Where does flour come from

Summary

This video takes viewers inside a modern flour mill, where wheat is transformed into flour using a variety of machines like roller mills, sifters, and purifiers. The process, though modern, still follows ancient techniques, gradually separating the wheat into different parts: white flour, bran, and wheat germ. The mill ensures minimal waste, with byproducts like bran used for animal feed or breakfast cereals. The end result is high-quality flour that is distributed for making bread, cakes, and other food products, showcasing the vital role of milling in food production.

Takeaways

• 😀 Heygates Flour Mill is a family-run business with over 300 years of history in Bug Brook.
• 😀 Modern flour mills are large factories with machines that grind, sift, and purify wheat to make flour.
• 😀 The basic process of converting wheat to flour is similar to ancient stone milling techniques, though more gradual today.
• 😀 Wheat is cleaned at the mill to remove stones, chaff, and metal fragments before being processed into flour.
• 😀 Roller mills are used to crush and grind the wheat into smaller particles.
• 😀 Sifting machines sort the ground wheat by particle size, and purifiers further separate small bran particles.
• 😀 The first product produced in milling is semolina, a coarser product used for puddings or pasta.
• 😀 White flour is refined from the center of the grain and is perfect for making bread, cakes, and pastries.
• 😀 Wholemeal flour is produced by combining white flour with bran and germ in their original proportions.
• 😀 Bran byproducts are sold or used in breakfast cereals like bran flakes, with excess bran also becoming animal feed.
• 😀 The mill operates sustainably, ensuring that every part of the wheat is used—either for human consumption or animal feed.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of a flour mill?

The primary purpose of a flour mill is to process wheat into flour, which is used in a variety of food products like bread, cakes, biscuits, and pastries.

How long has Heygates Flour Mill been in operation?

Heygates Flour Mill has been in operation for over 300 years, with a long history as a family-owned business.

What type of machines are used in a modern flour mill?

Modern flour mills use a variety of machines, including roller mills to crush and grind wheat, sieving machines to separate particles by size, purifiers to remove smaller bran particles, and brand finishers to process the final product.

How does the modern milling process differ from ancient stone milling?

In modern milling, the process is slower, taking about an hour to mill wheat into flour, compared to the much faster process of ancient stone mills, which could finish in just a few minutes.

What happens to the wheat after it is harvested?

Once harvested, the wheat is cleaned to remove any chaff, stones, or metal fragments before being milled into flour.

What byproducts are created during the milling process?

The milling process produces several byproducts, including bran, semolina, and wheat germ. These are either used in food products, like breakfast cereals, or as animal feed.

How is wholemeal flour made?

Wholemeal flour is made by mixing the white flour with the bran and germ that were separated earlier in the milling process, creating a product that contains all the nutrients of the original wheat grain.

Why is wheat considered such an important crop?

Wheat is one of the most important food grains globally, with around 650 million tons produced annually, and it is a staple ingredient for many foods, including bread, biscuits, and other baked goods.

What is semolina, and how is it made?

Semolina is a coarse, sandy-textured product made by grinding wheat after it has been purified to remove small particles of bran. It is often used in puddings and other food products.

How is waste managed in a modern flour mill?

In a modern flour mill, no waste is produced. All byproducts are either used for human consumption (like bran in breakfast cereals) or for animal feed, ensuring that everything is put to good use.