TrickyDick

Thanks. I have four pins on the sensor. From left to right connections are: 5 vdc, pin 8 plus 5vdc with 10kohm series resistor pull-up, nothing, ground.

Still not working right with new sensor. I've triple checked my wiring. Cold be a bad breadboard, bad interconnect wires, or who knows what. The sketch is uploaded. Sometimes when I turn it on, I'll get a message BAD SENSOR DATA, other times It'll just display: CURRENT TEMP 0ºC RH0% No averages ready yet or something similar to that. Strange. I might take the 20 hour online arduino course for $50 and see if I'm just being boneheaded... TD

Ok thanks! I'll be sure to wire that into my setup. New sensor here on Thursday. I'll post an update when I can. By the way, thanks for the code sharing. I'd not have been able to do it otherwise.

Thanks Chris! Well, I think a big issue I was having was inappropriately wiring the LCD. Now that I've got that corrected, I am getting information on my test setup. I've wired my breadboard with LEDs acting as surrogates for the 4 controlled devices. I think in my testing, that I've fried the Sensor however. I have been getting sensor data error. I am thinking to replace it, as I think I now have my wiring all correct. It's giving me 0ºC, 0%RH on the readout, and there is no change when I fiddle. I think I might have inadvertently fried the sensor somehow. At least the LCD working is forward progress on my part and proof that I've got the code successfully uploaded. By the way, I had asked Chris about pull down resistors and he said that he wasn't using these. For the sensor input, I saw this website (https://learn.adafruit.com/dht/connecting-to-a-dhtxx-sensor) where they use a pull UP resistor. Are you using this wiring pattern Chris? As far as the coding, I am really not much of a programmer. I tried to decipher the code, but for me, without significant amount of time and energy to learn the stuff, I'm like a level 1 programmer trying to interpret something beyond my capabilities. I did go through the library files and the code over at Github, but I still don't see the initilization for the input pin. I think that the DEFINE_DHT PIN (or something like that) passes the value of the input pin number to the library (DHT) wherein, the pin is initialized as an input. Anyways, I'm plugging away. When I get a new sensor, I'll be back! TD

Ok thanks! I think I have a ceiling fan speed control. Would that work? Seems that aquarium pump idea might make the pellets burn faster?? Was reading on another forum that you want only a small amount of air to permit combustion but not too much?? I like the charcoal idea too. Thanks!

And my second soldering iron is dead... Why? One was relatively new, the other 30 years old

So I bought a aquarium pump, and tubing, and have a small hose barb to install on the soup can. Really want to see the setup Willie has going on when he replaces the can(s).

Struggling getting the LCD connected to the arduino. Looking at the code, and been reading the Simon Monk book beginning with sketches. I don't think I have the knowledge to convert to using i2c for the LCD, so I picked up a plain one. But it didn't have header pins. So a got a header pin rail, but the spacing was off! GRR! Working on getting it fired up. I found a diagram of how to connect the LCD to the arduino with a Google search here: http://vanceance.blogspot.com/2013/04/hd44780-16-x-2-lcd-with-arduino.html I'm going to try that out as soon as I can get either a header pin rail that fits or just get a LCD with those already included. By the way, in your code, I never see pin 8 specified as input. Do you need to specify using pinmode command that the pin 8 is an input pin, or does that happen in one of the libraries and I can't see it in the main sketch? Thanks for the help. By the way, have you tasted any cured meat from your chamber yet?? TD

Ahh, I think that you had previously mentioned that now that I recall. By the way, are you using any of the internal pull-down resistors on any pins, or using any external pull-down resistors? Should have the last few components I need by the weekend to do some more testing. TD

