The success of fermentation depends upon the existence of defined environmental conditions for biomass and product formation. To achieve this goal it is important to understand what is happening to a fermentation process and how to control it to obtain optimal operating conditions. Thus, temperature, pH, degree of agitation, oxygen concentration in the medium and other factors may have to be kept constant during the process. The provision of such conditions requires careful monitoring (data acquisition and analysis) of the fermentation so that any deviation from the specified optimum might be corrected by a control system. Criteria which are monitored frequently are listed in Table 8.1, along with the control processes with which they are associated. As well as aiding the maintenance of constant conditions, the monitoring of a process may provide information on the progress of the fermentation. Such information may indicate the optimum time to harvest or that the fermentation is progressing abnormally which may be indicative of contamination or strain degeneration. Thus, monitoring equipment produces information indicating fermentation progress as well as being linked to a suitable control system.

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