A PRACTICAL AT-LINE MEASUREMENT OF CARBON-DIOXIDE PRODUCTION OF BARLEY DURING MALTING PROCESS

An at-line method to measuring carbon dioxide output of barley in malt ing process was developed. The method is based on the principle of rec irculation. A barley sample taken from steep tank, germination box or kiln was placed in a chamber. Air from the chamber was pumped into a g as analyzer to monitore its carbon dioxide concentration and then retu rned back into the chamber. Carbon dioxide production rate of a sample was calculated by determining the slope of the increase of CO2 concen tration during recirculation. Determination took 10 to 15 min per samp le. CO2 production rates of the samples taken during micro malting var ied from 0 to ca. 800 mg h(-1) kg(-1) dry nl. and were in good agreeme nt with the values presented in literature (Hough et a., 1971). As a r apid and convenient method the system allows research and practical st udies on factors concerning the physiological activity of barley at di fferent stages of malting process.