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Feature: New Crop

Feature title: Are you ready for the new crop?

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 New Crop Feature Feature New Crop

It is OK using
you own staff to
check over sifters
when the mill is
down for a spell,
but they don’t do
it as thoroughly and
professionally as
the engineers’ staff
and, perhaps more
to the point these
days they do not
do it as quickly or
with the experience
of looking at sieves
and sifters every day

© Miflippo | Dreamstime.com
of every week.

Are you ready

Having made
by Jonathan Bradshaw sure our pneumatics
are in good work-

for new crop?

If you do not want to be woken in the middle of the night by a miller unable to control his
temper through frustration at having spent all the night shift clearing chokes and leaving
you with the problem of having to explain to customers why they will not be receiving their
promised delivery in the morning then perhaps this article may be of some interest.
A
s we approach and enter
the European harvest
season there is a great deal
to be done back at the mill in
readiness for a smooth transition
from old crop to new crop.
We all have experience of dramatic
changes in wheat quality at harvest time.
We know that wheat is a living organ-
ism, a plant; and I firmly believe that wheat
takes six weeks to die after being harvested.
During that six week period however it can
cause no end of problems in the mill if you,
as a miller, are not ready and prepared for its
introduction, gradual or sudden, onto your
first break rolls.
In readiness for the harvest changeover
we all have our check lists of things to do
and we all have our preferred methods of
changing over from old crop to new crop.
There are routine jobs to be done in the
silos that can best be done at this time of
year when those mills with large silo stor-
age capacity find their wheat stocks at the
lowest point in the year and then can gain
access to silos for inspection, cleaning and
maintenance.
Several millers use the summer bank
holidays as time to carry out pest control
activities, fumigation and spraying, although
fumigation is gradually dwindling in popularity
as the list of safe fumigants also shortens.
Some jobs, done more traditionally at
the Christmas break period really should
be done in the summer, immediately pre
harvest; filter sleeve cleaning and replace-
ment being one of them. With new crop
wheat being unpredictable in terms of how
it will handle on the mill and mill balance
being so easily upset, the balance of the
pneumatic system will also be affected and
it is really desirable to have the pneumatic
system in good order so as to respond
well to changes in mill conditions over the
changeover period.
The wheat cleaning plant
Time also to look through the wheat
cleaning plant, replace ball cleaners in milling
separators and make sure screens and drag
cloths are in good order.
Checking over the screenroom filters
should also be on your list, as should calibrat-
ing or rather, checking the calibration, of the
moisture addition system.
Destoner screens, fans and filters all
need a good coat of looking at and it
never goes amiss to check discs and cylin-
ders over to make sure they are operat-
ing efficiently and not too badly worn. I
would add at this point that I find millers
looking more towards the use of colour
sorters at this point in the screenroom
where tradition has hitherto dictated
the use of cylinders and occasionally disc
separators.
There is a much greater flexibility in the
use of colour sorters and whilst lamps and
chutes wear, they do not cost as much to
replace as discs.
In the mill
Moving into the mill proper it goes
without saying that sifters should all be
checked on the run up to harvest, making
sure sieve tension is correct and sieve
and tray cleaners are all in good order.
Many of the milling engineers, Buhler and
Satake especially, offer the services of their
experienced staff to strip, check and repair
sifter sections and I, personally, have found
this service one which is well worth avail-
ing yourself of.
ing order, checked
the screenroom
machinery over and
gone through all our
sifters, the next stop
is the roller floor, not forgetting to check sharper surfaces to the grain
purifiers over as we pass them on the way over the harvest period. The
down from the sifter floor. logic of this is to acquire cleaner
semolina stocks when wheat is
The proper maintenance of rollermills
cannot be stressed sufficiently and yet I find at its most “unco-operative” “Knowing your supplier
state and I must admit that it
it surprising just how many mills neglect to
deal with minor issues such as oil leaks and does help, but it can be time and working with them
misalignment of simple adjusters. consuming and not many mills
Again this is an area where it pays
these days can afford the down
time to stop and change rolls
is becoming a key
to have some expert, efficient help just
before harvest. With wheat varying as
so often.
element of a successful
Use of engineers’ staff to do
much as it does in terms of texture, free
moisture, hardness etc, there is never a
rollermill maintenance work has
long been heralded as the most mill operation”
time in the year when the miller or mill cost effective way to address
operative will need as much adjustment
such issues and if you can call in
on his rollermills as is the case at harvest half a dozen skilled maintenance
and through the transition period from old
people, familiar with your equipment, just consumption and it is often not easily
to new crop. when you want them, then you really seen when rollermills are set up with fixed
It therefore pays to have machines in
should avail yourself of the service! and overflow sides and it is not always
good order with the full range of adjustments Good roll fluting is a real asset in the apparent what quantity of stock is running
working and available.
changeover and whilst sharp fluting will through each side.
minimise power
The roller chills costs at any
The other obvious, yet neglected area time of the year,
it will especially
on the rollermill is the state of the roll chills
be the case
themselves.
at harvest. A
I firmly believe that first and second
break rolls should be renewed before look down the
reduction rolls
new crop wheat is introduced. The cost
will also be of
of fluting rolls pales into insignificance in
comparison to the costs involved with value. Many
millers do not
poor fluting. Power costs and down time
change smooth
due to poor mill balance will far outweigh
rolls often
the cost of refluting.
enough and
Some millers, that perhaps go a bit
they too can
overboard, not only change their rolls
be a cause of
chills for newly fluted rolls but they www.pavan.com
excess power
also change the disposition to present

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16 | July-august 2009 Grain &feed millinG technoloGy Grain &feed millinG technoloGy PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE July-august 2009 | 17
 New Crop Feature Feature New Crop

Walking around the mill
I often allude to the benefits of mill man-
agers walking round their mills daily and it is
precisely this type of thing he or she is look-
ing for as they go around, imbalanced feed
rates through rolls will not only cost money
by higher power consumption but will also
affect grinding and will put stock back on
the rolls further down the mill, leading to
poorer quality flour being produced.
Most mill engineers, in fact all reputable
ones, will give you a report on any roll chills
you submit for refurbishing, before any work
is carried out.
When they say there is damage to a
“We may have difficulty
gudgeon then it will pay you to examine
the cause of that damage before it affects
subsequent replacement chills. Again a good
reason for having some experienced crews
in now and then to check such things out.
The reports you get from engineers’
inspections of roll chills can tell you a good
deal about your mill and often about your
millers. Operatives who set rolls too close
on one side or leave rolls in gear with
no stock passing between them, those
who burn reduction rolls by grinding them
together, etc etc, all of these faults are
apparent when the chills are inspected and
it pays to look at these reports in some
detail and discuss matters with your opera-
tives. We can all learn,
no matter how long
we have been in the
industry.
accurately and do not throw feed to
one side of the rolls preferentially as
feed rates are increased.
Most new rollermills have the facility
for either removing the feed rolls or a
substantial part of the feed gate, suf-
ficient at least, to clean behind the rolls
and remove any accumulation of stock
and debris that should not be there and
which can cause incorrect and uneven
feed through the grinding rolls.
And when the time comes for wheat
to be introduced on to the mill then
we all have our own preferences as to
how it should be done and at what rate.
There are those who start at 10 per-
cent new crop inclusion and gradually
increase it week on week and there are
those who start at 50 percent and the
go straight to 100 percent after a week
or so. Much depends on your mill, the
much their problem as ours. We may have
difficulty in milling new crop wheat fresh
from the field, but if you think that is difficult,
then try baking with newly milled flour from
new crop wheat and you will find it, on many
occasions, to be frustrating to say the least.
Most bakers have a number of suppli-
ers and they try to get all their suppliers
doing much the same thing as far as harvest
changeover is concerned, just so they have
flour on their plant that comes from more
or less the same proportions of old and
new crop.
It wouldn’t help their plight if one miller’s
flour comes from 100 percent old crop
when another miller’s flour which may follow
immediately after that batch, often in the
middle of the night shift, comes from 100
percent new crop wheat. The variances and
the adjustments needed would not be very
practical and so most bakers will discuss the
matter and agree a schedule for changeover
with each of their supplying millers.
Working with farmers and
merchant suppliers
As I mention discussions with industry
partners let me stress the importance of
knowing, and working with, your farmer or
merchant supplier. The farmer who dries
his grain too quickly is no good to anyone,
including himself, and similarly it would seem
that the farmer who leaves his grain in the
field too long, hoping the sun will dry it for
him, and risks increased mycotoxin activity is
also heading for a fall.
Knowing your supplier and working with
them is becoming a key element of a suc-
cessful mill operation and we are beginning
to see the embryo of structural change in
regard to grain handling, drying, storage and
marketing in several areas of the country.
Perhaps more on that subject at a later date.
And when everything goes right, the
miller checks and maintains his mill in
advance of harvest, the farmer services his
combine and fires up his dryer in advance
of the first cut, the baker and the miller get
together and agree their campaign strategy
and everything goes like clockwork without
a choke in sight.
If this were always the case then you
wouldn’t be reading this article looking for
advice, you would be out there in the mill
making sure all was ready for the upcoming
arrival of new crop wheat.
But to recap on key elements that should
be on a pre harvest check list - check
screens, filter sleeves, sieve and screen clean-
ers, sieve tension and application. Always
have a few spare flour covers on hand for
making changeovers if needs be when new
crop is found to be a little coarser than old.
Check your rollermills out thoroughly, using
bought in engineers’ and millwrights’ skills for
best results and make sure your fluting is up
to date and in good order well before the
introduction of the first stage or phase of
new crop wheat.
And again, I emphasise the importance
of a daily walk round by a mill manager with
an eye for detail. What you observe on your
daily tours could well save you a midnight
phone call!
Other related companies:
Buhler Sortex Ltd
20 Atlantis Avenue, London, E16 2BF
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 199 2537421/ Fax: +44 20 7055 7700
Email: sales@buhlersortex.com
Website: www.buhlersortex.com

