Online Densitometer

[BeirEng]

I have a customer asking if she can utilize in-situ fermenter mounted continuous densitometers. Easy to do (we have done them in multiple pharma and other bioprocess applications) but the units we normally use are prohibitively expensive, and I have never seen them on even the largest breweries that we have worked on. My instrument engineer has identified some that may be fit for purpose at ~1.5k each.

I thought I would ask here if anyone has any experience with them in brewing, esp. specific mfgr/models.

Many thanks!

[dick murton]

I've used them extensively in big breweries - for some reason generally Anton Paar, but there are plenty of other suppliers, e.g. Centec, Haffmans, plus I have no doubt, North American suppliers. Just make sure they are hygienic design, cleanable, sterilisable and sufficiently accurate. Wort run off, beer dilution, water / beer interfaces etc. As you say, expensive, but in big operations they pay back very quickly.