Effect of mill plate setting and number of dynamic steeping stages for an intermittent milling and dynamic steeping (IMDS) process for corn

Effect of corn degermination mill parameters (clearance between mill plates and rpm) were assessed on the broken germ and number of whole kernels in m ash so as to optimize the cracking procedure for the intermittent milling a nd dynamic steeping (IMDS) process. The dynamic steep time and number of in termittent milling stages for the IMDS process were also optimized for maxi mum starch recovery. A comparison was made between the IMDS and the convent ional steeping process for fraction yields. A clearance of 0.45-0.48 cm bet ween the plates gave the most optimum processing conditions (minimum broken germ and least amount of whole kernels in mash after cracking). Effect of rpm on germ damage and kernel cracking was not significant when optimum cle arance between the degermination plates was maintained. Two stages of inter mittent milling with a dynamic steep time of 30 min or higher was recommend ed because it produced the highest yield of starch and germ. Comparison of the IMDS process with the conventional wet-milling process showed that star ch and gluten yield increased by 1.6 and 4.26%, respectively, in the IMDS p rocess. Germ recovered from the IMDS process was 0.54% lower than that from the conventional steeping process.