Alcohol analyser

The Series 1000 alcohol analyser is a near infrared transmission spectrometer designed to measure alcohol in wine, beer and any other clear beverage. The instrument is based on a solid-state diode array optics system that scans from 860 to 1020 nm. Within this spectral region, O-H and C-H bonds absorb NIR energy. The O-H groups measure the water and alcohol in the sample and the C-H compensate for sugars, organic acids and other hydrocarbons in the beverages.

Samples should be equilibrated to 20°C in a water bath before measurement. The Series 1000 uses a 30 mm pathlength sample cell with a built-in thermistor. The temperature of the sample is measured and used to correct the analysis back to 20°C.

Up to 10 product calibrations can be stored in the system's memory. Each calibration model can be adjusted using a slope and bias correction. An auto calibration routine provides a means of correcting each calibration model using an external standard. The standard sample is analysed and the alcohol% result is shown on the screen. The value is adjusted up or down using the keypad to match the value of the standard and the corrected bias is stored in memory. This procedure allows the operator to quickly check and adjust the calibration models and thereby maintain the accuracy of the analyser.