Milling of Regular and Waxy Starch Hull-less Barleys for the Production of Bran and Flour

Five registered cultivars of hull-less barley (HB) with regular or waxy starch were milled in a Quadrumat Jr. mill to obtain whole grain flour; pearled in a Satake mill (cultivar Condor only), and the pearled fractions examined by microscopy to determine true HB bran. The samples were milled after tempering and drying in a Buhler mill to obtain bran and flour yields. Flour color and composition of HB were unaltered on milling in the Quadrumat Jr. mill. Microscopic evidence showed that a 70% pearl yield was devoid of the grain's outer coverings, including the aleurone and subaleurone layers. Therefore, the balance of 30% constitutes true bran in HB. Dry milling (as-is grain moisture) of regular starch HB in the Buhler mill gave 59% total flour and 41% bran (bran + shorts) yields, the comparative values for the waxy starch HB were 42 and 58%. On tempering HB from 9 to 16% grain moisture, the total flour yield decreased in both types of HB but to a lesser extent in the waxy starch HB due to decreases in reduction flour. On drying HB to 5 or 7% moisture, total flour yields increased due to contamination with bran and shorts. The milling study led to the conclusion that HB, at best, be dry-milled and a bran finisher be used to obtain commercial flour extraction rates. Lower total flour yields in the waxy starch HB than in the regular starch HB milled at the same grain moisture levels seemed due to higher β-glucan rather than grain hardness. Waxy starch HB flour had higher mixograph water absorption and water-holding capacity than regular starch HB or soft white wheat flour milled under identical conditions. Roller-milled HB products offer the best potential for entry into the food market.