Starch production from sorghum grits

A laboratory study was conducted to determine yield and quality of starch from different sorghum grits using wet milling on 100-g samples. Sorghum grits were produced from four hybrids by two dry milling techniques using roller mills and a decorticator-degerminator. Whole kernels and grits were wet milled, and starch was isolated. Results showed starch recoveries from whole sorghum ranging from 91.6% to 96.5%, protein contents in starch of 0.43-0.64%, and lightness (L*) values of starch of 94.2-95.4 for the four hybrids. Wet milling of + 12 grits (over a 1.68mm opening) which had been produced from the decorticator-degerminator gave the highest yields of starch of 18.1-44.1 % based on 100 g of whole kernels on a dry basis. The protein contents in the starch were 0.36-0.87% for that grit fraction of the four hybrids and starch lightness values ranged from 94.7 to 95.6. A higher recovery (61-70%) of starch was obtained from grits generated by the decorticator-degerminator than by roller milling (51-68%). Starch matching a commercial sample of corn starch in terms of quality could be produced from sorghum grits. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.