Cleaning Grain Grinder Question

[MBombardier]

Does anyone grind their own grain/beans? I used to grind my own wheat for bread, and now I would like to grind rice or other grains or beans for flour. My antique (literally) stone grinder is caked with wheat flour. I can't use water because it is electric. I thought maybe I could use compressed air to clean it, but it's going to take brushing, too, with no guarantee that I can get it all. I was wondering if anyone else has gone from grinding wheat to gluten-free grinding, and how you cleaned your grinder.

Thanks in advance...

[tex]

That's a tough project. If you could disassemble it, that would help immensely, (you could even refinish the surface on the stone), but if that's not possible, (or practical), the next best bet is compressed air. That's what most processors do, when changing products - they just blow off every thing they can get to, and then they discard the product after restarting production, until they're satisfied that it's pure, (that's why it usually it works, and sometimes it doesn't, when dealing with GF products). Bleach, (Clorox), will kill almost anything, (including mycotoxins), but that's not practical if you can't clean it without getting the electrical components wet.

Gloria and JoAnn do their own grinding, (and there may be others whom I'm not aware of), so maybe they'll see your post and respond to it.

Tex

[Gloria]

Hi Marliss,

I'm happy you are interested in grinding your own flour. You can save a lot of money grinding your own flour, especially if you use quinoa. I wouldn't recommend grinding beans because I believe they have a higher moisture content and can gum up the stones. Brown and white rice work well, along with quinoa, buckwheat, millet, and amaranth.

I only ground 1 cup of wheat in my grinder before I used it a few years later for GF grains. Since I knew that there was little residue in it, I ground a couple of cups of rice before I used it for my GF grains. I've since had to eliminate some of the GF grains I've ground in it, such as buckwheat and millet, so even homeground grains have the possiblity of some contamination.

Tex has some good ideas for cleaning it. Someone I know who use to sell grinders said to grind popcorn in the grinder to remove the residue. I believe JoAnn ground wheat frequently before she went GF. I'm not sure what she did to remove the wheat residue; hopefully she'll report her method to you.

Gloria

[MBombardier]

That's a wonderful idea to use popcorn, Gloria, and I will run a few batches through before I grind some flour to use, Tex. I will try that after I get my grinder clean. I worked on it a little today with a couple of different brushes. I looked like a bandit and my glasses kept fogging up because I was wearing a bandana over my nose and mouth. I am allergic to wheat and in the past the wheat flour drifting out of the grinder as I used it would cause me to have an allergy attack. I think I am going to pay my 15yo to clean it. She is always up for earning a little money.

I will likely post how things work out. I was shocked at the price of the different flours in the store. Even going to Bob's Red Mill, which is a few miles away, would not save any money. Although I have been thinking about pooling purchases with some friends because purchases over 50 lbs. from the on-site store qualify for a 10% discount.

Thanks for your help!

[Gloria]

Marliss,

I buy some of my grains/seeds from Whole Foods. They give a 5% discount for a 25# bag. That way I don't have to pay shipping. I've purchased other grains/seeds from Walton Feeds, which is located in Idaho. You could call them to see if anyone is doing a group order in your area. That way you can save on the shipping.

Gloria

[MBombardier]

Good idea! Several friends also pool orders for Azure Standard, which I have never done. I should check into that, too.

Thanks!

[JoAnn]

Hi Marliss, I also grind my own grains. I have never owned a grinder with the stones. For years I used a Kitchenetics (now K-Tec) mill which uses a micronizing action. When I was diagnosed with mc, I had been contemplating buying a new mill anyway, so I bought a Wondermill 2 years ago and have never run wheat through it. I really like it and like the security of grinding my own grains knowing exactly what's in them. Living in Utah, it is easy to find sources of all sorts of grains. One of my favorite sources is a little family owned business called Kitchen Kneads which has been in business for years in West Jordan. It's significantly cheaper to grind your own flours. I make up large batches and keep them in our spare refrigerator in the garage. It's so easy to to make my own batch of bread in the breadmaker and it tastes like "real" bread. I'll be interested to hear about your experiences with this. JoAnn

[hoosier1]

Marliss,

I am impressed that you grind your own grains. I was thinking I had become quite the gourmet simply by dumping Pamela's brand bread mix into my bread machine :)

BTW, I have found that the breadmaker does best with this recipe if you double up on the yeast, using the fast-rising variety (IOW, don't use the yeast packet that comes with the flour). Also, use the quick setting on the machine too. That dough doesn't require a lot of kneading and that is what quick setting is for.