Ok so the last set of pics, let me get this straight.... Tin can drilled with soldering iron poked through. hose barb drilled and fixed into Bottom of tin can? filter or lid from cocktail shaker between bottom of can hose input and pellets/chips/wood/sawdust where the soldering iron rests? Aquarium pump blows air in from below and through the screen/filter and then through the output up top (stove pipe) and into smoking chamber? Looks like a valve on the air pump output? how well does it regulate output? Thanks!! Had an idea today for a quick way to use my pellet grill as a cold smoker... I have a pellet grill at home. I am thinking about taking a steel or aluminum frame the size of a grill grate which slides into various side rails at different heights above the primary grill grate. I would use the upper most rails. Then I would fabricate on the two sides of the frame, such that when it is inside the grill in the top position, that there are short ledges on right and left edges within the empty frame. Then I would find an appropriate 3/16" thick angle steel stock about 1/4" - 3/16" wide on each side (solid) to serve as metal smokesticks. Then I would tack weld some "c" shaped metal pieces onto the ledges at regular intervals along each of the side ledges to keep the smokesticks from sliding back and forth. On those "smokesticks" I would hang the sausage links I wanted to smoke. Once in position, I would take a piece of perforated or expanded metal cut to fit and lay down on top. On this I could place some dry ice perhaps to chill down the chamber (I live in FL and it is usually 80-90 degrees. This might not be a strict requirement however, but might necessitate curing the meat first. Next, through a side hole in the grill meant for a meat probe, I could place a small caliber copper or stainless rigid pipe mated to the output of a tin-can cold smoker. I'd probably So this is my next project... TD

Another question for Chris H, the top mounted exhaust/dehumidification fan.... Is this powered by the Arduino directly from its output pin or via another power source? Thanks TD

That's pretty crazy stuff DARCH! I am not quite sure how you can do this indoors though. Seems it must recirculate the smoke? Hard to get a grip on how everything is plumbed. I have too many projects going at the moment, but if I ever decide I need to to this I'll know who to ask. What kinds of food do you make in that, and do you have any photos you'd care to share? TD

Can I just clean the tip really well?? I am not sure if it's been used with lead solder is a real concern as lead doesn't vaporize to my knowledge. Maybe removing the tip would work just as well however.

That looks similar to the Bradley system. Does the ducting get hot (notices the hot pad)? I'm curing a steelhead fillet and will be using my cold smoker later this week. Found my older cheaper soldering iron in the garage too so I won't need to buy another for soldering jobs, or borrow from the smoker.

Looking forward to seeing more photos of BOTH those smokers! Thanks for sharing!

How do you have your bulb mounted inside the fridge unit? Do you have any shielding material between the bulb and the plastic? You are using only a single lamp/bulb? is the temperature uniform enough throughout the fridge or do you require a fan . I would suspect a halogen bulb creates significant radiant heat such that the closer to the source, the higher the temp and vice-versa. For fermented sausage making, I would only need temps up to 105 for fast fermented sausage, but mostly I'll be wanting slow fermented (90 degrees and below). I'm going to use a dimmer on a single 500 watt Halogen lamp and see what I can get. I suppose if I ever want to actually COOK in the chamber, the halogen bulb might be able to achieve that too if it can get up to 200 degrees inside the fridge as you say. Thanks! TD

So it turns out that the grill temp did rise a bit, but only 5º. Still much better than with the tub smoker. Plus, I can use this just about anywhere.

I had been using my MacBook to fiddle with the Arduino, and oddly it (the IDE) was behaving weird. It crashed a few times, etc. I decided to try on a Windows PC and was able to get it to compile properly!! Next steps will be to wire everything up! Couple of questions. in wiring the temp/humidity sensor, did you include a 10k resistor connected to 5VDC and pin2 on the sensor as was shown here: https://learn.adafruit.com/dht/connecting-to-a-dhtxx-sensor is there a way to tune the sensor if the readings are off compared to verified/calibrated measurements? Getting pretty excited about this now! Would like to ultimately make this do some more things: make programs rather than just operating at static set-points (perhaps with manual triggers to proceed to next step or automated based on indwelling meat probes possibly); WiFi or ethernet access for remote graphing and saving of logged data, a way to change the setpoints without a re-compile, and an LCD display of current setpoints and actual values for the temp and RH%. I wish I knew how to program.... I'm not even sure how to use the I2C LCD I bought, and think it'd be easier to just buy a different display without the I2C interface board soldered on. By the way, how did you generate the graph you posted earlier? Thanks again!!! TD

Ok So I made a cold smoke generator from a soup can today. Punched a few holes. No plastic lining on this. Drilled a hole for my soldering iron. Scooped up a few wood pellets. I put a double layer tin foil "lid" in which I poked a few holes though I'm not sure that this is necessary. So far there is gentle smoke coming out of the tin foil lid. Have it setup in my grill with a grill temp probe reading 81º which is the ambient temperature right now. Its not heating up the grill (which my Amaze-in tube smoker does) so it seems will be suitable for cold smoking! Thanks! super easy, and cost me nothing since I already had the soup can, pellets and soldering iron. edit- while I was writing, I notice there were some replies. My tube smoker will actually heat up my grill I've noticed. I have that amaze-in one. I find it is also difficult to light. Waiting to hear from DARCH about the cold smoke generator he uses. One limitation of the soup can might be the volume of smoke and time to get a good smoke flavor with a fairly small amount smoke produced. Might be the tin foil. edit 2 - I take that back. This little soup can really cranks out the smoke. I left the foil "lid" on and checked it again and its going crazy. TD

