Our Milling Process
1
Receiving
Every truckload of wheat brought to Siemer Milling is probed following an established sampling pattern provided by federal grain inspection service standards.
2
Quality Assurance
That sample is then split between an official grain inspection service and Siemer Milling, both of whom have operations in separate areas of the building.
The folks with the official grain inspection service perform the official grade on the wheat sample. They consider facts such as:
- grain moisture
- test weight
- damaged kernels
- insect & pesticide residue
- objectionable odors
- foreign material
3
Storage
Wheat is run through a process magnet, separated and stored according to protein, falling number or vomitoxin levels.
4
Cleaning & Tempering
Next the wheat is conditioned for milling through a process called tempering. Moisture is added in precise amounts to toughen the bran and mellow the flour within the wheat. This makes the parts of the kernel separate more easily and cleanly.
5
Milling
The wheat is ground by a roll stand that crushes it into pieces.
With repeated grinding and sifting, it becomes flour, wheat bran and wheat germ
Additives
Chlorine, enrichment, benzoyl peroxide andmalt are all additives that can be included in the milling process.
Sifting
The flour is sifted to remove impurities.
Flour Packing / Load Out
The flour is packed and sent out.
Sifting
The bran is sifted to remove impurities.
Bran Packing / Load Out
The bran is packed and sent
Germ Packing / Load Out
The germ is packed and sent out.
The Anatomy of a Wheat Kernel
The kernel is the seed from which the wheat plant grows. Each seed contains three distinct parts which are seperated during the milling process to make flour.
Bran
14.5% of the Wheat Kernel
Bran contains a small amount of protein, a large quantity of the major B vitamins, trace minerals and dietary fiber – primarily insoluble.
Endosperm (Flour)
83% of the Wheat Kernel
Endosperm is the source of white flour. It contains the greatest share of protein, carbohydrates and iron, as well as the major B vitamins. it is also a source of soluble fiber.
Germ
2.5% of the Wheat Kernel
The germ is the embryo, or sprouting section of the seed. It is often removed from the flour in the milling process due to its high fat content, which limits shelf life. Germ contains a small amount of high quality protein, and a larger amount of B vitamins and trace minerals.
