Grain milling is a complex process that involves several stages to turn grains into flour or other food products. Here is a detailed description of the main stages of grain milling: 1. Cleaning
Objective: To remove impurities and foreign matter from grain grains
Sifting: Using sieves to remove large impurities such as stones, straw and other debris.
Vacuuming: Removing dust and light impurities using air currents.
Magnetic separation: Removing metal particles using magnets.
Washing and drying: In some cases, grains are washed and then dried to remove additional impurities and facilitate milling. 2. Conditioning
Objective: To prepare grains for milling by adjusting the moisture content.Crushing
Adding water: The grains are moistened to make the bran more pliable and reduce germ breakage during milling.
Resting: The moistened grains rest for a variable period (from a few hours to a day) to allow the moisture to distribute evenly.3. Milling
Obiettivo: Frantumare i chicchi in particelle più piccole e separare i diversi componenti. Frantumazione
Breaking: The grains are crushed between rollers to break the structure and begin to separate the bran from the endosperm.
Sifting: After each pass through the rollers, the milled material is sieved to separate the flour from the bran and other larger particles.
Reduction
Reduction rollers: The endosperm is further ground in successive passes to obtain an increasingly fine flour.
Setacciatura ripetuta: Ogni passaggio nei rulli di riduzione è seguito da una setacciatura per separare la farina fine dalle particelle più grosse che necessitano di ulteriori macinazioni. 4. Separation and Purification
Objective: To remove residual impurities and obtain a high-quality flour. Purifiers: Use of purifying machines to separate fine flour particles from impurities and bran fragments.
Classification: Flour is classified by grain size and quality, and possibly blended to obtain products with specific characteristics. 5. Blending and Enrichment
Objective: Obtain a homogeneous flour with desired characteristics and enrich the flour with additional nutrients if necessary.
Blending: Flour from different milling stages can be blended for uniformity.
Enrichment: Add vitamins and minerals (e.g. iron, folic acid) to improve the nutritional value of the flour. 6. Packaging
Objective: Package the flour appropriately for distribution and sale.
Packaging: Use of sealed bags or packages to protect the flour from moisture and contamination during transportation and storage.
Labeling: Each package is labeled with the necessary information, such as the type of flour, weight, production date and expiration date.
Final Thoughts
Quality Control: Throughout the process, quality checks are carried out to ensure that the flour produced meets the desired standards.
Automation: Many modern milling plants are highly automated, with computerized control systems monitoring and regulating the various stages of the process.
This detailed process ensures that the flour produced is of high quality, consistent and suitable for its intended use, whether it is baking, pastry or other food applications.
