Presenter: Arjen Van Zeijst, Norit Haffmans, Venlo, The Netherlands.
A growing number of breweries and brewing groups are standardizing oxygen (O2) measurement using optical technology. Compared to traditional O2 measurement, optical O2 measurement reduces operating costs, as it requires less maintenance and calibration, provides better measuring stability, and has a rapid response time. The versatility of optical O2 measurement allows it to be used throughout the brewery in areas such as the brewhouse, filling, carbon dioxide (CO2) recovery, and wastewater treatment. Examples of areas where optical O2 measurement is applied include wort aeration and, after aeration, monitoring of dissolved O2 content to assure optimal conditions for fermentation. Optimal control of the aeration is possible. In the fermentation process, the CO2 gas produced can be recovered, purified, and liquefied. Using optical O2 technology to monitor the O2 content of the CO2 gas results in a more efficient and economical operation of a CO2 recovery system. Following the fermentation process, it is important to monitor and prevent O2 pick up during filtration and before filling. Faster than traditional measurement, optical O2 measurement, reduces product loss and increases efficiency with shorter switch over times. Even if the O2 quantity in the beer or beverage is within specifications, packaging will affect the total O2 enclosed in a package. The total package oxygen (TPO) has a major influence on a product’s shelf life and flavor stability and can only be measured in the package. New insight into TPO based on the differentiated O2 measurement (head space O2 and dissolved oxygen [DO]) compared to the traditional method of calculating DO × Z will be shared. The innovative optical O2 measurement technology achieves a fast and accurate picture of the entire brewing or beverage production process. This results in quicker response times, an immediate reduction of product losses, and reduced operating expenses.
Arjen Van Zeijst completed electrical engineering studies at HTS Venlo in 1996 and started working for a PVD coating machine manufacturer as a process control engineer. In 2002 Arjen became a project engineer responsible for the process control department. In 2006 Arjen became an international sales manager and in 2008 started working for Norit Haffmans as area sales manager for the Americas.
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