in milling new crop wheat Feed rolls

Another aspect
length of dressing surface, whether you
have the silo capacity to accommodate
a long changeover, whether you have
fresh from the field, but if of rollermill mainte- the financial ability to weather a pro-
nance is the feed tracted changeover period, especially
you think that is difficult, mechanism and the
feed rolls.
when new crop wheat may be substan-
tially cheaper than old crop.
then try baking with newly Check these over
Quality and decision-making
for damage to the
milled flour from new crop rolls and the feed
screws if they are
Quality of wheat will play its part in your
decision-making and there is nearly always
wheat and you will find it, used. Make sure the
feed gates are all
some feature to adapt to as each new crop
appears, whether it be the Mycotoxin issues
on many occasions, to be properly aligned and
where feed rate is
we are all currently getting to grips with or
whether it be the ladybird plagues of the

frustrating to say the least” controlled by vari-

able speed feed rolls
1970s.
But perhaps most important is what
make sure they feed our customers have to say, for it is just as

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 This digital Re-print is part of the July | August 2009 edition of Grain & Feed Milling Technology magazine.
Content from the magazine is available to view free-of-charge, both as a full online magazine on our
website, and as an archive of individual features on the docstoc website.
LINKS
Please click here to view our other publications on www.docstoc.com.

August 2009 • See the full issue

• Growing
concerns over
mycotoxins • Visit the GFMT website
In this issue:
• Vacuum plays an
• Enzymes in important role in

• Contact the GFMT Team

breadmaking: delivering
Economic relevance,
markets, and future
micro-ingredients
perspectives to livestock
• Are you ready
for new crop?
• Preserving
feed materials • FOCUS:Europe
after harvest
a multifaceted
approach to
mycotoxins
• Flour
a delivery system
for vitamins and
minerals receives WHO
• Subscribe to GFMT
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over the harvest period. The
logic of this is to acquire cleaner
semolina stocks when wheat is
at its most “unco-operative” “Knowing your supplier
state and I must admit that it
does help, but it can be time and working with them Feature New Crop

consuming and not many mills

these days can afford the down
time to stop and change rolls
is becoming a key much their problem as ours. We may have
difficulty in milling new crop wheat fresh
knowing, and working with, your farmer or
merchant supplier. The farmer who dries
But to recap on key elements that should
be on a pre harvest check list - check

element of a successful
from the field, but if you think that is difficult, his grain too quickly is no good to anyone, screens, filter sleeves, sieve and screen clean-

so often. then try baking with newly milled flour from

new crop wheat and you will find it, on many
occasions, to be frustrating to say the least.
Use of engineers’ staff to do Most bakers have a number of suppli-
including himself, and similarly it would seem
that the farmer who leaves his grain in the
field too long, hoping the sun will dry it for
him, and risks increased mycotoxin activity is
ers, sieve tension and application. Always
have a few spare flour covers on hand for
