This archival publication may not reflect current scientific knowledge or recommendations. Current information available from the University of Minnesota Extension: https://www.extension.umn.edu

Christensen, C. M.

Herbison, H. W.

Lofgren, John A.

Pederson, Harold C.

University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy

IMPORTANCE OF 
KERNEL DAMAGE 
The malting qualities of approved bar-
ley varieties grown in the Upper Mid-
west attract buyers from all over the 
nation. Keeping kernel damage to a 
minimum will help maintain market 
preference for malting barley now 
and in the future, and may mean 
increased income for those who pro-
duce, store, or market barley. 
High-quality malt requires sound bar-
ley. In making malt, kernels that will 
germinate uniformly are necessary. 
Improper harvesting and poor storage 
can reduce proper germination. 
) 
MALTING 
BARLEY 
GRADE 
FACTORS 
FEBRUARY 1965 
EXTENSION FOLDER 230 
\ I 
I I 
I I 
I 
I 
I 
, 
TYPES OF KERNEL 
DAMAGE 
IMPORTANCE OF 
KERNEL DAMAGE 
The types of kernel damage in malt-
ing barley either illustrated and de-
scribed, or commented on, in this 
folder are: 
• Those that occur before or dur-
ing harvest (including barley in the 
swath) such as (a) blight or scab, and 
( b) weathered, sprouted, skinned, 
broken, and frosted kernels. 
Barley containing small amounts of 
damaged kernels makes inferior malt 
and thus commands a lower price 
than sound grain, or may even be 
unsalable as malting barley. Malting 
barley must also meet special stand-
ards for variety, varietal purity, vigor 
of germination, plumpness and uni-
formity in size of kernels, and pro-
tein content. 
• Those that occur in storage and 
merchandising, such as (a) heat 
damage, heat injury, mold, and wee-
vil damage; and (b) barley that 
fails to meet accepted standards of 
cleanliness. 
Malting Barley and Blue Malting Barley 
Grades and grade requirements for the subclasses malting barley and blue 
malting barley of the class barley 
Minimum limits of: Maximum percentage limits of: 
Test Percent Skinned 
weight per sound Damaged Foreign and broken Thin Black Other 
bushel barley kernels material kernels barley barley grains 
Grade pounds percent percent percent percent percent percent percent 
47 97 2.0 1.0 4.0 7.0 0.5 2.0 
2 45 94 3.0 2.0 6.0 10.0 1.0 3.0 
3 43 90 4.0 3.0 8.0 15.0 2.0 5.0 
Note: barley of the class barley which does not meet the requirements of any 
of the grades 1 to 3 inclusive for the subclasses malting barley and blue 
malting barley shall be classified and graded according to the grade require-
ments for the subclass barley. 
Special Grades to be Added When Applicable (nonmalting): 
Tough - for the class barley when moisture is over 14½ percent but not over 
16 percent. 
Blighted - more than 4 percent damaged or materially discolored by blight 
and/ or mold. 
Smutty-covered with smut spores or containing smut masses in excess of 0.2 
percent. 
Weevily - infested with live weevils or other injurious insects. 
Ergoty - containing ergot in excess of 0.3 percent. 
Bleached - treated in whole or in part with any bleaching agent. 
UNIVERSITY OP MINNESOTA AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE 
TYPES OF PEARLED SOUND 
MAL TING BARLEY KERNELS 
) j 
An illustration of pearled malting barley 
kernels, with colorless or white aleurone 
layer on the left and colored or blue pearl 
aleurone layer kernels on the right. Samples 
of barley normally are pearled to determine 
the texture, heat damage, and injury by heat. 
Note: For detailed information 
on all grain grades refer to the of-
ficial Grain Standards of the 
United States, Grain Division, Ag-
ricultural Marketing Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture. 
PRINCIPAL KERNEL DAMAGES 
Sound Barley Kernel (Left) Compared with Varying Degrees of Diseased or Damaged Kernels 
HEAT DAMAGED (pearled) 
Entire kernel definitely discolored brown 
or black. In extreme cases the kernel 
may be charred and shrunken. The ker-
nels are damaged as a result of external 
heat caused by fire or excessive heating 
in storage. 
BLIGHT AND SCAB 
Kernels are light to dark brown in color 
on germ end or over entire kernel. 
Scabby kernels often have pink areas. 
Scab is difficult to distinguish from 
blight when this pink color does not de-
velop. 
SKINNED AND BROKEN (Sprouted) 
Sprouting occurs when inadequate pro-
tection is given by the hull and moisture 
is present. Kernels improperly threshed 
or handled result in the hull being par-
tially loosened or removed over the 
germ. Skinned kernels are susceptible to 
mold damage in malting. 
( 
INJURY BY HEAT (pearled) 
Germs appear dark brown or black. 
Slight discoloration may extend into the 
entire kernel. Such kernels have dete-
riorated in storage due to high moisture 
content, molds, and respiration. 
WEATHERED 
Kernels vary from moderately discolored 
to a grayish, dull, lifeless appearance. 
WEEVIL DAMAGE OR 
INSECT BORED 
