Loss of yeast quality during mechanical handling in a brewery : an investigation of cropping

In large scale brewing operations, process efficiency and beer quality rely on consistent fermentations. Improper handling of yeast may result in slow or incomplete fermentations and beer of unacceptable quality. The maintenance of yeast quality during yeast handling is therefore crucial. Current guidelines for yeast handling, plant design and equipment specifications are based predominantly on empirical knowledge. The effects of different equipment, flow conditions and physical conditions to which brewery yeast is exposed are largely unknown. Hence, South African Breweries (SAB) requested a study on the possible damage to yeast (loss of yeast quality) during mechanical handling in a brewery. The investigation detailed in this thesis was limited to mechanical handling of yeast during cropping (the transfer of yeast from a fermentation vessel to a storage vessel for re-use) and had the following objectives: to assess the potential for a loss of yeast quality during the mechanical handling in a brewery, to select and validate analytical techniques for the identification, characterisation and quantification of a loss of yeast quality, to characterise and quantify the loss of yeast quality during yeast cropping in a brewery.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research

Year dc:date.issued

1996

Author dc:creator

• Basson, Lauren

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Harrison, STL

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21829

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/21829