Modulation of beer fermentation time and yeast metabolite generation using audible sound with elevated particle motion

Studies on the impact of audible sound on yeast growth and metabolism during beer fermentation have focused mainly on the pressure component of sound, with limited attention to particle motion. This study investigated three sound treatments (800–2000 Hz 140 dB RMS re 1 μPa 2 @ 1 m, 800–2000 Hz 110 dB RMS re 1 μPa 2 @ 1 m, and 4000–10,000 Hz 140 dB RMS re 1 μPa 2 @ 1 m) with elevated particle motion, compared to a no-sound control (91 dB), assessing yeast cells in suspension, extracellular metabolites and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The 800–2000 Hz treatment significantly reduced fermentation time by ~46 h ( p < 0.05), while the 4000–10,000 Hz treatment showed a ~ 30-h reduction, though not statistically significant ( p = 0.08). Both high-intensity treatments retained more yeast in suspension and increased metabolite abundance, with minimal impact on the VOC profile of the final beer. These findings suggest that sound frequency and intensity, particularly particle motion, can influence yeast performance and accelerate fermentation without compromising beer flavor. • Addition of sound with elevated particle motion reduced beer fermentation time. • 800–2000 Hz at 140 dB shortened fermentation by approximately 46 h. • High-intensity sound kept more yeast in suspension during fermentation. • Sound frequency and intensity influenced yeast performance and metabolite levels. • Faster fermentation occurred without major changes to volatile organic compounds.