Reliable gas monitoring in new craft beer brewery in Croatia

With increasing numbers of tourists, the demand for cool pale ale is apparently also increasing in Croatia. Craft beer from Croatian breweries is enjoying a high demand both domestically and abroad. 

“Craft beer” generally means beer that has been manually made by an independent brewery. The Craft Beer movement has its origins in the United States. Besides this definition, in Europe the term also refers to creative beers and brewers who pick up and reinterpret old or foreign beer styles. 

The new Varionica Brewery in Pisarovina, south of Zagreb, follows the popularity of craft beer breweries in Croatia and is building a professional, modern plant with a production capacity of 40,000 litres per month. 

In addition to the latest technology in the brewing industry, Varionica is investing in all necessary safety solutions, including reliable gas detection from MSR-Electronic.

In beer production, the yeast feeds upon the wort during the fermentation process, which leads to the production of CO2 and alcohol. Possible hazards include oxygen (O2) displacement, resulting in the danger of suffocation for brewery workers, and the risk of being exposed to high carbon dioxide concentrations over a longer period of time. Other hazards could arise from LPG gas used in the boiler and engine room. 

Varionica relies on the CO2 and LPG monitoring sensors from MSR-Electronic. The system is installed by the Croatian partner Aurel d.o.o. In the brewery, for example, fixed CO2 warning devices with infrared sensors with a measuring range of 0–5 Vol % are used to continuously monitor the ambient air for carbon dioxide concentrations. 

The infrared measuring method with integrated temperature and drift compensation stands for highest accuracy, selectivity and reliability - despite a calibration interval of 5 years and the long sensor life. The digital infrared sensor has a standard analogue output (0) 4–20 mA or (0) 2–10 V DC and an RS-485 interface. Two relays with adjustable switching thresholds are also possible. Calibration can be performed by simply changing the sensor cartridge or by using the integrated, convenient calibration routine directly at the system.

The heart of the system is the GC-06 Controller. The Gas Controller is used for monitoring and warning of toxic and combustible gases and vapours as well as of Freon refrigerants in a wide range of gas detection applications. The large number of freely configurable parameters and setpoints allows individual adaptation to many applications.