A practical at-line measurement of carbon dioxide production of barley during malting process

Abstract

An at-line method to measuring carbon dioxide output of barley in malting process was developed. The method is based on the principle of recirculation. A barley sample taken from steep tank, germination box of koiln was placed in a chamber. Air from the chamber was pumped into a gas analyzer to monitore its carbon dioxide concentration and then returned back into the chamber. Carbon dioxide production rate of a sample was calculated by determining the slope of the increase of CO₂ concentration during recirculation. Determination took 10 to 15 min per sample. CO₂ production rates of the samples taken dring micro malting varied from 0 to ca. 800 mg h⁻¹ kg⁻¹ dry wt. and were in good agreement with the values presented in literature (Hough et a., 1971). As a rapid and convenient method the system allows research and practical studies on factors concerning the physiological activity of barley at different states of malting process.