Today in 1973, US Patent 3896001 A was issued, an invention of James Barrett, Brian Heys Kirsop, and Godfrey Henry Oliver Palmer, assigned to Brewing Patents Ltd., for their “Malting Processes.” Here’s the Abstract:

A process for the production of malt comprises removing a part of the husk of the barley, steeping the barley, treating the barley with aqueous mineral acid and with gibberellic acid, and allowing the barley to germinate. The combination of treatment steps is claimed to improve the rate of germination.