HANDLING WHEAT FROM FIELD TO MILL. 9 



BAKING TESTS OF FLOURS MILLED FROM SHOCK-THRASHED AND 



STACK-THRASHED WHEATS. 



Table II shows in detail the results of the experimental baking 

 tests with shoclv-thrashed and stack-thrashed wheats. As shown in 

 Table I, three ditl'erent samples of the shock-thrashed wheat and one 

 sample of the stack-thrashed Avheat were milled on various dates. 

 Sample No. 398 of the shock-thrashed wheat was milled on August 

 31 and two bakings were made of the resulting flour, one baking on 

 September 8 and the other on November 4. 



A comparison of the baking tests of this sample shows a slightly 

 better water absorption, an increase of 200 c. c. in loaf volume, 

 and a slightly lower grade for color and texture in the second 

 baking. Sample No. 398 A, or the second sample of the shock- 

 thrashed wheat, was milled on September 17 and two bakings were 

 also made from this flour, the first on September 23 and the second on 

 November 4. It will be noted that the results of the first baking test 

 on this sample of flour (No. 398 A) compare very closely with the 

 results of the first baking from sample No. 398, while the results of 

 the second bakings from both samples also compare very closely. 

 On October 2G a third sample of the shock-thrashed wheat (No. 

 398 B) w^as milled and a sample of the stack-thrashed wheat (No. 

 4G0) was also milled on the same day. On November 4 one sample 

 of each of the flours obtained therefrom was baked. 



Comparing the results of the baking test of sample No. 398 B with 

 the first test of sample No. 398, it is found that there was evidently 

 considerable improvement as the wheat " aged," the absorption and 

 loaf volume having both improved considerably. However, it should 

 be noted from the second baking of sample No. 398 that this flour 

 was not as good even after " aging " two months as the freshly 

 milled flour of sample No. 398 B, made from the same wheat after the 

 wheat had " aged '' in the bin for the same length of time. Further- 

 more, none of the three samples milled from the shock-thrashed whe9t 

 (samples Nos. 398, 398 A, and 398 B) equaled the sample from the 

 stack-thrashed wheat (sample No. 4G0). 



AVork with these samples was continued and a sample from each 

 lot was milled and baked every month. Six different samples were 

 milled and baked from lot No. 398 (shock thrashed) and four sam- 

 ples from lot No. 460 (stack thrashed). The average loaf volume 

 secured from lot No. 398 was 2,610 c. c, while lot No. 460 gave an 

 average loaf volume of 2,700 c. c. The flour made from samples of 

 lot No. 398 had a slight advantage in the color of the bread, but that 

 made from lot No. 460 gave a somewhat higher Avater absorption. 



[Cir. 68] 



