RAPID DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE IN GRAIN: I. COMPARISON OF 130 °C. AIR OVEN AND BROWN-DUVEL METHODS WITH VACUUM OVEN METHOD

Abstract

Some 300 samples of hard red spring wheat, 50 of amber durum wheat and 75 each of oats and barley, covering the entire moisture range of commercial importance, were employed in the comparisons. Provision was made for statistical estimation of sampling errors, errors of method and errors of observation. A two-stage drying procedure was employed for the vacuum oven determinations which were taken as the reference standard. Sampling errors, average difference between identical ovens and errors due to daily fluctuations were all larger than the standard deviation of duplicates ("experimental error"), the sampling error being the largest.A comparison of the Hobart and Wiley grinders shows the latter to be superior for preparing wheat for the 130 °C. air oven determination. The air oven consistently underestimates the moisture content of all the grains tested, as compared with the vacuum oven, the deficit increasing with the actual moisture content. This systematic bias may be eliminated by means of a linear correction equation. After allowing for the observed sampling errors and errors of the vacuum oven determination, the net standard error of prediction with the air oven using a Wiley mill is, with hard red spring wheat 0.24%, with amber durum wheat 0.12%, with barley 0.20% and with oats 0.20% moisture.The Brown-Duvel method also underestimates the moisture content, this deficit also increasing with the actual moisture content in the case of spring and amber durum wheat. After applying a correction equation to eliminate the systematic bias, the net standard error of prediction of moisture by this method was found to be: with hard red spring wheat 0.16%, with durum wheat 0.09%, with barley 0.12% and with oats 0.13%. The Brown-Duvel method, therefore, when carefully operated makes possible a more consistent estimate of the actual moisture content, as determined by the vacuum oven, than does the 130 °C. air oven method. As with the vacuum oven, both the 130 °C. air oven and the Brown-Duvel appear to be subject to slight variations affecting all the determinations made on any particular day.