Chopin alveograph facts for kids
The Chopin Alveograph is a special tool used to check the quality of flour. It works by blowing up a bubble in a thin piece of dough made from the flour. When the bubble bursts, the machine measures how strong and stretchy the dough was. These measurements help people know if the flour is good for making different things, like bread or pastries.
This clever machine was invented in France in 1920 by a man named Marcel Chopin. He first called it the Extensimeter.
History of the Alveograph
Marcel Chopin developed the Chopin Alveograph in France in the late 1920s. Today, it's used all over the world in bakeries and flour mills. The test it performs, called the alveographic test, helps measure how tough, stretchy, and springy dough is. Knowing the strength of different flours is a great way to tell how well they will bake.
In France, this tool has been part of the rules for milling flour since at least 1963. It helps make sure the flour is right for making traditional French bread.
A famous scientist named Norman Borlaug, who won the Nobel Prize in 1970, even used this invention. He used it to choose the best types of wheat that could grow well in hot, tropical places.
How the Alveograph Works
The Chopin Alveograph has two main parts that work together:
- A kneading machine that mixes the flour and water to make dough. It also helps prepare small pieces of dough for the test.
- The alveograph itself which measures how much a piece of dough can stretch in three directions, like a bubble. This stretching shows how the dough behaves when gas pushes on it, just like when bread rises.
The Chopin Alveograph is still used today and is made by Chopin Technologies. This company also makes another device called the Mixolab. The Mixolab can do many things, like checking if flour has been damaged by pests or fungus. It can also see how well insecticides and fungicides protect the flour.
Using the Alveograph
To use the Chopin Alveograph, there's a set way to do things. First, the machine needs to be calibrated. This means making sure its measurements are accurate, like tuning a musical instrument. You press buttons and adjust settings to make sure it's ready for testing.
After calibration, you can start the experience or test.
- You pour a specific amount of flour (like 250 grams) into the machine.
- Then, you add a special salt solution, the amount of which depends on how much moisture is in the flour.
- The machine mixes the dough, and you prepare small, flat pieces of it.
- These dough pieces are then placed in the alveograph. The machine inflates them like a balloon until they burst.
- The machine records how much air pressure was needed and how much the dough stretched before it broke. These numbers tell you all about the flour's strength and quality.
- After each test, the machine needs to be cleaned and reset for the next sample.
See also
In Spanish: Alveógrafo de Chopin para niños
