Integrasense has collaborated with Bentwater Brewing Co. on the new expansion of their brewery in Lynn, MA. The goal was to improve production efficiency and to automate more of the processes. As a result of this work together, we have developed new products and solutions:
- “Tru-Temp” Fermenter controller with LCD Display
- “Tru-Carb” Brite Tank / Carbonation controller with LCD Display
- Cellar supervisory control and monitoring system – with 21” EXOR X700 Series Operator Interface
The “Tru-Temp” controller is used for the fermentation process which is where yeast is added to the wort (a mixture of grains, hops and water) to convert the sugars to alcohol. The “Tru-Temp” controller ensures that the wort is maintained at the appropriate temperature as it is converted to beer. The temperature of the brew is especially crucial for the first 12 hours of fermentation because it can have a large effect on the flavor of the beer. If the temperature of the brew is too high, yeast could grow abundantly and will eat up any nutrients in the beer. Contrarily, if the temperature of the brew is too cold, fermentation will be slow and could give bacteria and contaminants more opportunity to grow. There is more to the fermentation process than just setting a temperature and leaving it. Different strains of yeast ferment at different temperatures and the process of fermentation is exothermic- so it produces its own heat. It is crucial to be able to cool down the fermentation once it has taken off. The “Tru-Temp” controller not only regulates the temperature, but also provides automated scheduling of temperature changes as needed during the different phases of the process- such as stabilizing and crashing.
The “Tru-Carb” controller is for the brite tank / carbonation process. Once the beer has been fermented and has cleared, the beer is put into brite tanks where it is chilled and carbonated. Both temperature and pressure play big roles during this process because the relationship of temperature and pressure is directly related to how much carbonation the beer can maintain. The lower the temperature, the more carbonation the beer can have. Different kinds of beer will have different amounts of carbonation. The “Tru-Carb” controller monitors the temperature of the tank as well as controls the pressure and amount of carbon dioxide put into the tank. Once optimum carbonation is obtained, the controller switches to an automated mode to maintain the beer until bottled.
The Cellar supervisory controller utilizing EXORs X700 Series Operator Interface provides full visualization and control of the Fermentation and Carbonation systems. Each beer can be optimized with a unique recipe which is automatically synchronized with the associated “Tru-Temp” or “Tru-Carb” controller. Each phase of the process is monitored and validated via the Cellar control system. The system also provides prompting of any manual steps needed such as additions of ingredients, variances, or alarm conditions. All events and process values are recorded for historical viewing via charts or storage to reports. The system is also accessible locally across the facility or remotely via a secure connection.
