Yeast Management System

Traditional yeast handling relies on timing, visual inspection, or indirect measurements such as turbidity or density. These methods cannot distinguish live yeast from dead cells and often lead to over-collection, beer losses, or inconsistent yeast quality.

Our approach focuses on what truly matters: viable yeast cells.
Using capacitive measurement technology and advanced control algorithms, the system continuously analyzes yeast quality during discharge and automatically separates low-quality fractions from valuable, reusable yeast biomass — without operator guesswork.

Real-time viability at the tank outlet

At the heart of the system is the ABER Compact capacitive sensor, installed directly in the yeast discharge line via a hygienic sanitary connection (e.g. Varivent).

The sensor measures the concentration of viable yeast cells in real time, reacting exclusively to live cells and ignoring:

• dead yeast cells,
• hop residues,
• protein and other solid particles.

This allows direct, continuous assessment of yeast quality during discharge.
The measurement range covers the entire process spectrum — from diluted yeast slurry to dense compressed yeast — providing a reliable basis for automatic decision-making.

Flow control and stabilization

Stable process conditions for accurate measurement

To ensure correct sensor operation and stable yeast flow, the system includes key process components:

• Backpressure valve
  Automatically maintains the required line pressure during yeast removal.
  It prevents sudden CO₂ expansion and foaming, keeps the pipe fully filled with liquid, and maintains homogeneous yeast slurry in the line.
• Pump and flow meter
  The pump ensures controlled yeast withdrawal from the fermenter, while the flow meter continuously measures flow rate and total collected volume.
  Combined with live cell concentration data, the system calculates the total amount of viable yeast collected.