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Freshloafers in Alabama and Tennessee with a Nutrimill or Similar

G-Regular's picture
G-Regular

Freshloafers in Alabama and Tennessee with a Nutrimill or Similar

Hey guys,

I'm a new baker and first time Nutrimill Classic owner.  I bought mine used.  It produces flour that gives off an interesting and slightly concerning smell.  (I recognize that this is all new for me.)  I posted a little over a week ago asking about it.  I was advised to pass some white rice through it and hopefully that would solve the issue.  I have put 10 pounds through since then and it still gives off the smell.

I was wondering if there was anyone between Birmingham, AL and Nashville, TN, Florence and Chattanooga who has a Nutrimill or similar and would be willing to let me come to you with my Nutrimill, give me your opinion on it, and let me see/smell what yours produces.  I'm in Huntsville, AL.

I would obviously be open to whatever questions or conditions are required to meet-up.

Thanks everybody,

G-Regular

clazar123's picture
clazar123

I know it is impossible to describe smells but you may be surprised. Sweet? Cheesey? Sour/sharp (tingle the nose)? Alcohol/acetone? Old socks? Burned? Vitamins smell?

Check the temp of the flour immediately after it is milled. Is it over 130F?  I have to put my wheat berries in the freezer before milling so the temp of the flour stays under 130F (the point at which the starches can be broken down).

THrow some of the same rice in the blender. Does it smell the same?

Rice that is enriched is coated with some vitamins (Iron, niacin, thiamin, and folic acid). Those nutrients can give an "interesting" smell when milled, don't you think?

Any dark flecks in the resulting rice flour?  Does it look like there may have been oily seeds/nuts put through? In which case the odor would be like rancid oil.

Good luck!

 

 

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

clazar, here's the previous post with a better description:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/64095/nutrimill-smell

 

barryvabeach's picture
barryvabeach

G ,  I read both of your posts,   and not sure if the smell is from the flour or the mill?  I don't have a Nutrimill, but had a Whispermill, which uses a similar grinding chamber.  ( I am assuming yours is the Nutrimill, not the Nutrimill Harvest https://pleasanthillgrain.com/nutrimill-harvest-mill?_vsrefdom=bppc&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Grain%20Mills%20-%20Branded&utm_term=nutrimill%20harvest&utm_content=Nutrimill%20-%20Harvest ). 

 The milling chamber on the Nutrimill  is just two metal disks -  they both look like this https://rwglobal.com/~healthykitchens/tipe/pictures/nutrimillmillingheads.jpg, though they are set opposite each other, and the spacing of the rings of teeth are different on the upper and lower disk, and one is fixed and one rotates. The way it works is the berries get dropped into the middle, and as they try to work their way to the outside, they keep getting hit by crisscrossing teeth which shatter the grain into smaller pieces.   The disks are maybe 4 or so inches in diameter, so a 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of rice would have been plenty to try to clean it, though frankly , I have not see the suggestion to use rice to clean a micronizer mill like yours, instead, it is suggested for stone mills, since the flour can build up in the crevices of stones and prevent it from grinding.

Two suggestions,  take a vacuum cleaner with a suction hose, and use it on the outlet and inlet to try to get all the loose flour out.  When that is done, take the whole thing outside, and use either a air compressor hose, or the exhaust outlet on your vacuum if you have one, to try to blow air into any opening in the machine to force out any residual flour.  I bought my Whispermill used, and I took it apart and found flour everywhere, especially in the coils around the motor - it is possible that as the motor is heating up it is burning the flour and giving off a bad smell.  BTW, on the Whispermill, taking it apart and putting it back together was a total PITA, and I don't recommend it .  Likely the same would be true for the Nutrimill, though I have never used one.