Farinograph
A Farinograph is a measuring device from Brabender for the rheological examination of wheat flours according to ICC standard no. 115/1, ISO , CEN , AACC, RACI, GB or GOST standards. This laboratory device is therefore mainly used in flour mills , by manufacturers of baking agents and large bakeries . These companies need reliable and reproducible tests of the processing quality of their raw materials in order to produce consistent products. Important quality criteria are e.g. B. the water absorption of flour, the dough development time, the dough stability during kneading and the dough softening. These values are u. a. important for the correct dough preparation and the guidance of the dough during proofing and during the baking process. In this way, the water volume and dough yield in the baking company can be adjusted to the quality of the flour.
The device is part of the three-phase system developed by Brabender, which is intended to examine and describe the processes involved in the production of baked goods (dough preparation, proofing, gelatinization):
- Farinograph - measures the possible water absorption of the flour and the kneading properties of the dough
- Extensograph - measures the stretch properties of the dough (elasticity, plasticity)
- Amylograph - measures the gelatinization properties of starch in flour
history
In 1928 Carl Wilhelm Brabender presented the first farinograph as a "wheat and wheat flour tester" that worked with recording paper and an ink pen. With this device he already presented the Brabender unit (BE) or Farinogram unit (FE) he had developed, with which he spread the torque values that are required for a dough and made them easier to use. In English, the unit is called Brabender Unit (BU) or UF. On the basis of the Farinograph, Brabender developed a testing device for plastic materials (Plastograph) in 1936. In 1979 the first computer-aided measuring devices were produced for this area. With these devices, the recorded torque values are recorded by a computer and automatically evaluated.
Principle of the method
The Farinograph measures the water absorption capacity of the flour and the consistency of a dough using the resistance it opposes to a defined kneader .
This resistance (torque) is transferred to a balance using levers and recorded in a force-time diagram , a Farinogram . Newer devices have a computer connection (generally from the year 2000) to register the curve online and to evaluate it immediately. The Farinogram describes the water absorption capacity and the behavior of the flour during dough formation (kneading time, kneading tolerance and dough development). Flours with a weak glue have a lower water absorption capacity and dough stability than flours with a strong glue. The torque measuring range is described by the Farinogram unit (FE) (specially developed by C. W. Brabender). At that time, the writing paper had a scale of 0–1000 Braben units. 500 units were marked with a thick line. The original Farinograph was set to 500 units using bread dough (wheat). That corresponded to the middle of the writing paper. This enables the water absorption capacity of milled products to be determined in a reproducible and practical manner.
Today's Farinograph can knead samples up to approx. 2000 Farinograph units.
execution
- Titration curve: 300 g flour (with 14% moisture) are gradually added as much water until a consistency of 500 Farinogram units is achieved. This corresponds to the usual dough firmness in the bakery. The amount of water required is given as a percentage of the flour (example: 60% water absorption). The water is added by means of a burette or an automatic dosage. The flour and kneader must be tempered to 30 ° C before the measurement, because the water absorption capacity is temperature-dependent. By absorbing water, the baker knows how much water he can add to the flour in order to obtain an optimal dough.
- Farinogram curve: In a second test, the same amount of flour is added as much water within 22 s as was determined in the titration curve. Now let the kneader run until the curve shows clear signs of dough softening and can be evaluated, but at least twelve minutes after the curve has reached the maximum.
Farinogram curve and evaluation
Evaluation of a Farinogram curve
Farinogram of a strong flour
Farinogram of a weak flour
From a Farinogram z. B. read the following values:
- the dough development time (= the time it takes to reach the maximum consistency of the mean value of the curve - between 480 Farinogram units (FE) and 520 FE),
- the dough stability (= the time in which the maximum curve remains above the 500 FE line) and
- the dough softening (2 types of dough softening: 10 min after the addition of water and 12 min after the dough development time. Both describe how much the consistency of the dough changes in Farinograph units per unit of time.) Furthermore, AACC describes method 54-21 with the 20 min Drop a similar slope triangle. This is the decrease from the maximum value of the mean value curve at the time of the dough development time and the value 20 minutes after the addition of water (AACC54-21).
The international standard evaluations differ slightly, as there are a large number of different flours internationally, with a focus on country-specific baked goods or baking processes.
The Farinograph is also used to measure other doughs or materials, e.g. B. for wafer flour with the P600 planetary mixer, for chocolate with the R 100 or Sigma 300g mixer or z. B. with the grain hardness tester (mill attachment) to determine the grain hardness. A total of 15 different types of kneader can be used for a wide variety of applications.
Web links
- Manufacturer's data sheet (PDF; 680 kB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ ICC Standard 115/1 for the Farinogram ( Memento of the original from October 22, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ History of Brabender appliances , accessed on May 6, 2014
- ↑ The manufacturer's product brochure ( Memento of the original dated November 3, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 286 kB)
- ↑ Wilfried Seibel (Ed.): Warenkunde grain . AgriMedia, Bergen / Dumme 2005, ISBN 3-86037-257-2 .
- ^ Burghard Kirsch: Milling technology, materials science. Composition, study, evaluation and use of grain and grain products . 8th edition. Bayerischer Müllerbund, Munich 2016, ISBN 978-3-9812436-6-6 .
