It seems beer responds to being serenaded … and no, researchers haven’t imbibed too much of the amber fluid in making that claim.
Scientists from the University of Otago in New Zealand have found playing audible sound, or white noise, while making beer can reduce the fermentation process by 21-31 hours without significantly affecting the flavour.
Study lead author Parise Adadi said this could enable breweries to increase output, without compromising quality.
Dr Adadi said researchers used a specialised device called linear actuators (LATs) to deliver the white noise as particle sound energy into the fermenting beer.
He said, as a result, the yeast growth intensified, significantly accelerating the fermentation.
“These findings could pave the way for innovative research directions, benefitting breweries, yeast manufacturers, and the broader food industry.”
Dr Adadi said the researchers conducted independent fermentation experiments using standardised wort, the liquid extracted from malt during the mashing process when brewing beer or whisky.
He said one batch of beer was subjected to continuous sound stimulation (800–2000 Hz @ ~140 dB) using LATs and a control batch was not.
“The application of sound stimulation increased the yeast growth by maintaining a higher concentration of yeast cells in suspension.
“The sound energy stimulated cellular processes and metabolic pathways, enhancing yeast growth and activity. This led to faster consumption of wort sugars and subsequent production of alcohol; but importantly did not significantly alter the flavour composition of the final beer.”
Dr Adabi said faster fermentation times would enhance production efficiency, enabling breweries to increase output while preserving beer quality.
“Furthermore, if audible sound stimulation proves scalable, it could revolutionise fermentation technology, sparking innovations across other fermented products such as wine and spirits.”
Read the full study: Audible sound decreased beer fermentation time with minimal effects on the abundance of volatile organic compound production.
