The effect of hydrodynamic cavitation on isomerization of hop alpha-acids, wort quality and energy consumption during wort boiling

0585081 - ÚCHP 2025 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Štěrba, Jiří - Punčochář, Miroslav - Brányik, T.
The effect of hydrodynamic cavitation on isomerization of hop alpha-acids, wort quality and energy consumption during wort boiling.
Food and Bioproducts Processing. Roč. 144, MAR 24 (2024), s. 214-219. ISSN 0960-3085. E-ISSN 1744-3571
Institutional support: RVO:67985858
Keywords : dimethyl sulfide * beer * behavior * hydrodynamic cavitation
OECD category: Chemical engineering (plants, products)
Impact factor: 4.6, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access with time embargo

Wort boiling is one of the most energy-intensive steps in beer production because the isomerization of hop alphaacids (AA) into iso-alpha-acids (IAA) is a time and energy-consuming process. Acceleration of this process by hydrodynamic cavitation (HC), created by a Venturi tube cavitation nozzle, at temperatures below the boiling point, has been tested on a pilot scale. The results show that HC accelerated AA isomerization at all temperatures tested (70-90 degree celsius). The highest HC powered isomerization yield was achieved at 90 degree celsius. However, some quality parameters of the wort were not satisfactory (dimethyl sulphide content, hot break) and therefore the process was extended by a final short boil (10 min). This led to a wort comparable to that obtained after the traditional boiling process (100 degree celsius, 90 min) with a simultaneous 33% energy savings.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0352846