Cereal Chem 40:208 - 219.  |  VIEW ARTICLE

The Influence of Plant Growth Regulators Applied to Barley During Malting on Properties of Malt.

N. Prentice, A. D. Dickson, B. A. Burkhart, and N. N.Standridge. Copyright 1963 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

The following materials were applied to steeped barley immediately before malting: gibberellic acid (GA), chlorocholine chloride (CCC), coumarin (Cn),. hexachlorophene (Hcp), 2,3-benzoxazolinone (Bao), 3- amino-l,2,4,- triazole (AT), polymyxin (Pn), kinetin (Kn). and 3-indolyl acetic acid (IAA). All of the malts and the beers produced from selected ones were examined for the usual quality characteristics. The most pronounced changes were caused by GA, C, AT, and Kn. GA stimulated growth generally; C inhibited it. AT stimulated all manifestations of growth except rootlet and acrospire growth. Kn improved some desirable properties but decreased beta-amylase activity and increased acrospire growth. IAA increased only laboratory wort nitrogen, alpha-amylase activity, and rootlet growth. Cn and Hcp decreased diastatic power and beta-amylase but increased alpha-amylase; their effect on rootlet growth depended upon the concentration applied. Worts and beers from malts treated with GA, Kn, and AT were slightly dark. The results suggest that there may be situations in which some of these or similar materials could be used in malting.