The Fresh Loaf

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Cleaning roller mill help needed

AlisonKay's picture
AlisonKay

Cleaning roller mill help needed

I am using a Marcato Marga Mulino 3-roller mill to flake oat groats. 

The oats are softer than wheat and are leaving a lot of residue on the rollers.

This has become a problem as I'm then fermenting the result (and using the ferment to make a porridge for a bread). Some batches of the fermenting oats have developed mould which I have determined is due to the deposits left on the rollers from the last batch. I know this because when I clean the mill after flaking, it doesn't happen.

Cleaning the Marcato means taking it completely apart, cleaning, drying and putting back together and is a lot of work. I don't really want to do this every time I flake oats. Does anyone have a better idea on how I might clean this type of mill of persistent residue?

Thanks!

justkeepswimming's picture
justkeepswimming

I have one of these as well. So far, I have been able to do ok with just using a dry brush to clean the rollers after use. It's a cheap, natural fiber paint brush I find at Walmart for $1, and is more useful than the one that comes with the flaker. I turn the crank/rollers with one hand, and brush with the other, haven't had to take it apart between uses. Yet. ?

You might consider reaching out to Pleasant Hill Grain and see what they suggest. They sell that specific brand, and have always been extremely helpful. They generally have gotten back to me via email within 24 hours, often much less. 

Good luck!

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

On another tack...

Soaking grains for flaking is a nuanced affair.

They need to be soaked so that the inner parts get hydrated just the right amount.  

Then they need to be dried to just the right degree, so that the surface mostly dries out (but not entirely), while the center maintains just enough moisture so that the grain can squish between the rollers.

It sounds to me like the second phase, drying the surface but not the inner part, needs to be adjusted.

Does that make any sense?

--

Back to cleaning...: maybe....let the residue dry, then use a dish brush or bottle brush with semi-stiff bristles to brush off the dry residue.

trailrunner's picture
trailrunner

I use my Marcato all the time and have never had the problem you are having. I don't soak though. I follow these linked directions. I also do barley and am going to try more grains. Hope this helps. You are just getting your grains too wet to start. Good Luck !

 

http://www.foodprepper.com/make-rolled-oats-flaked-grains.php

justkeepswimming's picture
justkeepswimming

I have been getting the "brittle flaked oats" result as well, less than hoped for. I will prep some tonight and give her suggestions a try. I had to laugh, while reading her measurements, I found myself wishing she had listed them by weight/gm instead of volume. Bread making has tainted how I read recipes, lol. ?

I usually flake oats and barley, but separately. So far, they seem to require different settings on the flaker to achieve the same result. It will be interesting to see if this fixes that too. I may even up my flaking game to include spelt and kamut..... 

Thank you!! 

trailrunner's picture
trailrunner

I use the same setting though for flaking them and so far that’s worked. I believe you will get much better results now. You will likely find other grains may need the water treatment for different lengths of time or a bit more water as I think oats is the softest of the grains. Please report back, there is very little out there in the way of info. Pictures would be great! c

justkeepswimming's picture
justkeepswimming

It sounds like you are only wetting/fermenting the oats after they are flaked, is that correct? I'm wondering if you have tried oat groats from a different source?

Mold spores could be present (though inactive) on the surface of your current oats. Flaking and then soaking/fermenting them would expose any spores to the endosperm. Add water, and they would be quite happy about that environment. It's not unlike feeding a dried starter, really. 

Anyway, something else to explore perhaps? Meanwhile, I am going to proceed with experimenting with moistening a variety of grains overnight and see what happens. I will also try to see if any of them develop any mold. I'll report back on all that in a few days, with photos. ?‍?

GrainBrain's picture
GrainBrain

Hi Alison, I have run into similar issues with a Komo FlocMan. It uses two cones with a screen type surface where the distance is adjustable. Have you been trying different distances between your rollers?
Possibly your groats have too much moisture prior to flaking?
I soak mine in a sieve and immerse the sieve in water for 30 minutes.
Then I toss them a bit to shake off excess water and let them drip for a bit. I do this the night before! Then I wrap them in a lint free dish towel so they can be removed easily. I let them sit in the towel on the counter over night. 
As another member said, the trick is to have them slightly moistened, but not soggy. I clean my rollers/cones with a stiff tooth brush. Hope you can solve your problem.

AlisonKay's picture
AlisonKay

Thanks for all the responses.

I am not soaking my oats before grinding. I am not worried about brittle oat flakes. I actually prefer them more brittle because I am making Sowans (a Scottish ferment) which involves sieving the flakes and fermenting solely the tiny bits of bran and endosperm that come off them.

I've tried different oat brands with no change. The mould issue arises only when using uncleaned rollers. 

I've tried stiff brushes but they don't get it off, and one of the three rollers is inaccessible without taking the machine apart so that wouldn't get clean even if the brush worked.

It sounds like the dryer the grain is, the easier it is to get the residue off, so I'm thinking to put the machine into a very low oven for a while after use and then trying to bash the dried residue off!

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

Is this your mill?

https://www.marcato.it/en/product/manual_machines/marga-mulino

I have a Chinese knock-off of the German version.

Is the lower roller on yours covered by somehing, or can you access the third roller by turning the machine sideways?  With my Chinese version, I do that, and use my fingers to manually turn the lower roller to expose all of it for cleaning.

91% isopropyl alcohol, which is the 91% version of regular 71% rubbing alcohol, is a good solvent.  Don't let it get on the plastic parts, or into the gears. It will dissolve the grease on the gears.

But wet a cloth with the 91% isopropyl and try wiping the rollers with it.  

91% might melt some plastic brush bristles, so test it safely first.

AlisonKay's picture
AlisonKay

Thank you for this helpful post.

I got the machine out and if I turn it upside down and almost dislocate my finger I can touch the third roller! I will get the 91% and try this with a cloth, being careful.

Perhaps a solution - we'll see.

trailrunner's picture
trailrunner

I took 2 c of rye grains and put them in a qt container added 4 tsp water and shook as the inst said to do then shook again 5 min later to loosen the stray grains on the sides of the container. I left it overnight. This morning I flaked all of it with NO problem! It was amazing. I use the “0” setting on the Marga flaker. There was no breakage no sticking and no residue. I didn’t even need to dust the rollers. Perfection. This definitely the easiest least troublesome method I’ve tried. I then toasted the flakes with butter in an iron skillet and then cooked the porridge with honey.After it cools I will make 2500g of bread dough. Already the fragrance is intoxicating. Good luck and do try this method instead of over wetting the grains.