Effect of germination and degree of grind (coarse/fine) on the extract and sugar contents of sorghum malts

Two sorghum cultivars, FDI and MDW, germinated for 2, 4 and 6 days, were micro-malted separately and milled into coarse (0.8–1.2 mm) and ‘fine’ (< 0.2 mm fraction) particle size. The extract, diastatic activity, residual starch and sugar production pattern of the differently ground malts were studied. The hot water extract, diastatic activity and sugar contents were increased by an extended period of germination and finer milling. While all studied parameters (hot water extract, diastatic activity, residual starch and sugar contents) were highly positively correlated for both coarse and ‘fine’ ground malts, only the hot water extract showed significant (P < 0.05) differences in both types of grind (coarse and fine).