handy “Emergency Stop” button for the pump any time you need to turn it off. Once pump operation is validated, repeat the steps above to toggle the pump off.

Test the AlarmAn alarm is provided to alert you when your interaction with the system is required. To test the alarm, enter the menu on the tablet and select the “More” entry then the “Test Alarm” entry. This will allow you to validate the volume is set appropriately for your brew environment as well as validate the alarm in the controller is operational.

VERY IMPORTANT!!

Test the System with a “Wet Run” with only WaterRead the entire document before attempting to brew with the system and potentially waste good ingredients. 90% of tech support requests and issues we hear about are clearly described in this document, but were never read. Read the entire document so you fully understand how the system operates, then, do a “Wet Run” with only water for the entire brew process. You can use the “Wet Run”Brew Definition file included with the application to test the entire system in a shortened amount of time. Please do the Wet Run before trying an actual batch.


4 – Brew-Boss® Controller and Brew-Boss® AppThe Brew-Boss® system makes brewing as simple as pressing buttons and following textual and voice prompts, assuring successful batches every time. The system consists of two elements, an Android or iPad Tablet running the Brew-Boss® application and the Brew-Boss® Controller. The Brew-Boss®Controller contains a small microprocessor that communicates with the Brew-Boss® App and controls the Solid State Relays (SSRs) for the heater and pump. It also controls the optional Hops Boss®

Automatic Hops Dispenser. The Brew-Boss® Controller also has a 12 character numeric LCD display that displays the current kettle temperature, heater power, pump state, and the hops feeder position. The Brew-Boss® Controller does nothing on it's own. It receives it's operating instructions from an Brew-Boss® App that is connected to the controller wirelessly via a Wi-Fi interface. For this reason, the Brew-Boss® App must be running during brewing! We recommend you set your tablet's display “Sleep” settings to “Never” to prevent the tablet from entering sleep mode. Also, try and run your tabletoff AC power and not battery. Many tablets have power saving features that put the wi-fi radio in a lowpower mode when on battery, and this could cause disconnection issues. Some tablets have an advanced wi-fi setting that allows you to disable wi-fi power optimization as well. You should disable this optimization if the option is available.

The application requires Brew Steps defined by the user (Section 5) and system parameters (Section 6) to be properly configured for proper operation.

Sample screen showing user selectable functions on the screen.


Target TemperatureThis window shows the current target temperature (setpoint) that the controller is trying to heat to and maintain. This value is automatically obtained from the current brew step (see section 4). It is also a drop-down list. Clicking on this window will present a list of temperatures that the user can use to override the controller and manually set the setpoint. This overrides the setpoint as defined in the current step. Simply scroll the list up or down to locate the desired setpoint and then click on the new setpoint. Please note that the next step to execute will use the value determined

by the step definition, not the override value. In other words, the setpoint override only lasts to the end of the current step.

Time Remaining This StepThis window shows the time remaining for the current step being processed, and thus only displays a value when Step Type 4 is being processed or you manually set the timer. Clicking on this window allows you to enter a time value to count down from or to modify the current timer value when a step type 4 activity is active. Simply click on this window and enter a new timer value in minutes. e.g. 1.5 hours is 90 minutes.

Hops Feeder PositionThis window shows the currentposition of the Hops Boss® automatic hops feeder if it isinstalled. Clicking on the window allowsyou to manually position the

hops feeder to Home or any of the 7 hops dispenser tubes.Clicking on the window brings up a simulated image of thehops feeder with the current position shown in RED.Simply click on the desired location to index the feeder tothat position to or press the RED position to exit withoutchanging the current position.

Brew ModeThese two radio buttons allow you to select the brew mode. Brew Mode can either be “Auto” or “Manual” and is selected by clicking on the desired mode. When in “Auto” Mode, the controller will automatically proceed from one step to the next. When in “Manual” Mode, the controller will

complete the current step and then stop, requiring the user to manually start the next step. Manual Brew Mode is used when you want to modify the standard process and manually interact. The default value for Brew Mode is set in the system parameters screen. The default value is the value that the


controller uses when the application starts up. You can go between manual and auto modes during yourbrew session if desired. The brew mode is only used to tell the controller to automatically proceed to the next step or not, it is not used for “Manually Brewing”. If you want to use the controller to manually brew (not using brew steps), you can simply use the setpoint, heater, pump, and timer controls on the main screen manually.

Pump Toggle ButtonThis Toggle button shows the status of the pump and allows the user to manually override the status of the pump. “On” when the pump is running, and “Off” when it is not. Every press of the button changes the state to the opposite state. Note that when in Auto Brew

Mode, when application steps to the next brew step, the state of the pump on the new brew step will override this button in the event it was used as an override.

Heater Toggle ButtonThis Toggle button shows the status of the heater. If ON, the application is trying to heat toor maintain the temperature in the Target Temperature window. If OFF, the heater power is forced to 0%. This button allows the user to manually override the status of the Heater.

Every press of the button changes the state to the opposite state. Note that when in Auto Brew Mode, when application steps to the next brew step, the state of the Heater on the new brew step will override this button in the event it was used as an override.

The Heater Power % graph gives a graphical representation of the heater's power level. The horizontal red bar changes in length corresponding to the power level. The power level in % is also indicated inside the power bar.

Heater Power SliderThe power slider (yellow band with gray slider button) allows the user to change the power output of the heater manually. This gives the user very accurate control of the power output by simply sliding the slider left or right until the desired power setting is displayed and releasing the slider. This is very useful when your operating parameters might not be set ideally and you want to manually adjust the power output. This is most helpful during the boil to reduce

power temporarily during the hot break to prevent over boiling. Note that during a brew session, the power output override will override the power defined in the system parameters, until the temperature drops below setpoint (negative change), at which time the controller will choose it's own power setting to attempt to hold the setpoint.

You can also set the power directly by tapping the header text just above the heater slider. This will bring up a dialog box that allows you to directly specify the desired power (this is useful on tablets withsmall screens where sliding the power bar may be imprecise).

Green Start (Enter) ButtonThis button is the most used button on the controller. If all brew steps and system parameters are configured properly before a brew session starts, the entire brew


session can be completed by only pressing this button! Truly a 1 button brew controller! All the other areas on the main screen are used to override the controller in some way, usually the result of a misstep in step definition or parameter setting.

Pressing this button when the system is idle starts the brew process from the 1st step in the brew step definition table. This button is also used to confirm user interactions requested by Step Type 1.

Red Stop/Pause Brewing ButtonThis button is used to Stop (cancel) or pause brewing. The button only appears duringan active brew session. Pressing it immediately stops the pump and the heater from operating, so it can be considered an emergency stop button in that sense. When

pressed, the application will ask you if you are certain you want to stop brewing. If you are press the “Yes” button, and the current brew session will be terminated. If you press “No”, the application will resume the brew session where it left off.

Elapsed Time Reset and Power WindowsThis area becomes visible once brewing is started on Auto Brew Mode from the beginning (first step). It keeps track of the cumulative brew time and also calculates the power used and the corresponding power cost for the brew session. For this to be accurate, you must make certain the system parameters for “Heater Watts” and “Cost per KW Hour” are properly set in the system parameters.

If you click on the Elapsed Brew Time title, the application will ask you if you want toreset the brew timer. If you respond “Yes”, the controller will zero the brew timer and start over.

Open MenuA yellow menu icon button is provided in the upper left of the screen by the Brew-Boss Logo as well asthe stacked dots in the app header. When clicked, the following menu will appear in some fashion based on the make and model of Android tablet.

The menu functions that are available are:→ Define/Edit Brew Steps – See Section 4→ Save Current Brew Steps – This saves the brew step definitions with a name you specify→ Load Saved Brew Steps – Allows you to recall a saved Brew Definition file→ Convert BeerXML to Brew Steps (Android Only) – Allows you to automatically create Brew-Boss brew steps from a BeerXML export. Many oftware applications such as BeerSmith and Beer Alchemy


or from BrewersFriend.com and other beer recipe creation tools can export BeerXML files. You must copy the BeerXML file to the BrewBoss/BeerXML folder on the Android Tablet before running the Brew-Boss app and using this function. Please be aware that the BeerXML converter handles most brewing situations but it does not handle hops additions that occur after flameout, these hops additions will be added to the final hops addition whenever that was. The converter will create brew steps that include manual hops additions, unless you have the Hops-Boss enebled in your parameters, in which case the brew steps will automatically be created for the Hops-Boss. Also, the converter will not handle any cooling steps that you may have in your BeerXML file.

→ Edit Parameters – See Section 5

→ Fermentation Control – The Brew-Boss controller had built in fermentation control capability (controller firmware V1.04 and greater). This menu option will display an input screen (see screenshot below) that allows you to set your fermentation temperature and put the controller into fermentation mode. Simply use the dropdown list to select your desired fermentation temperature and then hit the “Save and Close” button. The controller will handle fermentation control without the Brew-Boss app running once it is set up using the app. To stop fermentation mode, simply turn the controller off or select Off in the fermentation Control window and then hit the “Save and Close” button. The LCD on the controller will Indicate the start and end of fermentation modes. While in fermentation mode, the LCD on the controller will alternate between the normal screen that shows the current temperature and a seconds screen that displays the current fermentation setpoint.

Fermentation control assumes you have a jacketed fermenter or a chiller coil in your fermenter that chilled water is forced through either by a pump or tap water pressure. You may also use the electric heater if you have the capability of mounting the Brew-Boss heater into your fermenter. The electric heater is used to warm your beer and the pump circuit to cool your beer. The heater is limited to 10% power output to avoid killing yeast. Your cooling device (water pump, aquarium chiller, solenoid valve,


etc.) gets plugged into the pump connector on the controller. When the temperature of the fermenter increases above the setpoint, the pump circuit will turn on directing chilled water to the fermenter. If the temperature drops below setpoint, the heater will be energized at 10% power to raise the temperature to the setpoint.

→ FTP Import BeerXML (Android Only)– The menu option allows you to import a BeerXML file using an FTP server. This makes it easier to import files to the tablet. To use this function, you must have previously entered your FTP Server information into the parameters using the Edit Parameters menu. Please note that the FTP settings if changed in the parameters do not take effect until the app is restarted. This option assumes you know how to install and set up an FTP server as instruction on that is beyond the scope of this document.

