United States Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Marketing Service

Federal Grain Inspection Service

U.S. Standards August 2018

Distribution: FGIS, OSP, Industry Originating Office: FMD PPMAB

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Subpart B -- United States Standards for Barley

Contents

Subpart B -- United States Standards for Barley 1

Terms Defined 2

Principles Governing the Application of Standards 4

Grades and Grade Requirements 5

Special Grades and Special Grade Requirements 6
Official US Standards for Grain

Barley

August 2018

Page 2

Terms Defined

§ 810.201 Definition of barley.

Grain that, before the removal of dockage, consists of 50 percent or more of whole

kernels of cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and not more than 25 percent of other

grains for which standards have been established under the United States Grain 

Standards Act. The term “barley” as used in these standards does not include hull-less 

barley or black barley.

§ 810.202 Definition of other terms.

(a) Black barley. Barley with black hulls.

(b) Broken kernels. Barley with more than 1/4 of the kernel removed.

(c) Classes. There are two classes of barley: Malting barley and Barley.

(1) Malting barley is divided into the following two subclasses:

(i) Six-rowed Malting barley has a minimum of 95.0 percent of a six-rowed suitable

malting type that contains not more than 1.9 percent injured-by-frost kernels, 0.4 percent 

frost-damaged kernels, 0.2 percent injured-by-heat kernels, 0.1 percent heat-damaged 

kernels, 1.9 percent injured-by-mold kernels, and 0.4 percent mold-damaged kernels. 

Six-rowed Malting barley must not be infested, blighted, ergoty, garlicky, or smutty as 

defined in §810.107(b) and §810.206.

(ii)Two-rowed Malting barley. Barley that has a minimum of 95.0 percent of a two-rowed

suitable malting type that contains not more than 1.9 percent injured-by-frost kernels,

0.4 percent frost-damaged kernels, 0.2 percent injured-by-heat kernels, 0.1 percent

heat-damaged kernels, 1.9 percent injured-by-mold kernels, and 0.4 percent molddamaged kernels. Two-rowed Malting barley must not be infested, blighted, ergoty,

garlicky, or smutty as defined in § 810.107(b) and § 810.206. 

(2) Barley. Any barley of a six-rowed or two-rowed type. The class Barley is divided into

the following three subclasses:

(i) Six-rowed barley. Any six-rowed barley that contains not more than 10.0 percent of

two-rowed varieties.

(ii) Two-rowed barley. Any two-rowed barley with white hulls that contains not more

than 10.0 percent of six-rowed varieties.

(iii) Barley. Any barley that does not meet the requirements for the subclasses Sixrowed barley or Two-rowed barley.
Official US Standards for Grain

Barley

August 2018

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(d) Damaged kernels. Kernels, pieces of barley kernels, other grains, and wild oats that

are badly ground-damaged, badly weather-damaged, diseased, frost-damaged, germdamaged, heat-damaged, injured-by-heat, insect-bored, mold-damaged, sproutdamaged, or otherwise materially damaged.

(e) Dockage. All matter other than barley that can be removed from the original sample

by use of an approved device according to procedures prescribed in FGIS instructions.

Also, underdeveloped, shriveled, and small pieces of barley kernels removed in properly

separating the material other than barley and that cannot be recovered by properly

rescreening or recleaning.

(f) Foreign material. All matter other than barley, other grains, and wild oats that remains

in the sample after removal of dockage.

(g) Frost-damaged kernels. Kernels, pieces of barley kernels, other grains, and wild oats

that are badly shrunken and distinctly discolored black or brown by frost.

(h) Germ-damaged kernels. Kernels, pieces of barley kernels, other grains, and wild oats 

that have dead or discolored germ ends.

(i) Heat-damaged kernels. Kernels, pieces of barley kernels, other grains, and wild oats

that are materially discolored and damaged by heat.

(j) Injured-by-frost kernels. Kernels and pieces of barley kernels that are distinctly 

indented, immature, or shrunken in appearance or that are light green in color as a result 

of frost before maturity.

