Modelado dinámico y control del proceso de maceración a escala prototipo en la producción de cerveza

Abstract

This project involved the development and automation of a pilot prototype for the mashing stage in craft beer production, integrating temperature and pH sensors, an automated stirring system, and an electrical resistor controlled by an Arduino using an SSR relay. Dynamic modeling, based on the experimental response, compared transfer functions of different orders and obtained the best fit (97.98%) with a first-order time-delay (FOPDT) model, whose behavior approximates that of a pure integrator. Based on this, control strategies were evaluated using gain programming, and parameters were optimized with a multi-objective genetic algorithm, prioritizing the ITAE and ITSE indices. Control tests showed good dynamic performance, with overshoots less than 7% and low steady-state errors, confirming the stability of the control loop. In parallel, a fractional experimental design was executed and ANOVA was applied, the results of which indicated that only the water-to-grain ratio was a statistically significant factor in the response variables (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the prototype proved reliable in replicating mashing, precisely controlling temperature ramps, and recording critical variables, providing experimental evidence for optimizing the craft brewing process. Keywords: mashing, automation, dynamic, control, optimization, experimental design.