MSR Data Loggers in Food Process Engineering

MSR data loggers measure temperature and pressure in sparkling wine bottles at the German brand winery Reh Kendermann

The small MSR145 data loggers equipped with temperature and pressure sensors support product development and reliably record data in the product.

To-date, data loggers have only been used in the food processing industry to monitor the environmental conditions in warehouses, wine cellars or during the transportation of foodstuffs. During development of the «Pures» drink, MSR145 data loggers were used not to record interior temperatures and humidity, but the temperatures and pressures actually inside a Champagne bottle. The white «Pures» grape juice cuvée from branded winery Reh Kendermann in Bingen am Rhein is a carbonated juice of white grapes and its development saw data loggers being used in quite a different way.

Measurement «in vivo»

During manufacture of the grape juice cuvée the grape juice is carbonated and heat-treated. The primary factor affecting quality at this point is pasteurisation, an issue with which Johannes Grobeis, technical director at Reh Kendermann, took particular care. «Maintaining timing and temperature were very important to me. Low temperatures run the attendant risk of impairing product preservation whilst temperatures that are too high cause the caps to burst.»  In order to obtain exact results once and for all, Johannes Grobeis placed the datalogger inside the bottle and the device was pasteurised along with the grape juice.

Since the logger had to fit through the neck of the bottle, the diameter of the measuring device could not be larger than the neck of the bottle. At just 18.5 mm, the logger therefore fits perfectly through the narrow opening.

Using the logger «in vivo» presented a range of challenges for the measuring device to overcome. The data logger had to be not only absolutely watertight, it also had to be able to withstand temperatures of 72°C and pressures of over 10bar during the development phase. The MSR145 mini datalogger fulfilled these requirements. «Thanks to our special manufacturing procedures we can insert-mould the logger, already designed to be watertight, inside a silicon sleeve with absolutely no bubbles. During hardening the silicon becomes fully cured, which makes the device 100 percent watertight», according to Wendelin Egli, CEO of MSR Electronics.

«The data logger saved us a huge amount of time»

«On the basis of the measurement results we were able to verify and standardise the critical process parameters relating to process engineering and product safety within the shortest possible time and with minimum testing requirements.» Johannes Grobeis continues, «because we had the ability to record data under real-time conditions we only needed two large-scale tests before Pures was ready.» For Johannes Grobeis using the data logger was beneficial in every respect, «using the ‘measuring probe’ not only saved us a huge amount of time, but we also obtained recordings made in the bottle under real-time conditions. With traditional systems that are incorporated into the bottle closure and that are actuated from outside, real-time measurements are not possible.»

Using the logger «in vivo» presented a range of challenges for the measuring device to overcome. The datalogger had to be not only absolutely watertight, it also had to be able to withstand temperatures of 72°C and pressures of over 10bar during the development phase. The MSR145 mini datalogger fulfilled these requirements. «Thanks to our special manufacturing procedures we can insert-mould the logger, already designed to be watertight, inside a silicon sleeve with absolutely no bubbles. During hardening the silicon becomes fully cured, which makes the device 100 percent watertight», according to Wendelin Egli, CEO of MSR Electronics.