Claire M.

Beron February 9, 2017

10058233 February 16, 2017

EXERCISE No. 2

Dockage Determination and Thickness Grading

I. MATERIALS AND METHODS

A. List of Materials
1. Equipment/Instruments:
a. Bates Laboratory Aspirator
b. Assorted Sieves (4/64 and 12/64)
c. Slotted Sieve (1.75 mm)
d. Digital Weighing Scale
e. Sampling Pan
2. Working Sample: 1500 grams of unclean paddy
B. Methods
The working sample was divided into three sampling pans with 500 grams of unclean
paddy each. Using a 12/64 sieve, large impurities (e.g. straws) were separated from the three
samples by passing the paddy through the sieve two times. The masses of the large impurities
removed were taken and recorded on the data sheet.
Next, a 4/64 sieve was used to separate the small impurities – seed, chaffs, etc. The
paddy was passed through the sieve once for all three samples. The masses of the impurities
collected were again taken and recorded.
The Bates Aspirator was then used to separate light impurities which included husks,
dust, and empty kernels. The samples were passed through the aspirator three times to remove
all unwanted impurities which were soon after measured and taken note of.
Lastly, the three samples were passed through a slotted 1.75mm sieve to separate the
mature grains from the immature ones. The masses of the two were weighed and recorded. The
final part of the experiment involved the computation of the percent purity and impurity and the
percent mature and immature grains of the paddy.
II. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Dockage Determination

Milling is a crucial stage in the production of rice. Its objectives include removing the husk, the
rice bran, and producing rice kernels that are free from impurities and have a low number of broken
grains (Gummert, 2013). A good rice paddy is said to possess 14% moisture content. It must be free from
stones, weeds, empty and/or half-filled grains, and must have uniform size, shape, and maturity
(Producing Good Quality Milled Rice).

According to IRRI, dockage refers to chaff, weed seeds, stones, rice straws, soil, and other
materials apart from paddy that generally come from the field or through drying on the floor. A rice
paddy that has large amounts of dockage tends to have a longer cleaning and processing time, greater
wearing and tearing of the machineries used, and reduced milling recoveries and quality (Post
Production Course).

In this exercise, a sample rice paddy sample was stripped off of impurities using only various
sieve sizes and a Bates Aspirator. The table summarizes the masses and percentage equivalents of the
impurities collected as oppose to the pure grains.

Table 1. Dockage Determination

SAMPLE LARGE SMALL LIGHT TOTAL PURITY

IMPURITIES IMPURITIES MATERIALS IMPURITIES
Grams % Grams % Grams % Grams % Grams %
Average 9.05 1.81 7.30 1.46 79.64 15.93 95.99 19.20 404.01 80.80

Large impurities made up 1.81% of the entire paddy sample. One example of large impurities is
straws. These must be removed since it might destroy or harm the machineries used once milling the
rice. Small impurities including seeds and choffs make up 1.46% of the sample while the light materials
consisting of husks, dust, and empty kernels are 15.93%. The impurity of the sample totaled to 19.20%
with light materials comprising the majority. The reason for this is probably the difficulty in determining
light materials as compared to large and small impurities. These impurities can easily be discerned
through the naked eye and can be removed manually while light materials require machines to be
separated.

The total 80.80% purity of the paddy sample can be considered satisfactory although, of course,
it would be much better if it can be made higher. It is very much ideal to obtain high percentages of pure
paddy since ensures greater rice kernels to be collected and it agrees to the objectives of milling as
earlier mentioned in the report.

B. Thickness Grading

Thickness Grading is only one of many size-grading techniques used to reduce milling variability.
Uniformity on the size of grains during milling is important for a better yield and efficiency (Grigg). Thin
kernels require shorter milling duration and thus, when not separated from the thick ones, may break
and result to a low milling yield. Various researches showed that removing thin kernels prior to milling
improved milled rice yield and head rice yield (Reidy, 2015).

The table below shows the average results of the experiment conducted on separating
immature grains from the matured ones. The mature grains comprised 97.43% of the sample which is
considered to be high enough and satisfactory.

Table 2. Thickness Grading

SAMPLE IMMATURE GRAINS MATURE GRAINS

Grams % Grams %
Average 10.35 2.57 393.66 97.43

III. CONCLUSION

Paddies have to go through a long and intricate process before it can be delivered to the market
as the rice millions and billions of people need in order to survive. It has to be stripped off of all
dockages – materials and other impurities apart from rice paddy – and separated according to its
respective sizes before it can be milled to achieve the rice kernels. Removing impurities is important for
a more effective and efficient milling time, a better quality of grains, and to avoid damaging the
equipment and machines being used in processing. It is always ideal to have a greater purity percentage
since it results to greater yield.
 On the other hand, thickness grading is important in classifying grains into different sizes. This is
essential in lessening the amount of kernel breakage due to inappropriate milling time. Thin grains must
be milled separately from thick grains to harness greater yield and productivity.

IV. REFERENCES

Bhattacharya, K. (2011). Rice Quality: A Guide to Rice Properties and Analysis. Woodhead Publishing
Series in Food Science, Technology, and Nutrition.

Grigg, B. S. (n.d.). Impacts of Thickness Grading on Milling Yields of Long-Gran Rice. Rice Quality and
Processing, 316.

Gummert, M. (2013). Rice Milling. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from Rice Knowledge Bank:
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/images/docs/rice-milling-presentation.pdf

Post Production Course. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2017, from Rice Knowledge Bank:
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/postproductioncourse/index.php/lesson-4/98-pop-
ups/139-paddy-dockage

Producing Good Quality Milled Rice. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2017, from Rice Knowledge Bank:
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/step-by-step-production/postharvest/milling/producing-
good-quality-milled-rice

Reidy, S. (2015, August 7). Rice Thickness Grading. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from World-Grain.com:
http://www.world-
grain.com/articles/news_home/Features/2015/08/Rice_Thickness_Grading.aspx?ID=%7B4DF24
E84-2F3D-4ED3-A330-69892EC84841%7D&cck=1

V. APPENDIX

Table 1. DOCKAGE DETERMINATION

SAMPLE LARGE SMALL LIGHT TOTAL PURITY

IMPURITIES, IMPURITIES, MATERIALS, IMPURITIES
STRAWS, ETC. SEED, HUSKS, DUST,
CHOFFS, ETC. EMPTY KERNELS
g % g % g % g % g %
1 8.43 1.69 6.70 1.34 63.30 12.66 78.43 15.69 421.57 84.31
2 8.77 1.75 6.30 1.26 74.58 14.92 89.65 17.93 410.35 82.07
3 9.94 1.99 8.90 1.78 101.05 20.21 119.89 23.98 380.11 76.02
Ave 9.05 1.81 7.30 1.46 79.64 15.93 95.99 19.20 404.01 80.80
Table 2. THICKNESS GRADING

SAMPLE IMMATURE GRAINS MATURE GRAINS

Grams % Grams %
1 9.07 2.15 412.50 97.85
2 10.92 2.66 399.43 97.34
3 11.06 2.91 369.05 97.09
Average 10.35 2.57 393.66 97.43