Katsuhiko Tamaki

Size-grading before drying for early harvested wheat grains to improve the quality

A new method for early harvested and high moisture content wheat grains was developed. The method is classification-drying based on moisture content utilizing a size-grader. The relationship between grain size and moisture content were observed precisely through the maturing season. The observation indicated that the moisture distribution of grain ranges widely and roughly proportional to the size of grain. A 3.2 mm sieve was good for two-group classification because it classified grain equally when average moisture content was about 35%(w.b.) with the moisture difference of over and under the sieve greater than 3%(w.b.). Moreover, effects of classification were examined through comparison of the qualities of classified and unclassified grains. Ash and protein contents of grain over the sieve were higher than under the sieve by 0.05% and 0.6% on average, respectively. More studies are necessary to clarify the effect of this method on flour color and starch quality.