|
|
|
|
Country Living Grain Mill
MADE IN THE USA *LIFETIME WARRANTY
- Solid I-beam construction from cast aircraft aluminum
- Double sealed agricultural-grade bearings
- FDA approved, food-grade powder coating
- Stainless steel shaft
- High-carbon steel grinding plates
- Adjustable output; from cracked wheat to pastry flour in one pass
A rugged and durable mill, designed to last for generations.
*Lifetime Warranty includes all parts, except the grinding plates
which are a wear item. Grinding plate longevity will vary depending on
usage, but you can expect them to easily last for several years with
daily home use.
Note: Before shipping, we test grind some wheat with each mill to
ensure that it is functioning properly. If you are gluten intolerant
please note that in the requests and concerns portion of the order form
so that we can test your mill with an alternate grain such as rice.
A Look Inside The Country Living Grain Mill
The Country Living Mill is without a doubt the most rugged manual
grinder on the market today. Two rugged Ball Bearings. The only grinder
like it. Built smart for tough times.
It is the only grinder, of which I am aware, that utilizes
two industrial-grade ball-bearings. Other comparable grinders that cost
around $200.00 more than the Country Living mill use brass bushings.
Many grinders use only one large bushing, but the Country
Living Mill has two sealed ball bearings spaced apart* which increases
the stability of the drive shaft and reduces bearing strain.
*The bearing placement can be seen highlighted in red on the diagram to the right.
The photo below that shows what the grinder looks like when
the threaded adjustment knob, the rotating burr, the drive key and
grain auger have been removed. The grinder must be broken down to this
point to install the bean and corn auger. If you wished, you could
now pull the drive shaft out of the mill from the crank side. You can
see that this grinder is amazingly easy to take apart and clean.
The quest for a superior grinding plate has been neither easy nor inexpensive.
Fine - Tough - Long Lasting - High-Carbon Steel: Country Living Grinding Plates.
When
I started manufacturing the Country Living Grain Mill we used a cast
iron plate made from sand castings. They worked, but there was not
enough control over every aspect of the grinding plate. So recently we
decided to spend thousands of dollars more on an injection die that
would allow us to create individual wax patterns for each set of
plates. For many centuries, artisans of fine (and very expensive)
sculptings have used this "Lost Wax" process for reproducing their
masterpieces.
This state of the art "investment" casting method is so
accurate that it could reproduce even a fingerprint if necessary. So,
just like the great sculptors who have captured their timeless and
priceless creations in metal over the centuries, each set of Country
Living high-carbon steel grinding plates is formed using a refined
version of the ancient time-proven lost wax process.
Each plate has its own wax model which is coated with a
colloidal silica slurry. Then, it's put into an autoclave (an oven
using both heat and pressure). This, of course, melts the wax (Lost
Wax) leaving only the shell. This shell, because of the heat and
pressure, turns it into an extra ordinarily tough monolithic
structure.
Finally, 3,000 degree molten high-carbon steel is poured
into the shells. Once cooled and hardened, the plates must be machined
to assure complete flatness. No other grinding plates in the world go
through more exhaustive processes than the plates for your Country
Living Mill.
Jack Jenkins
Country Living Productions
Parts of the Country Living Grain Mill Grinding Mechanism
A. The Fixed Burr or Plate. Held into position by three screws.
B. The Rotating Burr or Plate
C. The Threaded Coarseness Adjustment Knob
D. The Grain Auger
E. The Key
F. Three or Four Washers.
Country Living Grain Mill Owner's Manual
The Country Living Grain Mill has been widely regarded as the world's finest hand operated grain mill for more than 35 years.
WARRANTY:
This warranty is a Limited Warranty as defined in the Consumer
Product Warranty and the Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act. It
gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights
that vary from state to state.
LENGTH: Country Living Products warrants this
Country Living Grain Mill to be free from defects in material and
workmanship under NORMAL USE and conditions for the lifetime of the
original owner which includes all parts, excluding the finish. The
grinding plates are warrantied for a period of one (1) year from the
original date of purchase. This warranty is voided during this period
if the mill is used in any way other than recommended, is motorized by
anything other than the kit manufactured by Country Living Products,
run without grain in the hopper, or used commercially.
REGISTRATION: The Warranty Registration Card
must be completed and mailed to Country Living Products, 14727 56th
Ave. NW, Stanwood, Washington 98292, within fifteen (15) days from the
date of purchase. This proof of purchase, along with purchase date,
must be on file when requesting warranty service.
