Grain crusher

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A grain crusher (also called an oat crusher ) is a device or small machine used to crush grain.

Grain crusher in the Oostendorper Watermolen water mill, Haaksbergen, Netherlands

Layout and function

Squeezers consist of a filling funnel, which is also a protection against contact, and two rollers rotating close together. The distance between the rollers is usually adjustable. The rollers often have a profile to increase the grip of the roller surface. Depending on the purpose, the rollers are driven manually with a crank, by means of an electric motor and belt drive or z. B. as in the adjacent picture with hydropower.

Bruised wheat

To ensure reliable operation, most machines have an inlet control which, depending on the load capacity of the machine and the type of crushed goods, has to control the inlet so that the machine is not overloaded or blocked. Both rollers are driven, sometimes at different speeds, in order to achieve an additional grinding effect. Machines for soft grain and oilseeds have scrapers that clean the rollers with every rotation. Since the crushed grain is not heated like in industrial plants, it does not have a long shelf life because of oxidation and released enzymes.

Areas of application

The main area of ​​application is agriculture, where crushed oats are used as feed for horses , for example .

In brewing, malted barley is broken up by crushing grain to prepare it for mashing . Grain crushers are used in private households to produce grain flakes.

Keeping horses

Grain crusher in Stallgasse

In horse keeping , grain is squeezed to make it easier for horses to digest. Oats are necessarily squeezed in horses with changing teeth or older horses. Barley and maize have to be squeezed in order to enable starch digestion in the small intestine and thus the availability of energy. After the grain crushers are on riding stables in the feed chamber and have a dedusting system. There are also mobile solutions in which the grain crusher is mounted on a feed wagon, for example.

Brewing

In the brewing and distillery industry, grain crushers - here they are called malt grist mills - are used. Freshly crushed malt contributes to the purity and the intense development of aromas when brewing beer , but also when distilling whiskey. With these grain crushers, the malt grain is broken up into semolina, whereby the flour content should be low and the husk should be largely preserved. In this way, the malt is prepared for the brewing or distilling process and, at the same time, a natural filter layer is provided for the lautering.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Guidelines for Riding and Driving. Volume 4, 15th edition 2010, ISBN 978-3-88542-724-7 , pp. 149 f.
  2. ^ Gerlinde Hoffman: Orientation aids for equestrian facilities & stable construction. 2009, ISBN 978-3-88542-740-7 , p. 98.