A new method to monitor water distribution in steeped barley

A new method has been developed to assess the distribution of water inside steeped barley grains. The new method is called the Laser Hydration Test and relies on the measurement of laser light transmission through barley grains before and after the grains are heated to produce starch gelatinization. Hydrated endosperm gelatinizes upon heating, and the gelatinized material allows light to pass through the grain. Nonhydrated material does not gelatinize and the light is obstructed. There is a high correlation between the amount of light passing through the grain and the water distribution inside the grains detected by visual inspection. The Laser Hydration Test is easy to perform, fast, accurate, and objective, and it provides a quantitative measurement of the water distribution inside steeped barley.