WARRANTY CLAIMS: You must receive verbal or
written authorization from Country Living Products to return the mill,
plates, or any defective part. This can be obtained by writing or
calling us at the address or phone number included with these
instructions. Returned mills or mill parts must be shipped freight
prepaid to an authorized service center specified by Country Living
Products. The return shipping cost to the consumer will be the
responsibility of Country Living Products.
SHIPPING DAMAGE: Damage due to shipping should
be reported immediately to the carrier. Damage caused in shipping is
not the responsibility of Country Living Products.
SERVICE: The company will repair or, at its
discretion, replace the Grain Mill or mill parts free of charge if, in
the opinion of the company or its authorized agents, it has been
proven the problem was related to defective parts or an error in
workmanship within the warranty period.
LIMITATIONS: The warranty is void if the product
is used for any other purpose than that for which it is designed or
intended. The product must not be altered, repaired or serviced by
anyone other than the company or an authorized service center. The
product must not have been subject to accident in transit or, while in
the customer's possession, misused, abused or operated contrary to
the instructions contained in the instruction manual. This includes
failure caused by neglect, commercial use and Acts of God. This
warranty is not transferable and applies only to United States and
Canadian sales. Warranty is void if the mill is used to grind grain
soaked with an ash or slaked lime solution.
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES: Except to the
extent prohibited by law, no other warranties whether expressed or
implied, including warranty merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose, shall apply to this product. Under no
circumstances shall Country Living Products be liable for
consequential damages sustained in connection with said product and
Country Living Products neither assumes nor authorizes any
representative or other person to assume for it any obligation or
liability other than such as is expressly set forth. This warranty
covers only the Country Living Grain Mill and its specific parts, not
the food or other products processed in it.
Instructions:
CAUTIONS:
- DO NOT operate the mill without grain in the hopper.
- DO NOT get excessive moisture on plates or bearings.
- EXCESSIVE WEAR will occur if plates are run tight against each other without grain.
- For flour, use only hard, dry beans or grains. Moist or soft
beans or grains will cause clogging. When using moist beans or grains,
back off the adjustment knob. A coarse grind will produce grits and
is less likely to clog.
- A mixture of flour AND cracked grains is to be expected on coarser grinds.
- Always remove wooden handle from flywheel before motorizing mill.
- Full liability and responsibility for complying to all
Federal, State, and Local Safety Standards is assumed by any person or
persons who modify or motorize the Country Living Grain Mill in any
way. Motorized mills should be operated by adults only. Note: All
belts and pulleys not driven by hand should be enclosed for safety.
ASSEMBLY:
Your mill is packed in a partially assembled state. It will be
necessary to finish assembly before attempting to process any grains. A
drawing is provided to clarify part description and location.
Remove the mill housing and set it upright on a stable work
surface. The flywheel is packed in the bottom of the box. It locates
by means of the rear key pressed into the shaft and should be
installed by slipping it on the shaft protruding from the rear of the
mill. Hold the flywheel in place by tightening the set screw in the
hub with the hex wrench provided. The shaft should not protrude past
the flywheel.
The handle assembly threads into the hole located in the outside
edge of the flywheel until it stops. It can then be held in place by
tightening the nut against the flywheel with a 9/16" wrench (not
provided). The wood handle should spin freely on the bolt after
installation. If it does not, loosen the nut and back the bolt away
from the flywheel 1/4 turn, then re-tighten the nut against the wheel.
CAUTION: if the handle is too loose, it may pinch skin during
use.</>
Your mill is now ready for operation. Please refer to this manual for full operation instructions.
MOUNTING:
The mill must be securely mounted to a solid base (table,
counter, large board) before attempting to operate. For best results
the mounting surface should be attached to either the wall or floor.
The mill base is pre-drilled to be easily bolted or lagged to a
surface permanently. An alternative would be to clamp the mill to a
solid work surface. If you utilize this procedure, the mill base
should be protected against possible damage to the finish. This can be
done by putting something between the clamp and the mill base. The
mill should be mounted at a height that is comfortable to the user. We
found that if the center of the flywheel is located about waist
height, we seem to gain the best leverage.
OPERATION:
We grind wheat in every mill after assembly in order to test and
adjust the grinding plates. We begin by tightening the adjustment knob
until the plates are rubbing all the way around, then we pour in the
grain and grind. It is much easier to begin at a finer setting and
adjust out to a coarser setting. This adjustment procedure should be
followed anytime the plates have been opened up or removed.
