Almost five weeks after I ordered it, the grain mill I ordered finally arrived. NGL, I was starting to think it wasn’t going to ship at all. And, in the intervening time, the price rose almost 25% as availability shrank. But..it’s here.
Impressions? Definitely a product that is built to last. But…I ordered the spare parts nonetheless. My biggest problem was that I simply don’t have the counter space, nor the sturdiness of construction, that this thing will require. So, I gave it some thought and came up with something that seems to work.
First consideration was space. I cant just go buy or build a sturdy little bench and bolt this thing to it. I just don’t have room for that. Secondly, whatever I bolt it to has to be able to resist the forces exerted on the mill. In other word, if I start really leaning into this thing I need the mill and its mounting surface to not walk around or wobble.
Solution? Black and Decker Workmate WM225.
I mounted the mill to some scrap lumber, and then c-clamp that to the bench. The bench folds flat like a folding chair when not in use, so the footprint is minimal. And, thanks to physics, if I stand on the bench’s step while turning the mill handle I cannot lift the mill or the bench….for the same reason you cant stand in a bucket and lift yourself up in it. So…that works.
The mill itself looks like it’ll last a lifetime. I tried grinding up some hard white wheat and the result was a very fine flour. Changed out a few parts, threw in a handful of dried corn, and experimented with several different grades of fineness.
I will say that I can see why some people motorize these things. But, I picked up the extension handle for it so the extra leverage makes a big difference.
I haven’t done much, if any, baking in a while so I’ll have to see how the taste of fresh ground flour and cornmeal compares to what I’m used to.
Also, I can see where it might make sense for me to go pick up another 16-gallon ‘blue barrel’ and dump another hundred pounds of wheat or corn into it… just in case. A couple hundred pounds of each should last for quite a while.
Yeah, the mill was a major hit to the wallet but over the rest of my anticipated life span that knocks it down to something like a dime a day for a tool that will last forever and help keep me and the people I care about fed.
Smart thinking breeds long term success.
What you have with proper care (including teaching your children it’s use and care) will give your grandchildren benefits long after your gone. There is a good reason proud family names like Miller and Smith were thought well of in their communities.
Long after “learn to code” is a nasty joke, folks still have to eat during times of troubles and afterwards. Just stay as far away from Spanish Civil War situations as you can as chaos and destruction trumps careful planning. I read a story of a Spanish Miller that disassembled his family mill, hid the critical parts, burned the rest to keep it from the warriors and his family fled to South America.
His skillset gave the family income until after WW2. I *think* his mindset was to return to Spain and become a proud Miller again after the “little war” settled down but.,,
Disposable-cheap thinking breeds more short-term poor man’s thinking. I was shuddering about the slew of recent “Dollar Store” survivalism articles. Not that there is nothing useful on the cheap there BUT the whole a few bucks, STILL in the Plastic store packaging attitude will “Save Me” foolishness. Skills? I got STUFF…
Skills, good tools, trusted friends, ability to repair chaos damage and lots of food-safe water will make you “Rich” in a Holodomor-Bosnian situation.
Have you read Michael Yon’s latest over at Western Rifle Shooters? Chilling and he’s been annoyingly accurate in the past. History often rhymes.
Why do i hear the tune ‘Popeye the Sailor Man’ playing in the background…?
Hey CZ,
I use same “bolt to board and clamp to table” strategy for my Country Living mill.
The Black & Decker folding workbench is a great compact design. Read somewhere that it was invented by white South African engineer way back.
I inherited my Dad’s bench he got in 1970s. He had installed a new wood work surface at some point.
This past weekend I used mill to grind 3 cups wheat flour, 3 cups buckwheat for pancakes. My 2 daughters each had friend spend night so pancakes were a big hit.
Buckwheat the easiest thing ever to grind.
My Dyslexia is play up today so I read the title as MIL (mother in Law) Arrived
Something besides grain I want to try in the CL mill is making Cassava flour. I’m way south and it grows here without much care, through drought and deluge, in poor soil, and no pest issues. We harvest root and boil like a regular potato.
For flour I plan on peeling and grating the raw root. Soaking gratings and drying in dehydrator. Then attempting to run through the mill using the corn auger (the spiral flutes or channels are larger that the grain auger’s).
We’ll see.
My GrainMaker model #99 grain mill is bolted to my countertop. Yes, it does take up some room to do that, but it not goin’ anywhere.
I have a special dedicated bench for all kinds of things – grinders, reloading gear, and my country living mill. It has 2×6’s for the top and is drilled for mounting bolts in the corners that are counter-bored for the nuts on top so that they remain just below the surface. Each item that I want to use on it is attached to a piece of plywood with matching holes to drop down on the existing bolts. I drop a washer on the bolts and use wing nuts once the item is in place and am ready to do my thing.
Looking for recommendations for sources of wheat berries. My mill is on order, but want to get the wheat berries in hand.
Depending on geographic location, I have been successful getting 50# bags of wheat berries at local Amish or Mennonite run stores.
And just like that, the mill is not available on the ‘ZON. No idea when it will be back either. Hmmmm. Glad we have two in the storeroom.