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Beer analysis – Play it safe!
Custom-tailored quality control | In the course of the
entire beer brewing process, the instrument requirements vary
depending on the production stage. Whether for the monitoring of
the production process or the quality control of finished and bottled products: simple, reliable and accurate measuring methods for
the determination of important quality parameters are always in
demand. The need for suitable measuring instrumentation that ideally also leaves room for future upgrades goes hand in hand with
these requirements. In brief, the higher the flexibility of the measuring system, the better it adapts to the respective requirements.
Whatever the analysis requirements may be, with its modular concept Anton Paar always has the suitable solution at hand. This concept allows
the combination of measuring instruments
to specifically determine the required measuring parameters. At present, the Alcolyzer
Beer Analyzing System, a combination of
five individual measuring systems and, if
required, a sample changer, meets these demands. If the amount of dissolved carbon
dioxide and, optionally, also the dissolved
oxygen content need to be determined directly out of the package, then the Packaged
Beverage Analyzer for Beer Generation M,
PBA-B for short, fulfils these high requirements. The PBA-B consists of up to seven
measuring instruments and one filling system and represents the ideal solution for
beer analysis.
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Density measurement as the
base of quality control
Nowadays there are numerous analytical
methods for quality and production control
Authors: Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Karin Biebernik, Application Development and Dipl.-Ing. Peter
Brugger, Product Management, Anton Paar
GmbH, Graz, Austria; www.anton-paar.com,
[email protected]
on the market. Among these, density measurement is one of the simplest, fastest and
most significant. Density measurement requires only very small sample volumes, does
not cause changes in sample composition
and does not need chemicals. Density measurement can be employed for highly accurate concentration determinations ranging
from 0 % to 100 %.
Anton Paar has been developing and selling digital density meters using the oscillating U-tube principle for over 40 years. Nowadays the DMA density meter is employed
successfully as standard equipment in laboratories worldwide for the determination of
density, relative density and concentration.
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Alcohol measurement:
fast and accurate
The Alcolyzer alcohol measuring instrument is based on the patented NIR technique (AT 406711; US 6.690.015). It is
designed for the direct determination of the
alcohol content in beer and beer mixtures.
The measuring result is not influenced by
other beverage constituents. Even during
fermentation, Alcolyzer delivers correct
and reliable results.
The measuring method was tested and
approved by MEBAK (Central European
Brewing Commission) and corresponds to
the EBC (European Brewery Convention)
standard. Combination of an Alcolyzer al-
154 Brauwelt international | 2012/III
cohol measuring instrument and a DMA
density meter results in an Alcolyzer Beer
Analyzing System which determines the
most important beer parameters, density
and alcohol, efficiently and highly precisely.
Based on the primary measurement results,
the Alcolyzer Beer Analyzing System calculates additional relevant parameters such
as original extract, real extract, apparent
extract, degree of fermentation and calorie
content.
lClear view in cloudy media
The turbidity module HazeQC measures
turbidity in all kinds of liquids, especially in
beer and beer mixtures. The flow-through
cell of HazeQC is temperature-controlled
by a Peltier element and therefore ensures
a reliable measuring result at the selected
sample temperature. Analyses at temperatures as low as –5 °C are also routine. This
also means that the water baths previously
needed for sample cooling – and their elaborate cleaning and maintenance – are no
longer required. In addition, HazeQC’s flowthrough measuring cell does not require
cumbersome adjustment procedures for
every bottle colour and dimension.
HazeQC calculates the turbidity value
according to the well-proven ratio method
from the raw signals obtained at three angles: 0° transmission, 25° and 90° scattered
light. The wavelength of the light beam is
650 nm. HazeQC complies with all well-established standards for the determination of
turbidity such as MEBAK and EBC.
HazeQC can either be integrated into an
Alcolyzer Beer Analyzing System or combined with already existing Anton Paar
measuring instruments such as a DMA density meter or Alcolyzer Plus.
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Measurement of pH and
beer colour
Connecting a pH measuring module to a
master instrument such as a DMA or an
Alcolyzer allows the simultaneous determination of the pH value in addition to the other measuring quantities. It is also possible
to integrate an optional colour measuring
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method that is not affected by the presence
of other dissolved gases, therefore becomes
indispensable.
