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Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing vinegar by acetic acid fermentation utilizing an automatic alcohol analyzer for measurement of alcohol concentration in a fermenting broth, a feeding apparatus for feeding alcohol solution as raw material to the fermenting broth, and a control computer controllably coupled to the alcohol analyzer and to the feeding apparatus. The alcohol concentration in the fermenting broth is periodically measured by the automatic alcohol analyzer by a direction from the control computer at given intervals over a plurality of cycles of measurement; the control computer calculates a feed rate of alcohol solution as raw material to the fermenting broth so as to control the alcohol concentration in the fermenting broth at a desirable concentration on the basis of a difference between a measured alcohol concentration in the fermenting broth and a desirable alcohol concentration and the alcohol consumption rate calculated during each of the cycles by the control computer; and then the feeding apparatus is operated to control the feed rate of the alcohol solution responsive to a control signal generated by the control computer as a result of the aforementioned calculations, to thereby controllably feed alcohol solution as raw material to the fermenting broth. Alternatively, the control computer calculates a feed rate of alcohol solution as raw material to the fermenting broth so as to control the alcohol concentration in the fermenting broth at a predetermined desirable concentration according to acetic acid concentration on the basis of increasing rate of acetic acid concentration, acetic acid concentration and total concentration in the fermenting broth which are calculated by the control computer every cycle over a number of cycles at given intervals, the acetic acid concentration and total concentration being determined at a set point in an appropriate period during fermentation.

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