At iba 2023, booth 444 in hall B3, Brabender, as the world's leading manufacturer of laboratory solutions, will present several new devices. One of these innovations is the GlutoPeak, for the determination of gluten quality in the rapid process of grist, flour, vital gluten and baking mixes.
Characterization of flour and gluten is essential in the industrial production of various baked goods, such as wafers, bread and cookies, as well as in the grain and milling industries for an optimal product. The Brabender GlutoPeak not only provides information on the quality as well as the baking properties of flour and gluten (vital gluten) in a rapid process, but can also determine the influence of additives or other ingredients, such as salt, sugar or sourdough on flour or the dough: “The GlutoPeak measures the aggregation behavior of gluten in order to describe its processing and baking properties. To do this, it creates a rheological fingerprint of a sample in the form of a torque curve”, explains Markus Löns, Business Development Manager Food and Feed at Brabender.
Proven measuring principle paired with new functions
Brabender has now launched the device with the proven measuring principle in a new design and is showing it for the first time at the iba trade fair in Munich. The device's automatically lowerable measuring head ensures a uniform lowering speed, thus eliminating the user's influence on the measurement result: “The measurements are thus even more accurate and precise. In addition, the measurement results are displayed over time for long-term control”, notes Viktor Schäfer, Business Development Manager Software Solutions at Brabender. The viscometer, which is equipped with a measuring cup and rotating paddle, operates fully automatically and offers raw material-dependent measuring methods as well as evaluations.
Visually, the new GlutoPeak is based on the new Brabender devices in the ViscoQuick design and comes with an integrated PC and swiveling touchscreen for even more user-friendliness: “The GlutoPeak scores with its compact design. The integrated cable guide also makes cleaning the unit easier than before”, emphasizes Viktor Schäfer.
Automated and fast process
Another advantage is the integrated temperature control by means of Peltier elements. This means that an additional thermostat is no longer necessary. Within 30 seconds to ten minutes, the device measures at a constant speed. The procedure runs automatically and only small sample quantities of 2.5-12 grams are required for the measurement.
Like all new laboratory solutions from Brabender, the new GlutoPeak also features the familiar MetaBridge software. Using this pre-installed standard software, the user benefits from flexible data access via web browser and can request support from a Brabender technician as quickly as possible via the integrated remote maintenance and feedback function. Measured values can also be easily transferred automatically between the GlutoPeak and other measuring devices.
Save time and resources
The GlutoPeak is also suitable for determining the quality of grain in a fast-track process in the incoming goods department. This means that an overview of the quality of grain deliveries can be obtained in the shortest possible time and decisions can be made quickly about the quality of raw materials and a storage decision (silo allocation) can be made at the mill. Breeding successes of grain varieties and drying and heat damage to flour and dry gluten can be detected more easily. If the material examined is unsuitable for the intended use, further measurements can be avoided. This not only saves time and resources, but also money. “The GlutoPeak helps to shorten the incoming goods inspection and, in the milling industry, serves as an aid in production monitoring and final inspection of flours", emphasizes Schäfer.
The Brabender methods Rapid Flour Check, Rapid Gluten Check and Low Protein Check offer additional advantages in test evaluation. Rapid Flour Check is a method that allows GlutoPeak measurement results to be evaluated even more precisely. It makes it possible to quickly determine protein content, wet gluten, water absorption and W-value of flour in a good approximation. With the Rapid Gluten Check, the quality of dry vital gluten can be assessed quickly and easily. As a further development, the Low Protein Check method (LPC) is available, which is especially adapted to the properties of low-protein flours.
More efficiency with the Brabender 3-phase system
The GlutoPeak can be used as a precursor or supplement to the analysis of flour with the Brabender 3-Phase System (Farinograph, Extensograph, Amylograph). With the determination of the water absorption of the flour and the kneading behavior of the dough, the FarinoGraph forms the first stage of the 3-phase system, which maps the production of bakery and pasta products on a laboratory scale. In the second stage of the 3-phase system, the Extensograph determines processing properties and the gas retention capacity of the dough. Finally, the third stage follows with the Amylograph, which analyzes the gelatinization properties of starch as well as enzyme activity and baking properties of flour.
