MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. – The IGP Institute at Kansas State University strives to provide valuable training opportunities for grain industry professionals. The Bühler–KSU Executive Milling in English courses were held Nov. 6–10 and also Nov. 13–17, at the institute’s conference center.

The course provided participants with knowledge of a wide variety of topics in milling, including cleaning systems, basic flow sheet technology, use of various types of wheat for different finished products, influence of wheat characteristics on yield and mill performance, finished product handling and storage, basics in flow quality and batch mixing versus continuous mixing systems.

“I enjoyed the science behind the process the most in this course,” said Mark Harrison, engineering manager at SEPROD Limited in Kingston, Jamaica. “Being able to understand the importance of particle size, different components and where they are in the process gives me a better understanding of the milling process. It’s better to have an overall knowledge of the process to understand how the mill can become more profitable.”

Several KSU faculty and staff as well as Bühler, Inc. professionals covered the course topics through classroom presentations and hands-on lab activities in the Hal Ross Flour Mill. The exercises in the flour mill included touring the mill and practicals relating to rollermills, sifters, and the purifier, detacher and bran finisher. It also included an exercise on cleaning and conditioning wheat.

“The Bühler–KSU Executive Milling courses gave participants an understanding of the flour milling process that will allow them to be more successful in the milling industry,” said Jason Watt, Bühler instructor of milling at KSU.