Apparatus for automatically controlling the feed rate of alcohol solution as raw material in a vinegar production process

In apparatus for automatically controlling the feed rate of an alcohol solution as raw material in a process for producing vinegar from a fermenting broth in a fermentation tank, the improvement comprising:

• an automatic alcohol analyzer for measuring the alcohol concentration in said fermenting broth in said fermentation tank;
• feeding means for feeding alcohol solution as raw material to said fermentation tank;
• control computer means coupled to said analyzer and to said feeding means for energizing said alcohol analyzer to initiate an automatic alcohol concentration measurement and for receiving an output signal from said analyzer corresponding to the measured alcohol concentration, said control computer means including calculating means for calculating a feed rate of alcohol solution as raw material to said fermenting broth responsive to said output from said alcohol analyzer, and for generating an output signal responsive to said calculations to control operation of said feeding means to feed alcohol solution as raw material to said fermenting broth so as to control the alcohol concentration in said fermenting broth at a desirable concentration, said control computer means including means for periodically causing said analyzer to measure said alcohol concentration in said fermenting broth at given intervals over a plurality of cycles of measurement.