P-45 - Real-time, Noninvasive Fermentation Monitoring and Fingerprinting

The main metabolic flux in beer or any alcoholic fermentation is the conversion of sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Brewers usually track the progress of fermentation by sampling the fermenting wort and analyzing it (usually off line) for residual sugars (‘extract’) and/or alcohol. Since ethanol production is also directly coupled to CO₂ production, the progress of fermentation can also be estimated by measuring the total CO₂ production.

Tracking CO₂ evolution offers a simple, arguably a more accurate method for estimating alcohol production than via extract measurements. Simplified instrumentation and data telemetry enables inexpensive options for real-time, noninvasive continuous monitoring of fermentation. Beyond generating the alcohol and extract data, it is possible to ‘fingerprint’ the entire fermentation profile. A wealth of additional benefits can be realized. For example, it is possible to deconvolute various fermentation phases such as any lag, yeast growth, the sequential uptake of various malt sugars, discern CO₂ supersaturation, bubbles and hydrodynamic regimes within the opaque fermentation vessel to name a few. The possibility of predicting the over-foaming potential of a given fermentation and the resulting loss of foam character, flavor and BUs, etc is another advantage. This presentation will discuss several recent studies with QuantiPerm’s fermAT instruments that cover various fermentation styles spanning a range of fermentation sizes. We discuss how we overcame challenges with handling over-foaming fermenters, and data accuracy in comparison with traditional methods.