Effect of amylase treatment on the consistency of cooked, fermented oat bran porridge

Abstract

Oat bran porridges were cooked and fermented at 5, 10, 15, and 20% solids (as is basis). Cooking was carried out on gas stove and viscograph. Supplementation with malt flour at 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1%. Cooked oat bran porridge was inoculated with fresh yoghurt and fermented 18 h overnight in an incubator at 42°C. Falling number values were made to estimate the effects of amylase treatments by addition of malt flour on oat bran slurry when heated in an aqueous suspension. Pasting properties were observed with the viscograph and consistency measurements were made with Bostwick consistometer. The falling number method was not suitable for consistency measurements due to wide variations in values obtained. Enzymatic additions reduced the consistency of porridge with an increase in flowability during measurements. The peak heights obtained from the viscograms reduced proportionally with an increase in malt flour supplementation. The desirability of a product with higher energy values and a sufficiently low consistency that is spoonable was possible with cooked, fermented oat bran porridge.