Topic: Grain mills

[LadyVirginia]

Anyone here own one?  I don't know anyone who has one and I'm not sure which one I should consider.

[Damn_Lucky]

No, but thanks I think that is a great idea and I NOW HAVE SOME RESEARCH TO DO.
Damn caps lock

[rickl]

Last year I bought a storable food supply from Pleasant Hill Grain.  It included several plastic buckets of whole wheat grain, so I bought a grain mill to go with them.

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/country_living_mill.aspx

It looks pretty sturdy but I haven't used it yet.  I suppose I should try to learn how to bake bread before the SHTF, but I haven't done that so far.

[John Florida]

Last year I bought a storable food supply from Pleasant Hill Grain.  It included several plastic buckets of whole wheat grain, so I bought a grain mill to go with them.

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/country_living_mill.aspx

It looks pretty sturdy but I haven't used it yet.  I suppose I should try to learn how to bake bread before the SHTF, but I haven't done that so far.

 Not as hard as you might think. There are plenty of vids on utube and like any thing else you develop a feel for it in no time. Just keep it simple and don't get into starters and all that till you're good and comfy with the whole deal.

 If you do it by hand it's work if you try to do a lot at once.

 That price for the motor drive looks a little hefty.

[LadyVirginia]

...  I suppose I should try to learn how to bake bread before the SHTF, but I haven't done that so far.

I make bread all the time.  Had a bread machine for years (my MIL gave me as a gift) until it broke.  I didn't replace it until a couple of years ago when I saw one at our church rummage sale new for $10.  A few months later it fell of the counter while kneading.  Oh, well.  I didn't really need it.  Most of the bread I've made has been by hand.  Don't get stuck on kneading--for  a lot of breads it's not that critical.  I make pizza dough, rolls, french bread, whatever and I'm not interested in standing around and kneading. It's all gets eaten pretty quick so I suppose it's good.  If I'm making a special recipe from some cookbook I will follow the kneading instructions but for everyday I don't worry about it.

I have been putting off the extra step of grinding my own flour though I hear it's really something in freshly baked bread.  I've found adding freshly baked bread to a meal can make a so-so meal seem better. It's fun to experiment and try recipes from around the world.

[John Florida]

...  I suppose I should try to learn how to bake bread before the SHTF, but I haven't done that so far.

I make bread all the time.  Had a bread machine for years (my MIL gave me as a gift) until it broke.  I didn't replace it until a couple of years ago when I saw one at our church rummage sale new for $10.  A few months later it fell of the counter while kneading.  Oh, well.  I didn't really need it.  Most of the bread I've made has been by hand.  Don't get stuck on kneading--for  a lot of breads it's not that critical.  I make pizza dough, rolls, french bread, whatever and I'm not interested in standing around and kneading. It's all gets eaten pretty quick so I suppose it's good.  If I'm making a special recipe from some cookbook I will follow the kneading instructions but for everyday I don't worry about it.

I have been putting off the extra step of grinding my own flour though I hear it's really something in freshly baked bread.  I've found adding freshly baked bread to a meal can make a so-so meal seem better. It's fun to experiment and try recipes from around the world.

 Makes the best toast ever!!

[LadyVirginia]

Looked at Pleasant Hill Grains linked above and I see two possibilities.  The one rickl has is around $400 (without the special wood case to keep the accessories LOL) and another that's about half that.  Haven't studied them enough to decide the cost vs benefit on the price difference.  But I have made up my mind I will have to get one this summer.

I want one of those oil expellers someone posted about too.