If the flour produced from this setting is not the consistency
desired, it can be varied by the adjusting knob on the front of the
mill. Tightening the knob will produce a finer grind; loosening it
will produce a coarse grind or "crack" grain for cereals. Most
adjustments should require only a slight turn of the knob. After each
small adjustment, turn the fly- wheel 2 to 3 times and check the
product for desired consistency. The amount of effort required to turn
the flywheel will increase as the knob is tightened. IT SHOULD NEVER
INCREASE TO THE POINT THAT THE FLYWHEEL CANNOT BE TURNED AT ALL, OR
REQUIRES EXCESSIVE EFFORT. DAMAGE MAY OCCUR AFFECTING THE GRINDING
ABILITY OF THE PLATES. RELEASE TENSION BY BACKING OFF ON THE ADJUSTING
KNOB.
NOTE: We found that after tightening the knob to
achieve the grind desired, we can often back it off a little to
relieve the effort required to turn the flywheel and still retain the
grade of flour we wanted!
CLEANING:
The mill is easily disassembled for cleaning by removing the
adjusting knob and sliding the front plate off the shaft. BE CAREFUL
not to lose the small square key that prevents the plate from spinning
on the shaft. Removal of these parts allows access to the cutting
surfaces of the plates. Use a small brush to clean out excess flour
from corners and surfaces.
On rare occasions it may be necessary to remove and wash the
grinding plates. Use the wrench provided with the mill to remove the
screws holding the stationary plate to the housing. The plate may now
be separated from its mounting surface for thorough cleaning. If the
plates are washed, they should be dried immediately to prevent rust.
Before replacing the stationary plate, make sure that the mounting
surfaces are clean and free from any foreign matter. The plate is
designed to locate in one position only, so make sure that all the
mounting holes line up before reinstalling. The mill housing is not
designed to be submerged during cleaning. A slightly damp cloth should
suffice for cleaning the housing and its parts. If any parts of the
shaft or bearings get wet, they should be dried immediately to prevent
damage.
MOTORIZATION:
Your grain mill is designed to be easily motorized. The flywheel
is grooved for use with a standard "V" belt. We recommend using at
least a 1/3 HP motor rated at 1,150 RPM and equipped with a 1-1/2"
pulley. This ratio will produce about 115 to 120 RPM at the flywheel.
Other motors may be used, but they will need to be geared so that the
RPM at the flywheel does not exceed 120 RPM.
The motor and the mill should be securely fastened to a
substantial surface. The mill handle MUST be removed before motorized
operation. NEVER ALLOW THE MILL TO OPERATE WITHOUT GRAIN BEING
PROCESSED!! Belt size may be determined by the distance the motor is
mounted from the mill. Belt tension should not be excessive or bearing
damage may occur. Note: Due to the many variables introduced during
motorization, the warranty is void if the mill is motorized.
CAUTION: Full liability and responsibility for
complying to all Federal, State, and Local Safety Standards is assumed
by any person or persons who modify or motorize the Country Living
Grain Mill in any way. Motorized mills should be operated by adults
only. Note: All belts and pulleys not driven by hand should be
enclosed for safety.
Wheat and Grain Storage:
Choose dark, hard winter or spring wheat with a 12% or higher protein content. It should be clean and high grade.
The moisture content should be 10% or less. This low moisture
content aids in limiting insect contamination. Insects cannot
reproduce in wheat with very low moisture content. If you are going to
store wheat for long periods, make certain you take precautions to
eliminate possible contamination. Contact you local agriculture
extension office concerning long term wheat storage in your area.
To store wheat, metal containers have proven to be the most
efficient. Do not store the containers of wheat directly on a cement
or dirt floor. Instead, place the containers on wood pallets or on
shelves. This will aid in eliminating a rusting can which could affect
the quality of your wheat.
Wheat will keep indefinitely if stored properly. Make certain the
wheat remains dry. The most successful storage comes from rotating
the supply of wheat, using the older wheat before using newer wheat.
We would like to caution you when buying wheat to make certain
the wheat is dry and has the proper protein quotient. As with all
things, be a cautious shopper. If you are conscientious enough to
grind you own flour, then go the extra measure and be certain the
grains you are purchasing are the best grains available.
Manufactured by:
Country Living Products
Hooking up your Mill to an Exercise Bike
by Jack Jenkins
It
was 4:55 a.m., the time that our alarm radio does its early morning
thing. My consciousness was struggling when an announcer began
intoning something about "the most fuel-efficient machine in the
world. This marvelous machine gets 914 miles per gallon," he said.
