The purpose of this work was to describe the effect of thermal hydration sonication, and non‐sonication, of ANAG 01 barley grains at 35 and 40°C, to evaluate the malt quality parameters and the water incorporation capacity. The sonication caused an increase in the size of starch granules over time and improved the water incorporation rate. No fragmentation was identified by the application or absence of the ultrasound. The malt quality parameters were compared, and the best characteristics were obtained by the thermal treatments, sonication and non‐sonication, at 35°C, producing malt with most of the quality specifications required by the industry and suitable to be used in the formulation of malting blends. The process was accelerated with the increase in temperature and the application of ultrasound, comparing the moisture gain in 480 and 720 min of hydration. The Peleg model was suitable to describe the hydration kinetics. Practical Applications Using temperatures of 35 and 40°C higher than tipical values in the industrial hydration operation requires less time. The association with the ultrasound is even faster, but can influence the quality of the malt. Therefore, sonication at 35°C temperature was a good alternative to produce malt from barley (ANAG 01).

Barley is a winter cereal grain used mainly in brewing malt production and is ranked among the top five cereal grains produced in the world. The objective of this study was to evaluate isothermal hydration at different temperatures (30, 35, 40 C) and obtain the thermodynamic properties, as well as characterize the thermostability of the Scarlet cultivar and evaluate the starch gelatinization temperature. The micrography showed that hydration causes gradual peeling and swelling of the starch granules, compatible with a heterogeneous hydration of different anatomical structures. The moisture absorption rate increased with the temperature. The kinetics of the grain hydration was simulated using the models of Peleg and Omoto-Jorge. The Peleg model was more suitable for predicting the kinetics, and the data distribution revealed three distinct phases. Thermal degradation of barley revealed three peaks: loss of moisture, nonoxidative degradation, and oxidative degradation. Starch gelatinization occurred at 62 C. Practical applicationsThe evaluation of hydration kinetics demonstrates that an increase in temperature improves the rate of mass transfer in the grain. This practice can be applied in the industry to optimize the process. The micrograph confirms that changes occur in the barley during hydration.Mathematical models allow for verification of how better to predict the process so that it may be generalized to enable the simulation of industrial conditions. The thermodynamic parameters obtained by process modeling provide information concerning the affinity between water and the grain, the spontaneity of reaction, the degree of disorder, and the energy required for the process; this data is useful for modeling, design, and optimization of the industrial process.The thermostability evaluation provides relevant information for choosing temperatures that may be used in industrial practices, as well as for changes in physical state (i.e., whether or not gelatinization is favorable for the process).