Hey everyone, I wanted to share a fun and practical automation setup I recently completed using Govee sensors. It’s all about keeping track of my beer cans and getting notified when it’s time to recycle them. 
So, the setup is pretty cool. I have this beer can chute leading to my basement, and every time a can drops, a motion sensor detects it. I then use a scrape sensor to count the cans and record the values with a PHP script. The goal was to create an automation that sends me a notification whenever the count increases by one, letting me know how many cans I’ve accumulated that day.
Initially, I tried setting up the automation with the following code:
yaml
automation 85:
- alias: “Another Beer on the Wall”
trigger:
platform: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.beer_cans
from: ‘off’
to: ‘on’
action:
service: notify.iOSApp
data:
message: “{{sensor.beer_today +1}} Beer Today”
But it wasn’t working as expected. After some troubleshooting, I realized I needed to ensure the sensor values were correctly updated before sending the notification. I also had to make sure the message template was properly formatted to display the incremented value.
After tweaking the automation, it finally worked! Now, every time a can drops, I get a notification on my phone with the updated count. It’s a simple yet effective way to stay on top of recycling without constantly checking the sensor. Plus, it’s a fun way to track my progress throughout the week.
I’d like to give a shoutout to Govee for their reliable sensors and the supportive community here. Without the tips and tricks shared in this forum, I wouldn’t have been able to figure this out so quickly. 
If anyone has similar automation ideas or needs help setting something up, feel free to reach out! I’d be happy to share more details or troubleshoot together. Cheers! 