Suddenly, I was very awake. Visions of replacing our 12
miles-to-the-gallon van leaped into my sleep-shrouded head. I listened
carefully. I was both disappointed and delighted in the same instant.
This magnificent machine was nothing less than the human body.
I had to have more information, more documentation. I called
long-distance to the radio station to see if they could give me sources
on the story, but, alas, the very stuff that radio is made of (in an
instant, here- in an instant, gone) had taken its toll. They had
erased the tape and claimed no ability to retrieve the information.
Still the thought of such phenomenal efficiency plagued me. Here we
are inhabiting one of the most efficient machines ever devised and yet
we persist in surrounding ourselves with inefficient, energy-wasting
machines, expensive convenience appliances that literally encourage
the degeneration of the most magnificent machine ever placed on earth-
the human body. It's not fair to condemn all appliances. If used
correctly they can give us the time needed to accomplish and create.
But, like many blessings, mankind has a tendency to overindulge, to
take for granted. Often we forget where to draw the line. If it's
convenient, we overindulge. If it's pleasurable, we sate ourselves.
When we cross over this line of reason and restraint, both the body
and the mind suffer.
It may be a simple thing, but to me when I spend ten to thirteen
minutes grinding- by hand- our fresh whole wheat flour in the Country
Living Grain Mill, both my body and my mind benefit. I'm keeping in
tune this 914 miles-per-gallon machine. I could never use an electric
grain mill so beneficially. Mentally, what value? The sense of pride I
feel as I walk into the kitchen with two pans of beautiful, fresh
whole wheat flour and hand them to Ann, is inestimable. A simple
thing, perhaps. But often the simple things have the greatest value.
The Country Living Grain Mill with Mounting Board and Exercycle
(The 914 Mile-Per-Gallon-Machine)
The mounting platform with a slotted 2 x 6 board locks the
exercycle into place, while making the tension of the belt easily
adjustable. The wing nuts and bolts in the slots make it quick and
easy to make all adjustments.
- The feet of the exercycle should fit firmly against the 2x6 adjustable board.
- The wing nut and bolt (located on either side of the board) should be tightened down once proper belt tension is achieved.
- Use a three or four inch pulley hub suitable for use with a v-belt.
Creating your own 914 Mile Per Gallon Machine
Dear Friend:
Unfortunately, since there is such a huge variety of exercycles on
the market, I don't have any specific plans describing how to hook an
exercycle up to the grain mill. There is no standard pulley for the
exercycle hub that I can recommend because most of the exercycle brands
have different flywheels and hubs. The exercycle (AVITA made in
Redmond, Washington) that I have hooked up to my Country Living mill
has been off the market for at least 15 years. I actually took my
exercycle flywheel to a machinist and had him mill a pulley to fit the
hub. It cost me $40 but I have been using it for almost 20 years now,
so it has been well worth it.
I suggest that you look for an exercycle with a cast iron flywheel
and enough space between the frame and the flywheel to allow you to
bring a V-belt out from the hub. I saw an exercycle in a thrift store a
while ago for $8.50 (cheap). I guarantee that if you are patient and
look around you can find a very nice but inexpensive cycle that will
serve you well.
For the best ratio, it would be nice to put a three or four inch
pulley on the exercycle's flywheel hub. An off-the-shelf pulley might
work for you. You will have to drill holes through the pulley and match
them to holes drilled in the cast- iron flywheel. Self-tapping metal
screws will hold the pulley to the flywheel of the exercycle. Some
people have used a strong epoxy to bond the pulley on. Someone suggested
J. B. Weld - I haven't tried it, so I can't assure you of success.
Trouble is, all hubs are not created equal, so you may have to have a
machinist machine a pulley to fit the hub of the cycle that you decide
to get. Another alternative is to run your V-belt around the outside
diameter of the exercycle flywheel. The ratio isn't efficient, but I
know several folks who have done just that and they seem satisfied.
I wish you well,
Jack Jenkins
Country Living Productions
Maureen Ash developed a chain-driven system
With
the help of her neighbor, Maureen Ash developed a chain-driven system
for powering her Country Living Grain Mill with an old Schwinn
exercycle. She say's she's able to grind a hopper of wheat in five
minutes! To read her amazing story
click here.
Harvest Food Cooperative
Brett McCall uses his grain mill as part of the Harvest Food
Cooperative dining kitchen at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North
Carolina. Brett found a used flywheel, with which he replaced the
wheel of the exercycle. He centered the sprocket on the flywheel and
with the help of father-in-law, Karl Schmitt, machined a bolt to hold
it in place.