→ Set Hops Boss Timers – This is used to set the timers in the stand-alone version of the Hops-Boss. The stand-alone version operates without the Brew-Boss application. Do not use this feature if you are incorporating you’re your Hops-Boss hops additions into the step definitions.

→ Visit Brew Boss Web Site – Brings up the Brew Boss web site in the Browser. Your tablet must be connected to the internet before invoking this function.

→ Test Alarm and e-mail – Tests the Alarm as well as the notification e-mail if you are using that feature. Allows you to sample the volume and make sure the alarm works properly.

→ email Brew Log to Brew-Boss Support – Sends log of your brew session to Brew Boss tech support. Use as requested by support. Your tablet must be connected to the internet before invoking this function, so make certain you are connected to your home router and not the Brew-Boss controller before activating this feature. You will need to select the LOG file to send and provide your contact info as well as a description of what you feel did not function properly. LOG files are named by the date the brew session was started, so it is possible to have multiple brew sessions in the same LOG file.

→ Hops-Boss Type V2.x Only – This allows you to specify the type of Hops-Boss you have (Consumer model or Pro Model). The Hops-Boss must be plugged in and connected before running that feature and is only for Hops-Boss units that plug directly into the Brew-Boss controller.

5 – Defining Brew StepsThe Brew-Boss® system allows the user to define his/her own steps to facilitate varying hardware setups, brew methods, and styles. The brew process is defined by the user using “spreadsheet” style data entry using the “Define/Edit Brew Steps” menu entry in the Brew-Boss® application. These steps can be saved and recalled as needed.

Note: The temperature can be defined as Fahrenheit or Celsius in the system parameters. It is important that the temperatures entered in the steps below use the same temperature units as is defined in the system parameters.


There are seven (7) unique brew step types that allow you to define nearly any brew process or session.Yes, only 7 step types allow you to define any brew session!

All 7 step types require the same parameters be entered, although some steps do not use all parameters. The parameters corresponding to the columns in the spreadsheet are defined below.

Step Parameters

Step Type – This is a number from 1 to 5 indicating the step type as defined below.

Prompt – This is the text that will be displayed by the application to identify to the user what step is being executed. It is also the prompt that will be verbally enunciated if the TTS option isenabled for that step. Note: The Prompt parameter cannot include any commas or quotation marks!

Setpoint – This is the temperature that the controller should heat to and/or maintain for the step being defined. Enter zero if the heater is not required for the step being defined. Temperatures must be in the same units as is defined in the system parameters.

Step Timer – This is the time for this step and only applies to step type 4 as that is the only stepthat incorporates a timer. The time should be entered in minutes. So 1.5 hours would be 90 minutes.

Boil Flag – This parameter tells the controller that we are trying to boil the contents of the kettleand is only used for step types 3 and 4. As the temperature that a wort will boil is dependent on the specific gravity of the wort and the barometric pressure, the temperature that the wort will boil is unknown. Please note that water does not boil at 212F (100C) everywhere! It only boils at 212F (100C) at seal level on a standard pressure (29.92 in Hg) day! If you are at a higher altitude or barometric pressure is low, your wort may boil at as low as 205F. It is important that the controller knows the boil temperature to maintain, otherwise it would stay at full power through the entire process and would not know when boiling commenced. This flag set to 1 tells the controller that it should detect boiling, once detected, store the temperature value where the wort boiled for the following steps and then proceed to the next step. It is best to set the setpoint for any step where you set the Boil Flag to 1 to a value of 220F or 105C, guaranteeing it reaches boil. Set this value to 0 when setpoints for mashing, etc. are set. This flag tells the application that we are not trying to reach a specific setpoint, instead, we want it todetermine automatically what the boiling temperature is for the current conditions. The application looks at the slope of the temperature rise curve and determines when that slope levels off, which is the point where the temperature ceases to rise. That indicates that the kettle is boiling. At that time, the boil temperature is recorded, and the power is reduced to PwrB. Make certain to set the Boil Flag for any step that involves boiling so that the program knows touse the PwrB value.

Pump Flag – This parameter tells the controller that you want the pump turned on for the step.


Setting it to 1 turns the pump on when the step begins. Setting it to 0 forces the pump off.

Hops Feeder Position – This parameter is used when the Optional Hops Boss® automatic hops feeder is installed. This tells the controller which hops positions (0-7) to dispense to the kettle, where position 0 is home. Values entered for the hops feeder must be sequential. i.e. when defining your brew steps, you can't ask to dispense from position 3 before positions #1 and #2 have been dispensed. There is a special case here where the amount of hops you want to dispense does not fit in a single dispenser tube. Each dispenser tube holds about 2oz of pellet hops. If for instance you had 3oz of hops you wanted dispensed at 15 minutes into the brew cycle, you would initially divide the 3oz between two sequential dispenser tubes, say for example dispenser tubes #2 and #3. For this example, lets say you dispensed 1oz of hops from dispenser tube #1 at the commencement of boil (boil hops). Then, after 15 minutes elapsed, youwanted all 3ozs of the 2nd addition to be dispensed, you would specify dispenser tube #3, as the system will automatically dispense the hops in dispenser tube #2 when it is rotating to position #3. Set this parameter to 0 if the hops feeder is not installed.

Speak – This parameter tells the controller that you want the Prompt parameter described aboveto be verbally enunciated by the controller. The controller will “read” the text you defined in the Prompt field. Setting this parameter to 1 enables text speech output for that step and setting to 0 does not use speech. Do not use quotation marks or commas in your prompts. In general, any punctuation other than the period “.” is not recommended. Remember when creating your prompts, that the system will be speaking these prompts so word them appropriately so they are understandable. For example, use the entire word “first” vs the commonly used 1st abbreviation as seen in the example brew step definition later on in this section.

Alarm Flag – This parameter tells the controller to sound an alarm to alert the user. Setting to 1enables the alarm and 0 disables the alarm for the current step. If you have entered an e-mail address and are connected to a local network with internet service, the system will also send an e-mail when the alarm is triggered.

Brew Step TypesThe seven (7) step types are defined as follows:

Type 1 – Prompt User with User Confirmation Required.This step type is used to pause the program to request the user perform some action. After the user completes the action, he/she presses the Green “Start” button on the Brew-Boss®application screen. When the user presses the Start button, the next step is processed in the sequence shown on the step definition spreadsheet.

Type 2 – Prompt User Without ConfirmationThis step type is used to prompt the user for informational purposes without requiring that they confirm. This step does not pause brewing and basically immediately proceeds to the next step. This step type is most often used with the hops feeder to tell the user that hops have been added


automatically. This step does not modify any times or temperatures. A brew step type 3 or 4 is usually mandatory after a step type 2.

Type 3 – Heat Kettle to Specified SetpointThis step type is used to tell the controller to heat the kettle to a specified temperature (setpoint) and then continue to the next step. Once the setpoint temperature is reached, the controller will turn the pump off if it was on. If Auto Brew Mode is selected, the heater will stay on for the next step, maintaining the specified setpoint. If Brew Mode is set to Manual, the pump and heater will both be turned off at the end of this step.

Type 4 – Maintain Temperature for Specified TimeThis step type is used to tell the controller to maintain a temperature (setpoint) once reached by step type 3 for a specified period of time.

Type 5 – Cool Kettle to Specified SetpointThis step type is used to tell the controller to wait until the kettle temperature cools to a temperature (setpoint). This is the opposite of step type 3. This step involves no heating. It is typically used when an immersion chiller is installed to run the pump until the kettle reaches yeast pitching temperature. It can also be used for hop stands.

Type 6 – Fill Kettle to Specified Volume (Using Accu-Fill Automated Kettle Filler)This step type is used to tell the controller to add water to the kettle automatically using the Accu-Fill Automated Kettle Filler. The first column (Setpoint or Fill Vol*10) holds the desired fill volume. The desired fill volume is in gallons if you have set the temperature units to Fahrenheit and in liters if you have them set to Celsius. The Accu-Fill Automated Kettle Filler can be set to dispense water in increments of 0.1 gallons or 0.1 liters. The entry field for the volume does not accept decimal points, so you need to multiply your desired volume by 10 and enter that number as a whole number in the “Setpoint or Fill Vol*10 column”. For example, if you wanted 4 gallons of water dispensed, you would enter “40”. Similarly, if you wanted 7.8 gallons dispensed, you would enter “78”. This step type will communicate with the Accu-Fill Automated Kettle Filler and wait for the fill to complete before proceeding to the next step.

Type 7 – Heat to Specified Setpoint but Continue to Next Step ImmediatelyThis step type is identical to Step Type 3, except it does not wait until that setpoint is reached before moving to the next step. It is typically used to start heating and then do something else while it is heating. The most common use for this is to start heating the kettle after a known amount of water has been added with the Accu-Fill automatic kettle filler. The step file can be created to add a known amount of water (set in parameters) to assure the heating element is covered with water. Once the heating element is sufficiently covered, this step is invoked to start heating and the immediately following step continues to fill the kettle. This saves time as the heater is turned on while the kettle is filling rather than waiting to fill the entire kettle first.

Defining Brew StepsTo define your brew session steps, from the main screen enter the application menu and then select


“Define/Edit Brew Steps.” A spreadsheet style data entry screen like the following will pop up. To add or insert a step (row), long press on the line before or after where you want to add the row and choose to insert the row before or after the selected row. To delete a step (row), long press on the row you want to remove and select delete on the pop-up menu.

Note: It is best to only edit these steps when not actively brewing. The system allows you to edit the steps during brewing in the event a change is really necessary, but it is not advisable as the controller stops controlling the brew session and should some timer expire while editing, unpredictable things canhappen.

The above image shows the first 12 steps of a typical brew session that uses the Accu-Fill Automated Kettle Filler. This brew step definition was created automatically by the BeerXML converter built into the app. Since we had the Accu-Fill Automated Kettle Filler enabled in the parameters, it has included the steps to optimally utilize that device automatically. The columns correlate to the Step Parameters defined above. Study the table above to understand how to set up your own brew session. The step by step walk through below of the basic brew process with this system will help with understanding. Make sure to read the section later in this document that describes how the Brew-Boss® system handles the mashing process before attempting to change the settings below. A thorough understandingof the mash process is essential.