Have seen similar soldering iron smokers before. Have heard of using sawdust. It is difficult to find a source for hardwood sawdust . I have a pellet smoker and could optionally use the pellets I suppose or break them down into sawdust they are made from. How does the soldering iron smoker prevent combustion and actual flames? So back to this soup can idea. You save the lid? where do you poke the holes? how much fuel/chips do you add? TD

Done. thanks! TD

Starting a new thread to discuss DIY cold smoke generators. This had come up in another thread and I didn't want to hijack the thread off-topic. It was brought up by member darch who had such a generator, that I should do so, in order to further elaborate on his generator. Why? I am in the midst of building a dry-cure chamber for homemade charcuterie, and fermented sausages, some of which might require cold smoking. I am wondering if it is feasible to consider integrating this into the design of the chamber or to build as a stand alone. Thanks TD

I'm not a programmer so most of this is going to be a stretch for me. When you suggest I "pull the source files out of the directory structure", and "setup a new normal sketch", I am not entirely sure what that means. When I look at the directory structure, I see two folders: lib, and src, plus two files: LICENSE, and README.md. I'm not sure what kind of files those last two are or what purpose they serve. When I look into the two folders, under lib, I find another folder DHTlib, which I believe is also included with the Sketches IDE, and includes a few files: dht.ccp, dht.h, readme.txt, and an examples subfolder. I think I should be able to get this into the sketch with library tools, and be sure I have it "installed". The other folder SRC has the code file.ino for your sketch. I assume that you've made no modifications to the DHTlib files. So when I open the *.ino file in sketches, after having installed the DHT lib, and push the verify button, I get the following compile errors: CuringChamberControl.ino:32:1: error: 'dht' does not name a type CuringChamberControl.ino: In function 'void loop()': CuringChamberControl.ino:167:32: error: 'DHTLIB_OK' was not declared in this scope CuringChamberControl.ino: In function 'DH22Reading readDH22()': CuringChamberControl.ino:268:16: error: expected primary-expression before '.' token CuringChamberControl.ino:271:25: error: expected primary-expression before '.' token CuringChamberControl.ino:272:29: error: expected primary-expression before '.' token Error compiling. edit-(Oh, and it looks like the line numbers listed in this cut-and-paste are +2 from your actual code) I'm not quite sure how to proceed at this point... I'm thinking that the first error means that the dht must be defined as an integer maybe? not sure. no clue on the "scope" error last three errors appear similar and maybe due to a naming convention? Any guidance appreciated! LIke I said, I'm not a coder/programmer, just a man with a hunger for making some great food! Thanks TD

Thanks! I am probably going to need to request help on the arduino forum to get my rig up and running. Waiting on a few bread boarding wires before I can do anything else, and will also need a solution for the heating component and tracking down some halogen bulbs seems best at this point. Before I go posting anything on the arduino forum, was wondering if you had any threads on that site about this project. Thanks.

There is of course no documentation with the LCD I bought, but there are some folks on amazon that have bought and have given help on how to get it working which I hope will work for me too. I think that some of the issues relate to findhing the correct serial address. Next will be how to modify your code to work with the LCD and display the right, but that's still a long way off for me. I'm still fairly intimidated by the programming, especially after reading the PDF on the temp/humidity controller. Mostly having an issue with the libraries and directory structure to get it all compiled and uploaded. I'll probably end up asking a few friends for some help with that at some point if (more like when) I get stuck. Appreciate the help you've given me here! I will be wanting to setup the heater/lamps and humidification in addition to the cooling(fridge) and dehumidification (fan) from the start, so that'll entail more fiddling with your code. Can I ask how many fans did you install in the top of the fridge chamber? Any coolant lines running in the top part of the fridge to avoid (I got the same model you are using)? Are you bringing the wiring through into the chamber via any additional holes or piggybacking those through the top fan hole(s) and lower humidifier hole? How are you displaying the humidity and temp graphs like you had posted earlier? Looking forward to using this creation soon! TD