Frequently Asked Questions
Why use a
SCHNITZER stone mill?
While mills made from homogenous natural stone or steel
burrs will blunt in time, the opposite happens in millstones made from hard
basalt (Naxos)
and magnesite, or corundum in ceramic, because new grinding
edges of the hard basalt or the corundum are continually exposed. In this way
the stones
adjust to each other, and performance and flour texture
improve with use. The wear in this process is extremely small and the residue
contains harmless
trace elements considered to be
safe.
Schnitzer mills are self
cleaning on account of the continuous supply of grain to the mill. The milling
process is 95% free of dust, and the little noise
(inherent in the cracking
grain and the required power) is unavoidable, but not unpleasant. Schnitzer
stone mill speeds are optimised in accordance
with the properties of the
Naxos basalt and the corundum in order to keep the processing temperature low.
This avoids the unnecessary damage to the
grain and the
need to supply cooling airflow during the milling process.
The mill
stones for the electric mills are made of synthetic basalt.
It is a substance called corundum. (Not to be confused with carborundum,
the material used in grindstones in mechanical workshops) It is inert.
It is bound together in ceramic - again inert, and baked for about seven
days to achieve the exceptional degree of hardness required to give a
lifetime of up to 20 years in normal domestic use. The hand mills continue
to use naxos basalt, bound in magnesite - again both inert substances.
The change over to direct drive electric mills instead of via gearing was
possible with the re-design of the mill stones to minimise heating problems
with the high speed (about 1400rpm) Formerly, it was thought mill
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speeds should be kept to around 80 rpm. However, the bond of basalt
and magnesite was not strong enough to hold at the higher speed, and
thus
the research led to the synthetic basalt in ceramic. We believe this
to be totally non toxic to humans. All in all, we believe we have the
answer to this business of milling and have it over the opposition. I guess
the evidence of the superior quality of the Schnitzer product is that in
Europe, the other 3 manufacturer's use the same
stones!
Is there any
lead or cadmium in a Schnitzer Mill?
There is no lead or cadmium in any of our Mills.
Are the
stainless steel milling chambers bad for the flour?
Once a grain is broken open, it is
susceptible to being 'attacked' by the oxygen in the atmosphere, bringing about
a chemical reaction called oxidation.
In this way, valuable enzymes,
minerals and vitamins are rendered inactive over a period of time - beginning
the moment the grain is broken, to being
reduced to around 25% of the
original value after just a few days. Storage conditions and atmospheric
conditions will vary this loss rate. In a similar
fashion, the inherent
magnetic value of steel burrs or rollers used in some milling processes can
alter the chemical make-up of some of the nutrients in
the grain. And the
metal itself will also begin an oxidation process. Schnitzer uses a stainless
steel - free of lead or cadmium ( which is not necessarily
the case in the
metal used in burr or steel roller mills) as the mill housing in the GRANO, the
GRANO 200 and the VARIO. The moment milling
commences, the flour and the
small amount of dust from the milling process coat the stainless steel housing.
For all intents and purposes, that coating
remains in place until the mill
is cleaned, at which time the process recurrs. In any event, the fractional
volume of flour actually in contact with the steel
is so minute as be of
no consequence, quite different to the process of actually grinding the grain
onto steel burrs or rollers.
Why does it say
"will mill all grains, but not pop-corn" ?
Pop-corn (sometimes called Indian corn)
is a small hard grain, usually processed by being partly cooked with oils. It
can become extremely hard and
apart from the possibility of the oil on the
grain clogging the mill-stone surfaces, the hardened-by-process grain of
pop-corn may damage the stones by
becoming wedged between them, causing them to crack.
Is there any
chip-board in your Mills?
Only solid timber is used for the housing, and in some
instances a small piece of special ply may be used as the mounting for the
electric motor.
No chip-board is used.
Will the timber
warp?
The beechwood or maplewood housings and wooden hoppers are
made from selected pieces of timber laid together so that the grain of the
timber
runs in opposite directions with alternate
pieces, then glued with special glue. The possibility of the timber warping or
twisting is so remote as to be virtually nil.
Can I get spare
parts?
Although thousands of people across the world enjoy years of
trouble free use from their mill, there is a comprehensive spare parts list
should a
problem occur with your mill outside of
warranty.
How long is the
warranty, and what does it cover?
Warranty in most cases is for a period of 3
years, covering parts and labour on faulty components or mechanics, excluding
those caused by misuse or
accidental damage by the user. Full details
published with mill purchases.
Further Questions - please email us at lbheal@acay.com.au
