Cereal Chem 52:678 - 686.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Mineral Content of Developing and Malted Barley.

D. J. Liu, Y. Pomeranz, and G. S. Robbins. Copyright 1975 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Three hulled and two naked barley cultivars were harvested at five stages of development. Between 2 and 3 weeks after anthesis, the barley kernels contained 73.0-89.9% of the ash, 48.3-75.3% of the protein, and 61.1-84.9% of the dry weight of the mature kernels. Ratios of specific elements in the immature and mature barleys varied widely. For mature kernels, naked barleys contained more K, P, Mg, Ca, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu than covered barleys, but the differences for Fe and Ca were smaller than those for the other elements. Total ash and mineral components of grain were more concentrated in the germ end than in the central section; the distal end section contained intermediate amounts. During steeping, the germ end lost relatively large amounts of mineral components (mainly K, the major mineral component). During malting there was a redistribution of mineral components within the barley kernel. Rootlets and shoots contained substantially more total ash, K, P, Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu than kilned malt. Ca was translocated to rootlets but not to shoots.