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  • Photospectrometer

    Just curious, who uses a photospectrometer regularly in their quality control? And if so, for what purposes?
    Roger Greene

  • #2
    Not currently.

    But typically in larger breweries, it would regularly be used for colour analysis (430 nm) and bitterness or IBU measurement (275 nm - Ultraviolet range).

    Good summary discussion of colour (and there is some debate to the adequacy of this measurement) can be found here.(PDF)

    This is a pretty good summary of how to hop component analysis using your spectrophotometer.

    Current methods are available in the ASBC handbook.

    Spectrophotometers can be used for many other things in a brewery as well. Depends on your size, what you use in your process and what you want to analyse for. And also, I guess, how much peoplepower you wish to devote to gaining this information.

    Pax.

    Liam
    Liam McKenna
    www.yellowbellybrewery.com

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    • #3
      spectro

      Hi Roger,
      do you want to start a lab in Nashville? LOLOL

      Cheers
      Fred

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      • #4
        I don't know Fred. Does Nashville need a lab?
        Roger Greene

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        • #5
          We have been using a spec for years. We currently use it to do several analysis : color, ibu, chlorine levels in the water pre and post carbon filter, as well as using it in a diacetyl test and will start using it for a FAN test. But the possibilities are nearly endless. A copy of the ASBC methods and some reagents and there are a wide variety of tests you can run, provided you have the time.

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          • #6
            Do you ever run beta-glucan and alcohol?
            Roger Greene

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            • #7
              We haven't for B-glucan so far, but it may be a good idea. We get good analysis on out base malt, so it is less of a concern. And when we have difficulties in the mash, there are often mechanical or methodological issues that factor in first.

              That said, there have been some mystery mashes that are only correlated by the lot of grain, not the user or the recipe.

              For alcohol we use a distillation method and densitometer.

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              • #8
                Can someone please post uv-spec. methods for determining diacetyl, and chlorine and any other test they feel would be helpful.

                Thank you

                JB

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                • #9
                  A good overview including techniques for chlorine analysis can be found here.
                  Click on obvious link when you get to the page.

                  Pax.

                  Liam
                  Liam McKenna
                  www.yellowbellybrewery.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    wonder if this would work...

                    "In High School Chem Labs, Every Cameraphone Can Be a Spectrometer" on Wired.com. University of Illinois chemistry professor Alexander Scheeline has

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by j_wyzkiewicz

                      Logic would suggest there is no way that level of analysis could be that easy, however if it was legit, well thats next level stuff.

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                      • #12
                        Yeast counts

                        I know this is an old count, but you can determine yeast counts (not viability) using a spec. It would need to be calibrated against the hemocytometer counts in the beginning, but it would be a quick way for yeast counts. Blank against the wort (you can spin a sample down on a lab bench centrifuge) and shoot the yeast sample at 600nm. Using a standard curve, you've got your yeast count. I'm such a nerd!

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