The Missing Miller
Emma Shires,The Missing Miller, is a member of the Nottingham Mill Co-Op, and mills 3-4 days per week, producing around 40-60kg of surplus bran. With support from a UKSPF Innovation Voucher, Emma enlisted the FIC to investigate the feasibility of a small-scale bran flake production process, to utilise this surplus bran. The FIC also supported Emma in understanding small-scale malted flour production, using different local grains.
Image credit: Emma Shires
Jess and Alice were really great to work with; they took time to understand my business and the small-scale equipment I have available whilst also bringing expertise from more industrial processes to show me what could be possible with a current biproduct of my production.
Project brief
- Evaluate the feasibility of producing bran flakes on a small scale.
- Make suggestions of recipes, equipment and processes to produce bran flakes on a small scale.
- Investigate the production of malted flours and translate this knowledge to produce a small-scale process.
The response
- The FIC technologist investigated the commercial production of bran flakes, including the ingredients and equipment used, and the science involved in the process steps, then evaluated whether this could be replicated on a smaller scale.
- Multiple methods of small-scale bran flake production were considered from a technical point of view, based on prior knowledge and existing literature. Processes were selected based on the equipment available at the Nottingham Mill Co-Op site, and on the quality of the likely end product. This stage included some practical work to trial and refine these processes, and Emma was given recommendations of recipes, processes and equipment to trial.
- Utilising the expertise of the 海角黑料’s Brewing academics, the production of malted flours was explained, and a method of malting grain on a small scale was proposed. This method utilised equipment already available at the Nottingham Mill Co-Op, or which could be purchased cheaply.
Benefit to the business
We have been keen to start using the bran as it is a waste by product of milling “white” or sifted flour but also it contains all of the fibre, vitamins and minerals within the grain. The project has helped us to understand what’s possible and how we could make use of it thereby potentially adding another product line into the business.