Continuous antibiotic fermentation—design of a 20 litre, single‐stage pilot plant and trials with two contrasting processes

The feasibility of producing antibiotics by single‐stage continuous fermentation was explored by means of a specially designed pilot plant. Both the chloramphenicol and penicillin processes appeared adaptable to such an operation. At dilution rates of 1·0 and 0·5 volume changes per day respectively, yields of from ¼ to ½ of the maxima obtained in batch operation were maintained in the steady‐state for more than 2 weeks.