grain mill

[JIL]

not sure if this is the right forum please move if nessecary, I am wondering if anyone has advise on which mill to get and if anyone can recommend good sources on how to use properly and then to store the flour afterwards. anything that is a really must in grains? thanks JIL

[Jeff54321]

Here's a good start:
http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/index.aspx#Nutrimill

This will explain the differences in various mills. I use a slow speed stone mill (Jupiter) as I have read that stone milling is the best way to grind grain with regards to health and nutrition.

Jeff

Plenty of folks here use grain mills regularly.

The type of mill you should buy depends on several things.

First, do you want an electric mill or one that is cranked manually?

Second, how often do you think you will really use it? As with most everything else you get what you pay for with grain mills. A quality electric one starts at about two hundred bucks (thereabouts) and the best manual mills at about three hundred. There are cheaper mills, but they come with tradeoffs that you'll need to weigh the relative merits/demerits of.

For what it is worth my regular mill is a Grainmaster Whispermill which is an impact model electric. My manual mill is a Country Living and I have a couple of Corona knockoffs. The Country Living is the for-real backup. The Grainmaster is not in production any longer, but a company bought the rights to it and now produce a similar mill called the Wonder Mill. Possibly better than that one is the Nutrimill.

If you want a manual mill for serious regular use I'd look closely at the Country Living or Diamant. If they are too pricy you might also consider the Family Living mill which many people have used and made good reports of but is not as heavy duty as the first two I mentioned. The other manual mills on the market might also serve, but they have various drawbacks that would need to be considered.

Now, as for the grains again it depends on what you want.

If you want to make yeast raised breads then some form of hard wheat - red or white, winter or spring - are what you want. Prices are pretty high right now, but you can still buy wheat and mill your own flour to make bread with cheaper than you can buy equivalent products from the store with.

Soft wheats are better for quick breads, biscuits, pastries, that sort of thing. I don't keep soft wheat much myself. When I want a biscuit or cake I want it made with white flour, but many folks like whole-grain versions so this is definitely something to consider if you are interested.

Corn is another. Fresh, whole-grain corn meal is a different tasting product from the bolted meal you get from the grocery. Just make sure your mill is up to a regular diet of corn. It is a hard grain and not all mills are up to the job, especially milling popcorn. The Country Living, Diamant, Wonder and Nutrimills will digest it just fine.

Storage should be in your refrigerator or freezer if you aren't going to be using it within a day or so. Home milled grains contain all of the grain germ which includes some perishable oils that want to start going rancid after a few days to a week depending on temperature. I mill flour and meal about every two weeks or so and keep it in my refrigerator until needed.

If this didn't answer all of your questions feel free to come back with more.

.....Alan.

[paintlady]

I've got the Nutrimill. I love it because it will grind any kind of grain and even corn, but it is a bit loud. You can also adjust the texture of the flour from coarse to very fine. The hopper holds a lot of grain. I store mine in Tupperware.

[wantabunch]

If you have a kitchenaid, you can get a grain mill attachment. I got the kitchenaid professional 600 for Christmas, and got the grain mill attachment for about $78. (129.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond, minus 20% off coupon BBB always gives out, minus 25% off attachment rebate that goes thru 1/31/08). I was considering a Nutrimill, but wasn't sure if we'd really use it that much, (to justify the expense) but for less than $80, I was willing to take the chance. And I DO use it. I have been making 100% whole wheat bread, rolls, pizza dough, etc. constantly, and they're wonderful!

I use hard white wheat for my yeast products, and I've been using 50% soft white wheat for things like cookies. I add a tablespoon or two of vital wheat gluten to the yeast products. I read that much of the vitamins/minerals will dissipate out of the flour within 3 days of grinding, so I grind fresh each time I use it.

Here's the yummy bread I've been making (I use all wheat flour and add gluten): http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Simple-...ad/Detail.aspx

Good luck,
Alison

[Pelenaka]

Alan, very good post.
We have a Back to Basics manual bought on ebay for under $20 if memory serves me right. I can get a fine enough grind for cake flour is needed for my preference.
Grind winter wheat & rye for the most part, have done millet and buckwheat when I am craving pancakes. Hope to glean enough amaranth this fall to bake up a loaf or two.
We bake about 4 loaves of bread a month currently rye since I over bough by a bushel.
Orginally the plan was to learn (is grinding a task we are actually gonna do ) on the BTB mill then trade up. Funny thing is once everyone got a true taste of grinding our bread consumption decreased.
I usually have the childen grind the day I'm gonna bake.
~~ pelenaka ~~

[piglady]

We have a Country Living and we absolutely love it. It has a life time warranty and is made in the USA, not China. Works like a charm. I did my research before we bought one and it seemed to be tops in all the studies. I see why. Very pleased with the product.



