AI to test alcoholic beverages

Carslberg has invested several million dollars in a research project based on artificial intelligence (AI). The company is collaborating with Microsoft, the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center at the University of Aarhus and the Danish Technical University. The objective is to develop AI sensors capable of detecting the nuances of taste in its new beers.

The Beer Fingerprinting Project

The research team has therefore developed a prototype sensor that can distinguish and note the difference between four types of beer. The integrated AI should reduce both the cost and the time needed to make new kinds of beer. Peter Kyvsgaard, a solutions specialist at Microsoft, said of the project:

It may sound like science fiction, but AI can actually test the taste of beer. We collect data on the taste of beer using chemical sensors. Based on this data, we can determine whether a type of yeast is potentially interesting for producing a beer with a good taste.

Yeast type analysis

The researchers are still actively working on the project. They hope that this new technology will be applicable to other sectors. The pharmaceutical industry but also the wine industry could be particularly interested in this technology.

As Jochen Förster, professor and director of the Carlsberg laboratory, explained, AI is used to assist in the analysis of yeast types:

Currently, there are no quick and efficient methods for testing beverage flavor nuances. It is crucial for us to be able to do this so that our lab can continue to produce beer at its maximum potential.

The possibilities of this method are wide because not only can the platform be used for new product development, but it can also be useful for quality control and safety. The intelligent program could indeed check if the water is clean for example.

Key Points

• Prototype sensor can distinguish and note the difference between four types of beer
• Allow to determine whether a type of yeast is potentially interesting for producing a beer with a good taste.