Food & Beverage — Brewing & Dairy Level Sensing

- Nov 9, 2026-

Food and beverage processing demands level sensing that is hygienic, contamination-free, and able to survive steam cleaning. A reed float sensor built from food-grade 316L stainless steel meets those requirements: it is sealed, has no dead legs where product can collect, and can be cleaned in place without being removed.

Brewing and Dairy Tanks

Beer brewing vessels, milk processing tanks, and beverage ingredient tanks all need reliable level monitoring. The sensors for these applications are built from 316L stainless steel with hygienic connections, such as clamp or Varivent fittings, and they withstand high-temperature steam cleaning in place (CIP). A sealed reed float has no crevices and no exposed electronics, so there is nowhere for bacteria to hide and nothing to contaminate the product.

How the Measurement Works

A magnetic float rides on the surface of the liquid and follows it up and down. Inside a sealed guide tube, a chain of reed switches is spaced along the tube, and as the float passes each switch the magnetic field closes it, giving the level as a switched or resistance output. Because the measurement depends on buoyancy and magnetism, it works in milk, beer, wort, and other food liquids regardless of their conductivity or foam, and the smooth stainless-steel surfaces are easy to clean.

Where It Is Used

Hygienic reed float level sensors are used in breweries, dairies, beverage dispensing, and ingredient dosing. They monitor fermentation and storage tanks, control filling and emptying, and protect pumps from running dry. The same hygienic construction is used in pharmaceutical and biotechnology liquid handling, where contamination control is equally strict.

Cleaning in Place (CIP)

Food plants clean their tanks and pipework in place with hot water and steam, without taking the equipment apart. A hygienic level sensor must survive that cleaning, and a sealed 316L stainless-steel reed float does: it has no electronics to damage, no crevices to trap product, and a smooth surface that the cleaning fluid can wash completely. The sensor stays in the tank through every cleaning cycle, so there is no need to remove and refit it, and no risk of contamination from handling.

Why Reed and Level Sensing

Reed float sensing is sealed, hygienic, and simple. It has no dead legs, no exposed contacts, and no sensitivity to foam or conductivity, and it survives the steam cleaning that food plants require. For food and beverage engineers, it is a high-quality, low-risk way to measure level in tanks that must stay clean.