Kernels with distinct holes from 
which insects have emerged. 
MOLDY KERNELS 
(Infected by Fungi) 
Kernels with visible evidence of fungi. 
High-moisture barley infected by fungi 
and stored at high temperatures can be-
come musty very quickly. 
SKINNED AND BROKEN 
1. Kernels have one-third or more of 
hull removed. 
2. Kernels have hull loosened or re-
moved over the germ. 
Broken kernels are pieces of barley ker-
nels. Any exposure of the germ reduces 
the possibility of barley making malting 
grade. 
FROSTED KERNELS 
Such kernels are usually immature, 
shrunken, and discolored green. They 
often have an abnormal depression on 
the back. Severely frosted kernels appear 
brown or black and are badly shrunken. 
EXTENSION FOLDER 230 
111111~1~11m1~11m11111111i111~1~~1[111m11111 
3 1951 D01 928 505 A 
REDUCE STORED GRAIN LOSSES 
MAJOR CAUSES OF KERNEL DAMAGE DURING STORAGE 
STORAGE FUNGI 
High moisture content is the chief factor that results 
in the germ damage, heat damage, and mold damage 
caused by storage fungi. Usually when such damage 
occurs the average moisture content of the grain is 
above 13.0 percent. The chief reasons for this are: 
• The moisture meter may be inaccurate; accuracy 
cannot be assumed. Submit check samples to a state 
or federal inspection office. 
• The average moisture content of a given lot of 
grain does not indicate the range in moisture content 
of that lot. A truckload of barley that averages 14.0 
percent moisture is likely to include some grain with 
15.0 percent moisture. For safe storage it is essential 
to know the highest moisture content of any lot. 
• Moisture may shift with time in a bin of stored 
grain, sometimes rapidly. When lots of high and low 
moisture content are mixed to achieve an average pre-
sumed to be safe for storage, the moisture content may 
never equalize. Many such mixtures have a high storage 
risk; avoid them. 
• Activities of grain-infesting insects may increase the 
moisture content of the grain by as much as 1.0 percent 
per week. 
INSECTS AND MITES 
The best insurance against damaging attack by grain-
infesting insects and mites is to store grain free of dirt, 
debris, chaff, and broken kernels at a moisture content 
below 13 percent and at a temperature below 50° F. 
Authors of this publication are: C. M. Christensen, 
professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Phys-
iology; Harold C. Pederson, professor and extension 
economist, marketing; and John A. Lofgren, professor 
and extension entomologist, all University of Minne-
sota; and H. W. Herbison, professor and extension 
agricultural economist, marketing, North Dakota State 
University. 
If insecticidal sprays, dusts, or fumigants are used, con-
sult current state or federal recommendations and fol-
low directions carefully to avoid harmful or illegal 
pesticide residues. 
MEASURES TO PREVENT DAMAGE 
BY STORAGE FUNGI 
After grain has been binned, and periodically during 
its storage life, take samples from different portions, 
determine the moisture content of each sample, and ex-
amine it for damage by insects and storage fungi. No 
germ damage or heat damage will develop in grain with 
moisture content below 13.0 percent. 
Measure and keep a record of temperatures in different 
parts of the grain. Even a slight rise in temperature 
means that damage is underway, because only vigor-
ously feeding insects or rapidly growing storage fungi 
cause heating in stored grain. If a rise in temperature 
is detected, remove samples and examine them so that 
you know the size and location of the hotspot and the 
condition of the grain in and near it. 
In barley with a moisture content of 13.5 to 14.5 
percent, slow invasion by storage fungi can cause germ 
damage and heat damage without any rise in tempera-
ture. In the absence of insects, heating in stored barley 
means that the moisture content of the grain is above 
15.0 percent. 
• If the facilities are available, aerate the high-
moisture grain as soon as possible to provide a tem-
perature of 40° to 50° F. throughout the bulk. 
The authors gratefully acknowledge assistance of the 
USDA, AMS, Grain Division, Minneapolis; the Malt-
ing Barley Improvement Association, Milwaukee; the 
Crop Quality Council, Minneapolis; and the Minne-
apolis Grain Exchange, Minneapolis. 
Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and 
home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with 
the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Luther J. Pickrel, Director of 
Agricultural Extension Service, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Min-
nesota 55101. 
25M-12(6)64 
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA 
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE 


Malting Barley Grade Factors

http://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/11299/205027/1/230_1965_31951D01928505A.pdf

Malting Barley Grade Factors

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