making changeovers if needs be when new
crop is found to be a little coarser than old.

ADVERTISERS
mill operation”
rollermill maintenance work has
long been heralded as the most
cost effective way to address
such issues and if you can call in
half a dozen skilled maintenance
people, familiar with your equipment, just
when you want them, then you really
should avail yourself of the service!
Good roll fluting is a real asset in the
changeover and whilst sharp fluting will
LINKS
ers and they try to get all their suppliers
doing much the same thing as far as harvest
changeover is concerned, just so they have
flour on their plant that comes from more
or less the same proportions of old and
new crop.
It wouldn’t help their plight if one miller’s
flour comes from 100 percent old crop
when another miller’s flour which may follow
immediately after that batch, often in the
middle of the night shift, comes from 100
consumption and it is often not easily percent new crop wheat. The variances and
the adjustments needed would not be very
seen when rollermills are set up with fixed practical and so most bakers will discuss the
matter and agree a schedule for changeover
with each of their supplying millers.
and overflow sides and it is not always
Working with farmers and
apparent what quantity of stock is running merchant suppliers
through each side. As I mention discussions with industry
partners let me stress the importance of
INFORMATION FOR ADVERTISERS - CLICK HERE
also heading for a fall. Check your rollermills out thoroughly, using
Knowing your supplier and working with bought in engineers’ and millwrights’ skills for
them is becoming a key element of a suc- best results and make sure your fluting is up
cessful mill operation and we are beginning to date and in good order well before the
to see the embryo of structural change in introduction of the first stage or phase of
regard to grain handling, drying, storage and new crop wheat.
marketing in several areas of the country. And again, I emphasise the importance
Perhaps more on that subject at a later date.
And when everything goes right, the
of a daily walk round by a mill manager with
an eye for detail. What you observe on your
miller checks and maintains his mill in
advance of harvest, the farmer services his
daily tours could well save you a midnight
phone call!
combine and fires up his dryer in advance
of the first cut, the baker and the miller get
together and agree their campaign strategy
and everything goes like clockwork without
Other related companies:
Buhler Sortex Ltd
a choke in sight.
If this were always the case then you
20 Atlantis Avenue, London, E16 2BF
United Kingdom
wouldn’t be reading this article looking for
advice, you would be out there in the mill
Tel: +44 199 2537421/ Fax: +44 20 7055 7700
Email: sales@buhlersortex.com
making sure all was ready for the upcoming
arrival of new crop wheat.
Website: www.buhlersortex.com

minimise power
costs at any
time of the year,
it will especially
be the case
at harvest. A
look down the
reduction rolls
• Visit Pavan online • Visit Silos Cordoba online
will also be of
value. Many
millers do not
change smooth
rolls
enough
often
and
• Email Pavan • Email Silos Cordoba
they too can
be a cause of www.pavan.com
excess power
Grain &feed millinG technoloGy July-august 2009 | 19

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