Real-time monitoring of wine fermentation properties using Raman spectroscopy

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoding instructions that, when executed by one or more programmable processors, cause the one or more programmable processors to perform operations comprising:

• acquiring online Raman spectra of a fermentation process within a fermenter vessel at different times during the fermentation process to generate a training data set;
• applying spectral preprocessing to the training data set such that non-correlative and covariant changes due to non-relevant species and/or properties are minimized and correlative changes due to a target analyte is amplified;
• generating a correlative model of the target analyte such that spectral changes of the target analyte properties and/or compositions in the training data set corelate with offline assay measurements of physical samples taken from the fermentation process near in time to the acquired Raman spectra;
• acquiring a subsequent online Raman spectrum during a subsequent run of the fermentation process within the fermenter vessel;
• and
• applying the correlative model to the subsequent online Raman spectrum to qualitatively and/or quantitatively predict a value of a property and/or composition of the target analyte.

A Raman analysis system, the system comprising:

• a light source configured to emit excitation light;
• an optical probe coupled to the light source via an optical cable such that the excitation light is emitted from a probehead of the probe into a sample volume, wherein the probe is configured to receive and transmit a Raman signal from the sample volume via the optical cable or another optical cable;
• a spectrograph configured to spectrally separate the transmitted Raman signal;
• a detector configured to receive the separated Raman signal and convert the separated Raman signal into a Raman spectrum;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• acquire online Raman spectra of a fermentation process within a fermenter vessel at different times during the fermentation process by actuating the light source to emit the excitation light and receiving the Raman spectrum from the detector;
• apply a correlative model to the Raman spectrum to qualitatively and/or quantitatively predict a value of a property and/or composition of a target analyte, wherein the correlative model is adapted such that spectral changes of the target analyte properties and/or compositions in previously acquired Raman spectra correlate with offline assay measurements of physical samples taken from a previous fermentation process;
• and
• monitor the fermentation process by periodically acquiring subsequent online Raman spectra.