GIFSQ Tools · Module 05 — Cereal, Grain, Flour & Milling Technology · Tool 097 of 500
Analyse a Rapid Visco Analyser profile: enter peak, trough and final viscosity, pasting temperature and peak time to get breakdown, setback and total setback.
Try sample values — fills the form with the worked example below.
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Breakdown (RVU)
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Setback (RVU)
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Total setback (RVU)
Equation: Breakdown (RVU) = peak viscosity − trough viscosity. Setback (RVU) = final viscosity − trough viscosity. Total setback (RVU) = final viscosity − peak viscosity. Viscosity in centipoise converts as 1 RVU = 12 cP.
Method: Rapid Visco Analyser, AACC 76-21. A small flour-water slurry is heated, held and cooled on a programmed profile while viscosity is recorded: the pasting temperature is where viscosity first rises, the peak is the maximum on heating, the trough is the minimum during holding, and the final viscosity is read after cooling.
Assumptions: the slurry was prepared at the standard solids level and run on the standard RVA profile; all three viscosities are from the same run, in the same unit.
Limitations: breakdown and setback are comparative indicators, not specification limits on their own; they shift with solids level, profile and amylase activity, so compare runs made the same way.
Rounding: viscosities to 1 decimal place in RVU; intermediates unrounded.
This is a calculation aid, not a laboratory report — confirm against your accredited method before citing a value.
Method: Rapid Visco Analyser, AACC 76-21. A small flour-water slurry is heated, held and cooled on a programmed profile while viscosity is recorded: the pasting temperature is where viscosity first rises, the peak is the maximum on heating, the trough is the minimum during holding, and the final viscosity is read after cooling.
Assumptions: the slurry was prepared at the standard solids level and run on the standard RVA profile; all three viscosities are from the same run, in the same unit.
Limitations: breakdown and setback are comparative indicators, not specification limits on their own; they shift with solids level, profile and amylase activity, so compare runs made the same way.
Rounding: viscosities to 1 decimal place in RVU; intermediates unrounded.
This is a calculation aid, not a laboratory report — confirm against your accredited method before citing a value.
Worked example: Peak 3200 RVU, trough 1800 RVU, final 2900 RVU, pasting temperature 68.5 °C, peak time 5.2 min. Breakdown = 3200 − 1800 = 1400 RVU; setback = 2900 − 1800 = 1100 RVU; total setback = 2900 − 3200 = −300 RVU (the paste thins on cooling, so no net setback).
Enter values above to see results.
A negative total setback means the final viscosity stayed below the peak. High breakdown points to fragile granules or high amylase activity. Tool 097 of 500 — GIFSQ
