WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A method for tracking the quality of a beverage produced according to a batch process,
comprising:
adding a first ingredient to water to form a batch;
mixing the batch until the first ingredient is fully mixed;
adding a second ingredient to the batch;
mixing the batch until the second ingredient is fully mixed;
measuring the density of the batch in real time using an in-line density device;
monitoring changes in density of the batch;
detecting deviations from a target recipe based on the changes in density; and
correcting for any detected deviations from the batch process in real time.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the detecting step comprises comparing the density measurements to density values of the target recipe; and
the correcting step comprises matching the density to the density values of the target recipe data by addition of further ingredients.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the measuring step, monitoring step, and detecting step are performed by software in communication with the in-line density device.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the software provides an automatic alert if the detecting step determines that the density of the batch has deviated from the density of the target recipe by at least 1%.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the adding and mixing steps for five more ingredients.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the density is measured after each ingredient is added.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring mass flow rate in real time.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step is performed after the addition of each ingredient.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-line density device comprises a densitometer.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the addition of the first ingredient and before the addition of the second ingredient:
measuring a drive gain of the batch using the in-line density device; determining whether the batch is fully mixed based on the measured drive gain; and
mixing the batch until the drive gain indicates the batch is fully mixed.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the density is measured continuously.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the ingredients are added sequentially, and
the density is measured after each ingredient is added.
13. A method of detecting inhomogeneity in a batch process for producing a beverage,
comprising:
mixing a first ingredient into a batch for forming the beverage; measuring drive gain of the batch in real time using an in-line density device; monitoring changes in the drive gain;
detecting inhomogeneity in the batch based on the changes in the drive gain; and correcting for any detected inhomogeneity in real time before the addition of a second ingredient.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the correcting step comprises mixing the batch until the
drive gain indicates full dissolution of the first ingredient into the batch.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the measuring step, monitoring step, and detecting step are performed by software.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein:
the software automatically performs the correcting step if the detecting steps detects inhomogeneity, and
the correcting step comprises mixing the batch until the batch is homogenous.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein changes in the drive gain correspond to changes in a property of the batch, and wherein the property is one or more of an amount of air bubbles, an amount of undissolved solids, an amount of agglomeration, or viscosity.
18. A method of retrofitting a batch system for producing a beverage to measure density in real time, the method comprising:
adding a recirculation loop to the batch system;
adding an in-line density device to the recirculation loop; and
configuring the batch system to circulate a batch contained in the batch system through the recirculation loop,
wherein the in-line density device is configured to measure the density of the batch in real time.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the in-line density device is a densitometer.