(k) Injured-by-heat kernels. Kernels, pieces of barley kernels, other grains, and wild oats

that are slightly discolored as a result of heat.

(l) Injured-by-mold kernels. Kernels and pieces of barley kernels containing slight

evidence of mold.

(m) Mold-damaged kernels. Kernels, pieces of barley kernels, other grains, and wild

oats that are weathered and contain considerable evidence of mold.

(n) Other grains. Black barley, corn, cultivated buckwheat, einkorn, emmer, flaxseed,

guar, hull-less barley, nongrain sorghum, oats, Polish wheat, popcorn, poulard wheat,

rice, rye, safflower, sorghum, soybeans, spelt, sunflower seed, sweet corn, triticale, and

wheat.

(o) Plump barley. Barley that remains on top of a 6/64 x 3/4 slotted-hole sieve after

sieving according to procedures prescribed in FGIS instructions.

(p) Sieves. 
Official US Standards for Grain

Barley

August 2018

Page 4

(1) 5/64 x 3/4 slotted-hole sieve. A metal sieve 0.032 inch thick with slotted perforations

0.0781 (5/64) inch by 0.750 (3/4) inch.

(2) 5.5/64 x 3/4 slotted-hole sieve. A metal sieve 0.032 inch thick with slotted

perforations 0.0895 (5.5/64) inch by 0.750 (3/4) inch.

(3) 6/64 x 3/4 slotted-hole sieve. A metal sieve 0.032 inch thick with slotted perforations

0.0937 (6/64) inch by 0.750 (3/4) inch.

(q) Skinned and broken kernels. Barley kernels that have one-third or more of the hull

removed, or that the hull is loose or missing over the germ, or broken kernels, or whole

kernels that have a part or all of the germ missing.

(r) Sound barley. Kernels and pieces of barley kernels that are not damaged as defined

under (d) of this section.

(s) Suitable malting type. Varieties of malting barley that are recommended by the

American Malting Barley Association and other malting type(s) used by the malting and

brewing industry. The varieties are listed in AMS’s instructions.

(t) Thin barley. Thin barley shall be defined for the appropriate class as follows:

(1) Malting barley. Six-rowed Malting barley that passes through a 5/64 x 3/4 slottedhole sieve and Two-rowed Malting barley which passes through a 5.5/64 x 3/4 slottedhole sieve in accordance with procedures prescribed in AMS’s instructions.

(2) Barley. Six-rowed barley, Two-rowed barley, or Barley that passes through a 5/64 x

3/4 slotted-hole sieve in accordance with procedures prescribed in AMS’s instructions. 

(u) Wild oats. Seeds of Avena fatua L. and A. sterilis L.

Principles Governing the Application of Standards

§ 810.203 Basis of determination.

All other determinations. Each determination of heat-damaged kernels, injured-by-heat

kernels, and white or blue aleurone layers in Six-rowed barley is made on pearled,

dockage-free barley. Other determinations not specifically provided for under the

General Provisions are made on the basis of the grain when free from dockage, except

the determination of odor is made on either the basis of the grain as a whole or the grain

when free from dockage.
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Barley

August 2018

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Grades and Grade Requirements

§ 810.204 Grades and grade requirements for Six-rowed Malting barley.

SIX-ROWED MALTING BARLEY

Grade

 Minimum Limits of - Maximum Limits of -

Test 

weight per 

bushel 

(pounds)

Suitable 

malting 

type 

(percent)

Sound 

barley1

(percent)

Damaged 

kernels1

(percent)

Wild oats 

(percent)

Foreign 

material

(percent)

Other 

grains 

(percent)

Skinned 

and broken 

kernels 

(percent)

Thin

barley

(percent)

U.S. No. 1 47.0 97.0 98.0 2.0 1.0 0.5 2.0 4.0 7.0

U.S. No. 2 45.0 97.0 98.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 3.0 6.0 10.0

U.S. No. 3 43.0 95.0 96.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 5.0 8.0 15.0

U.S. No. 4 43.0 95.0 93.0 5.0 3.0 3.0 5.0 10.0 15.0

1

Injured-by-frost kernels and injured-by-mold kernels are not considered damaged kernels or 

 considered against sound barley.

