🌾 Family Milling Station 🌾
From grain to flour: Design, set up, and operate your manual home milling station for fresh daily flour, even during prolonged power outages.
1
Space and Physical Layout
Objective: Select and organize the workspace to maximize hygiene, efficiency, and safety.
🏠 Location Criteria
1
Cross ventilation: prevents fine dust buildup
2
Stable surface: solid wood table or concrete countertop; ideal height: 36 in ± 2 in
3
Natural lighting: reduces eye strain when inspecting grain
🔄 Ergonomic Flow “Grain → Flour → Bread”
Zone A
Grain storage
Grain storage
Zone B
Milling (WonderMill)
Milling (WonderMill)
Zone C
Sifting and capture
Sifting and capture
Zone D
Kneading and baking
Kneading and baking
⚠️ Common Mistakes and Solutions
1
Issue: Placing mill on unstable surface
Solution: Bolt to a fixed bench
Solution: Bolt to a fixed bench
2
Issue: Cross-traffic of people
Solution: Mark one-way route
Solution: Mark one-way route
3
Issue: Dust on appliances
Solution: Cover with damp cloth
Solution: Cover with damp cloth
2
Essential Equipment
Objective: Identify and prepare all necessary tools for continuous production.
⚙️ WonderMill Junior Deluxe
| Feature | Reference Value |
|---|---|
| Included Burrs | Corundum stone + stainless steel |
| Average Output | 1.2–1.4 oz flour/min |
| Adjustable Thickness | 0 (fine) – 9 (coarse) |
| Total Weight | 22 lbs |
| Key Advantage | Optional conversion to bicycle crank |
🔍 Recommended Sieves
50
Mesh 50 (300 µm): baking flour
30
Mesh 30 (600 µm): whole semolina
Frame: Wood treated with mineral oil
📦 Airtight Containers
| Type | Capacity | Suggested Use |
|---|---|---|
| HDPE bucket + Gamma Seal lid | 5 gal | Whole grain storage (≈33 lbs) |
| Food-grade PET jar | 1 gal | Weekly flour |
| 7 mil Mylar bags + O₂ absorber | Variable | Annual reserve |
⚠️ Common Mistakes & Solutions
1
Issue: Using jars without UV protection
Solution: Store in a dark place
Solution: Store in a dark place
2
Issue: Overloading the sieve
Solution: Dose 7 oz at a time
Solution: Dose 7 oz at a time
3
Issue: Improper Gamma Seal lid closure
Solution: Apply food-grade petroleum jelly to gasket
Solution: Apply food-grade petroleum jelly to gasket
3
Milling Procedure
Objective: Safely and consistently transform clean grain into ready-to-use flour.
🔍 Selection and Pre-check
Visually inspect 1 lb of grain; discard broken kernels, stones, and foreign seeds
Wash if dusty; air dry for 24 hours
⚙️ Disk Adjustment
Set dial to level 2 for standard bread flour
Ensure free turning with no metal-on-metal contact
🌾 Milling Process
First pass: grind 10 oz continuously (≈8 min)
Sift through mesh 50; collect fine flour
Second pass: regrind coarse fraction; adjust to level 1 for full whole wheat texture
No-electricity safety tips:
• Cotton gloves with non-slip grip
• Keep children at least 3 ft away
• Pause every 10 minutes to prevent overheating
• Cotton gloves with non-slip grip
• Keep children at least 3 ft away
• Pause every 10 minutes to prevent overheating
⚠️ Common Mistakes and Solutions
1
Issue: Flour gets too hot
Solution: Slow down the crank speed
Solution: Slow down the crank speed
2
Issue: Irregular texture
Solution: Retighten burr bolts
Solution: Retighten burr bolts
3
Issue: Loose crank handle
Solution: Check locking pin
Solution: Check locking pin
4
Maintenance and Cleaning
Objective: Extend the equipment’s lifespan and preserve food safety.
🧽 Daily Cleaning
✓
Use a dry stiff-bristled brush on stones and hopper
✓
Lightly damp cloth on exterior; dry immediately
🛠️ Lubrication and Wear Parts
| Component | Product | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Main shaft | Food-grade mineral oil | Every 40 hours of use |
| Rubber gasket | Food-grade talc | Monthly |
| Corundum burrs | Recondition with whetstone | Annually |
🔧 Structural Inspection
Critical points:
• Cracks in casing → stop use and replace
• Bearing looseness → tighten opposing nut
• Cracks in casing → stop use and replace
• Bearing looseness → tighten opposing nut
⚠️ Common Mistakes and Solutions
1
Issue: Using liquid detergent
Solution: Damages burrs; clean dry
Solution: Damages burrs; clean dry
2
Issue: Ignoring metallic noises
Solution: Check alignment immediately
Solution: Check alignment immediately
3
Issue: Storing while damp
Solution: Rust risk; apply protective oil
Solution: Rust risk; apply protective oil
5
Rotation and Storage
Objective: Ensure a stable and high-quality supply throughout the year.
📊 Family Needs Calculation
Family of 4 people, daily bread
14 oz flour/day → 320 lbs grain/year
Add 10% strategic buffer: 350 lbs
🔄 Simplified FIFO Method
Label each bucket with filling date (MM-YYYY)
Always consume the oldest first
Replenish quarterly
🌡️ Optimal Storage Conditions
°F
Temperature: 50–65 °F
%
Relative humidity: ≤ 60%
💧
Passive dehumidifier: calcium chloride in tray
Signs of deterioration:
• Rancid or musty smell
• Presence of moths or webs
• Dull or discolored appearance
• Rancid or musty smell
• Presence of moths or webs
• Dull or discolored appearance
⚠️ Common Errors and Solutions
1
Issue: Mixing different harvests
Solution: Affects baking; separate by batch
Solution: Affects baking; separate by batch
2
Issue: Storing directly on concrete floor
Solution: Use wooden pallets
Solution: Use wooden pallets
3
Issue: Not checking O₂ absorbers
Solution: Weigh every 6 months (≤ 5% weight gain)
Solution: Weigh every 6 months (≤ 5% weight gain)
📊 Grain-Flour-Bread Conversion Chart
| Whole Grain (oz) | Flour Yield (oz) | 1 lb Loaves (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 17.6 | 16.6 | 1 |
| 35.3 | 33.5 | 3 |
| 70.5 | 66.9 | 6 |
| 176.4 | 167.4 | 15 |
| 352.7 | 334.8 | 30 |
🧮 Scaling Adjustment
For larger or smaller loaves:
Multiply the flour column by
(desired flour weight in oz ÷ 10.6)
(desired flour weight in oz ÷ 10.6)
Example: 26 oz loaf (≃ 15.9 oz flour) → factor 1.5
35 oz grain yields 2 loaves of 26 oz
35 oz grain yields 2 loaves of 26 oz
Your journey to food self-reliance starts here! 🌾
This guide gives you the tools to produce fresh, nutritious flour for your family—without relying on electricity. Let’s get to work!
