Cereal Chem 54:627 - 637.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Factors Influencing the Rate of Moisture Penetration into Wheat During Tempering.

N. L. Stenvert and K. Kingswood. Copyright 1977 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Moisture penetration into wheat during tempering was investigated by an autoradiographic technique. The structure of the starchy endosperm, as determined by scanning electron microscopy, was found to be very significant in affecting the rate of moisture penetration, with the subaleurone region appearing to be rate limiting. The more ordered the endosperm structure became, the slower the rate of moisture movement. Protein content and distribution were also of significance, because they generally contributed to a more ordered endosperm structure. The time required after damping to reach an even distribution of moisture in the grain ranged from 6 hr to well over 24 hr, depending on the variety and specific type of kernel (vitreous vs. mealy; high protein vs. low protein) chosen within a variety.