Right: Diana Schmitt on the Exercycle Right: The flywheel installed by Brett McCall
Using calipers he measured to make sure the flywheel, sprocket, and
new axle fit the bike and aligned with the chain. After a few
adjustments, and cutting the table, to which the grain mill was mounted,
down a couple inches to match the length of the v-belt, he was able
to power the grain mill with his exercycle.
Tom Farquhar's Mountain Bike Conversion
Tom Farquhar, headmaster of Potomac Maryland's Bullis
School has applied his mechanical expertise to the construction of a
conversion kit that uses his 18 speed mountain bike to grind flour
with his Country
Living grain mill.
The Fantastic Double-Grinder Exercycle
Maureen
Ash owns and rides this fabulous contraption which was created from
the magnificent mind of her neighbor, Tim Bylander. He originally
designed the exercycle conversion for one grain mill, but when Maureen
found the grinding too easy she asked him to modify it so that her
legs could power two grain mills at a time.
History Of The Grain Mill
A bad experience with an electric grain grinder started me on an
education process that has lasted well over a decade, and is still
going on.
A few of the things I've learned about grinding plates for grain mills:
1) An internationally respected research
institute dedicated to upgrading food production and resources for
third world countries extensively researched the effectiveness and
viability of grain mills with both stone plates and those with iron
and steel. Their recommendation, without reservations, iron or steel
over stone! Why? Primarily because of the grit and particulates left
behind by some grinding plates. I saw numerous pictures of skulls, both
old world and new world, with the teeth worn completely away.
Researchers say the total destruction of the teeth was the result of
eating stone ground grains.
2) A variety of stones have been used as
grinding surfaces for grain and food mills - often whatever stone has
been available has been the "stone of choice". I have even seen
sandstone grinding plates. Unfortunately, for the millions of molars
that have masticated stone-ground flour over the centuries,
particulates break away from the grinding surface quite easily. Also,
Mother
Nature is not always consistent in the stone-making department and she
doesn't discriminate against such things as lead and arsenic seeping
through the ground water or existing in the stone itself.
3) My next step in searching for the
perfect grain-grinding surface led me to a major manufacturer of stone
grinding wheels. "What are man made stones manufactured from?," I
asked. "Aluminum Oxide plus binders", was the answer. Aluminum has
long been linked to a woeful list of ailments - dreaded Alzheimer's is
the latest. Ingesting aluminum in powdered form in your bread and
pancakes is about as smart as eating slug bait for breakfast. Yet I and
thousands of others have done just that because of the misinformation
that's rife in grain grinding lore.
4) The coolness of the grind is often dependent on at least two factors:
- How efficiently the grinding surface works
- The speed of the mill
- A superior design means a cooler grind.
The quest for a superior grinding plate has been neither easy nor inexpensive.
Fine - Tough - Long Lasting - High-Carbon Steel: Country Living Grinding Plates.
When
I started manufacturing the Country Living Grain Mill we used a cast
iron plate made from sand castings. They worked, but there was not
enough control over every aspect of the grinding plate. So recently we
decided to spend thousands of dollars more on an injection die that
would allow us to create individual wax patterns for each set of
plates. For many centuries, artisans of fine (and very expensive)
sculptings have used this "Lost Wax" process for reproducing their
masterpieces.
This state of the art "investment" casting method is so
accurate that it could reproduce even a fingerprint if necessary. So,
just like the great sculptors who have captured their timeless and
priceless creations in metal over the centuries, each set of Country
Living high-carbon steel grinding plates is formed using a refined
version of the ancient time-proven lost wax process.
Each plate has its own wax model which is coated with a
colloidal silica slurry. Then, it's put into an autoclave (an oven
using both heat and pressure). This, of course, melts the wax (Lost
Wax) leaving only the shell. This shell, because of the heat and
pressure, turns it into an extra ordinarily tough monolithic
structure.
Finally, 3,000 degree molten high-carbon steel is poured
into the shells. Once cooled and hardened, the plates must be machined
to assure complete flatness. No other grinding plates in the world go
through more exhaustive processes than the plates for your Country
Living Mill.
Jack Jenkins
Country Living Productions
The Keys
If you are using the large auger, there are three keys that must be installed for the grinder to operate.