Step by Step Explanation of Brew Step Definition

Step 1 – Amber: This is defined as a Step Type 2, prompt the user without confirmation, as indicated by the 2 in the first column under Step Type. We have found it is helpful to place a step type 2 at the beginning of the file with the recipe name, in this case “Amber” in the Prompt column. This makes it easy to identify what recipe this step file is for. Being a step type 2, the app basically just skips past this step as there is no “Speak” or “Alarm” set.

Step 2 – Close kettle valve on pump. Install AccuFill device...: This is defined as a Step Type 1, prompt the user and require confirmation before continuing to the next step, as indicated by the 1 in thefirst column under Step Type. The prompt is “Close kettle valve on pump. Install AccuFill device on kettle. Turn on water supply.”. We are telling the user to prepare the kettle for water. For this prompt step, all the parameters are set to 0, except the Speak parameter, which is set to 1 indicating we want the controller to verbally enunciate the prompt to the user as well. In this case, the controller will display the prompt in the prompt window on the Brew-Boss® application (the app) screen and also verbally announce the same prompt to the user. The application will then wait for the user to press the green “Start” button on the application screen when he/she finishes performing the tasks outlined in theprompt. If the controller is in Auto Brew Mode, the controller will then proceed to the next step. Pleasenote that for step type 1, the program automatically adds ”when finished, press the green startkey” to the prompt for enunciation.

Step 3 – Automatically adding 4 gallons of water to kettle: This is defined as a Step Type 6, Fill Kettle to Specified Volume (Using Accu-Fill Automated Kettle Filler). For this prompt step, the “Setpoint or Fill Vol*10” column is set to 40, which represents 4.0 gallons of water * 10. In this case, we have set in our parameters that 4 gallons of water is desired in the kettle to sufficiently cover the heating element prior to turning the heater on. All the remaining parameters are set to 0, except the Speak parameter, which is set to 1 indicating we want the controller to verbally enunciate the prompt tothe user as well. In this case, the controller will display the “Automatically adding 4 gallons of water to kettle” prompt in the prompt window on the Brew-Boss® application (the application) screen and also verbally announce the same prompt to the user. The application will then wait for the Accu-Fill device to complete adding 4 gallons of water to the kettle. When it completes, it will automatically advance to the next step if the controller is in Auto Brew Mode.

Step 4 – Heating water to Strike Temperature of 154F. Crush… : This is defined as a Step Type 7, Heat to Specified Setpoint but Continue to Next Step Immediately. In this step we want to start heatingthe kettle to a strike temperature of 154F while the kettle continues to fill (next step). So, we have set the Step Type to Step Type 7, with a prompt of “Heating water to Strike Temperature of 154F. Crush grains while kettle is heating.”. We set the Setpoint to 154, and set the Speak parameter to 1 indicatingwe want the controller to verbally enunciate the prompt to the user as well. After enunciating the prompt, the program will automatically advance to the next step if the controller is in Auto Brew Mode.

Step 5 – Automatically adding remaining 5.7 gallons of water to kettle...: This is defined as a Step Type 6, Fill Kettle to Specified Volume (Using Accu-Fill Automated Kettle Filler). For this prompt step, the “Setpoint or Fill Vol*10” column is set to 57, which represents 5.7 gallons of water * 10. All


the remaining parameters are set to 0, except the Speak parameter, which is set to 1 indicating we want the controller to verbally enunciate the prompt to the user as well. In this case, the controller will display the “Automatically adding remaining 5.7 gallons of water to kettle. ” prompt in the prompt window on the Brew-Boss® application (the application) screen and also verbally announce the same prompt to the user. The application will then wait for the Accu-Fill device to complete adding 5.7 gallons of water to the kettle (making a total of 9.7 gallons in the kettle). When it completes, it will automatically advance to the next step if the controller is in Auto Brew Mode. Since we set the setpointin Step 4, the controller will continue to heat while the filling is continuing for this step.

Step 6 – Kettle full. Remove AccuFill Device. Connect pump discharge hose...: This is defined as a Step Type 1, prompt the user and require confirmation before continuing to the next step, as indicated by the 1 in the first column under Step Type. The prompt is “Kettle full. Remove AccuFill Device. Connect pump discharge hose to accessory port. Open kettle valve.”. We are telling the user remove the Accu-Fill filler and to prepare the kettle for recirculation using the pump, which includes attaching the pump discharge hose to the accessory port and opening the valve. For this prompt step, all the parameters are set to 0, except the Speak parameter, which is set to 1 indicating we want the controller to verbally enunciate the prompt to the user as well. In this case, the controller will display the prompt in the prompt window on the Brew-Boss® application (the app) screen and also verbally announce the same prompt to the user. The application will then wait for the user to press the green “Start” button onthe application screen when he/she finishes performing the tasks outlined in the prompt. If the controller is in Auto Brew Mode, the controller will then proceed to the next step.

Step 7 – Heating water to strike temperature of 154 degrees. Crush grain...: As we just finished filling the kettle with the heater on, we most probably are not anywhere near the desired strike temperature of 154F yet, so we need to continue heating until we reach setpoint. We want to heat the kettle to strike temperature of 154F while recirculating with the pump. So, we have set the Step Type to Step Type 3, Heat Kettle to Specified Setpoint. As mentioned above, this step will not advance to the next step until setpoint is reached. We define the prompt to “Heating Kettle to Strike Temperature of 154 degrees. Crush grains while kettle is heating.”. We set the Setpoint to 154. We set the Pump Flag to “1” indicating we want the pump ON. And we like audible prompts, so we set the Speak flag to“1” as well. This step definition will turn the heater on and pump on and will terminate when the kettlereaches the strike temperature of 154 degrees. We set the Alarm Flag to 1, so the controller will sound the alarm to alert the user that their presence is required! The pump will be turned off at the end of the step but the heater will continue to hold the 154F setpoint, unless Manual Brew Mode had been selected, in which case both the pump and heater will be turned off.

Step 8 – Water at strike temperature. Add grains to kettle and place cover...: This step is initiated after step 7 completes, i.e. the kettle reaches 154F degrees. Since the kettle is at the desired strike temperature, we now want to add the grains to the kettle. For that reason, this step prompts the user, using Step Type 1, to “Water at strike temperature. Add grains to kettle and place cover on kettle.”. It notifies the user what the status is, which is why the “Water at strike temperature” was included in the prompt, and also tells the user what to do next. You can make these prompts anything you want, just don't use quotation marks or commas in your prompts! After the user completes adding the grains and putting the cover back on the kettle, press the Start button, the controller proceeds to step 5 if the


controller is in Auto Brew Mode.

Step 9 – Heating to mash temperature of 152 degrees for mash step 1: This step uses Step Type 3, heat to a setpoint. It is possible that we calculated our strike temperature wrong or we took a long time to add the grains and the heater was off because we are in Manual Brew Mode. In these cases, the temperature of the kettle may have dropped below the desired mash temperature of 152F. This step is included to make sure the kettle is returned to the proper mash temperature before the mash timer is started.

Step 10 – Maintaining 152 degrees mash step 1 for 75 minutes: This step uses Step Type 4, which maintains specified temperature for a specified amount of time. In this case, we want to process our first mash step and maintain 152F for 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes) with the pump recirculating worth through the grain bed. We set the prompt to tell the user what we are doing, set the Setpoint to 152F, set the Step Timer to 75 minutes,. We also set the Speak flag to verbally enunciate the commencement of this step. When the timer expires, the controller proceeds to the next step when in Auto Brew Mode.

Step 11 – Heating to 168 degrees for mash step 2: We now want to raise the temperature of the kettle to our mash out temperature of 168F. We use Step Type 3 again. We set the appropriate prompt, set thesetpoint to 168F, keep the pump recirculating, and of course tell the user verbally what we are doing with the Speak Flag set to 1 as well. If Auto Brew Mode is selected, the controller will automatically advance to the next step when the temperature of 168F is reached.

Step 12 – Maintaining 168 degrees for mash step 2 for 10 minutes: This step again uses Step Type 4, which maintains specified temperature for a specified amount of time. In this case, we want to process our Mash-Out step and maintain 168F for 10 minutes with the pump recirculating worth through the grain bed. We set the prompt to tell the user what we are doing, set the Setpoint to 168F, set the Step Timer to 10 minutes,. We also set the Speak flag to verbally enunciate the commencement of this step. When the timer expires, the controller proceeds to the next step when in Auto Brew Mode.


The following image shows the remaining steps of the step definition screen example

Step 13 – Mash Complete. Remove grains from kettle and top water to 8.8 gallons: This step startsafter the Mash-Out step completes. We need to have the user remove the spent grains from the kettle. We use Step Type 1, as we now want the user to “Remove grains from kettle and top water to 8.8 gallons” so we can begin boiling our wort. We use the Speak and Alarm Flags to tell the user that his/her attention is required. We make certain the Setpoint stays at 168 so the temperature of the kettle is maintained. Again, the user must press the start key to advance to the next step after he/she removes the cover and closes the valve.

Step 14 – Install the Hops-Boss Hops feeder and plug it in: We again use Step Type 1, as we now want the user to “Install the Hops-Boss Hops feeder and plug it in” so we can begin boiling our wort. We use the Speak and Alarm Flags to tell the user that his/her attention is required. We set the Setpoint temperature to boiling (220F) to get a head start on heating the kettle to boil. We also set the Boil Flag to 1 to instruct the controller to automatically detect the temperature where boiling commences. We use 220F to assure we reach boiling, so we choose a temperature we know will produce boiling in any environment (220F or 105C). Again, the user must press the start key to advance to the next step.


Step 15 – Heating to Boil. Please weigh out 1 ounces of Cascade hops into… : Now we need to have the user add the hops to the appropriate hops feeder dispenser tubes while we heat the kettle to boil. We raise the temperature of the kettle to Boil, which we already got a head start on in the previous steps. We use Step Type 3 again. We set the appropriate prompt, set the setpoint to 220F, turnthe pump off, and of course tell the user verbally what we are doing with the Speak Flag set to 1 as well. We also set the Boil Flag to 1 to tell the controller we want it to automatically detect and store theboil temperature. If the Boil Flag is not selected, this step will never terminate if the setpoint entered is never reached. (See the Boil Detect Time definition in the System Parameters section of this document for a description on how the controller detects boiling). If Auto Brew Mode is selected, the controller will automatically advance to the next step when the Setpoint is reached or boiling is detected..This step prompts the user to do this while the kettle is heating to boil. We still want the controller to automatically detect boil temperature and want the prompt enunciated as well, so those flags are set to 1. The user must press the start key to advance to the next step after adding the hops.

