Instruments & Sensors for ABV Measurement?

[Eric T]

Hi all, I’m a MBA student at Pepperdine University and I’m working on a project looking into potential applications for a new biosensor. This sensor is able to detect specific molecules (like ethanol) in liquids and is instant, precise, reusable and could potentially operate as a continuous monitoring device. We think there may be some potential applications in the brewing industry (possibly related to measuring alcohol content, for example).

We obviously have lots of questions but I’ll post two here:

What instruments or sensors do you typically use to measure alcohol content (i.e., hydrometers, NIR sensors, something else)?

Who are the large or leading manufacturers of those instruments? (I’ve been told Anton Paar is a big player in the industry, but not sure who else might be…part of our assignment is to look into equipment manufacturers to identify who may be interested in licensing this technology…)

Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated – thanks!

[gitchegumee]

Small brewers often use a distillation method to eliminate sugars, followed by hydrometer measurement.

[beertje46]

Anton-Parr DMA 35N. Yes the unit is expensive but I have seen them on eBay for around $600. Someone posted a new unit here some months back for $1200.00 Will your unit be cheaper, faster, more accurate?

edited to add:
3 on eBay now for $299.00 but it now

[dick murton]

Try the usual European culprits

Haffmans, Centec, Anton Paar, not sure about Mettler Toledo - I don't think they do, but don't have the catalogue here with me. Canongate have also made some in the farly recent past. Again, I am not sure if they still make them

Cheers

[Aaron Taubman]

Don't forget FAAS. Their SCABA system dominated large breweries until just a few years ago.

I imagine most brewers are now using an Anton Paar system with their u-tube technology and infrared alcohol detection. Their alcolyzer plus system is very robust, fast, and can give accurate results to 0.01 ABW on a sample volume of a few milliliters. They also have corresponding inline units.

[dick murton]

Forgot about them since they are a lab instrument. As far as commercial success is concerned, then the ideal is to be able to have both in line and off line instruments. It is a big selling point for those suppliers who can do both lab and real time process analysis - whether for ABV, CO2, DO2 etc etc. Saves spares, order set up hassles, only one rep to get bored to death with etc. It also suggests both rapid response and repeatable results if the same process is used in line and off line

Good luck with this project

[Eric T]

Thanks for the feedback

Thanks for the information - very useful! Two follow-up questions: all the sensors I've seen thus far seem to be stand-alones or external to the actual brewing equipment. Are sensors ever 'built-in' to equipment?

Also, are sensors like this ever used for continuous monitoring or to provide 'alerts' at certain points in the process or thresholds?

Thanks again!

[gitchegumee]

"Thanks for the feedback..." Is that SUPPOSED to be a pun?

[dick murton]

"Two follow-up questions: all the sensors I've seen thus far seem to be stand-alones or external to the actual brewing equipment. Are sensors ever 'built-in' to equipment?

Also, are sensors like this ever used for continuous monitoring or to provide 'alerts' at certain points in the process or thresholds?"

Yes sensors are fitted in-line, for example after blender carbonators for diluting high gravity brewed / matured beer down to sales gravity, or for monitoring beer at the infeed to a filler. The most common fitting I know of is the "Varivent" fitting, though I am sure there are others, particularly outside Europe.

They can and are used for feedback to the blenders, to control the dilution water addition, or may be used for ensuring the beer is in spec at the point of measurement. They can be a useful tool to demonstrate all the ber going into final package is as stated on the package.


Straightforward gravity sensors are also widely used in lauter tun / mash filter runoff control, to ensure the runoff is within tolerance, and to define the cutoff gravity, or for sugar addition (primings) to sweeten the beer or to provide in package fermentable sugars. Basically, anywhere you would find it udeful to measure gravity they can be used. The one place they have proven less successful in the past is for fermentation gravity monitoring, mainl due to the CO2 breakout in the instrument, or the very cloudy nature of the fermenting beer (depending on method of measurement)

Cheers