Founded in 1913, Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson has grown into one of Iceland’s largest food and beverage production companies. Its portfolio includes beer, sodas, juices, and contract manufacturing for global beverage brands.

Because Iceland is a comparatively small market, Ölgerðin manages short production runs and frequent changeovers. Each switch requires rinsing, cleaning, and oxygen checks, especially in beer production, where oxygen levels are critical for quality and shelf life.

Faster total package oxygen measurement

To manage these demands, Ölgerðin invested in Anton Paar’s TPO 5000 total package oxygen meter, which measures total oxygen directly from cans or bottles.

Previously, manual methods required weighing, shaking, and recording several measurements, taking up to 15 minutes and increasing the risk of errors. With TPO 5000, Ölgerðin receives precise results in about five minutes: operators place the can in the correct position, and the instrument performs the measurement automatically.

Quality control and troubleshooting

Ölgerðin uses TPO 5000 at the start of each run to confirm that values are within specification. If there is a tank switch or any process variation, the instrument quickly verifies performance without causing major disruption.

TPO 5000 also serves as a diagnostic tool. By measuring samples from individual filler heads, the team can identify issues such as valves causing higher-than-expected oxygen readings much faster than with manual checks.

Oxygen and CO₂ values from the same run

On the production floor, TPO 5000 is complemented by CarboQC, which measures dissolved CO2. Together, the instruments allow operators to measure both oxygen and CO2 values from the same production run, saving time and labor.

Since TPO 5000 was installed with support from Anton Paar’s local representative in Iceland, prompt assistance and fast maintenance scheduling have helped Ölgerðin keep operations running smoothly.