An on-line capacitance biomass monitor and its correlation with viable biomass.

Austin, G.D., Watson, R.W.J., Nordstrom, P.A. and D'Amore, T.

Abstract
Industrial trials of an automatic pitching yeast dosage control system using an Aber Instruments dielectric capacitance sensor to monitor viable yeast biomass in-line, carried out in the Labatt Brewery, London, Ontario, Canada, are described together with laboratory experiments on the possible use of a similar system to maintain a preset biomass in a cyclic bioreactor, the results of which confirmed the relationship between capacitance and viable cell numbers established in earlier research. The installation of the system in the brewery has led to more consistent fermentation times and more reliable fermentative performance than had previously been achieved.
Keywords : automatic dosage measurement on-line pitching yeast process control sensor viability