Howdy everyone! I've been a member for just under a year now and have been creeping on the message boards, finally deciding to make a posting.
A little about myself: I am a Computer Engineer and am currently working towards finishing my Masters in Systems Engineering. The final effort I have to complete is a Project, where I put it through the Systems Engineering process. While I wont bore you with the details of that process, it requires that I gather requirements, develop a concept of operations, outline risks, develop diagrams, etc. My project is "systems engineer" an "Automated, All-Grain, Green/Energy Efficient, Homebrew System". Bullet points to address, what some would see as "currently available systems"....
- Larger scale brewing: Most automated systems available today will only brew 1-3 gallons of beer. Most non-automated setups are capable of brewing 5-10 gallons or more.
- Efficient brewing system: Current non-automated systems utilize a large amount of energy; gas, electricity, etc., which is also not conserved across different steps of the process. There can also be considerable loss of liquid due to evaporation.
- Safety: Current non-automated systems utilize open flames and exposed heatingelements for heating liquid, as well as electric current for powering transfer pumps.
- Post Brewing Activities: Most automated systems do not take into account the activities required after the brewing process has finished. There is work required during fermentation, and before & during the carbonation process.
These bullet points address the high level concerns of why my system is "different". Feel free to ask me any questions about this in order to get the creative juices flowing.
I am looking to start gathering requirements and developing the concept of operations. I do this for my day job as an engineer, and I reach out to my users for this information. I figured that for this system, what better place to reach users than the AHA Forums!! In the next few days, I plan on developing a questionnaire that will assist with gathering requirements and targeting other folks as well (local micro-brewer).
Thank you all for any assistance you may be willing to provide.