Keezer (Keg/Tap/Beer) Controller/Scale

thingiverse

Several years ago, I stumbled upon a clever system at my local bar that displayed the beer levels on each of their numerous taps. After designing and building my own keezer for my homebrews and getting back into mechatronics projects, I was inspired to create something similar. Over time, it evolved with the addition of a child and the idea of automatically shutting off the taps when not entertaining became essential. Ultimately, I ended up with a system that performs several key functions: It weighs each of my five kegs, providing me with accurate information about how full they are and when I need to start brewing another batch. Additionally, it tracks the CO2 tank's weight, alerting me when it's time to swap it out soon. Furthermore, it measures the pressure (PSI) in the gas lines after the first regulator, giving me a heads-up when the tank is almost empty. This allows me to extract every last bit of CO2 from the tank rather than replacing it prematurely. The system also operates solenoids on each tap, enabling me to control which ones are open at any given time (primarily for kid and babysitter safety, but also great for avoiding accidental leakage). It measures the temperature inside the keezer, displays the data collected by the system as well as the beer menu on a computer monitor, and turns on LEDs in the tap area. This setup not only caters to my specific project but could be adapted (with or without modifications) for various other projects. The 3D printed components are available here on Thingiverse; you can find the full tutorial at hackaday.io/project/167023-keezer-kegtapbeer-controller. I've included STLs, the original Fusion 360 file, and a STEP file to facilitate easy modifications for those who wish to do so. If you decide to print this system, please share your creation with me by posting a "make," and feel free to offer any feedback you may have!