Step 16 – Boil detected. Adding hops and setting timer for 45 minutes: When we get here, the kettlehas reached boiling, so typically Boiling Hops are added. We are using the Hops Boss® automatic hopsfeeder in this example. We want to maintain the boil for 60 minutes, but we have a hops addition we'd like with 15 minutes left in the boil as well as one at the start of the boil.

This is where a complete understanding of the controller relative to timing is important. Whenever steptype 4 is used, it starts a timer from that point, and the expiration of that timer represents the end of thatstep. So if we want to have a 60 minute boil, but want to interrupt that with a hops addition 15 minutesbefore the end of the boil, we need two separate timer steps. The first for 45 minutes and the second for 15 minutes, for a total of 60 minutes. So, we use Step Type 4, which maintains specified temperature for a specified amount of time. (If we were not using the Hops Boss® automatic hops feeder and instead wanted the user to manually add hops, we would use Step Type 1. ) In this case, we want to maintain boil for 45 minutes so we can add our next hops 15 minutes before the end of the 60 minute boil. Se we set our Prompt to “Boil detected. Add hops and setting timer for 45 minutes” and set the Setpoint to 220 and the Boil Flag to “1” to use the automatically determined boil temperature that was discovered in the heat to boil step.

Since we placed our Boiling Hops in dispenser tube #1, we set the Hops Feeder Position (Hops Pos) to1. At the start of this step, the controller will rotate the feeder to dispense the contents of Hops-Boss dispenser tube #1 into the kettle. The Alarm Flag is also set as we want to make certain that the user gets to see the awesome Hops Boss® automatic hops feeder in action!

Note: Always keep the Hops Pos parameter set to the last used position. This prevents the hops feeder from reversing, so we set that to 1 in every subsequent step up to the next hops addition. Set it to zero if you want the Hops-Boss to return to the HOME position.

Step 17 – Adding hops and setting timer for 15 minutes: The wort has been boiling for 45 minutes based on the previous step. Now we want to add the Finishing Hops and some Irish Moss and boil


them for 15 minutes. We have added those items to hops feeder dispenser tube #2. Again, we use Step Type 4, which maintains specified temperature for a specified amount of time. In this case, we want to maintain boil for 15 more minutes. We set our Prompt to “Adding hops and setting timer for 15 minutes” and set the Setpoint to 220 and the Boil Flag to “1” to use the automatically determined boil temperature that was discovered in the heat to boil step.

We placed our Hops and Irish Moss in dispenser tube #2, we set the Hops Feeder Position (Hops Pos) to 2. At the start of this step, the controller will rotate the feeder to dispense the contents of Hops-Boss dispenser tube #1 into the kettle. The Alarm Flag is also set as we want to make certain that the user gets to see the awesome Hops Boss® automatic hops feeder in action again!

Step 18– Brewing Complete. Please unplug the heater from the controller: This step is included to turn everything off and uses Step Type 1. A simple prompt only with just the Speak and Alarm flags set. We remind the user to unplug the heater as it is no longer needed and it prevents the user from accidentally turning the heater on with an empty kettle later on during cleaning.

Important Note: As you can see from the example above, the system is very flexible, but with flexibility comes responsibility. Make certain to thoroughly think your steps out and make certain the heater is not turned on without water in the kettle, or that the valve is open before turning the pump on, etc. Damage can occur to these devices or worse yet personal harm can occur if not careful (e.g. spraying scalding water all over yourself). Use the prompts like in the example to force yourself to do what may seem as trivial steps. Sometimes you will not be able to brew as often as you like and what you take for granted today as trivial may be a forgotten step in the future when you brew again.


6 – Setting System Parameters MenuThis menu allows you to set the Power On Default Settings for all the operational parameters. Changing these settings during brewing does not necessarily change the parameters for the active brew session! It is important to make sure these settings are correct before starting brewing.

Definitions of paramers are as follows:

Wi-Fi InstalledUse this to enable Wi-Fi if you have the Wi-Fi interface in your Brew-Boss® Controller. All Brew-Boss® Controllers are wi-fi at this time, so make certain this box is checked. If you have a USB cabledversion, make certain to un-check this box. Please note that USB cabled versions are only available forAndroid devices with a USB host port. The iOS (iPad) version of Brew-Boss does not support USB


cabling.

IP Address of Brew-Boss ControllerEnter the ip address of the Brew-Boss® controller. If you are using the Brew-Boss® controller in the default configuration where the tablet is connected to the Brew-Boss SSID network, use the default value of 192.1638.11.254 for the ip address. If you connect the Brew-Boss® controller to your home or business network, then use the static IP that you assigned to the Brew-Boss® controller.

TCP/IP Port for Brew-Boss ControllerEnter TCP/IP port number for the Brew-Boss® controller. If you are using the Brew-Boss® controller in the default configuration where the tablet is connected to the Brew-Boss SSID network, use the default value of 8080 for the port. If you connect the Brew-Boss® controller to your home or business network, then use the port that you assigned to the Brew-Boss® controller. In most cases 8080 should be the port selected.

Temp UnitsThis setting sets your units to Si or metric units. It changes both the Temperature Units and liquid volumes to corresponding units of gallons or liters. This will change the prompts on the main screen toeither Fahrenheit (F) or Celsius (C). Select radio button F or C for this value. Important: Make certain your step definitions use the same units as you have defined here!

Enable Hops-Boss Automatic Hops FeederUse this to enable the Hops Boss® Automatic Hops Feeder if you purchased that option. Check the boxif you want to use the Hops-Boss.

Hops-Boss Mortar Shell Cup Capacity in OuncesUse this to set the Hops Boss® Mortar Shell Cup Capacity in ounces (pellet hops). Use this to configure how many ounces of hops you can comfortably fit inside each mortar shell. This variable is used by the convert BeerXML function in the App to automatically assign hops to Hops-Boss locations.Default 1.75 ounces for consumer model Hops-Boss and 7.5 ounces for the Pro Model Hops-Boss.

IP Address of Hops-Boss ControllerEnter the ip address of the Hops-Boss® controller. If you are using the Hops-Boss® controller in the default configuration where Hops-Boss® connects directly to the Brew-Boss® controller, use the default value of 192.1638.11.253 for the ip address. If you connect the Hops-Boss® controller to your home or business network, then use the static IP that you assigned to the Hops-Boss® controller. This should only be assigned if you have the wireless version of the Hops-Boss. If you have the V2 cabled version of the Hops-Boss or Hops-Boss Pro, then this field must be empty.

TCP/IP Port for Hops-Boss ControllerEnter TCP/IP port number for the Hops-Boss® controller. If you are using the Hops-Boss® controller in the default configuration where Hops-Boss® connects directly to the Brew-Boss® controller, use the default value of 8081 for the port. If you connect the Hops-Boss® controller to your home or business network, then use the port that you assigned to the Hops-Boss® controller. In most cases


8081 should be the port selected.

Enable Use of Accu-Fill Automatic Kettle FillerThe Accu-Fill Automatic Kettle Filler device is available from Brew-Boss to automatically add predetermined volumes of water to the kettle. If you have this device (if you don’t you should!), enableit here. This variable is used by the BeerXML conversion routine. If it is enabled, steps to automatically fill your kettle will be added in that routine.

Accu-Fill – Start Heating During FillThis allows you to set the volume of water that is required in your kettle to assure the heating element is adequately covered with water before the heater is turned on during automatic fill. If this is set to zero “0”, it will be ignored and the entire kettle will be filled before the heater is turned on. This makesthe system more efficient as the heater is heating the water while the kettle fills. This variable is used by the BeerXML conversion routine. If it is enabled, steps to automatically fill your kettle will be added in that routine.

Brew ModeThis defines the default Brew Mode. Set to Auto or Manual using the radio buttons. For most users, this should always be set to Auto, in fact we recommend you never use manual mode!. Do not use this setting to change Brew Mode for the current session, instead, use the radio buttons on the main screen as described earlier. Auto mode simply proceeds automatically to the next step in the brew step definitions. Manual mode stops after each step. Most users will never use manual mode.

Boil Detect TimeThe controller automatically detects boil, but uses this parameter to add time in seconds to the time thatthe controller detects. This must be at least 45 seconds, set higher if in a cold environment. If your controller detects boil too fast (boil has not started but controller thinks it is), increase this number.

Heater WattsThis is the power output of the heating element in your system. This value is used to determine the power usage for a brew session. The standard 240VAC element supplied in the USA is 5500 watts.

Cost per KW HourThis is your local electricity cost per Kwh in Dollars. The current average for the USA is $0.13 so it should be entered as 0.13 without the $.

e-mail Address for AlertsThis is the email address that the Brew-Boss® App will send alerts to (whenever you set the Alarm Flag to 1 in the step definitions). This is handy as you can have the Brew-Boss® App send you an e-mail or text message to your phone when your attention is required (we don’t advise or recommend yoube far from your brewing setup during brewing for safety reasons). You can only use this feature when you have configured the Brew-Boss® controller to connect to your home or business wireless network that has internet capability. Note that you can use this to send text messages by using the e-mail address of your service provider (e.g. [email protected] for Verizon).


FTP ParametersThe FTP parameters allow you to specify an FTP server where you store your BeerXML file exports. This feature allows you to directly convert BeerXML files to Brew-Boss Step files without having to copy the BeerXML files manually to the tablet. These parameters include FTP Address for BeerXML import, FTP PORT for BeerXML import, FTP Username for BeerXML import, FTP Password for BeerXML import, and FTP Path for BeerXML import. Set these parameters to match your FTP server settings. Please note that the FTP settings, if changed in the parameters, do not take effect until the appis restarted.

