## 1 Introduction  
Food product development is a complex and iterative process that starts with a concept and ends with the production of large amounts for the market [1]. This complex process is known by the term \"level-up\", which refers, but is not limited to, any increase in the process dimension according to a fixed ratio [2]. Anyone who is preparing a food production process at the industrial level knows that the transition between proof of concept and application is not an easy undertaking. This is because ingredients may behave differently from a level to another and equipment differs not only for dimension but also for technological solutions applied [3]. Formulations made of a few ingredients and processes that consist of just a few steps are easier to scale. In addition, when a food process involves the use of living microorganisms, as for fermented beverages, the hurdles to a successful transition to the industrial level are even greater. Since the microorganismsusually interact with the environment, their modifications (including a change in scale) could cause unexpected and unpredictable metabolic alterations that result in product changes [2]. As a result, appearance, aroma, taste, and texture of industrial product may significantly differ from the prototype, although such differences are not necessarily negative. In an activity at the industrial level, it is also possible to modify the starting formulation and processing step so that the scaled-up products result more closely to the original ones [3]. Regarding the brewing process, quality and availability of laboratory-level brewing plants have improved considerably as a response to the growing diffusion of home and hobby brewing [4]. This implies that this level, product safety, and quality do not suffer from issues arising from the equipment used. However, challenges in scaling up from laboratory to industrial-level equipment derive from their different performances. When the fixed cereal-water ratio is scaled, the greater extraction efficiency of production-level mash causes the extraction of a word with a higher sugar concentration, a stronger malty flavor, and a darker color than the word produced at a smaller level. The same issue concerns the boiling kettle, whose greater extraction efficiency increases the percentage of \(\alpha\)-acids converted to their isomerized forms compared to what happen in smaller equipment [4]. The scaling up of a brewing process presents unique challenges compared to general fermentation industries, primarily due to the delicate nature of the brewing process. One significant issue is maintaining the consistency and quality of beer flavors when transitioning from laboratory level to industrial production. Several factors like temperature control, yeast management, and oxygenation are difficult to regulate in larger fermenters, leading to possible modification of the final product. Additionally, large-level beer fermentation is more prone to contamination, as beer is a relatively low-alcohol product and susceptible to spoilage by unwanted microorganisms. Controlling microbial contamination in large batches is challenging, requiring stringent sterilization and monitoring protocols. The introduction of advanced bioreactors and real-time data analysis is helping address these problems, improving both consistency and safety [5]. Research advancements are focusing on optimizing yeast strains to improve their robustness during large-level production. For instance, hybrid models combining mechanistic and data-driven approaches are being developed to predict performance and optimize fermentation parameters across different scales. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools are also being employed to predict how changes in reactor design might affect beer quality, addressing concerns related to temperature and oxygen gradients [6].