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:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
- COMSOL Multiphysics® and
- Chemical Reaction Engineering Module and
- either the CFD Module, or Heat Transfer Module
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Specification Chart and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.