Rich

[adelie]

I used to have a grinder, but I had to do fairly large batches (consider I'm just cooking for me) and it was just too much to store. I like to try different things for nutritional variety, which meant I'd have a big batch of a lot of things that went bad before I got to them. Now, if I'm just cooking a single serve, I'll use a coffee grinder. The flour doesn't get quite as fine, but it does OK for me. Just don't use the same grinder as you do for your coffee or your baked goods will taste of coffee. I also bought a hefty Vitamix blender a couple of years ago and got the small dry carafe to go with it which will do grains and beans. It also won't do superfine flour like a grinder, but close enough for me.

As a side note, some things like quinoa should be rinsed first. For quinoa, it's to get rid of the bitter outer coating which contains saponins. If I'm ahead of the game, I'll rinse those when I first get them and then spread them out to dry (an oven with just the light bulb on helps dry them out faster without cooking them) so I can use them later without additional prep. Otherwise, when I'm cooking with those, I'll measure them out first, rinse them and then put them in a blender (or food processor) with the smallest amount of liquid items from the recipe to make a smooth paste and then continue with the recipe. My hefty duty blender comes in handy for that because it can take a thicker paste. Be careful not to use too much water though because it'll just spin around in the liquid and not break up. I also use a small kitchen scale to do my grain measurement before rinsing because the volume amount of flour and whole grain are not the same. If you look at the label of most flours, 1/4 cup of flour is roughly 30 grams or slightly over 1 ounce.

Karen

[MBombardier]

Joann, is your bread recipe on the site? I tried one loaf of bread in my breadmaker, and it was a dismal failure. I also need to find directions for my breadmaker--I bought it off eBay and the person who sold it forgot to put the directions in, and also forgot to send them to me as she said she would.

Karen, that is good information about quinoa, thank you. I have friends who soak all their grains/flours before cooking. It's supposed to neutralize the phytic acid.

[Gloria]

It's not always necessary to rinse quinoa before using it. Whole Foods sells pre-rinsed quinoa, for example. It's always better to ask the manufacturer if it's not written on the package.

A couple of years ago I purchased a 25# bag of quinoa from Walton Feed. I called to ask if it was pre-rinsed. I was told to rinse it first. I did, and spent over a week drying it in my dehydrator, stirring it, etc. It felt completely dry when I put it away. A week later, I looked at it, and it had turned moldy. I had to throw all 25# out - a loss of about $65. I called Walton Feed back and told them what happened. I didn't blame them or expect them to make restitution, but I thought they should know. The fellow told me that they use special equipment to wash and air dry the grains they wash. They also test it for moistness. Tex can probably explain the procedure. In essence, he told me it's not possible to home-dry grain as well as a manufacturer can. I understand that Walton Feed now sells pre-rinsed quinoa, but I haven't ordered any from them since that happened. I will check with them before I do.

If the grain is going to be cooked, then it can be washed first, but if it's going to be ground into flour, it needs to be at a pretty low moisture level.

Gloria

[tex]

Gloria,

Yes, any farmer can tell you that you can't determine grain moisture content without proper testing equipment. Once grain, (or anything else, for that matter), dries down to roughly 25% to 30% moisture content, it will "feel" dry, to the touch. Unfortunately, though, grain storage is a more complex problem than meets the eye. Safe storage requires maintaining the grain at below a certain threshold, determined by the moisture content and temperature of the grain. Time is also a factor in the process. The lower the temperature, the more moisture can be tolerated, for a longer period of time. At cold temperatures, (below 50 degrees F, most grain can be stored for at least several weeks, with a moisture level as high as 25%. If storage temperatures are in the upper 80s or higher, though, grain with that much moisture will usually begin to spoil within 24 hours.

If the storage temperature is below roughly 75 degrees, then a maximum of 15% moisture can probably be tolerated for roughly a month. At below 50 degrees, grain at 15% moisture should keep for at least several months. In order to obtain stable storage, for an indefinite period of time, regardless of temperature, most grains have to be below about 12% moisture. These parameters vary somewhat for the various types of grains, of course. As a rule of thumb, the larger the kernel size, the lower the moisture content needs to be, for safe, long-term storage. For example, 12% works for corn, (maize), but grain sorghum and wheat can be stored safely at a maximum moisture content of 13.5%, for an indefinite period of time, regardless of the temperature of the grain. It's impossible to judge such subtle differences in moisture content by touch, obviously, so an instrument designed specifically for testing grain moisture, must be used, and it has to be calibrated for the particular grain being tested.

