# Maize and Sorghum as Raw Materials for Brewing, a Review
## 2 Maize and Sorghum: Raw Materials for Brewing
### The Use in Brewing
#### 2.3.1 Maize
It is opaque, pink in color, and rich in B vitamins, with a distinct, acidic aroma and a creamy consistency. To produce it, corn flour is combined with sorghum malt and water. The mixture is then boiled to a soft consistency and cooled for approximately 6 h. After adding sorghum malt and umqombothi from a previous batch, the mash is left to ferment for about 18 h, after which the mixture is filtered. Umqombothi is characterized by a short shelf life (2-3 days) and is consumed as a product in which fermentation is not complete. It is common, especially among rural black populations in South Africa. Umqombothi is produced mainly by women, either for social events or for sale [79; 80]. Sesotho is a well-liked beer, obtained through spontaneous fermentation, which originated from Lesotho (South Africa). It is produced from ground corn, wheat, sorghum flour, or a combination of these. This beverage is opalescent, has a low consistency and a distinct acidic taste. Sesotho is produced mainly in rural households or for small-scale commercial purposes. It is also used as a beverage for funerals, weddings, and cultural ceremonies. Lactic acid bacteri (such as _Lactobacillus_, _Enterococcus_, _Leuconostoc_, _Pediococcus_ and _Wiesella_) and yeasts of the genus _Saccharomyces_ are in common use in all beer factories where Sesotho is produced [81]. Some factories produce this beer using 50% barley malt, 34% unmalted corn and 16% unmalted wheat. [PERSON] et al. (2020) analyzed the colloidal stability and shelf life of this type of beer and concluded that it should be stabilized by methods that guarantee the elimination of haze inducers [88]. Sesotho was traditionally made using only sorghum and wheat flour. According to information reported from women who produced sesotho, sorghum and wheat flour are traditionally mixed together in equal amounts, after which cold water is added to obtain a rigid consistency. Hot water is then introduced to obtain a thin porridge, which is cooled to about 30-35 \({}^{\circ}\)C. After the addition of a traditional liquid starter known as tomoso, the mixture is left to ferment, either overnight or for 24-48 h, depending on the ambient temperature. It is then boiled for 2-3 h and cooled to 30-35 \({}^{\circ}\)C. A solid starter culture called moroko (using scraps from previous fermentations) is added and the mixture is fermented for another 24-48 h. It is then filtered to remove coarse particles to obtain the finished beer [82]. Chibuku is the best-known opaque beer made in Zimbabwe. Over 420 million L are produced in twenty breweries annually. Chibuku is also known as hwahwa, doro, utshwala or mhamba in various parts of Zimbabwe. Other brands are made locally, such as Pungwe, Simba, Go-beer and Ingwebu. This beer was first manufactured in Zimbabwe in 1962 by Delta Beaches Breweries, after originating in Zambia in the 1950s. Chibuku is currently brewed using advanced technology, unlike many traditional beers from rural regions of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana and other African states. This beer is obtained from corn, sorghum, barley malt, sorghum malt, water, lactic acid and superior fermentation yeast of the species _Saccharomyces cerevisiae_[83]. Chibuku is an opaque brown-pink beverage containing dissolved and suspended solid substances (3.6% \(w/v\)), with an alcoholic strength of 3-5%, a pH of 3-4 and a lactic acid content of about 0.5 g/L. In essence, the process of obtaining the finished product consists of lactic fermentation and alcoholic fermentation. This beer is sold at retail while still microbiologically active, so lactic acid bacteria can spoil the product. Useful microorganisms continue to multiply even after acceptable levels of alcohol and lactic acid have been obtained. The product becomes unacceptable when lactic acid levels reach 0.5% (\(v/v\)) and other metabolic substances have accumulated [84]. Opaque beer has been a sociocultural drink in African for over a century. Depending on the geographical location, these beers bear different names.