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Continuous Beer Fermentation Using Immobilized Yeast Cell Bioreactor Systems
Author(s) -
Brányik Tomáš,
Vicente António A.,
Dostálek Pavel,
Teixeira José A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
biotechnology progress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.572
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6033
pISSN - 8756-7938
DOI - 10.1021/bp050012u
Subject(s) - brewing , bioreactor , fermentation , biochemical engineering , process engineering , yeast , flavor , microbiology and biotechnology , biomass (ecology) , pulp and paper industry , environmental science , computer science , chemistry , food science , biology , engineering , biochemistry , agronomy , organic chemistry
Traditional beer fermentation and maturation processes use open fermentation and lager tanks. Although these vessels had previously been considered indispensable, during the past decades they were in many breweries replaced by large production units (cylindroconical tanks). These have proved to be successful, both providing operating advantages and ensuring the quality of the final beer. Another promising contemporary technology, namely, continuous beer fermentation using immobilized brewing yeast, by contrast, has found only a limited number of industrial applications. Continuous fermentation systems based on immobilized cell technology, albeit initially successful, were condemned to failure for several reasons. These include engineering problems (excess biomass and problems with CO 2 removal, optimization of operating conditions, clogging and channeling of the reactor), unbalanced beer flavor (altered cell physiology, cell aging), and unrealized cost advantages (carrier price, complex and unstable operation). However, recent development in reactor design and understanding of immobilized cell physiology, together with application of novel carrier materials, could provide a new stimulus to both research and application of this promising technology.