Effect of milling and mashing procedures on millet (Pennisetum maiwa) malt wort properties

Millet (Pennisetum maiwa) was malted for 5 days and mashed using the infusion, double-decoction and decantation mashing methods. Highest extract recovery was obtained in the decantation mashing system because in this mashing procedure, the enzymes of millet malt were protected and the starch adequately gelatinised. The decoction or decantation mashing method however, produced wort with lower values of soluble nitrogen and free amino nitrogen (FAN) products than the infusion mashing method because the proteins were partly denatured during the cooking process of the decoction or decantation mashing methods. The decantation mashing, in particular, produced wort that filtered more slowly. The wort also had a darker colour because of a greater degree of Maillard reaction. Wet milling marginally produced extracts with higher values of the parameters tested than dry milling, but both the wet and dry milling procedures maintained a constant mass balance of the soluble nitrogen and FAN products. © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd.