I'm in the VERY early stages of a project to come up with a "home-brew" (pun intended! ':)') computer controlled espresso machine. It would utilize "off the shelf" items where ever possible (the only items I currently see as non-off the shelf would be frame, case and possibly boilers) and provide (probably) excessive control of the brewing process. Pressure profile thruout the brewing process (i.e. low pressure pre-infusion, pressure control during the actual shot, etc), temperature control (again, variable temperature thru the shot), volumetric dosing, etc. It's NOT going to be an inexpensive machine (parts will probably cost almost as much as a GS3) and will utilize Industrial Grade computer parts. There will be many thermocouples, pressure transducers, computer controlled mixing valves (to provide the ability to vary the temp of the water during the shot), computer controlled pressure regulators (to allow varying pressure during the shot), etc.
At this time, I'm looking at possible failure modes (some under computer control, some caused by software/hardware failures OF the computer control, etc). this is a VERY early shot at seeing if it can be done for something approaching a "reasonable" price (I'm SWAG'ng the component price @ about $3K and that can and probably will go up!)... but the whole idea on this is to gain as much control over the shot as possible.
It all began because I have a Starbucks Barista espresso machine that is, at best, poor! I looked @ HX machines, but they, while providing good control, don't allow for ease of use (not saying they're hard, but the "water dance" is a variable that good old groggy me will mess up more than once! ).. Looked @ dual boiler systems (i.e. the Brewtus and the La Spaziale S1) but they either don't provide the total control that I'd like OR take more space than I've got available (brewtus appears to be a very nice machine, but still too many variables and not tight enough control without PID'ng it. Spaz S1 seems to be a very nice machine, but takes more counter space than I have available)...
My intent is to provide a Dual Boiler, rotary pump machine with (realistically) a 0.5 degree repeatability and a 0.1 bar pressure control.... all under user control... Probably will have an LCD display with various screens available to the user, etc...
A little background on ME!
Currently I'm an Information Security Architect for a major multi-national manufacturing company. I've spent years in Development Engineering doing hardware and software design for high-speed and high-performance real-time process control as well (think of a 4-20 ton ingot of white-hot steel.... one end of it is doing about 4mph in the "first" stand of a steel mill... the OTHER end of it is doing about 120mph as it rolls off as 18 gauge sheet steel exiting the last stand... this is a single piece of steel! also did some work on gas turbine controls and electric power excitation as well). Nowadays I spend way too much time doing presentations and documentation, so the engineer in me is longing for something to do!
This is probably going to be a major mistake (spend way too much time on this, not enough on what needs to be done, i.e. mow the lawn, fix the kitchen cabinet, etc...).... but things are starting to take shape...
I'm sure the reasons I give above are not enough to justify the work that this will take, but.... hey, it'll keep me off the streets at night! ':lol:'
any one interested just reply!
