Liquefaction is a key step in the starch hydrolysis process used to produce syrups, including those used in the industrial production of microbial fermentation products such as alcohol, organic acids, amino acids, and antibiotics. Liquefaction is commonly achieved through the dispersion of insoluble starch granules in an aqueous solution, followed by partial hydrolysis at a relatively high tem- perature using thermostable a-amylases, which are endogluca- nases that catalyze the hydrolysis of internal a-1,4-glycosidic linkages in starch