[Peeling of sorghum by a dry method: continuous and discontinuous methods]

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Engineering
• Food Science
• Grain Processing

Background:

• Sorghum grain requires dehulling for various applications.
• Dry dehulling methods are employed to remove the outer layers of sorghum.
• Quantitative comparison of continuous and discontinuous dry dehulling is necessary.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively compare continuous and discontinuous dry dehulling methods for sorghum grain.
• To evaluate the efficiency and impact of different dehulling parameters.
• To determine optimal extraction rates for nutrient retention.

Main Methods:

• Laboratory abrasive dehulling device used for quantitative comparison.
• Evaluation of reflectance values, dehulling percentage, kernel removal, and kernel cracking.
• Analysis of macrocomponent, tannin, and color variations during continuous dehulling.

Main Results:

• The continuous dry dehulling process demonstrated higher efficiency compared to the discontinuous method.
• Kernel cracking showed similar behavior between both methods.
• Optimal removal of tannin, fiber, and ashes occurred at an 85% extraction rate.

Conclusions:

• Continuous dry dehulling is the preferred method for sorghum grain processing.
• Sorghum dehulling above a 65% extraction rate is not recommended due to significant nutrient loss.
• Further optimization of dehulling processes is needed to balance tannin removal and nutrient retention.