The sprouting test consisted in placing a monolayer formed from grains of the examined sample (120 g at 11.5 % moisture) between layers of filter blotting paper (29 g when dry) wetted with distilled water. Different degrees of sprouting, at constant period of duration (72 h), were achieved by the use of different amounts of water added (from 20 to 80 g), causing a wide range of moistening the grains (from 18.6 to 40.2 %). With the increase in the grain moisture content, the proceeding process of sprouting gradually produced a decrease in the falling number and the hardness index of single grains (SKCS). The permissible moistures of grain, at which the course of sprouting did not cause of significant changes in activities of a-amylase as well in the hardness of single grains has been determined.