Remaining ParametersThe remaining parameters deal with power management for temperature control. We have created our own temperature management technique in lieu of standard PID techniques which can be very difficult to understand as they involve derivatives and integration and other calculus :(. Also, PID by design allows overshoot, and we want to minimize the potential of temperature overshoot as too high of temperatures are the culprits in many brewing failures. For this reason, we believe PID is not applicable to brewing.

There are several variables that dictate how accurately your system will control temperatures. These variables include ambient temperature, water volume, sensor delay, etc. Because every environment is different, we have given you the ability to set your own parameters in a much easier to understand manner than setting “K” values for traditional PID control. Google K values PID and see what we mean!

The preceding chart helps describe how the parameters used within the Brew-Boss® controller are used. Our target temp is 156 on this chart.


The Red line is typical temperature control like your oven works. They simply react too slowly to holdwithin any decent tolerance. As you can see, the red line drastically overshoots the 156 mark and then because the only option is turn the burner off, the temperature undershoots on the cool down as well.

The Blue line represents the temperature control used by the Brew-Boss® system. Understanding this curve is the key to setting the parameters for your environment. Don't worry, the defaults are pretty close and you are not going to ruin a batch by using the defaults, but if you want to tweak, this will helpyou out.

First off, the temperature control algorithm in Brew-Boss® uses 5 different power settings, 100%, PwrS, PwrM, PwrL, PwrB and Off. When heating initially begins, power is set to 100% as is shown onthe graph. Both the curves are collinear up to 150. Once the temperature gets within Delta T1 of Target temperature, the controller switches to PwrS (PwrS = Slow Down but Keep Positive Heating Slope %). In this case, Delta T1 is 6 degrees so we transition to PwrS at (156 – 6) = 150. As you can see, the slope (increase in temperature over time) gets flatter so we approach the Target Temperature less drastically so we don't overshoot. So you can see by modifying the PwrS value and/or the Delta T1 value you can approach Target Temperature very gradually at the expense of more time.

Once the temperature gets within Delta T2 of Target temperature, the controller switches to PwrL (PwrL = Slow Down More but Keep Positive Heating Slope %). In this case, Delta T2 is 3 degrees so we transition to PwrL at (156 – 3) = 153.

Once Target Temperature is reached, the system transitions to PwrM (Power Maintain %). This power setting is greatly dependent on ambient temperature as it is the amount of power required to maintain the temperature of the kettle to overcome losses to the surrounding environment. You will need to adjust this setting to your needs based on your environmental factors so that the temperature is maintained properly. The Brew-Boss® App will automatically tweak this value for you and save that value in your parameters. If there is ever temperature overshoot (over setpoint), the value of PwrM is automatically reduced by 2%. If the temperature then ever falls below setpoint, the value is increased by 1%. At the end of a brew session, the parameters screen will reflect the final working value of PwrM. You may want to make note of it and save it with your saved parameters.

PwrB is the power required to maintain a proper boil. Once boiling and Boil Flag is set to 1 in the step definition, this power setting will be used. This is because at boiling, PwrM will be insufficient to get the roll we want as PwrM is designed to maintain a temperature. Since we can't get over boil temp, a little additional power is required to maintain boil. A good way to determine this setting is to use the manual slider bar during the boil part of your brew session and keep record what power setting gives you the boil you like. Then, change the PwrB to that setting.

Default values for temperature Control Parameters are as follows and are designed for optimized for a 10 gallon batch (approximately 13 gallon liquid volume).PwrS = 75%PwrM = 20%PwrL = 40%


PwrB = 63%Delta T1 = 6 degrees FDelta T2 = 3 degrees F

Suggested values for a 5 gallon batch (8 gallon liquid volume):PwrS = 50%PwrM = 10%PwrL = 20%PwrB = 63%Delta T1 = 6 degrees FDelta T2 = 3 degrees F

The Brew-Boss® App stores the parameters you enter whenever you make a change to any parameter to a file named “lastused.prm”. This file is loaded each time the Brew-Boss® App is started. If you want to save the parameters for later recall, you can save the parameters to a file you name using the “Save Parameters” button on the lower right side of the screen. If you select a file that already exists from the file dialog, the existing file will be overwritten. This feature is handy for creating parameter files for varying batch sizes, environments, etc. The parameters used for the last brew session are saved automatically and used the next time the application is loaded. It is a good idea each time you edit parameters to close the application and restart it. Do this by hitting the Android Back/Exit button on the bottom android task bar. You will be prompted if you really want to exit, 2 times!

Similarly, you can recall saved parameter files by using the “Load Parameters” button on the lower right side of the screen. Select a file from the list of saved files in the dialog box.


7 – About Mashing

The Brew-Boss® system allows unlimited mash steps (multi-step mashing). The system allows you to define how many mash steps you desire by simply adding each mash step to your brew step definitions as described above. Make sure that you understand this process so you can properly configure the controller for your desired mash process.

The first step in mashing is always heating the water in the kettle to a “Strike Temperature” (Strike Temp). This is the temperature that the water in the kettle is heated to before the grains are added. TheStrike Temp is higher than Mash Temperature (Mash Temp) because adding grains that are cooler than the water will cool the water in the kettle. The goal is that the temperature of the liquid in the kettle drops to the first mash step temperature after the grains are added. For this reason, the water must be heated to a slightly higher temperature than the 1st mash step temperature. There are many online tools that allow you to calculate this value. In general, for the BIAB method, because we are doing a full volume mash, only a degree or two is typically lost by grain addition.. Remember when using online tools and using BIAB method, that you need to make sure that you are using a “full volume mash calculator”. The Strike Temp is a function of the weight of grain to be added and the volume of water in the kettle.

There are as many theories as there are homebrewers as to the ideal mash process. The simplest, whichthe supplied default BIAB step definition executes, is a two step mash.

Two Step Mash (Default):- Water is heated to 154 degrees F. This is the Strike Temperature.- Grain is Added and temperature drops to about 152 degrees F.- Temperature is maintained at 152F for 1 hour.- Temperature is increased to 168F (This is the last mash step and is commonly called Mashing-Out).- Mash Out temperature of 168F is maintained for 15 minutes after the wort reaches 168F.

Multi-Step (4 step) Mash Example:The graph below shows a typical Style Specific Mash schedule.The mash schedule represented by the above graph is a 4 step mash as follows:- 15 Minutes at 113F- 15 Minutes at 140F- 30 Minutes at 150F- 10Minutes at 168F (Mash Out)


As you can see, the The Brew-Boss® system is flexible enough to handle almost any mash schedule you may want to try.The Brew-Boss® system provides two different methods of mashing, BIAB and COFI.

Brew In A Bag (BIAB) Systems

False Bottom for BIAB Systems (10 Gallon Size Shown)

The BIAB (Brew In A Bag) method utilizes a mesh bag to contain the grains during mashing. The BIAB system is supplied with a stainless steel false bottom that supports the bottom of the bag and keeps the bag from touching the heater element. Install the false bottom before starting brewing

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Pilsner/Dry Lager Mash

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making certain the support legs are parallel with the heating element of positioned to not touch either element for 120 volt systems.

False Bottom for BIAB Systems Installed in Kettle (10 Gallon Shown)

A sparge/sprayer wand is provided that attaches to the accessory port on the side of the kettle and sprays recirculated wort over the grain bed in the bag. To install the sprayer wand, simply slide over the Camlock nipple on the accessory port and clamp using the Camlock levers on the sprayer wand. Make certain it is positioned so the holes in the wand are pointed down!

BIAB Mesh Bag and Sparge/Sprayer Wand Installed


COFI Mash Infusion SystemsThe Brew-Boss COFI filter is an exciting new patent pending technology that optimizes theefficiency of Brew-In-A-Bag (BIAB) type brewing. The filter is manufactured from stainless steel mesh which holds the grain during the mash process, but allows water to flowthrough.

COFI Infusion Filter Assembly

A central infusion tube, that is perforated with a seriesof flow-matched holes, extends all the way to thebottom of the filter. During the mash cycle, water/wortis continuously pumped from the bottom of the kettle tothe top of the filter, into the central infusion tube, whereit is forced through the grain bed. Water passingthrough the grain bed flows out of the filter to thebottom of the kettle. This Center Out Forced Infusion(COFI) technology assures that all the grain is inconstant contact with the mash water and that there areno dead spots. No stirring is required as the system isself agitating and efficiency is thereby optimized. TheCOFI filter is also very easy to clean, simply invert it in a sink and spray it with your sprayer! Because it is made of stainless steel, it will not rust and will last indefinitely.


Spray Pattern of Central Infusion Tube

The central infusion tube is also connected to a false bottom. After mashing is completed, the elbow fitting at the top of the COFI filter is exchanged with a lifting ring. When removing the filter, the filter is lifted by the lift ring. This brings the false bottom towards the fixed cover, allowing the weight of the filter to gently squeeze the grain.

This squeezing action extracts much of the trappedsweet wort from the grain, but does not release the offtasting tannins.

The COFI filter is supplied with two accessories thatthread onto the top of the infusion tube, a 90 degreebarbed elbow and a lifting ring. The 90 degree elbowis used during mashing, and the lifting ring is used tolift the basket out of the kettle after mashing. The lifting ring should also be used when filling the COFI filter to prevent grain from getting into the central infusion tube.

VERY IMPORTANT:Make certain that when attaching the central infusion tube to the false bottom, that you use a wrench to SLIGHTLY tighten the copper infusion tube to the false bottom. Just 1/8 turn with a wrench is all that is needed. It just needs to be tighter than hand tight! This is because the 90 degree barbed elbow and lift ring will be attached to the tube as well by hand. The center infusion tube must be tighter than hand tight to the false bottom to assure that when the elbow is removed after mashing that the center infusion tube does not thread out of the false bottom.


COFI Infusion Filter Installed in Kettle and Attached to Accessory Port

During Mashing, the 90 degree barbed elbow is attached to the infusion tube and the other end is connected to the accessory port as shown in the image above. It is important when installing the COFI filter to make certain the filter is rotated such that the support legs are oriented to not hit the heating element. The tabs that the handle attaches to are aligned with two of the feet, so the proper placement is with the handle 45 degrees to the heating element as shown in the image below.


