Cheers! Anton Paar targets craft brewers with beer monitor
The supplier of process and laboratory instruments to the brewing industry said the Beer Monitor Basic is for craft brewer’s inline beer monitoring.
Beer Monitor Basic combines sound velocity technology with a formula to determine alcohol, original extract and real extract of finished beer.
Out-of-specification product is avoided, beer quality is improved and product consistency assured, said the firm.
By setting lower and upper limits on measurement values, alarms can be visualized and triggered using digital or relay outputs.
Sound Velocity technology
Joe Harris, director of sales and marketing at Anton Paar USA, said the system uses sound velocity technology.
“This information is combined with a static density value which is entered for certain beer brands. Based on this information, the system is able to calculate alcohol and other critical measurement parameters for beer.
“[Craft brewers] use it for quality control for their products. The system is installed directly in the pipe, and is used to measure continuously monitor the alcohol content of the product which is being bottled.”
Measuring the alcohol content with an accuracy of 0.1% v/v, the original extract with an accuracy of 0.1 °Plato and the real extract with an accuracy of 0.2 °Plato, it allows craft brewers to continuously monitor the product, said Anton Paar.
Harris said it can be used at various points after fermentation, but primarily, directly before the filler to ensure the product going into the bottle meets defined quality standards.
Upgrade potential
The Beer Monitor Basic can be upgraded to a full Beer Monitor. Users can start with what they need and add modules at a later date, whether expanding production or controlling the brewing process.
Optional inputs for additional parameters like CO2 and oxygen are available.
“The full version also measures the density value in addition to the sound velocity and temperature,” said Harris.
“When the density is actually measured, the measurement results are more accurate. The full beer monitor is often used to optimize blending, while the beer monitor basic is positioned as a QC check.
“The basic version is a reduced accuracy product at a lower price point, and is ideally positioned for the growing craft beer market.
“The mathematical modeling for the calculations were developed specific for beer. The product could also be used by other larger breweries as well.
“However, larger brewers often require higher accuracy, since optimizing production has greater financial impact at higher production volumes.”