Notes: Malting barley must not be infested in accordance with § 810.107(b) and must not 

contain any special grades as defined in § 810.206. Six-rowed Malting barley varieties not 

meeting the requirements of this section must be graded in accordance with standards 

established for the class barley.

§ 810.205 Grades and grade requirements for Two-rowed Malting barley. TWOROWED MALTING BARLEY

Grade

 Minimum Limits of - Maximum Limits of -

Test weight 

per bushel 

(pounds)

Suitable 

malting 

type 

(percent)

Sound 

barley1

(percent)

Damage 

Kernels1

(percent)

Wild

Oats

(percent)

Foreign 

material

(percent)

Other 

grains 

(percent)

Skinned 

and 

broken 

kernels 

(percent)

Thin

barley

(percent)

U.S. No. 1 50.0 97.0 98.0 2.0 1.0 0.5 2.0 4.0 5.0

U.S. No. 2 48.0 97.0 98.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 3.0 6.0 7.0

U.S. No. 3 48.0 95.0 96.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 5.0 8.0 10.0

U.S. No. 4 48.0 95.0 93.0 5.0 3.0 3.0 5.0 10.0 10.0

1 Injured-by-frost kernels and injured-by-mold kernels are not considered damaged kernels or 

 considered against sound barley.

Notes: Malting barley must not be infested in accordance with §810.107(b) and must not contain 

any special grades as defined in § 810.206. Two-rowed Malting barley varieties not meet the 

requirements of this section must be graded in the accordance with standards established for the 

class Barley.
Official US Standards for Grain

Barley

August 2018

Page 6

§ 810.207 Grades and grade requirements for barley.

Grade

Minimum limits of Maximum limits of

Test

weight per

bushel

(pounds)

Sound

barley

(percent)

Damaged

kernels1

(percent)

Heat 

damaged

kernels

(percent)

Foreign

material

(percent)

Broken

kernels

(percent)

Thin

barley

(percent)

U.S. No. 1

U.S. No. 2

U.S. No. 3

U.S. No. 4

U.S. No. 5

47.0

45.0

43.0

40.0

36.0

97.0

94.0

90.0

85.0

75.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

0.2

0.3

0.5

1.0

3.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

4.0

8.0

12.0

18.0

28.0

10.0

15.0

25.0

35.0

75.0

U.S. Sample Grade:

U.S. Sample grade shall be barley that:

(a) Does not meet the requirements for the grades U.S. Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5; or

(b) Contains 8 or more stones or any number of stones which have an aggregate weight in excess 

of 0.2 percent of the sample weight, 2 or more pieces of glass, 3 or more crotalaria seeds 

(Crotalaria spp.), 2 or more castor beans (Ricinus communis L.), 4 or more particles of an

unknown foreign substance(s) or a commonly recognized harmful or toxic substance(s), 8 or more

cocklebur (Xanthium spp.) or similar seeds singly or in combination, 10 or more rodent pellets, bird

droppings, or equivalent quantity of other animal filth per 1-1/8 to 1-1/4 quarts of barley; or

(c) Has a musty, sour, or commercially objectionable foreign odor (except smut or garlic odor); or

(d) Is heating or otherwise of distinctly low quality.

__________

1

 Includes heat-damaged kernels. Injured-by-frost kernels and injured-by-mold kernels are not

considered damaged kernels. 

Special Grades and Special Grade Requirements

§ 810.207 Special grades and special grade requirements.

(a) Blighted barley. Barley that contains more than 4.0 percent of fungus-damaged and/

or mold-damaged kernels.

(b) Ergoty barley. Barley that contains more than 0.10 percent ergot.

(c) Garlicky barley. Barley that contains three or more green garlic bulblets, or an

equivalent quantity of dry or partly dry bulblets in 500 grams of barley.

(d) Smutty barley. Barley that has kernels covered with smut spores to give a smutty

appearance in mass, or which contains more than 0.20 percent smut balls.