This handbook provides a basis for checking the range of quality factors that can be judged by on-the-spot examination. When barley is being received at the silo or the malt-house, it is impractical and unnecessary to use the range of precise laboratory methods devised for quality testing, although these can be used to decide about border-line samples or to resolve disputes.

Instead, an approximate indication of many quality factors can be obtained by visual examination to determine:
(a) the variety, to make sure that the load is binned with other barley of a compatible quality type;
(b) the extent of damage to grains, as an indication of how satisfactory the grain will be for the particular use for which it is offered;
(c) the degree of contamination with foreign seeds, to determine the purity of the barley, the expense involved in cleaning it and its suitability for use as human or animal food depending on the toxicity of the contaminants.

In addition to these three aspects of quality, there are other factors such as test weight and protein content that can be measured on receival of grain, but they are beyond the scope of this book.