Proper Placement of COFI Filter 45 Degrees to heater Element

CAUTION: During mashing, it is important to ensure that the flow of water into the pump equals the flow out of the pump. This is true for both BIAB and COFI mash methods. The wort/water level should always be above the temperature probe level. Use the flow regulation valve on the pump output to reduce flow appropriately. If grains are crushed too finely or viscous ingredients are used such as rice, oats, or corn, it is possible that the screening on the filter or the BIAB mesh bag can become plugged, causing a stuck mash (water can get into the filter but not out). In this case, it is possible, especially with smaller batches, for the COFI filter to fill with water/wort such that the supply of water in the kettle outside the COFI filter depletes, both starving the pump and heater element. The same can occur beneath the false bottom with BIAB systems. This could cause dry firing of the heater element, causing scorching or worse yet, permanent damage to the element.


After mashing, if you desire to utilize the grain squeeze feature, follow these instructions.

1. Remove the 90 degree barbed elbow accessory and install the lifting ring accessory.

2. Lift the COFI filter out of the kettle about 4”.

3. The saturated grain bed tends to get sticky and wants to stick to the sides of the filter. For this reasonyou'll need to break the bond between the grain bed and the filter. To do this, using hot mitt gloves or hot pads, press down with both hands at the points shown in the image below. It may take some force to break the bond.

4. Once the bond is broken, lift the filter untilthe feet are just above the surface of the wort.

5. Once again, press down at the points shownuntil the grain bed meets the cover.

6. Gently press a little more to extract thetrapped liquid between the grains. You don'twant to push too hard as to actually compressthe grains, as this will extract off tasting tannins.

7. Let the basket hang above the kettle to fullydrain while the kettle is being heated to boil.


8 - Brew Day...Example Procedure

For your first batch, we recommend the 5 gallon “Miller Like” recipe #1 below. It is the simplest and least expensive recipe that will allow you to test the system out without risking expensive ingredients should something go wrong. It brews wonderfully using the default settings. Use the “Display Parameters” option under the “Edit Parameters” menu to validate that all the parameters are set correctly before starting. This should be standard operating procedure.

Follow the steps below to brew:

1. Make sure the equipment is clean and sanitized.2. Make sure the pump and heating element are plugged into the controller.3. Make sure the temperature sensor is inserted properly and that the valve is closed.4. Power up the controller and wait for the Wi-Fi network to appear on the Android tablet.5. Connect to the Brew-Boss® Wi-Fi network on the Android tablet.6. Start the Brew-Boss® App on the Android Tablet.7. Validate the parameters for your recipe using the edit parameters menu. 8. Load the Default BIAB brew steps file.9. Make sure Brew Mode is set to Auto.10. Press the “Start” button on the controller. The controller will prompt you to add water.11. Add the desired amount of water for the recipe.12. Press the “Start” button on the controller indicating you have added water. The controller will

begin heating the water to the “Strike Temperature”.13. While the water is heating, weigh out your grains and crush them if required.14. Pour your crushed grains into the Mesh Bag or the COFI Mash Infusion Filter, depending on the

mash method you use.15. When the water reaches the Strike Temperature, the controller will beep and prompt you to add

the grains.16. Slowly place the entire BIAB bag or COFI filter containing the grains to the kettle. You must

lower into the water slowly allowing the grains to saturate so that the water does not overflow the kettle.

17. Pull the excess mesh bag over the outside of the kettle and tie the string if your bag has one or attach the recirculation hose to the COFI filter.

18. Press the “Start” button on the controller to confirm that you have added the grains.19. The controller will now prompt you to cover the pot and open the valve.20. Place the cover on the kettle and open the valve that feeds the pump. 21. Press the “Start” button on the controller to confirm that you have placed the cover and opened

the valve.22. The controller will now automatically step through the mash process by heating to required

temperatures and timing each step.23. During the mash process, make certain that the flow out of the pump is set appropriately with

the flow regulation valve as described in the CAUTION above!24. With the BIAB Bag method, occasionally, stir the grains in the kettle to get even mashing and to

prevent a stuck mash. It is helpful to use the “Toggle Pump” button on the controller to turn the


pump off so you can lift the cover. Make sure to turn the pump back on after stirring.25. When the final mash step completes (mash out), the controller will beep and instruct you to

close the valve and remove the cover. 26. Press the “Start” button on the controller to confirm that you have closed the valve.27. The controller will then beep and instruct you to remove the grain. Lift the bag or COFI filter

out of the kettle using the rope hoist or electric hoist and let it hang above the kettle to drain. Let the strainer stay suspended above the kettle until the liquid stops draining (a minute or two).You may add water to the level you need for your recipe at this point. For 10 gallon batches, we usually add water to get level to 12-13 gallons. 1 gallon will boil off in 1 hour typically, leaving about 11 gallons to the fermenter. A good technique is pour hot water over the grains to rinse the remaining sweetness off the grains. You can start the next step immediately though.Once the strainer is suspended above the kettle, press the Start button to continue to the next step.

28. The controller will now start heating the kettle to boil temperature. One needs to keep a close eye on this step! This is the unknown part of the process. At some point close to boil, the wort will reach a point called “Hot Break”. At this point, the liquid will begin to foam and left unchecked, will boil over and make a mess. The best way to handle this is to use a spray bottle filled with water and continuously spray the foamy froth with water to keep it from boiling over. After about a minute, the proteins will group together and frothing will cease.

29. Once boil temperature is reached, the controller will beep instructing you to add boiling hops. 30. Add boiling hops if desired and press Start. 31. The controller will start a countdown timer for the configured Boil Time.32. During the boil, the controller will beep at you and prompt you to add hops for each hops timer

you have set. These alarms are reminders only, the controller does not stop or request confirmation.

33. When the Boil Time expires, the controller will beep and notify you that the brew process is complete!

34. Cool the contents to room temperature. If you use a copper coil chiller, simply replace the strainer basket (grain bag removed) and place the chiller in the basket. This will keep it off the heater element.

35. Transfer contents to your primary fermenter and add yeast. Best way to do this is to close the valve, remove the hose from the inlet to the pump, place the hose into your primary fermenter, and open the valve. The valve opening is positioned above the bottom of the kettle slightly to allow most of the sediment to remain behind.

36. Thoroughly clean everything including flushing the hoses and pump with hot water and a sanitizer.

That's all there is to it!

Experiment with your own recipes. If you come up with some good ones, let us know and we'll add them to the web site for others to enjoy!


Note regarding Citra and Rye:We have found that brewing with high concentrations of Rye (and some wheat) malt(s) or Citra hops does not work well with electric brewing. For some reason rye burns and scorches to the heating element and is very difficult to clean off. It can also impart a burnt and smokey flavor to the wort. We recommend avoiding recipes containing rye if possible.

Citra hops work fine and the flavor profile is as expected, but they tend to leave a caked on residue (similar to calcium deposits) on the heater that is difficult to clean. We don’t know why this is, it just does. A few ounces are fine, but in heavily hopped recipes, we’ve noticed this.

Note/caution regarding use of gelatinous grains such as Wheat, Corn, Oats, or RiceIf you plan on using more than 25% of your grain bill of gelatinous grains, please use a buffering media such as rice hulls or spent grain from a prior batch in equal weight to the weigh of the gelatinous grain. These grains have no husk on them to act as a filtering media. They also tend to gel up because of their higher protein content. This gelling up and lack of filtering capability can plug the mash filter, causing stuck mashes.This is true for any all grain brewing system, not just Brew-Boss. Also, expect lower efficiency with these grains as well as the flow through the filter will be reduced. Also, see the caution statement above. It is very important to reduce the flow when using these grains to assure that you don’t starve the kettle of liquid!

Note/caution: Do not leave the area where you are brewing. It is the responsibility of the user to monitor the progress of the brew session. Automation is great but can fail. We are not responsible for batches of beer that are ruined or damaged because of system malfunctions! Most malfunctions are caused by step files that have errors. Make certainto test any modifications you make to step files before brewing with them.


Example Recipes

Note: Hops in the recipes below are pellets.

Recipe 1: "Miller Like" 5 Gallon RecipeThis is a basic drinkable beer that resembles a typical American "blonde" beer. It is a lighter beer that everyone enjoys. If Malt is purchased in bulk (50-55lb) bags, you can expect this recipe to cost a little over $10!

8 lbs pale Ale Malt (2 Row)1 oz Cascade Hops (Boiling)½ oz Hallertau Hops (Aroma) added 15 minutes before end of boil1 tsp Irish Moss added 15 minutes before end of boil1 packet Safale US-05 Yeast or equivalent

Strike Temp 154FMash Time 60 Minutes @ 152FSparge Time 15Minutes at 168FBoil Time 60 Minutes

Recipe 2: "Not Flat Tire" 5 Gallon RecipeThis is a nice Hoppy Amber. Resembles a popular micro-brewed Amber Ale.

5 lbs Pale Ale Malt (2 Row)1 lbs Vienna Malt1.5 lbs Amber Malt0.5 lbs Crystal Malt 40L1 oz Cascade Hops (Boiling)1oz Hallertau Hops (Aroma) added 15 minutes before end of boil1oz Cascade Hops (Aroma) added 15 minutes before end of boil1 tsp Irish Moss added 15 minutes before end of boil1 packet Safale US-05 Yeast

Strike Temp 154FMash Time 60 Minutes @ 152FSparge Time 10 Minutes at 168FBoil Time 60 Minutes


Recipe 3: "Mick A. Lobes Amber Bock" 5 Gallon RecipeThis is a nice Amber Bock and our favorite recipe. Mick Andrew Lobes drank this and said it was his favorite as well. Here's to you Mick! Cheers!

11 lbs Pale Ale Malt (2 Row)1 lbs Vienna Malt2 lbs Amber Malt1 lbs Crystal Malt 40L1 lbs Chocolate Malt2 oz Cascade Hops (Boiling)1 oz Hallertau Hops (Aroma) added 15 minutes before end of boil1 oz Cascade Hops (Aroma) added 15 minutes before end of boil2 tsp Irish Moss added 15 minutes before end of boil1 packet Safale US-05 Yeast

Strike Temp 154FMash Time 60 Minutes @ 152FSparge Time 10 Minutes at 168FBoil Time 60 Minutes

Calculating Starting Water Volume

We've found that 9 pounds of grain absorbs about 1 gallon of water during mashing. We also lose about 1 gallon of volume per hour of boil. So, for the Miller Like recipe example above, we have 8 lbs of grain, so we'll lose about 1 gallon of water to grain absorption. We have a 1 hour boil, so we'll lose another gallon, totaling 2 gallons lost. If we want 5.5 gallons into our fermenter (allowing for trub loss), we'll need 7.5 gallons of water to start. This same calculation can be made for any recipe.


