Introducing a tasting test for general use – Part 4

The fourth part of this series of articles describes further tests for validating and clarifying the basics of the tasting test in accordance with Sommer described in the previous parts [1]. Using beer samples that have been mixed with different concentrations of an aroma substance, a distribution of testers who consciously taste a difference is calculated. The results are used to solve a problem associated with the tasting test.

GEA has developed a new series of condensers especially for employment in transcritical CO2 systems. They are designed for gas pressures up to 120 bar and offer various structural characteristics to enable effective operation under high temperatures and pressures. For example, the heat exchanger bundles have expansion gaps, and the tubes have been extended to increase system durability.

In many regions, the natural refrigerant CO₂ has become an established alternative to conventional HFC refrigerants. GEA Refrigeration Technologies now presents an extended and optimized range of semi-hermetic GEA Bock compressors for subcritical as well as transcritical CO₂ applications.

Beer mix drinks – Quality control without a doubt

In the international beer and beer mix market, supply and demand are in constant flux. While a fine Pils may have been the beer of choice a couple of years ago, the younger generation today mainly goes for beer mix drinks, since they tend to be significantly less bitter and contain less alcohol. An ever growing range of beverages in turn calls for state-of-the-art analysis methods that must meet the industry’s high quality standards regarding accuracy and the number of measuring parameters. The brewery C. & A. Veltins, Meschede-Grevenstein, Germany employs analytical instrument combinations from Anton Paar for this purpose.

Fundamentals of a classic stripping process based on evaporation – Part I

In the first part, this article will explain the fundamental relationships and advantages of a stripping process based on evaporation that were discussed inter alia in the context of a diploma thesis. The way in which evaporation efficiency in a stripping system based on use and application of desorption kinetics compared to conventional processes will also be addressed. In the second part, the initial verified results from commercial wort boiling with downstream stripping will be presented. These relate to improved wort and beer quality, together with reduced primary energy consumption.

Turning ideas into real beers

The main objective of the marketing departments of all companies is to increase sales and acquire market shares. Breweries are no exception to the rule. Acquiring market shares most often happens through launching new brands aiming to attract new customers who did not find existing brands appealing. It is not always easy to manage the development and launch of new beers. Indeed, the production of a new beer may involve the use of different raw materials, a change in the brewing temperature diagram, different kinds of yeast or a different fermentation diagram. Managing all of these parameters can turn into a nightmare for the brewer and cause a halt in the development of new beers.

At the beginning of 2012, GEA Brewery Systems installed the new automation system GEARBOXX™ at Kesselring brewery located in Marktsteft, Germany, in exchange for the old control system which had been working since 1975. It was at that time one of the first automatic systems of the still young generation being „fed“ by punched cards, which to date no longer responds to the requirements of a modern brewery. Immediate „retirement“ was decided, and the system was replaced by a modern automation system.

The OPTIMASS 6400 is the world’s first Coriolis mass flowmeter to feature advanced Entrained Gas Management (EGM). In the past, gas entrainments in liquid media presented a huge challenge for mass flowmeters because the relative movement between gas and fluid dampens the amplitude of the measuring tube. This dampening leads to inconsistent sensor amplitudes, which interfere with the electronics’ capability to determine the actual resonant frequency. While other mass flowmeters simply "freeze" their last stable reading to cover this "loss of measurement", the OPTIMASS 6400 with EGM is able to follow and correct for the varying amplitudes. This is achieved for entrained gas up to 100% of volume and continues to present an actual measured reading, together with an indication or configurable alarm for the user. This indication can be very helpful to improve processes by identifying transient gas entrainments.

Malt innovation meets brew innovation

By now it’s old news that American craft brewers have become the world’s greatest innovators in beer-making. It is truly unbelievable what they manage to concoct in their brew houses these days – from the most sublime to the most extreme beers. In the United States, there seem to be no limits to the art of brewing any longer. On the retail shelves and on taps in bars and brewpubs, the vast variety of “made-in-America” beer creations run the gamut from wheat beer with mandarin oranges to Belgian Lambic with cranberries, Bock beer aged on cacao nibs, authentic medieval Gruitbier, “Double” India Pale Ale, “American-Style” Russian Imperial Stout, and velvety-smooth, high-alcohol, aperitif-like “Barley Wines” and “Wheat Wines.” Equally various are the raw materials used. Read more about one such specialty beer, a Wheat Wine brewed with floor-malted malt at Brookly Brewery, New York City, by Garrett Oliver, Horst Dornbusch and Thomas

Latest developments in research on gushing analysis – Part 1

Maltsters and brewers can currently check malt raw material for its potential to trigger gushing, using two analytical methods according to MEBAK [1]. The quantity of carbonated wort (malt extract) foamed over after bottle shaking is measured, this is used for determining the gushing potential of the malt. But investigations have shown that the gushing volume may vary, making it difficult to arrive at a precise figure. The Research Centre Weihenstephan for Brewing and Food Quality has therefore developed new analytical approaches to quantify gushing (not only on the basis of the quantity foamed over).

China Brew and Beverage 2012

Stimulated by the strong market demand, the liquid food equipment and supplementary equipment industry in China have made great progress in technology innovations and showed a strong growth that gives a positive signal to the food industry. As the Chinese market demands higher standards in food safety, food quality and energy-saving in the manufacturing process, the liquid food equipment industry is welcoming a lot of market opportunities. A good example is the forthcoming China Brew an Beverage which takes place in Beijing from 19 - 23 September 2012.