Fermentation in Beer Brewing

Application ID: 27281


An important step in brewing beer is the fermentation process. Here, alcohol, carbon dioxide, and various flavor substances are formed when sugars are consumed by yeast. The initial sugar content, temperature, and yeast type dictate how the fermentation process proceeds.

This example models the fermentation process in two steps. In the first step, fermentation is modeled in a perfectly mixed tank, using the Reaction Engineering interface. In the second step, a spheroconical tank geometry is used, including mass transfer, heat transfer, and natural convection. In both model setups, it is possible to evaluate several parameters affecting the final alcohol content and taste of the beer.

References:

D.A. Gee and W.F. Ramirez, “A Flavour Model for Beer Fermentation,” J. Inst. Brew., vol. 100, pp. 321–329, 1994.

W.F. Ramirez and J. Maciejowski, “Optimal Beer Fermentation,” J. Inst. Brew., vol. 113 (3), pp. 325–333, 2007.

This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products: