How to Use a Burr Mill to Make Cracked Corn

An old song sang about Jimmy who cracked corn. Likely Jimmy worked to produce feed for his cows or chickens who find cracked corn easier to digest than whole corn kernels. Burr mills not only convert grain into flour, but they can crack corn, too. Historic burr mills still exist, used by farmers of years past to make cracked corn, but you can also purchase grain mills for home use operated manually with a crank or electrically. Both types operate in the same manner to produce cracked corn.

Things You'll Need

• Burr mill
• Corn kernels
• Bowl

Instructions

1. Adjust the size on the burr mill to very coarse to crack rather than grind the corn.

2. Fill the hopper at the top of the burr mill with corn kernels.

3. Set a bowl under the outlet of the burr mill.

4. Turn the machine on or crank the handle to pass the corn kernels between the stones in the burr mill, cracking them.

5. Stop the mill when the bowl fills with cracked corn.

References

• CliftonMill.com: How the Mill Works
• Stanton.net: Historical Times - Flour Mill

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish