Press Release
September 2007
Brewers can realise significant savings with CellFacts technology
Modern breweries are currently under unprecedented pressure to reduce costs to remain competitive. CellFacts system technology provides the tool to enable brewers to optimise both their processes and methodologies.
Energy saving is of paramount importance and at the recent EBC in Venice various innovative methods for optimising the copper boil were discussed. In this application the CellFacts technology is used to investigate the wort colloidal particle profiles during the boiling process and provides a close to real-time indication as to when particle coagulation/disaggregation is complete. Using these, data boil times can be confidently monitored and frequently reduced yielding significant energy savings.
In addition, trials using CellFacts to monitor CIP cycles in several commercial breweries have shown that rinse and detergent cycles can be reduced, realising savings in energy, water and cleaning chemicals.
Energy savings, however, are only one of the areas where the CellFacts technology can impact on cost reduction. CellFacts can be used throughout the brewing process both “on” and “off” line to monitor and optimise several sectors from “mashing in” to the “positive release” of finished beer, thus enabling savings in raw materials.
Applications have been validated at several stages of the brewing process and, in addition to the areas previously mentioned, CellFacts can be used to optimise yeast pitching, fermentation and secondary processes including centrifugation, filtration and fining. The technology requires little operator expertise, allowing its use on or close to the production platform.
The versatility of the technology enables it to be used as a routine QA tool to rapidly generate yeast counts and assess viability. Stability of the beer with regard to protein haze may also be assessed.
Positive release of product by traditional microbiological plating methods routinely takes from 3 to 5 days. With CellFacts, this can frequently be undertaken within 24 hours.
The CellFacts particle analysers are robust, exceptionally user friendly and inexpensive to run.
