Researchers in Italy have developed a technique that promises to upend the age-old process of brewing beer.

The key is cavitation—the formation and collapse of tiny bubbles in a liquid. They’re created as a rotating object like a propeller moves through the liquid, creating a wave of low pressure at the tips. At the most extreme points in that low pressure, the liquid boils, creating small bubbles that soon collapse in a burst of heat and pressure. It’s that combination that could eliminate the need for an entire step of the brewing process.

Beer is traditionally brewed in four steps, starting with the creation of the wort from malted barley soaked in water. (The barley is often milled to increase the efficiency and efficacy of this process.) Next comes sparging, where the liquid is then drained and the barley washed. The wort is then boiled before yeast is added to ferment the liquid into beer.