Exploring the impact of initial moisture content on microbial community and flavor generation in Xiaoqu baijiu fermentation

•Moisture affects microbial succession and volatiles generation by mediated with Lactobacillus.•The ratio of ethyl acetate to ethyl lactate and content of acid, alcohol positively relate to moisture.•Increase moisture accelerate formation of Lactobacillus-dominated fermentation microbiota.•Increase moisture enhance complexity and stability of baijiu fermentation ecological networks. Moisture is essential in microbiota succession and flavor formation during baijiu fermentation. However, it remains unknown how moisture content affects microbiota, metabolism, and their relationship. Here, we compared the difference in volatiles, microbiota characteristics, and potential functions with different initial moisture contents (50 %, 55 %, 60 %, 65 %, 70 %). Results showed that the ratio of ethyl acetate to ethyl lactate and total volatile compounds content increased as the moisture content was elevated from 50 % to 70 %. As increasing moisture content, fermentation system microbiota dominated by Lactobacillus was formed more rapidly. Lactobacillus, Dekkera, and Pediococcus were positively correlated with moisture, promoting the production of propanol, acetic acid, butyric acid, and 2-butanol. The complexity and stability of ecological networks enhanced as moisture content increased (R2 = 0.94, P = 0.004). Our study revealed that moisture-drive microbiota was a critical contributor to flavor formation, providing the theoretical basis for moisture control to regulate flavor compounds.