Brewers predict fermentation times using new software tools

Predictive software tools developed by researchers at Newcastle University have helped brewers Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) and Charles Wells to boost plant optimisation by helping predict how long batches of beer will take to ferment.

Many brewers struggled to accurately predict how long fermentation would take because it was an inherently variable process involving unpredictable raw ingredients such as grain and yeast, said Gary Montague, professor of bioprocess control at the university.

Montague, who was speaking at a conference hosted by the Food Processing Knowledge Transfer Network and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, added: “Depending on things like vessel size, fermentation can take anything from 50 to 100 hours, so knowing when it is likely to finish can make a huge difference for planning purposes, plant utilisation and labour scheduling.”

The predictive tool, which could also be used to reduce the variability in predictions of how long fermentation of antibiotics would take, used historical data on the progress of previous batches supplied by the brewers, said Montague.

“There are two key endpoints of beer fermentation: when present gravity (PG) reaches a certain point and when diacetyl [a chemical that’s a by-product of fermentation] falls below a critical level, after which the beer can, in principle, be processed further and packaged. Confident prediction of these fermentation endpoints better enables planning, scheduling and vessel utilisation, increasing competitiveness and profitability.”