EXTENSION OF THE SHELF LIFE OF LOCALLY BREWED SORGHUM BEER USING Vernonia amygdalina (BITTER LEAF) EXTRACT

ABSTRACT
Locally brewed sorghum beer is an indigenous alcoholic beverage. It is produced mainly from sorghum grains (sorghum vulgare). The process of brewing involves malting, mashing, souring and fermentation. In this study, bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) extract was used as a means of extending the shelf life of locally brewed sorghum beer which has short shelf life. Chemical and microbial analysis was carried out using standard method. The result of the chemical analysis shows that the sample with hop (bitter leaf extract) has the total acidity of 0.56±0.030, fixed acidity 0.20±0.001, volatile acidity 0.36±0.020, pH 3.93, specific gravity 1.04±0.003, total dissolved solid 1.12x 105ppm, total suspended solid 1.65 x 105ppm and ethanol content 3.43±0.030 while sorghum beer without hop has total acidity of 0.65±0.002, fixed acidity 0.18±0.002, volatile acidity 0.48±0.030, pH 3.50, specific gravity 1.02±0.003, total dissolved solid 1.15x 105ppm, total suspended solid 1.5 x 105ppm and ethanol content 3.65±0.020. The microbial analysis for sorghum with hop had no growth of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus while the sorghum beer without hop had growth of Staphylococcus aureus from the 2nd