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80. Non-invasive, selective measurement for CO2 in package expands brewers’ quality control toolbox

Roland Folz (1); (1) Pentair, Delavan, WI, U.S.A.

Analytical
Poster

Brewers, carbonated soft drink manufacturers, and sparkling wine makers have long sought a non-invasive option to measure packaged bottles in order to determine changes within a package during shelf life. This capability provides analytical value for selecting/changing package material (layer technology in crown closures, polymeric packaging, lighter weight packaging, etc.) and also enhances quality assurance for the rising trend of corked bottles and secondary bottled fermentation. The newly introduced technique has been validated by several independent brewing institutes and against the reference method of Blom and Lund. Using a laser that beams through the bottle, the CO2 molecules in the headspace absorb the infrared light, which means the measurement is selective for CO2 and does not take foreign gases into account when the measurement is calculated. The result of the measurement is based on the width of the absorption lines (related to the total pressure) and its intensity (related to the concentration of the CO2). The results of the development and validation program will be shared, and field studies will be presented.

Roland Folz is the senior director of innovation and strategy for Pentair’s Food & Beverage Division. Since February 2014, Roland has been responsible for innovation, product design, solutions development, and global R&D function. Roland has 18 years of experience in the brewing and beverage industries. Prior to joining Pentair, he headed the VLB Department of Brewing & Beverage Science and Applications (BBSA) located in Berlin, Germany. With his team of experienced engineers at VLB-Berlin, Roland has worked on sustainable developments for the beverage industry, future beverage streams and fermentation and applied microbiological concepts and control mechanisms. Under his leadership, VLB has become an internationally respected provider of mission-oriented research and solutions regarding technological topics, global consultancies and international training courses. Roland started his career in the brewing industry with a technical apprenticeship as a brewer and maltster at Beck’s Brewery, culminating with his doctorate degree with a thesis on the flavor stability of beer in PET bottles. He has served as the technical director for Germany-based Preussen Pils Brewery and plant manager for the Oettinger Group. Roland serves as the international director on the ASBC Board of Directors. In addition, he is an active member of the ISBT and the MBAA. Roland holds a Ph.D. degree in engineering technology and a diploma in brewing technology from the Technical University Berlin, Germany.

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