If you have ever wondered about how to ruin the perfect beer, the answer is barley. Dormant grains and uneven germination of barley seeds result in unevenly modified malts that have an unpleasant flavour. Mr Charles Glass wouldn’t be very impressed with that, would he?
In preparation of a Better World by 2025, the SAB is moving towards smart agriculture by connecting thousands of farmers to technologies and skills. In this case, the technology is the rapid screening of barley seeds, and the skilled innovation specialist in the biotechnology, chemical and applied sciences space – Joseph Walker.
There are many strict protocols followed in creating the perfect brew. One of them is ensuring that the barley seeds have germinated when transported to the brewing house. Uneven germination does not only result in unpleasant flavour, it is also a financial loss.
If the seeds have germinated when they are weighed on the truck, it means that they will rot and the load will be rendered as useless. Joseph Walker has been working on a new technology that will replace the current testing method.
Walker explained that the test is similar to a pregnancy test and will be just as easy to use. He went on to state that the project is still in the intermediate stage, where he is still working with pure chemicals to represent what happens in nature in order to prove that the technology is viable. If successful, the process will replace the current method.
In a country that spends 2.1% of its household spending on beer, all necessary measures must be taken to continuously produce perfect ‘cold ones’. Resolution Circle cannot wait to see Walker’s technology save the agriculture sector millions of rands in seed loss; and with 2025 fast approaching, we also cannot wait to see the SAB align their environmental, social and alcohol responsibility to make the world a better place.
Besides being a training hub that focused on skills development and providing skills development in the engineering sector, Resolution Circle is also keen on engineering technology. Find out more about us here: https://resolutioncircle.co.za.www1.jnb2.host-h.net/
