Need to dry grain before milling?
I have recently received a 1983 Magic Mill III. I read through the owner's manual and accompanying documentation and it says that moisture or oil can gum up the mill but does not mention drying your grain anywhere.
In general (bonus points for answers specific to my Magic Mill), do I need to dry my grain before milling? Like by leaving it in the oven on low heat for a while beforehand? I milled some pumpernickel flour last night without drying the rye berries and the flour bucket felt a little hot and there was some flour stuck to the millstone outlet area.
Best Answer
Grains would typically be dried for storage so that they remain dormant and don't sprout or mold. Assuming you're storing them in a sealed container and your ambient humidity isn't ridiculously high, this is probably dry enough for your purposes. Just don't wash or soak the grains without drying them thoroughly.
There's also going to be a small amount of natural oil contained in the grains which you can't really do anything about - that's probably what caused the flour sticking. The mill is designed to accommodate this, just make sure to clean it after use (to avoid any buildup) and don't add additional oil or moisture.
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Quick Answer about "Need to dry grain before milling?"
By storing grains dry, you can reduce or eliminate the risk of mold growth in grains. Molds need a high level of water activity to grow and even higher levels to produce the toxins that affect livestock. If your grain is dry, you can store it for longer. This frees you up to buy grains in larger quantities.Is grain washed before milling?
It is extremely important to clean the wheat thoroughly before preparing it for milling. Once contact between the wheat and the water has been established, it needs time to penetrate the grain.Is it necessary to dry grains before storing?
If freshly harvested grains are stored without drying they may spoil or get attacked by microorganisms, losing their germination capacity. Hence, before storing them the grains are properly dried in the sun to reduce moisture in them. This prevents the attack by insects, pests, bacteria, and fungi.How do you clean grains before milling?
Many homebrewers often neglect their grain mill, leaving it months, if not years, without cleaning....Follow these easy steps to ensure a clean and well-functioning grain mill.How is wheat cleaned before milling?
Screening or sieving to separate good quality wheat from foreign grains, sand, stones and many other types of course and fine impurities has been the principal method of cleaning wheat from the beginning of flour milling history.Milling Grain For Homebrewing Easy Guide
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