Comparison of changes in temperature, moisture content, infestation and germination were made in six aerated 20 t bins of malting barley. Two were at about 13.5% moisture content, three at about 15.5% moisture content, and one at about 16.5% moisture content. The grain started at between 20-25°C and, during aeration, fell at a rate dependent on the moisture content, damper grain being cooler, presumably due to evaporative cooling. The 'high' moisture content grain was often over 5°C cooler at 1m and 2m than the 'low' moisture content bins. Moisture uptake at the surface was related to bulk moisture content and trends in mite population changes were related to moisture content. Mite population achieved highest numbers at the grain surface but usually before the moisture content absorption was at its peak. They were commonest in the 'high' moisture content bin and least numerous in the 'low' moisture content bins. There were no apparent differences between bins in the numbers of insects trapped, for instance they were not less numerous in the coolest 'high' moisture content bin. However, the trends of numbers trapped followed a similar pattern in all bins; normally O. surinamensis and S. granarius only began to decline after nine weeks storage in December when temperatures fell below 10°C. Germination loss at the surface of the dampest bin was sufficient to cause rejection of the entire bulk for malting. Micromalting indicated that yield of extract and friability were particularly affected by the changes at the surface of the dampest barley.Key words: Aeration, infestation, malting barley, micro-malting, moisture content, storage, viability.
-2863(9'8-32The effects of individual components on the storability of malting barley have often been described, for instance effects of temperature and relative humidity on germination loss and dormancy break 13,14 or predictions of pest population changes 3 based on laboratory models. However, it is important to demonstrate how all these factors interact in practical circumstances and to validate how closely laboratory-based knowledge matches what happens on a practical scale. For instance, Armitage and Woods 5 described a storage strategy for malting barley, intended to break dormancy, maintain viability and discourage germination, based on cooling by aeration which was tested over two years in maltings in the south and north of the UK. The moisture content of the grain is crucial to successful storage of malting barley, as well as affecting germination loss. It is also likely to affect infestation, temperatures achieved by aeration and moisture uptake at the grain surface 4 .This experiment was therefore designed to compare mite, insect and fungal numbers, physical and quality changes in six cooled 3 m deep 20 t bins of a single malting barley variety (Chariot) at intended moisture contents of 13, 14.5 and 16%. The grain was freshly harvested and dried according to recommendations for malting barley (not exceeding 65°C), to preserve germination. All bins were intermittentl...