When cereals are turned into flour at your Astreïa mill, the quality of the end product depends mainly on the cereal used, but also on how the grains are prepared before milling. At Astreïa, we understand the importance of this process for obtaining a top-of-the-range product with flavour. That’s why we work with you on these 2 aspects:
- Growing your own cereals (if you grow them yourself), with advice from our team and in particular Jean-Marie XIMENA, founder of Astreïa and manager of a cereal farm, miller and baker;
- For grain preparation prior to processing, we have developed a grain brush and a huller. Find out how these machines can improve your milling and the quality of your flour.
Get ready-to-grind grain with the Astreïa grain brush
Why brush the grain before milling?
Brushing is essential for removing impurities such as residues, dust, insect eggs and mycotoxins that have stuck to the furrow in the kernel. It also allows the pericarp shell to be penetrated without biting into the protein base on the surface of the kernel.
By brushing the kernel, you help to obtain a better quality flour and guarantee a purer flour. The result is a more homogenous texture and a superior taste, much sought-after by your customers or yourself when making bread, pasta, cakes, etc.
Since impurities can damage milling equipment, by preparing your grain you help to reduce the risk of damage and breakdowns, and so extend the life of your machines.
Introducing the Astreïa grain brush
The Astreïa grain brush has been specially designed by our in-house design department to meet these needs. With its two brushes, the grain is rubbed against a perforated cloth and thoroughly cleaned. Brushing removes up to 80% of dust and mycotoxins in a single pass, without damaging the grain. Brushing intensity can be finely adjusted by adjusting the incoming flow rate, so you can brush your grain more or less intensively depending on its type.
At the end of brushing, the densimetric column sorts the cleaned grain from the light fractions (straw, wheat chaff, etc.) to retain only the clean grain.
Watch the video to see the difference before and after brushing the grain with the Astreïa brush.
Increase your autonomy with the Astreïa husker
Some cereals, such as small spelt, cannot be eaten in their entirety because their toxic husks cannot be assimilated by the human body. This means that this part of the grain must be removed before consumption or processing. This is the hulling stage.
Developed in the Ain region by our teams, the Astreïa hulling machine enables you to carry out the hulling stage directly on your farm.
How does the Astreïa husker work?
The machine’s rotor accelerates the grain before it hits the impact surface at high speed. This impact detaches the husk from the grain, making the cereal edible.
The performance of our huller means that it can achieve a hulling rate of up to 90% in a single pass*, and can be used with a wide variety of cereals such as oats, spelt, small spelt, etc.
Why invest in your own husking machine?
Investing in your own hulling machine will not only give you greater autonomy, as you won’t need to call on an external service provider, but will also enable you to improve grain quality and limit losses. The husk protects the grain from external contamination, so it’s best to hull your grain only when you plan to grind it.
With your Astreïa huller, you can hull your cereals as and when you need them. It is also possible to integrate the huller into an automated line to grind your cereals just after hulling and work with a better quality cereal.
*The hulling rate depends on the variety of grain, the settings, etc.
To find out more about our machines for preparing your cereals before milling, click here.