With its measuring range from 0 ppb to
dissolved oxygen contents above air saturation, an optochemical oxygen meter is the
best bet for the determination of dissolved
oxygen. The O2 content is displayed and stabilized in less than 2 minutes.
lSeven at once
Fig. 1 Schematic representation of the standard configuration and additional options of an Alcolyzer Beer Analyzing System and a Packaged Beverage Analyzer for Beer Generation M (PBA-B)
module into the Alcolyzer. If a pH- and colour module are also added to an Alcolyzer
Beer Analyzing System, the system not only
allows the determination of the alcohol and
extract contents, but also gives valuable
information on EBC beer colour, turbidity
(according to EBC and MEBAK) and the pH
value within one single working step.
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One adjustment is sufficient for all
measuring quantities
Why adjust every single measuring instrument separately if the entire measuring
system can be adjusted in one go? Only one
adjustment procedure (“SOP”) is sufficient
for all measurement parameters of an Alcolyzer Beer Analyzing System – alcohol, density, turbidity and beer colour.
lAutomatic sample filling
The automatic sample changers of the
Xsample series fill sample from the carousel into the measuring cells of the respective Anton Paar instruments. The built-in
safety shields provide for operator safety, the
sample changers are controlled by the corresponding master instrument.
For sample filling directly out of a beverage container with simultaneous CO2 determination, a suitable filling device transfers
beverage samples by means of pressurized
gas directly from the beverage container
into the measuring chambers. Sample pretreatment becomes obsolete. Filling samples
directly from their containers prevents any
changes to the dissolved gas concentrations
during filling, such as loss of CO2 or introduction of oxygen.
In case of measurements on individual
bottles or cans the PFD (Piercing and Fill-
ing Device) is the most suitable option. For
high sample throughput the use of the
Xsample 510 package sampler is recommended as a very user-friendly alternative. Xsample 510 can accommodate up to
18 cans, glass bottles or PET bottles and allows fully automated measurements within
one measuring cycle. Both filling systems
are equipped with safety shields for optimum protection of the operator, even if a
pressurized sample container should burst.
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CO2 measurement unaffected by
other dissolved gases
The taste of carbonated beverages is strongly influenced by the concentration of dissolved CO2. For that reason, the exact and
reliable determination of the dissolved CO2
content is a matter of importance during
the production and for the quality control of
beverages.
The patented Multiple Volume Expansion method, developed by Anton Paar,
avoids the shortcomings of conventional
measuring methods. This procedure was
implemented in the CarboQC beverage carbonation meter. It is not influenced by the
presence of other dissolved gases such as
oxygen or nitrogen. The CO2 measurement
is simple, fast and requires only small sample volumes.
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Oxygen measurement
in a different light
A high amount of dissolved oxygen and
subsequent oxidation products have a negative impact on taste and the shelf life of beer.
Diligent monitoring of the dissolved oxygen content, performed with a measuring
The Packaged Beverage Analyzer for
Beer Generation M, PBA-B for short, consists of the basic devices DMA, Alcolyzer,
CarboQC and a filling system. PBA-B can be
supplemented with additional instruments
and upgraded to fulfill various demands
regarding measuring quantities. With all
measuring systems included, PBA-B allows
the simultaneous determination of seven
variables – density, alcohol, pH value, beer
colour, turbidity, carbon dioxide and oxygen. These quantities are measured in the
very same sample directly out of the sample
package, without any sample preparation
and without any changes to the sample
composition, such as CO2 losses during sample transfer from the package into the measuring cells of the respective instruments.
There are several options for storing
measurement data. In addition to the data
memory of the master instrument, RS-232
interfaces and connectors for USB data storage systems and LIMS/Ethernet connection
are available. Anton Paar SoftPrint, an Excel add-on program, allows for measuring
data to be sent to a PC and stored in various
formats in a Microsoft Excel data sheet.
lReady to face future challenges
Over the past few years, requirements regarding product quality have been rising
constantly. This trend not only demands the
determination of additional parameters,
but also the development of new measuring
methods. The modular concept of Anton
Paar measuring systems copes with these
requirements as it allows for customization.
Whether turbidity measurement, the determination of the dissolved oxygen content
or automated sample filling, Anton Paar
always has the answer for specific requirements. Depending on the respective needs
and demands, single instruments can be
combined. This is why Anton Paar measuring instruments and systems are suitable to follow future trends and increasing
capacities.
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