Questions about milling your own flour...

[Hopeful]

I want to mill my own flour.

I can either get an electric flour mill. The warranty is 5 years. It looks great and grinds with a ceramic stone.

Or for half the price I can get an attachment for my food mixer which grinds grains and seeds. It's a Kenwood Chef and I know it will last for years. It's all steel so no stone grinding. I have heard excellent reports about it.

WWYD? I'm hesitating mainly because of the ceramic stone.

[Chris3jam]

You want to get the lowest heat one. And, if the mixer attachment is fairly small, you'll be doing a lot of babysitting it. . . .on keeping it 'refilled'. The smaller ones generally generate more heat. Which ones are you looking at? Do you have links?

[Hopeful]

I'm looking at the Hawos Billy 100: http://www.hehlis-holistics.com/index.php?cPath=7_9&XTCsid=c4aed0ca0b69a967302eb3d0f30f9533 (http://www.hehlis-holistics.com/index.php?cPath=7_9&XTCsid=c4aed0ca0b69a967302eb3d0f30f9533)

or the attachment is described here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004SABY/ref=nosim/theconservativeb (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004SABY/ref=nosim/theconservativeb)

Huge price difference but I'd rather invest is something good that is going to last rather than something not so good that won't last.

My other question is: can you make good sourdough bread with home milled flour?

[Chris3jam]

Hm. Neither of them give enough information, really. For instance, the VitaMix has a special attachment and container for grain, but when I talked to the sales rep, he recommended freezing the grains first so they wouldn't get too hot while "grinding". That told me right there that I didn't want it.

Anything you have to take apart and clean is going to get dull, too, so you may have to replace it sooner.

I have the Grain Master Whisper Mill. I've had it for 15 years. It is self-cleaning and very low heat. The "selling point" was "all the benefits of stone-milling [low-heat, mostly], but none of the problems". If there is any way you can get one of those, I would recommend it, only because it's served me so well. I mean, I feel the flour it grinds, and it's warm, but nowhere near hot (like with commercial mills or some stone-grinders), even after 3 or 4 times.

And fresh milled wheat makes the most excellent sourdough bread!!!

I would see if you could actually talk to someone about the ones you are looking at.

[Hopeful]

The Whispermill looks great!
But DH isn't happy with me spending that amount - he doesn't think I'll use it much (I disagree on that point ;-))

Anyway, so I've decided to go with the attachment as I've heard good things about it.

Thanks for your help

[CakeLady]

The Whispermill looks great!


The only thing is you can't stop the machine in the middle of the grinding process. I have a Nutrimill and I :heart it. It is pricey, but well worth it!

[Chris3jam]

The only thing is you can't stop the machine in the middle of the grinding process.

Actually, you sort of can. You can quickly scoop out what's in the hopper, let it finish what's in the grinder, and stop it that way.

[Hopeful]

Well, I decided to save up and buy a 'proper' mill!

[Jillian]

Really stupid question, I'm sure...but where do you buy the wheat to grind your own flour? Do you grow it yourself?

:hiding

[Chris3jam]

I get it from a co-op. It's wheat from Walton Feed Co. ( http://www.waltonfeed.com/ ). There's a food warehouse that sends out a postcard every 3 months or so, and you call them and order and then come pick it up at a specified time. It used to be run by an individual. . .but this is better.

Some health food stores will sell wheat berries, too.

[CakeLady]

I get it from a local store. I live in Mormon country so there are a few places that cater to their philosophy....and I take advantage of some of it. :grin

[KatieMae]

Ooo, I'm glad I saw this thread! :tu Ladies with the WhisperMill & Nutrimill - compared to, say, a typical dishwasher, how loud is your machine when it's grinding? Or, can you do it while you have children napping???

[CakeLady]

I can't do it while DD is napping...it's too loud (I have the Nutrimill and the Wispermill is just as loud). However, DD loves to help "make" flour. So we usually do it right before naptime, so she can help. Then off to bed, while I make whatever I am making...this system works well for us.

[Chris3jam]

It never bothered my kids. . .napping or not. . . . :shrug They're used to it. It would probably like running a vacuum.

[Hopeful]

Hurray!
The Whispermill is on offer and I've had some unexpected money!!
So I'm off to order it.
The only thing against it is that the other ones I was looking at were made of wood and very pretty...oh well, never mind.

[Hopeful]

i've just ordered 20kg wheat berries and 20kg rye berries from a website

at £18.50 each INCLUDING delivery it seemed like the best deal around.
i just hope it won't go off before i can use it.

can't wait to see DH's face when he sees the sacks!! :jawdrop :grin :grin

[Chris3jam]

i just hope it won't go off before i can use it.

Provided they stay in an uncrushed state, they will be ok for *years*. I'm still using wheat from 5 years ago. But, if it comes in sacks, you really should get an airtight bucket or something to put it in. Empty the sack of berries in a metal or otherwise 'pest-free' bucket. . .and throw in a few bay leaves. The bay leaves will kill off and/or repel any insect pests that may be inclined to feast on your fodder. :grin

[Katherine]

Can I ask what is probably just an uninformed question? :O

Why is heat an issue with a wheat grinder, considering the fact that you're gonna heat it anyway when you make the bread or whatever... ? :scratch

[Chris3jam]

Because the heat will destroy nutrients in the grain. Moisture is essential to baking, and shields the germ oil and vitamins from intensive heat directly upon them. As an example, try this experiment; put one kernel of wheat in a cup of water and let it soak overnight or until it is well soaked with moisture. Take it out of a cup, insert a straight pin in the kernel and strike a match under it and let it burn until the outside is burnt black. Now take a dry kernel and put a match under it. Notice how the dry kernel burns like a stick of wood? Now put both kernels of wheat on a sheet of paper and cut them open. You will find the kernel that was dry has completely burned up, but the one with moisture has only the shell blackened, even though the same amount of heat was applied to both kernels.

So, heating it while grinding can destroy nutrients and even the germ. Baking will not have the same effect (moisture).

[Katherine]

Cool. Good to know.

We eat whole wheat berries (cooked, obviously) in soups and breads sometimes. :)