alpha-Glucosidase activity of sorghum and barley malts

Sorghum malt alpha-glucosidase activity was highest at pH 3.75 while that of barley malt was highest at pH 4.6. At pH 5.4 employed in mashing sorghum malt alpha-glucosidase was more active than the corresponding enzyme of barley malt. alpha-Glucosidase was partly extracted in water but was readily extracted when L-cysteine was included in the extraction buffer, pH 8. Sorghum malt made at 30 degrees C had higher alpha-glucosidase activities than the corresponding malts made at 20 degrees C and 25 degrees C. Nevertheless, the sorghum malts made at 20 degrees C and 25 degrees C produced worts which contained more glucose than worts of malt made at 30 degrees C. Although barley malts contained more alpha-glucosidase activity than sorghum malts, the worts of barley had the lowest levels of glucose. The limitation to maltose production in sorghum worts, produced at 65 degrees C, is due to inadequate gelatinization of starch and not to limitation to beta-amylase and alpha-amylase activities. Gelatinization of the starch granules of sorghum malt in the decantation mashing procedure resulted in the production of sorghum worts which contained high levels of maltose, especially when sorghum malt was produced at 30 degrees C. Although the beta-amylase and alpha-amylase levels of barley malt was significantly higher than those of sorghum masted optimally at 30 degrees C, sorghum worts contained higher levels of glucose and equivalent levels of maltose to those of barley malt. It would appear that the individual activities of alpha-glucosidase, alpha-amylase and beta-amylase of sorghum malts or barley malts do not correlate with the sugar profile of the corresponding worts. In consequence, specifications for enzymes such as alpha-amylase and beta-amylase in malt is best set at a range of values rather than as single values.