Sorghum Beer

In South Africa as well as China, sorghum is one of the most important ingredients used in the production of beverages. In South Africa, sorghum is used to make beer, while in China, it is used in the making of distilled beverages like kaoliang and maotai. Since large-scale brewing of barley is costly as compared to sorghum, the latter acts as an alternative for barley grain in some countries.

Popularly known as bil-bil in Cameroon, burukuto in Nigeria, pombe in East Africa and bjala in North Sotho region, sorghum beer is one of the most popular drinks amongst the health conscious drinkers. The first sorghum beer to be produced and marketed throughout the United States was Redbridge.

It is normally a cloudy pinkish-brown drink that gives a sour yet fruity relish to the taste buds. It is low in carbohydrates and rich in proteins. Its alcohol content generally varies between 1-8%. This foamy beer is a well-known thirst quencher even if gulped at room temperature.

Sorghum Beer Recipe

Malting, mashing, boiling, souring and fermenting are the general steps involved in the beer brewing are more identical to the brewing of the traditional beer, with souring being an exception in the step.

It can be prepared easily at home. The making process starts a few days before any party is to be hosted. Big cast iron pots with sufficient amount of water are placed over open fires. The sorghum grains are added to boiling water and the mixture is left for fermentation. After a few days, the fermented beer is ready to serve.
Ingredients

• Sorghum ale (i.e sorghum malt)
• Sorghum grain
• Unmalted sorghum
• Baking yeast

Procedure
The unmalted millet and sorghum ale are taken in 1:1 proportion and the millet is boiled in plenty of water till it condenses to starch. The mixture is drained and crushed sorghum ale is added to it with a lot of water taken into the proportion of 1:4. The above mixture is allowed to boil for about an hour or two. After boiling, the liquid portion is completely transferred into the fermentation pot and yeast or sorghum grains are added to it when at room temperature and stirred vigorously. After a few days, it is filtered and stored in a storage pot. The refrigerated beer is ready for drinking, after a few days.

In Africa, it is brewed using sorghum grain. During brewing, it undergoes, both, alcoholic and lactic acid fermentation. Souring can also be done using yogurt or cultures used for sour dough starters. Leaving the mixture for natural fermentation is also one of the ways used in the souring of sorghum beer. Lactic acid fermentation can be initiated by adding some malted or raw sorghum grains to the mixture. Commercially, this beer is packed in a micro-biologically active state to keep the process of alcoholic fermentation active. Generally, containers with small vents are used in its packaging. The commercial version mostly contains a small amount of sorghum blended well with a major amount of unmalted corn.

Easy to make and healthy to drink, it is a good alternative for those who are on a gluten-free diet. So what are you waiting for? Buy some sorghum grains from the market and enjoy beer all year-long.