Yokogawa Electric Corp, in a collaboration with Craft Bank, a Japanese craft brewer, cut fermentation time by more than a quarter by using artificial intelligence to better manage temperature during the process.
Japanese industrial technology company Yokogawa Electric Corp successfully reduced craft beer fermentation time by 28% using artificial intelligence in a proof-of-concept test with Kyoto-based Craft Bank, highlighting AI’s potential to optimise traditional beer production processes.
The collaboration applied Yokogawa’s autonomous control AI algorithm, called Factorial Kernel Dynamic Policy Programming (FKDPP), to the fermentation process of Bank IPA, an award-winning craft beer, according to an announcement.
The AI-generated temperature control schedule shortened fermentation from 336 hours to 240 hours while maintaining quality standards.
The test focused on optimising temperature settings during fermentation, when yeasts convert sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide over approximately two weeks.
Previously, Craft Bank maintained constant temperatures throughout fermentation, with brewmasters manually measuring sugar content and conducting daily sensory evaluations.
Daichi Haboshi, president and brewing manager of Craft Bank, said the AI-powered approach allowed virtual verification of fermentation multiple times through sensor-collected data, compared to previous physical testing that took about a month.
For the trial, Yokogawa created a simulator replicating the beer production process, with the AI developing temperature schedules that the brewmaster then implemented manually.
Sensory evaluation confirmed all quality criteria were met during the accelerated process.
The success of the trial demonstrates AI’s potential application beyond traditional manufacturing sectors into food and beverage production, where precise process control is crucial for quality and consistency.
Hiroaki Kanokogi, executive officer at Yokogawa Electric and president of Yokogawa Digital Corporation, said autonomous control AI can be applied to many areas where difficult trade-offs need to be solved.
Yokogawa plans to expand the autonomous control AI to other fermented products, including sake, yogurt, antibiotics, and pharmaceuticals that utilize yeast and microorganisms. The company has already deployed similar AI technology at chemical plants.
Craft Bank, founded in 2021 in Fukuchiyama City, produces craft beer at a microbrewery located in a former bank building and incorporates local Kyoto-sourced ingredients, including natural yeast and hops.
