Soft Computing, Real-Time Measurement and Information Processing in a Modern Brewery

Computational intelligence methods provide mechanisms by which human expertise and learning can be embedded and implemented to solve problems, provide assessment of process performance from input data, and provide intelligent control. The use of sophisticated analytical techniques to monitor quality and processes in many manufacturing environments is becoming well established. In particular, soft computing concepts coupled with developments in real-time measurement of biological parameters are now allowing significant progress to be made in the historically challenging food and beverage industries. This chapter discusses specific developments which engage these technologies within a brewery.