The standard auger set-up only requires two keys. The
purpose of the keys are to lock the different rotating parts of the
grinder to the drive shaft so they all turn as one unit. There's a key
locking the pulley wheel to the drive shaft, another to lock the
bean and corn auger to the drive shaft, and on the end of the grinder a
third key to lock the rotating burr of the grinder to the The
Key...drive shaft.
The keys are quite small and are easily lost. When taking
the grinder apart, be mindful of the keys. Before any disassembly,
clean your work area. More than one key has been lost in a bowl of
wheat or flour. This is especially true for those who do not know to
keep an 'eye out', a
s
the key can quite unnoticeably fall out of the groove in the drive
shaft during disassembly, then get lost in whatever floury mess you
have at the base of the grinder.
For many folks, the first indication there's something
wrong is when they reassemble their grinder, and the rotating burr
doesn't turn when they crank the handle. By this time, the key may
very well be long gone. Be careful with the keys. The grinder won't
work without them.
Urgent Mill Warning - Beware Cheap Imitations
Anyone interested in purchasing a quality hand grain mill should read this:
With the advent of Y2K, many opportunists jumped into the
self-sufficiency market with the hopes of reaping a quick profit then
making an equally quick exit. Long term commitment and service to
their customers isn't a consideration with many of these opportunists -
some are actually willing to abandon the time honored American virtue
of integrity and are making spurious look-alikes of long established
products with rock-solid reputations.
This deceptive practice allows them to virtually steal the reputation
and good will of a sterling company in the hopes of reaping a quick
profit. It also lets the upstarts bypass research, development and
design expenses - all at the expense of the company who has been
maintaining the highest quality and service for many decades. (Many of
us remember with anguish the shoddy look-alikes out of Asia after the
Second World War.)
Sadly, at least four upstart mills claiming "Country Living
Mill" virtues and looks, have appeared. All of them make wondrous
claims (some preliminary examinations show workmanship and quality to
be haphazard and shoddy) but none can make this most important
statement of fact:
"For 35 years we have been manufacturing as a family
business (in America) the world's finest and most acclaimed quality
hand mill - the Country Living Grain Mill. For all of those 35 years
our family has serviced and stood behind the Country Living Mill
without question. In fact, we are so sure of our past we can easily
and proudly say that any Country Living Mill purchased will have a
lifetime warranty!"
Some questions to ask when buying your mill: When did it first
appear on the market? Does it look similar to the Country Living Mill?
Where is it manufactured? Buy your next grain mill based on
established facts, not advertising fiction. Country Living Grain Mill -
the quality you will proudly bequeath to the next generation.
Jack Jenkins
Country Living Productions
Moisture: Your grain's # 1 Enemy!
by Jack Jenkins
This morning I received a phone call from a very pleasant lady from
Missouri. She said that they had bought the Country Living Mill
several months ago and that they had been very happy with it, it gave
them beautiful flour. They used wheat that they had stored in their
freezer. When they had ground the last of their freezer stored wheat
they purchased more grain, packaged in paper bags, from a nearby bulk
food store. They then stored the mill and the wheat in their
basement. After a couple of months they got in the mood for milling
again, but they were disappointed because the quality of the flour was
coarse and the mill was hard to turn.
“What happened to the mill?” she queried.
It was hard for me to believe that the mill had changed just sitting
there in the basement for a couple of months, but a lot could happen
to the grain. I made some delicate inquiries. “ Is it possible that
your basement is damp?”
“Why, er, yes I guess that it is.” She offered reluctantly.
After a few more moments of gentle probing she revealed. “ In fact
we generally have a dehumidifier running in the basement but it’s been
broken for some time.” Bingo, the moisture factor was fully exposed.
Since I’ve felt the heavy-hand of Missourian humidity on several
trips to the Midwest it hadn’t been too hard to pinpoint the culprit.
Moisture is probably the most exciting thing in the world for a
kernel of grain. And of course that’s how Mother Nature hard wired seeds
of every kind from the very beginning of this old world. If it
wasn’t so, they couldn’t sprout and reproduce. But if you want to
store and grind your grains to make meal and flour then you have to
avoid moisture like the plague. To insure maximum storage life,
nutrition and good grind-ability, you have to do everything in your
power to keep your grain dry.
Unfortunately grains that have more than ten or eleven percent moisture content don’t store well or mill well.
The good news is that grain that has absorbed too much moisture can
be dried out on a screen or cookie sheet next to a heater, stove, or
in the oven—110 to 125 degrees will work nicely. As soon as it has
cooled pop the grain into a waterproof bucket or another airtight
container.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|