Continuous Measurement of Wort/Beer Extract in a Fermenter.

Moller, N.C.

Abstract
The customary method of monitoring fermentations by hydrometer readings on manually withdrawn samples may be regarded as cumbersome, wasteful and antiquated. Automatic monitoring would be preferable. To this end a new instrument, the Platometer has been developed which is intended for permanent and hygienically acceptable mounting within a brewery fermenter. This is a differential pressure meter, automatically compensated for temperature variations, and providing an electric signal whose strength is directly proportional to the apparent extract of the fermenting wort. The error of the instrument lies within �0.1 per cent Plato, which may be accepted as fully adequate for brewery control. A battery of six Platometers, serving as many fermenters, is operated from a single control panel so that each fermenter is read once every two hours. The signals received may be used to operate digital read-out meters, recorders and, most importantly, may be used to control fermentation by activating the cooling system in accordance with the fall in extract.