Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-29
HOW STARCH is MADE.

HOW STARCH IS MADE.
Description Of Large Starch Works Where
Non-Chemlcsl Starch is Made.
Near the east side of the main build
ing are the large watts for the reception
of the coarse feed, and a little further
southeast are the gluten vats-two in
number, sixteen by two hundred feet,
and about four feet deep. Near the
southeast corner of the main building
the corn is carried by a belt from the
crib to the shelter, which has y
capacity of over 1900 bushels a day,
and is run by a separate engine of forty
horsepower. After the corn is shelled,
it is carried to the cleaner" where all
the dust and dirt is removed. 1t is
then, by means of an elevator, de-
posted in a long bin in the upper story.
BY means of separate spouts the corn
is conveyed into fourteen large ''steep
banks" holding six hundred bushels
each. After being covered with hot
water is is allowed to remain six days,
or until it is sufficiently soured. 1t is
then, by a screw conveyor and elevator,
taken to the milestone hopper. Just
before it reaches this point it passes
through a revolving wire screen, which
separates the corn from the water.
1t is then conveyed to the mills, four
in number, being mixed again with
water, and after going through two sets
of four-foot millstones, it passes below
to the shakers" These are vibrating
boxes open at one end, and covered
with a wire and satin sieve. Here the
starch and gluten are separated from
the solid particles of the corn, which
are called 'scoarse feed" This de-
scends into a we'll, and is pumped up
by means of a powerful force pump,
and run off into watts for its reception,
where it is drained and ready for sale.
After passing through the shakers"
the starch and gluten are conveyed to
the "run house," receiving on its way
a stream of water. The "run house"
is a room one hundred feet square: con-
tanning fifty-six troughs about eighteen
inches wide and one hundred feet in
length. These runs are slightly en-
closed and while passing through them
the starch settles to the bottom, while
the watery part passes off and is. run
into the gluten watts. The starch is
then conveyed into the agitator wells,
and, being mixed with cold water, is
thoroughly agitated by means of a re-
volving rake. It is then pumped up
and passes through a bolting-reel,
where all the impurities are separated,
and the pure starch conveyed by means
of pipes to sixty-three settling tubs.
The water is then drawn off, and the
starch, pure and white, is conveyed to
a large receptacle, where it is placed in
the mould boxes.
After remaining in the mould boxes
three to four hours. it is cut into blocks
about six inches square, elevated to the
second floor, placed on the cars and run
into the crusting room, where it re-
smains over night. The next morning
the blocks are scraped, or rather the
crust cut off with sharp knives, and are
wrapped in blue OF bronze paper by one
person, at the rate of eight hundred
packages per hour. These packages
are placed on cars with Slated frames,
holding three hundred and ninety-twc
packages each. About one hundred OF
these cars are used. AS they are filled
they are run into the dry room, which
is kept at an average temperature OF
one hundred and sixty degrees by
means Of steam pipes. The starch is
kept here until it is thoroughly dried
into the prismatic form in which it is
purchased in the market. The cars are
run to the ware room and the packages
wrapped in blue paper are packed in
boxes, while those in brown paper are
conveyed to the packer and packed in
barrels by means of a flour packer, al
the rate of two hundred barrels a day
To obtain a superior quality of starch
the corn must first be properly stepped,
and the operator in this department
must have skill and experience. Tc
secure starch from corn in paying
quantities, it must be properly ground,
The next important point is in the
sieving. The smallest hole in the sieve
will admit impure matter, which it is
hard to eliminate. Again, particular
attention is requiredin the precipitation
of the starch on the inclined plane. Ir
the dry room great attention must be
paid to the temperature; too high 8
temperature will produce a scorch, anc
too low a mold.-E1dianapolis Sentinel