How to Use a Grain Mill to Grind Your Own Flour

You have approximately 72 hours to use whole grains that have been milled before they become rancid and spoiled. Store-bought flour has had the bran and germ removed from the grains before being processed. This means essential oils and vitamins are not there. Many commercial processors try to enrich the flours with vitamins such as B1, B2 and Niacin, but these cannot make up for the natural method of processing your own grains.

Step 1

Assemble the grain mill according to manufacturer's instructions. The grain mill is a series of blades and augers that forces grains down from the hopper at the top where you load whole grains, and forces the grains through a series of blades that grind the whole grains into flour.

Step 2

Adjust the fineness of the grind before adding any grain to the mill. Turn on the grinder to do the adjustments. Turn the adjustment knob until the burrs just barely make contact. You should be able to hear that contact is being made by a change in motor speed and sound. Adjust the knob back a bit to allow the grain to pass through.

Step 3

Stop the mixer and fill the hopper with grain. Set your grain mill to high after you added the grain. Do not try to force grain through the unit as the interior auger will do the work for you. If you find that the grind is too fine, turn the adjustment knob counterclockwise one click at a time until you reach the desired grind.

Continue to re-fill the hopper until you have the desired amount of flour.

Skill

• Moderately Easy

Tips

• Home milled flour has a coarser texture than store bought flour.
• You will need to sift the flour before use to remove any impurities and to get a proper measurement.

Warnings

• Do not try to grind more than 10 cups of flour at one time. The mixer will need to cool at least 45 minutes so that it will not be damaged.
• Use all of the flour you mill within 72 hours to keep it from going rancid.
• Do not grind high oil content foods such as peanuts or coffee beans through your grain mill.

Reference

• Benefits of Home Milled Grains