摘要：Traditionally, sorghum malts used for the chakpalo production are dried under the sun in not controlled conditions in Benin. In order to improve drying operation in a rural approach, a shell drier was tested and the quality of the dried malts was evaluated. The germinated capacity, thousand kernel weight, moisture, protein and fat contents of the red sorghum used for malting were respectively 94 %, 27.81 %, 11.65 %, 11.4 % and 3.57 %. The quality of the dried malt in the shell drier and those of the dried malt directly under the sun was compared. The results showed that the speed of malt drying was higher in the shell drier than under the sun. Indeed, the moisture contents of the dried malts directly under the sun and in the shell drier after 12 hours were respectively 12.56 % and 7.66 %. The microbiological quality of the dried malts in the shell drier was better. There were free of faecal coliforms.The results of this study indicate that the controlled drying of sorghum malts by using a shell drier improved the drying speed and the microbiological characteristics of the dried malts. Shell drier would be easy to use in the rural areas to dry sorghum malt.
