Middlings purifier facts for kids

A middlings purifier is a clever machine. It helps make flour from wheat. This machine removes the outer husks, called bran, from the good parts of the wheat kernel.

What is a Middlings Purifier?

Imagine you're grinding wheat to make flour. After the first grind, you get a mix. This mix has tiny pieces of wheat kernel and also bits of the outer skin, the bran. The middlings purifier separates these. It uses screens and a puff of air. The air blows away the lighter bran particles. This leaves behind the cleaner, heavier wheat parts. These clean parts are then ground into fine, white flour.

The Story of Its Invention

This important machine was developed in Minnesota, USA. A French inventor named Edmund LaCroix created it. He was hired by Cadwallader C. Washburn and George Christian. They owned the Washburn "A" Mill in Minneapolis.

The middlings purifier was a perfect partner for a new way of grinding wheat. This new method used special metal rollers instead of old-fashioned grindstones. These rollers had ridges and were called "roller mills." They ground the wheat gently. This gentle grinding made it easier to separate the bran later with the purifier.

Why This Machine Was So Important

Farmers in Minnesota faced a challenge. They mostly grew "spring wheat." This wheat was planted in spring and harvested in late summer. But traditional grinding methods made a darker flour from spring wheat. People preferred lighter, whiter flour. It was also hard to mix the gluten and starch perfectly with old methods.

The middlings purifier changed everything. When combined with roller milling, it allowed mills to produce high-quality, light-colored flour from Minnesota's spring wheat. This was a huge step forward for flour production.

A Big Impact on Business

After developing this new process, Washburn's company tried to keep it a secret. They wanted to be the only ones using it. But other companies, like the Pillsbury Company, soon learned the method. Some employees who left Washburn's company shared these "trade secrets". This meant many mills could start making better flour.

It's thought that the idea for the middlings purifier might have come from an earlier invention. An Austrian miller named Ignaz Paul (1778-1842) developed a similar purifier in the early 1800s.

Later, Cadwallader Washburn joined forces with John Crosby. They formed the Washburn-Crosby Company. This company eventually grew into a giant food business we know today: General Mills. The middlings purifier played a big role in their early success.