Effect of Germination Moisture and Time on Pearl Millet Malt Quality - With Respect to Its Opaque and Lager Beer Brewing Potential
L.A.M. Pelembe 1,4, J. Dewar 2,3 and J.R.N. Taylor 4,5
1 Food Technology & Biotechnology Section, Department of Chemical Engineering, Eduardo Mondlane University, P.O. Box 257, Maputo, Mozambique.
2 CSIR, Environmentek, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.
3 Present address: Sugar Milling Research Institute, c /o University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa.
4 Department of Food Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
5 Corresponding author. E-mail: jtaylor@postino.up.ac.za
J. Inst. Brew. 110(4), 320-325, 2004 | VIEW ARTICLE
ABSTRACT
The effect of germination moisture and time on pearl millet malt quality was investigated. Two pearl millet varieties SDMV 89004 and 91018 were germinated at 25°C under three different watering regimes for 5 days. As with sorghum malting, diastatic power, beta-amylase activity, free α-amino nitrogen (FAN), hot water extract and malting loss all increased with level of watering. However, pearl millet malt had a much higher level of betaamylase and higher FAN than sorghum malt and a similar level of extract. Malting losses were similar or lower than with sorghum. Thus, it appears that pearl millet malt has perhaps even better potential than sorghum malt in lager beer brewing, at least as a barley malt extender, especially in areas where these grains are cultivated and barley cannot be economically cultivated. Also, its increased use in commercial opaque beer brewing, where sorghum malt is currently used, could be beneficial.
Key words:
Beta-amylase, extract, FAN, malting, pearl millet,
watering regime.
Publication no. G-2004-1303-247 ©2004 The Institute & Guild of Brewing