Influence of ultrasound assisted thermal processing on the physicochemical and sensorial properties of beer

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ultrasound assisted thermal processing also known as thermosonication (TS) on selected physicochemical and sensorial properties of beer. A typical Chinese lager beer was treated by TS (24 kHz frequency and 2.7 W/mL volumetric power) for 2 min at 40, 50, and 60 °C, respectively. The main quality attributes of the beer, such as ethanol content, original extract, pH, and bitterness, were scarcely affected by three TS treatments. However, a significant increase in color value was observed after TS treatment at 60 °C during storage. The protein sensitivity and colloidal haze of three TS-treated beers increased slightly. The results also revealed that the development of both yeast and spoilage bacteria (including lactic acid bacteria and aerobic bacteria) was inhibited for 12 months of storage for the TS-treated samples except for the TS-treated beer at 40 °C. Additionally, the TS-treated beer at 60 °C resulted in a higher thermal load relative to other two TS samples (at 40 and 50 °C) based on the results of oxidative stability. TS treatment at 60 °C also had a minor negative effect on the volatile profile by increasing staling compounds compared with other two TS treatments. These results obtained therefore may serve as a reference of the potential application of the ultrasound assisted thermal treatment for the beer processing.