Patent ID: 9623417
Date: 2017-04-18
CPC Classifications: A23L,B02B,B02C,Y02A,Y02P

Claim:
1. A method for making whole grain flour, comprising continuously and repeatedly performing the following steps: providing a cleaned whole cereal grain kernel selected from the group consisting of wheat, barley, rye, oats, buckwheat, and combinations thereof, including endosperm, germ and bran components; mixing the cleaned whole grain kernel with an aqueous solution to uniformly wet the kernel surface, said aqueous solution consisting of water and a sugar; preconditioning the wet whole grain kernel to effect moisture adsorption to within a predetermined range; blanching the moisturized preconditioned whole grain kernel in an atmosphere of saturated steam to at least partially gelatinize and denature the kernel components, and to hydrate with steam condensate the blanched kernel; conditioning the blanched and hydrated kernel to stabilize the kernel to a desired moisture content; milling the conditioned kernel to yield a bimodal mixture of a coarse-grind material and a fine-grind material; hot-air drying the milled material, and cooling the material; screening and classifying the cooled milled material to separate and recover a fine milled material of size under 45 US mesh to 230 US mesh as a whole grain flour, and to separate a coarse milled material of greater than 45 US mesh.