Configuring Brew-Boss wi-fi Radio for Connection to Home or Business Network

In some cases, using the Brew-Boss® system in its default state where the Brew-Boss® controller acts as its own wireless network (SSID Brew-Boss) is not viable. These cases include those that want to use the e-mail alarm feature or have multiple Brew-Boss® controllers operating in the same area. If you can use the Brew-Boss® Controller in its default state, you do not need to reconfigure the wifi radio. Only perform the steps below if you need to operate on your own wireless wifi network!

These instructions will walk you through reconfiguring your controller to operate on your home or business wireless network. Please follow the instructions carefully, and attempt only at your own risk. Re-configuring the radio improperly can render your Brew-Boss® system inoperable, requiring you to send it back to us and is not covered under warranty.

IMPORTANT:IF YOU ARE USING THE HOPS-BOSS AUTOMATED HOPS FEEDER, YOU MUST RECONFIGURE IT FIRST, BEFORE RECONFIGURING THE Brew-Boss® CONTROLLER!

The Brew-Boss® and Hops-Boss controllers are equipped with a wi-fi radio device as well as thier ownmicroprocessors. The wi-fi radio must be re-configured to communicate with your internet enabled home or business wireless network if you want to use the e-mail notification feature of the Brew-Boss® app or are using multiple Brew-Boss® controllers in the same area (such as a nano brewery or brew on premise operation). You will need to know your wifi SSID, pass codes or access keys if the network is encrypted, and the type of encryption is used.

The Brew-Boss® controller requires a static IP address and cannot be used with DHCP. If you don’t understand what DHCP or static IP addresses are, please consult your network administrator or someone else who does. It is important that you find a static IP address that is available on your network that does not conflict with another device and is outside the DHCP range. If you have the Hops-Boss, you will need two static IP addresses. You will also need to make certain the ports 8080 and 8081 are not blocked by your router’s firewall.

NOTE: If you do not have a Hops-Boss, skip to “Re-Configuring the Brew-Boss® Controller to Use Home or Business Network” below.

Re-Configuring the Hops-Boss® Controller to Use Home or Business Network

The Brew-Boss® Controller in its default state as shipped has a wireless wifi SSID of “Brew-Boss” and is an open network (has no security encryption). The Hops-Boss® Controller is programmed by default to connect to the “Brew-Boss” SSID of the Brew-Boss® Controller. Please follow the instructions carefully, and attempt only at your own risk. Re-configuring the radio improperly can render your Brew-Boss® system inoperable, requiring you to send it back to us and is not covered under warranty.


To re-configure the Hops-Boss® controller to connect to your home or business network, follow these steps:

1. Power up the Brew-Boss® Controller and let it boot up for at least 45 seconds so that the Brew-Boss network is visible from your tablet.

2. Connect the tablet to the wireless network “Brew-Boss” in wifi settings.

3. Launch the Brew-Boss® application.

4. Make certain the application reports that the Brew-Boss controller is connected as shown in the picture below.

5. Power up the Hops-Boss device.

6. Wait for the Brew-Boss® application to show that the Hops-Boss is connected as shown in the picture above.

7. Close the Brew-Boss® application.

8. Launch the browser on the tablet.

9. In the address bar, type: 192.168.11.253 and hit <enter> or <go> on the keyboard.

10. If you are presented with a logon page, use “admin” for both the Name and Password fields then touch “Sign in”.


11. You will be presented with a page like the following image.

12. Click on the SCAN button to the right of the SSID cell with Brew-Boss in it as shown above.

13. You will be presented with a list of wireless networks within range of the Hops-Boss controller. You should see the Brew-Boss network as well as your home or business network SSID. Select the small circle to the left of your network SSID to select it. It should turn GREEN like the one next to “Bertram1” below.


14. Next, click on the “Apply” button on the lower right of the screen to save this network selection.

15. Select the “Encrypt Type” that matches your network encryption using the dropdown list. Select “Open” if your network is not encrypted.

16. Enter the network encryption “Password” of your network if it is not set to “Open”. This must be EXACT!

17. If “IP Type” is not set to “STATIC”, use the dropdown list to select “STATIC”. DO NOT set to “DHCP”!

18. Make certain you have identified an IP address that you can use on your network that does not conflict with other devices and is outside the DHCP range your router assigns to other devices. Enter this IP address in the “IP Address” box. The image below shows 192.168.1.24 as an example. Your address must match your IP range of your router. Write this address down as you will need to enter it in the IP address area of the parameters in the Brew-Boss® application.

19. The “Subnet Mask” should be “255.255.255.0”, if it is not, change it.

20. The “Default Gateway” needs to be set to the IP address of your router. In the example shown, it is “192.168.1.1”


21. The Primary and Secondary DNS Servers should both be blank as shown in the example image.

22. None of the other fields should be changed. Confirm they match the example image below.

23. Once you have confirmed all data is correct, click on the “Apply” button at the bottom of the screen as shown in the image above. Be very certain all the information is correct before clicking on “Apply”, especially the network encryption password. If it is not correct, your Hops-Boss controller will no longer function!

24. Wait about 1 minute for the Hops-Boss to reboot and attempt to connect to your network.

25. Test that the Hops-Boss was properly configured. Connect your tablet to your home or business network in the wifi settings area.


27. Load the “Edit Parameters” screen using the menu.

28. Change the “IP Address for Hops-Boss Controller” cell to the static IP address you set for the controller above.

29. Make certain the “TCP/IP Port for Hops-Boss Controller” is set to 8081.

30. Click on the “Close” button on the lower right corner of the Operational Parameters screen


to save.

31. Close the Brew-Boss® application and restart it. After a few seconds, the Hops-Boss Controller Connection Status should turn GREEN and display “Connected” (the Brew-Boss Controller Connection Status” will be RED at this time as we have not re-configured it yet!). Test it by clicking on the Hops-Boss position and manually moving the Hops-Boss to a different position.

Note: If the Hops-Boss does not connect, try removing power from the Hops-Boss and restarting it. If that does not work, it is most probable that you set something incorrectly or your network router is blocking the port. It may be necessary to send the controller back to Brew-Boss for reset. Contact support if this is needed: [email protected].


Re-Configuring the Brew-Boss® Controller to Use Home or Business Network

The Brew-Boss® Controller in its default state as shipped is configured as a wireless router and has a wireless wifi SSID of “Brew-Boss” and is an open network (has no security encryption). Please followthe instructions carefully, and attempt only at your own risk. Re-configuring the radio improperly can render your Brew-Boss® system inoperable, requiring you to send it back to us and is not covered under warranty.

To change the Brew-Boss® controller to become a wifi client instead of a wifi server, perform the following steps:

1. Power up the Brew-Boss® Controller and let it boot up for at least 45 seconds so that the Brew-Boss network is visible from your tablet.

2. Connect the tablet to the wireless network “Brew-Boss” in wifi settings.


4. Make certain the application reports that the Brew-Boss controller is connected as shown in the picture below.

5. Launch the internet Browser on your tablet.

6. In the address bar, type the following: 192.168.11.254 and hit <enter> or <go> on the keyboard.

7. If you are presented with a logon page, use “admin” for both the Name and Password fields


then touch “Sign in”.

8. You will be presented with a page like the following image.

9. Change the “NetMode” to “WFI(CLIENT)-SERIAL” by using the dropdown list that appears when you touch the cell that should originally contain “WIFI(AP)-SERIAL”. The screen should update to look like the following:


10. Click on the SCAN button to the right of the SSID cell with Brew-Boss in it as shown above.

11. You will be presented with a list of wireless networks within range of the Hops-Boss controller. You should see the Brew-Boss network as well as your home or business network SSID. Selectthe small circle to the left of your network SSID to select it. It should turn GREEN like the onenext to “Bertram1” below.

12. Next, click on the “Apply” button on the lower right of the screen to save this network selection.

13. Select the “Encrypt Type” that matches your network encryption using the dropdown list. Select “Open” if your network is not encrypted.

14. Enter the network encryption “Password” of your network if it is not set to “Open”. This must be EXACT!

15. If “IP Type” is not set to “STATIC”, use the dropdown list to select “STATIC”. DO NOT set to “DHCP”!

16. Make certain you have identified an IP address that you can use on your network that does not conflict with other devices (including the Hops-Boss if you have one) and is outside the DHCP range your router assigns to other devices. Enter this IP address in the “IP Address” box. The image below shows 192.168.1.25 as an example. Your address must match your IP range of your router. Write this address down as you will need to enter it in the IP address area of the parameters in the Brew-Boss® application.


17. The “Subnet Mask” should be “255.255.255.0”, if it is not, change it.

18. The “Default Gateway” needs to be set to the IP address of your router. In the example shown, it is “192.168.1.1”

19. The Primary and Secondary DNS Servers should both be blank as shown in the example image.

20. None of the other fields should be changed. Confirm they match the example image below.


21. Once you have confirmed all data is correct, click on the “Apply” button at the bottom of the screen as shown in the image above. Be very certain all the information is correct before clicking on “Apply”, especially the network encryption password. If it is not correct, yourBrew-Boss® controller will no longer function!

22. Wait about 1 minute for the Brew-Boss® to reboot and attempt to connect to your network.

23. Test that the Brew-Boss® controller was properly configured. Connect your tablet to your home or business network in the wifi settings area.


25. Load the “Edit Parameters” screen using the menu.

26. Change the “IP Address for Brew-Boss® Controller” cell to the static IP address you set for the controller above.

27. Make certain the “TCP/IP Port for Brew-Boss® Controller” is set to 8080.

28. Click on the “Close” button on the lower right corner of the Operational Parameters screen to save.

29. Close the Brew-Boss® application and restart it. After a few seconds, the Brew-Boss®Controller Connection Status should turn GREEN and display “Connected” (the Hops-Boss Controller Connection Status should be green as well from the steps above.


