THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BARLEY EXTRACT VISCOSITY CURVES AND MALTING ABILITY

Twelve barley varieties, representing a wide range of malting ability, were examined using the Falling Time technique to determine their raw grain extract viscosities following extraction times ranging from 1 to 6 h. The shape of the viscosity curve was characteristic of each variety and was related to malting ability. A simpler index of potential malting ability was produced by the difference in Falling Time between extraction times of 3 and 4 h. This difference correlated well with the percentage extract obtained after micro-malting, (r = + 0·81, n = 31), and offers a possible method of assessing potential malting ability in barley breeding programmes.