As for grain, we buy 200 pounds at a time because it is the cheapest shipping per pound. I got 50 of hard wheat (breads), 50 soft wheat (corn bread and pastry), 50 corn, 25 flax, and 25 durum. It came from Waltons and they are on the internet. I keep it in a cold closet and grind it as I use it. It makes the best corn bread you will ever eat (1/2 corn and 1/2 soft wheat). I mix a little flax in with each grind just for health and it does not change the taste.

[Jim-mi]

I have a Vita Mix and have ground the wheat berries to flour (with the dry container)
Put in two cups of berries and in factory recommended time of one minute--flour.

Shure makes good bread.

Yes the Vita Mix is a bit spendy.

[tamilee]

Originally Posted by JIL

not sure if this is the right forum please move if nessecary, I am wondering if anyone has advise on which mill to get and if anyone can recommend good sources on how to use properly and then to store the flour afterwards. anything that is a really must in grains? thanks JIL

HI JIL;
I use the Back To Basics grain mill. It was the least expensive at around $80.00 including shipping. I think I got it from Amazon.com. I want The Country Living Grain Mill but its $300.00 price tag is a bit steep for me right now.
I use the Back to Basics for grinding wheat, soybeans and corn. The drawbacks to this grain mill;
It's slow about a cup every three-four minutes.
It has only burrr.
Can't grind to a fine product.
I have to repeatedly tighten down the clamp.

But, I do enjoy using it.
tamilee

[JIL]

thanks for all the input I am making a copy of this thanks JIL

[Blair]

Does anyone use the electric Retsel grain mill and opinions on it?

[Goatguy]

I have also been considering a hand mill of sorts. Question though, just how much better tasting is the food that is made with home ground wheat? Is there a significant taste difference or do most of you do it just for the health and independence of it?

[Blair]

There is a VAST DIFFERENCE in taste. Like comparing pastries from a vending machine to fresh donuts out of the fryer and dipped in icing! Mmmm!

[Batt]

I purchased a Sunshine Nugget mill a little over a year ago, and though I haven' t used it as much as I should have, it seems real nice. The reason I didn't use it was that it was a hand crank, and too much work unless really necessary. A couple of the reasons I purchased it was 1. It could be motorized. 2. It came with both burrs and stones so I could grind about anything. Finally got it motorized and it works just great now.

Anyway here is a link:Sunshine Nugget Mill Made in USA, Lifetime Warranty, About $200

[woodsrunner]

Hey piglady!

You know you could turn that thing 90 degrees and treadle power it!

[Dubi]

[QUOTE=wantabunch]minus 25% off attachment rebate that goes thru 1/31/08). /QUOTE]

Hi Alison,
Can you please point me to that Kitchenaid rebate info? I could only find one from 2007.

Thanks--
Dubi

[wantabunch]

Oh, I'm sorry, it looks like I misspoke about the rebate. It has to be Postmarked by Jan 31, but purchase had to be made by Dec. 31. So it is "closed" and has been removed from their website. If you did buy one between Nov 18 and Dec 31 2007, you are eligible for the 25% rebate, though, and I would contact them ASAP.

You can still get one for the normal 20% off BB&B coupon, which would end up being about $104, though. Or usually in the spring they have other (different) rebates coming out.

Sorry about that!

[Toads tool]

Originally Posted by Jim-mi

I have a Vita Mix and have ground the wheat berries to flour (with the dry container)
Put in two cups of berries and in factory recommended time of one minute--flour.

Shure makes good bread.

Yes the Vita Mix is a bit spendy.

I lost my book and was wondering what the ratio/time was.

I've had a vita-mix for about 15 years. I just rescently had to replace the top spinning piece, it cracked. My wife fixed it for me, for less than 16 bucks.

[Cyngbaeld]

Not only the taste of freshly ground is vastly superior to 'bought' flour, the nutrition is superior. You get ALL the natural vitamins, not just the few artificial vitamins the gov mandates be added in order to have "enriched" flour.

I use the same brand of mill that Alan does. I also have a back up hand mill in case the power is off and the genny isn't running.