Note: If the Brew-Boss® controller does not connect, try turning the power off on the Brew-Boss® controller and restarting it. If that does not work, it is most probable that you set something incorrectly or your network router is blocking the port. It may be necessary to send the controller back to Brew-Boss for reset. Contact support if this is needed: [email protected].


Swirl-Boss Whirlpool Wand Instructions

The Swirl-Boss wand is designed to connect directly to the accessory port on the 15 and 20 gallon Brew-Boss kettles. It connects using a camlock style connector and creates a whirlpool using pressure from the pump through a custom “E” nozzle. The special “E” nozzle will direct flow along the perimeter of the kettle as well as slightly inward to optimize rotation.

The Swirl-Boss can be rotated to direct flow parallel to the bottom, pointed toward the bottom, or slightly upwards to direct flow towards the surface. Experiment with varying angles to optimize the rotation speed of the whirlpool.

Run the pump at full output (restriction valve open all the way). The best time to whirlpool is after youhave chilled the wort in your kettle so that the cold break has already occurred. We've found about 10 minutes is optimum for effective sediment concentration to the center of the kettle.

We highly recommend the use of the Brew-Boss pickup tube with this device as that will eliminate the need to tip your kettle to get the las bit of wort out of the kettle when transferring to your fermenter.


Hops-Boss Installation and Use InstructionsThe Hops-Boss automated hops feeder will make your brew day a joy. Watching the Hops-Boss automatically feed your pellet hops and other brew finings into your brew kettle at the proper times is amazing. Never miss ahops addition again!

The Hops-Boss is available in two versions, as an accessory device (slave) to the Brew-Boss electric brew controller or as a stand-alone device that requires programming via an Android or iOS application. This document will guide you through setup and use of your new Hops-Boss.

OverviewThe Hops-Boss consists of a stainless steel structure that supports a rotating carrier gear. A stepper motor is used to accurately position the carrier gear. The carrier gear is laser machined with seven holes that loosely retain plastic hops cups (we call them “mortar shells” because that is what they look like). Each mortar shell can hold up to 1.75 ounces of pellet hops, for a total hops addition potential of over ¾ pound!

It is important to note that hops must be placed in the cups in the proper sequential order in relation to the order each hops need to be added. Each hops position is laser etched with the position number on the carrier gear. Thus, you can't randomly select hops locations. Position 1 must dump before Position 2, Position 2 before 3, etc. In the event you want to add more than 1.75 oz at one time, simply divide the hops required into multiple sequential mortar tubes and use the highest numbered feeder position to activate that addition. So for example, if you wanted 3 oz of hops dispensed at once, simplydivide the hops into two sequential mortar shells. e.g. Positons 2 and 3. Simply specify the highest numbered location, in this case position 3 for your hops addition and position 2 will be dispensed as well on its way to position 3.


AssemblyThe Hops-Boss is assembled easily with 8 nuts. Items are assembled as shown in the picture below.

If you have the optional heat shield, Make certain to mount the Chute to the Baseplate first, as the heat shield (not shown) will obstruct the fasteners on the bottom of the Baseplate, making them difficult to install. Don't over-tighten the nuts! Just a small amount of torque once the nut makes contact is sufficient.

The Carrier Gear and the Hops Cups (Mortar Shells) are shipped installed. To remove the top gear, simply unscrew the center socket head bolt and remove the gear and mortar shells. The shells are

loosely retained by the carrier gear, so be careful not to drop any of the mortar shells. They are purposely designed to fit loosely so they ride flush with the baseplate when moving. We have found it easiest to hold the Hops-Boss assembly as shown when removing or installing the top gear as the mortar shells will stay in place in this position.


Clean the Hops-Boss before your first use. To clean, remove the top carrier gear and hand wash the mortar shells in hot soapy water. Hand or air dry. The Hops-Boss contains delicate electronics and is not submersible! Clean the stainless steel surfaces with any household cleaner and paper towel by wiping with cleaner sprayed on towel. (Clorox or Windex wipes work great). Dry with paper towel.

After assembling the Hops-Boss unit, power it up by plugging in the power supply (included) to a 120VAC outlet. Plug the other end into the Hops-Boss unit. There is no power switch on the Hops-Boss. Plugging it in powers it up. The RED light on the bottom should illuminate and if the top carriergear is not already in the Home position, it will automatically turn to that position. Any time the unit isfirst powered up, it will seek the home position.

Configuring Hops-Boss wi-fi Radio for Connection to Brew-Boss (Legacy wireless version) The Hops-Boss is equipped with a wi-fi radio device as well as it's own microprocessor. The Hops-Boss Master device (stand-alone) version is designed to be connected to directly and as such it is configured with the SSID of Hops-Boss. Do not change the SSID of the Stand-Alone (Master) version of the Hops-Boss!

The slave version of the Hops-Boss is designed to communicate with the Brew- Boss controller directly. The Hops-Boss slave model comes pre-configured to communicate directly to the Brew-Boss controller. If you want to use your home or office network, the e wi-fi radio must be configured to connect to your network. If you purchased the Standalone version of the Hops-Boss, you don't need to do anything with the wi-fi radio setup, as it is shipped properly configured.

Also, if you have an older Brew-Boss controller, and your SSID is not “Brew-Boss” (has an SSID of “BrewBoss XXXXXX” where the X's represent a unique number), you will need to reconfigure your Brew-Boss controller to have an SSID of “Brew-Boss”.

To change the SSID, perform the following steps:

1. Turn on your Brew-Boss controller and wait for at least a minute for the wi-fi radio inside to boot up.

2. Connect to the Brew-Boss XXXXXX wireless network on your Android tablet as you normally do before launching the Brew-Boss App. Do not launch the Brew-Boss App at this time. Wait for the tablet to show connected for the wireless network.

3. Launch the internet Browser on your tablet. 4. In the address bar, type the following: 192.168.11.254 then hit the enter or go button. If you

are prompted for a username and password, enter “admin” for both.5. If the foregoing steps were performed properly, you will see a web page display that looks like

the following:


6. Change the SSID from Brew-Boss XXXXXX (Brew-Boss 630001 in example above) to “Brew-Boss” ←typed exactly like shown noting the capitalization!

7. Click the “Apply” button on the bottom of the screen. Do not change any other settings even if they don't match the ones shown above!

8. Close your browser.9. Return to your wi-fi settings on your tablet. A new network called “Brew-Boss” should appear.

Connect to the “Brew-Boss” network. Wait for connected to appear by that network.10. Optional. Click on your old network name “Brew-Boss XXXXXX” and click Forget so it gets

removed from your saved network list.11. Launch your Brew-Boss app (make certain you have Version 1.10 or later! If you don't, connect

to the internet and make sure to update to the latest version in the Google Play Store or Amazon's App Store). Confirm that it connects to the Brew-Boss controller normally.

12. Change the “Use Hops Boss Feeder” to “true”. In the edit parameters menu function. Make certain to press the “Close” button on the edit parameters screen, as this saves the data. You may also want to name the configuration and save it.

13. Exit the Brew-Boss app by pressing the “back” button. Confirm exit as usual.14. Power up the Hops-Boss by plugging in the power plug. The RED light on the bottom should

illuminate, indicating it has power. Wait 30 seconds for the Hops-Boss to try and connect to theBrew-Boss controller.


15. Launch the Brew-Boss app again. The “Use Hops Boss” check box should now appear checkedand the Hops-Boss position should now be shown as illustrated in the screenshot below.

Note that the backgrounds around the “Temperature” Header and the “Use Hops Boss” Checkbox are green in the screenshot above. GREEN indicates that the devices have connected, RED indicates they are disconnected. The Green Temperature box indicates the Brew-Boss controller is connected and the Green Hops-Boss Checkbox indicates that the Hops-Boss is connected. It is important that the controllers be powered up in the order above. First the Brew-Boss controller, wait at least 1 minute, then the Hops-Boss, wait at least 30 seconds, then connect the Tablet to the Brew-Boss network, and finally, run the Brew-Boss app. The screen should look like the one above.


16. Test the Hops-Boss by clicking on the Box with “Home” shown on the screenshot above. A graphic representation of the Hops-Boss unit will be displayed as shown in the screenshot below.

Notice that the current position of the Hops-Boss feeder is highlighted in RED. To test the feeder, simply press on one of the hops feeder position numbers on the graphic. The feeder should befin spinning to the selected position. The display will then show the current position as the feeder reaches those locations as shown below, where we selected position #2.


17. Now you can add automated hops feeding to your step definitions by simply placing the desiredposition number in the “Hops Pos” column of the “Edit/Define Brew Steps” screen. Valid poitions are from 0 (Home) to 7. Remember to make certain that the hops feeder positions are in sequential order as previously described. Important, once a brew step includes a Hops Position greater than 0, you must make certain each subsequent step has a hops position specified as well that is at least the number before it! If you leave a step at “0” (zero), it will force the feeder to return to home or other position specified, turning the feeder backwards. This is not desirable, unless you purposely want to return the feeder to a prior position. Simply repeat the hops feeder position in each step definition until you want it changed to a higher numbered hops location. Below is an example of a Step Definition using the Hops-Boss.

In this example, we have a 2oz hop load we want to add when boiling is reached and another 2oz load we want to add with 15 minutes remaining in a 60 minute boil. Because both hops loads are more thanwill fit in one Mortar Shell, we divided them out evenly between multiple positions. The 2 oz. That wewant to add at the beginning of boil are placed in hops positions 1 and 2. The remaining 2 oz. are divided evenly between hops positions 3 and 4.


Line A above shows the step definition for the first hops addition after the kettle reached boil. We use a step type 2 (prompt without user confirm) to move the feeder to position 2. This dispenses the contents of feeder positions 1 and 2. Line B, step type 4, maintains the boil for 45minutes. Notice here is where we must place a “2” in the Hops Pos column so that the feeder stays at position 2. Line C begins after the 45 minutes of boiling completes. Here we move the feeder to position 4, which will feed both positions 3 and 4. Line D maintains boil for the remaining 15 minutes, to complete our 60 minute boil. Notice that in Line D we used a Hops Pos of 4, to keep it at that position for the remainder of the boil. Because Line C was a step type 2, there would not be enough time for the feeder to move to position 4 as step type 2 is instantaneous. So, we place the 4 for the Hops Pos in Line D as well.

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