Abstract
Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the storage and quality characteristics of brown rice under the low temperature warehouse conditions using ambient cold air in the winter. Methods: This new technique maintains rough rice warehouse temperature below $15^{\circ}C$ without cooling operation until the end of May. Four hundred tons of rough rice were stored in the low temperature grain warehouse, and were aerated from the top to the bottom using ambient cold air in February. The quality of rough rice was evaluated from February through October. Results: The results were as followings. Moisture contents of rough rice in the low temperature storage had decreased less than the ordinary temperature storage. Cracked rate of brown rice in the ordinary temperature storage and low temperature storage increased by 4~10.8% and 1.6~7.2%, respectively. The germination rate of rough rice under the ordinary and the low temperature warehouse decreased by 15.0~25.0% and 1.7~8.0%, respectively. The acid value of brown rice under the ordinary and the low temperature warehouse increased by 3.67~6.72 KOH mg/100g and 3.08~4.08 KOH mg/100g, respectively. Conclusions: The result indicates that low temperature storage using ambient winter air showed better maintaining germination of rice, less change of physiological activities and cracked kernel, and better maintaining of rice quality, comparing the ordinary temperature storage.