On the farm, (at least here in the sunny South), we don't worry about the details - we just make sure the grain is below the maximum allowable moisture level, (for safe long-term storage), before going into storage. In the midwest, where corn doesn't get enough sun after maturity, to adequately field dry to a "universal" safe moisture level, farmers have to either monitor the temperature of the storage tanks, (the grain will heat up as it begins to spoil), and run cooling fans, during cold weather, or use (expensive) artificial drying, (or both). Anyway, that's the story on the relationship between grain moisture and storage life.

Tex

[Gloria]

Tex,

Thank you for the explanation. I don't think it's wise to prewash any grain or seed at home if it's going to be ground into flour afterward.

Gloria

[JoAnn]

Hi Marliss, you asked for the bread recipe I use. First I'll give you a little background. I subscribe to a magazine called Living Without. I love this magazine because it inspires me to try making new things and has become a valuable resource for all sorts of things that help me live with mc. I noticed in one issue it mentioned a book called Gluten-Free Baking Classics for the Bread Machine by Annalise G. Roberts. I ordered it and have used it in my bread baking adventures. I have also since ordered her book called Gluten-Free Baking Classics. Yesterday I made 2 pumpkin pies from the Oct/Nov issue of Living Without. It is a 'makes its own crust recipe". It tasted fabulous. The crust was pretty thin, but I was fine with it. I also chilled a can of coconut milk and whipped it with some sugar and vanilla. It was thin, but usable as a replacement for whipped cream. I discovered by accident that if I refrigerate it after whipping, it firms up substantially. Anyway back to the bread, I grind up her Bread Flour Mix A recipe:
1/3 part millet flour 2cups
1/6 part sorghum flour 1cup
1/6 part cornstarch 1 cup
1/6 part potato starch 1 cup
1/6 part tapioca flour

[JoAnn]

Hi Marliss, you asked for the bread recipe I use. First I'll give you a little background. I subscribe to a magazine called Living Without. I love this magazine because it inspires me to try making new things and has become a valuable resource for all sorts of things that help me live with mc. The pictures in it are beautiful. I noticed in one issue it mentioned a book called Gluten-Free Baking Classics for the Bread Machine by Annalise G. Roberts. I ordered it and have used it in my bread baking adventures. She has great information about baking gluten-free breads and all the whys and wherefores of it. I have also since ordered her book called Gluten-Free Baking Classics. Yesterday I made 2 pumpkin pies from the Oct/Nov issue of Living Without. It is a 'makes its own crust recipe". It tasted fabulous. The crust was pretty thin, but I was fine with it. I also chilled a can of coconut milk and whipped it with some sugar and vanilla. It was thin, but usable as a replacement for whipped cream. I discovered by accident that if I refrigerate it after whipping, it firms up substantially. This morning it was perfect for whipped cream. Anyway back to the bread, I grind up her Bread Flour Mix A recipe:
1/3 part millet flour 2cups
1/6 part sorghum flour 1cup
1/6 part cornstarch 1 cup
1/6 part potato starch 1 cup
1/6 part tapioca flour 1 cup
Total 6 cups

I think I quadrupled this and store it in a large container in my spare fridge. In her book she has a section with dairy and eggs, and a section without dairy and eggs.

The recipe I follow is:
1 1/4 cups rice milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs or powdered egg replacer
3 cups Bread Flour Mix A
2 1/4 tsps xanthan gum (gluten free)
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbls. yeast or 1 pkg. (I tested sensitive to yeast, but it doesn't seem to bother me)

You mix the liquid ingredients and pour it into the bread pan. You combine the dry ingredients and sprinkle it over the top of the liquid pressing down a bit. I put it in the breadmaker then set the crust color I want and press the Basic button on my breadmaker.

The thing I like about the Living Without magazine, is that each issue gives you different recipes for flour mixes that might suit your sensitivities better and mixes that are suited to different things like desserts, etc. I hope this helps and that you will find a mix that suits you. I also know Dees kitchen has a ton of recipes and information. JoAnn