Hydrodynamic cavitation-assisted wort boiling: energy savings without compromising beer quality

Jiří Štěrba; Miroslav Punčochář; Alexandr Mikyška; Tomáš Brányik

doi:10.18832/kp2026.72.1256

Authors

Jiří Štěrba Academy of Science of the CR, Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Rozvojova 135, Prague 6, 165 02, Czech Republic , Research Institute of Brewing and Malting, Lipova 15, Prague 2, 120 44, Czech Republic , University of Chemistry and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Technicka 5, Prague 6, 166 28, Czech Republic
Miroslav Punčochář Academy of Science of the CR, Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Rozvojova 135, Prague 6, 165 02, Czech Republic
Alexandr Mikyška Research Institute of Brewing and Malting, Lipova 15, Prague 2, 120 44, Czech Republic
Tomáš Brányik Research Institute of Brewing and Malting, Lipova 15, Prague 2, 120 44, Czech Republic , University of Chemistry and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Technicka 5, Prague 6, 166 28, Czech Republic

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18832/kp2026.72.1256

Keywords:

hydrodynamic cavitation, sensory, analysis, wort, beer, energy consumption

Abstract

From both environmental and economic perspectives, it is desirable to minimize energy consumption during brewing while maximizing raw material utilization. One of the most energy-intensive steps in brewing is wort boiling, which can be intensified through the application of hydrodynamic cavitation. This study compares two beer production processes that differ in wort treatment/boiling: one using hydrodynamic cavitation-assisted (HC-assisted) treatment at 90 °C for 80 min, followed by short wort boiling for 15 min, and the other using a conventional wort boiling process for 90 min. The resulting worts and lager beers showed very similar key parameters in terms of analytical composition, sensory evaluation, and colloidal stability. Notably, the HC-assisted process reduced energy consumption during wort boiling by approximately 33%. These findings demonstrate the potential of hydrodynamic cavitation as an effective approach for improving the sustainability and efficiency of beer production without compromising product quality.

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