Prior to storage, the moisture content of barley must be determined.
The electrical capacitance of a whole, unground grain sample is measured. The apparatus contains three sensors:
Capacitance
The moisture present in a sample absorbs the electrical energy between the walls of the sample container. The electrical signal or the “capacity” increases with higher moisture contents of the sample and with larger sample sizes.
Oscillating weight balance
The oscillating weight balance measures the frequency to determine the mass.
Temperature correction
The capacitance of the sample rises with the temperature. A Thermistor temperature sensor is built into the sample container. The microprocessor automatically corrects for the moisture content.
Prior to storage, the moisture content of barley must be determined.
Measurement of the electrical resistance in the ground and pressed sample
This method describes how to determine the capacity for water imbibition (moisture uptake) in barley.
Barley intended for the production of malt is evaluated on the basis of its capacity for water imbibition.
Barley is steeped according to a defined scheme, and the absorption of the steeping liquor by the kernels at defined times is determined by calculating the moisture content. The moisture content after 72 h steeping time is used to assess the absorption of steeping liquor or the capacity for water imbibition in barley.
Whole hops intended for use in beer brewing or elsewhere in the food industry
Evaluation of the appearance of hop cones is performed through visual and manual inspection.
Whole hops intended for use in beer brewing or elsewhere in the food industry
Evaluation of the appearance of hop cones is performed through visual inspection and sensory assessment.
Malt intended for use in beer brewing or elsewhere in the food industry
The moisture content of malt is determined through the loss in mass during a standardized drying process, in which ground malt is dried at a defined temperature within a specified time in an electrically heated drying oven. The moisture content is determined through the difference in the weight of the malt prior to and after drying.
It should be borne in mind that allowing the weighed sample of ground malt to stand for any length of time prior to performing the analysis can alter the outcome, depending upon the humidity in the air. For this reason, it is recommended that the analysis be carried out immediately after grinding the malt.
For rapid methods, refer to analysis methods R-110.40.022 Moisture Content in Barley – Infrared Drying to R-110.40.183 Moisture Content in Barley – NIT (Verweise).