Measuring the turbidity during the lautering process
Lauter wort, wort
If a beam of light strikes a particle with a diameter larger than the wavelength of the light, the light is scattered. In measuring turbidity during the lautering process, it has been shown that only light scattered in a forward direction should be measured to achieve a meaningful correlation between the concentration of solids and the measurement value. Measurements performed at a 90° angle do not correlate with the amount of solids in wort due to particle size and dependence on color. Measurements performed at a 12° angle not only measure the amount of scattered light, but also the absorption (light transmission). The utilization of dual light beams eliminates disruptive factors, such as color, the age of the lamp and window fouling.
Measuring the turbidity during lautering serves to monitor and control lauter bed cutting operations and recirculation of the turbid wort as well as the quality of milling and mashing processes. There is a direct relationship between the turbidity profile during lautering, the results of the photometric iodine test and the solids content of the lauter wort.