Middlings purifier
Encyclopedia
A middlings purifier is a device used in the production of flour
to remove the husk
s from the kernels of wheat
.
It was developed in Minnesota
by Edmund LaCroix, a French inventor hired by Cadwallader C. Washburn
and George Christian of the Washburn "A" Mill.
It was developed to complement the emerging roller mill technique of the late 19th century, which used corrugated metal rollers instead of abrasive grindstones to grind wheat into flour. The middlings purifier was used in this process to separate the bran
from the usable part of the flour. The machine developed by LaCroix passed the partially ground middlings over a screen, and a stream of air blew away the particles of bran.
This process was used because winter wheat, sown in the fall and harvested early the next summer was not feasible to grow in Minnesota. Spring wheat was sown in the spring and harvested in late summer. This could be grown by Minnesota farmers, but the conventional techniques of grinding grain between millstones ended up producing a darker flour than consumers desired. It was also difficult to mix the gluten and the starch completely, as well. After Washburn's company developed the roller-milling technique with the use of a middlings purifier, they tried to monopolize the technique, but the Pillsbury Company and other competitors were able to duplicate the process thanks to employees who left Washburn and passed along trade secrets.
The development of the middlings purifier may have been based on the invention of the purifier by Ignaz Paur, an Austrian Miller and inventor (1778 - 1842) early in the 19th century.
Washburn later teamed up with John Crosby to form the Washburn-Crosby Company, which eventually became General Mills
.
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
to remove the husk
Husk
Husk in botany is the outer shell or coating of a seed. It often refers to the leafy outer covering of an ear of maize as it grows on the plant. Literally, a husk or hull includes the protective outer covering of a seed, fruit or vegetable...
s from the kernels of wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
.
It was developed in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
by Edmund LaCroix, a French inventor hired by Cadwallader C. Washburn
Cadwallader C. Washburn
Cadwallader Colden Washburn was an American businessman, politician, and soldier noted for founding what would later become General Mills and working in government for Wisconsin. He was born in Livermore, Maine, one of seven brothers that included Israel Washburn, Jr., Elihu B. Washburne, William D...
and George Christian of the Washburn "A" Mill.
It was developed to complement the emerging roller mill technique of the late 19th century, which used corrugated metal rollers instead of abrasive grindstones to grind wheat into flour. The middlings purifier was used in this process to separate the bran
Bran
Bran is the hard outer layer of grain and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the production of refined grains. When bran is removed from grains, the grains lose a portion of their...
from the usable part of the flour. The machine developed by LaCroix passed the partially ground middlings over a screen, and a stream of air blew away the particles of bran.
This process was used because winter wheat, sown in the fall and harvested early the next summer was not feasible to grow in Minnesota. Spring wheat was sown in the spring and harvested in late summer. This could be grown by Minnesota farmers, but the conventional techniques of grinding grain between millstones ended up producing a darker flour than consumers desired. It was also difficult to mix the gluten and the starch completely, as well. After Washburn's company developed the roller-milling technique with the use of a middlings purifier, they tried to monopolize the technique, but the Pillsbury Company and other competitors were able to duplicate the process thanks to employees who left Washburn and passed along trade secrets.
The development of the middlings purifier may have been based on the invention of the purifier by Ignaz Paur, an Austrian Miller and inventor (1778 - 1842) early in the 19th century.
Washburn later teamed up with John Crosby to form the Washburn-Crosby Company, which eventually became General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
.