| 摘要 |
A method of treating malting grain, in which the grian is subjected to a water restriction stress after commencement of germination under normal conditions. The grain is germinated in a grain-germinating environment but before completion of germination is subjected to said water-restriction stress by reducing the amount of water available to the grain within said environment. This is done for at least one time-interval sufficient to modify, as compared with normally-germinated grain, at least one of the following parameters, namely: (i) the amount of soluble sugars in a hot water extract; (ii) the alpha-amylase level; (iii) the degree of root and shoot growth; (iv) the total nitrogen content and the soluble nitrogen ratio; and/or (v) the diastatic power; as determined in the germinated and thus-treated grain. Preferably the water restriction stress is imparted by lowering the relative humiditity of air flowing around the grain within a germination environment to below 95%. The invention also relates to grain treated by such methods and malt produced from such grain.
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