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Analysis of Wheats

Wheat varies somewhat in chemical composition depending upon the variety. The table below shows the composition of a number of American wheats. Wheat differs from the other cereals in that it contains gliadin and glutenin, which when water is added, form an elastic substance known as gluten, which is necessary in a flour that is to be used for baking purposes. This gluten enmeshes and holds the gas produced during fermentation. Table No. 2 shows the comparative chemical composition of wheat and other cereals.

The miller makes a number of grades of wheat flour depending upon the demand of the consumer. Generally a short patent, long patent, first clear, second clear, and red dog are the flours produced. Some mills make whole wheat and graham flours.

A short patent flour is milled by making a low extraction of the middlings and thus producing a short patent, a first and second clear and a red dog. Long patent flour is made by allowing a larger extraction of the middlings, extracting first clear, second clear and red dog. A straight flour is made by milling the purified middlings into flour without any further separation. In this instance we do not obtain the clears and the red dog. The short patent generally contains less gluten and less ash than the flour of higher extraction. The ash content generally runs from .37 to .43 per cent. The long patents will run from .45 to 50. Many mills do not make a short or long patent but extract a certain percentage of the purified middlings after the bran and germ have been removed which makes a patent flour leaving a residual substance from which the clears and red dog may be extracted. The clears are those flours which are obtained after the middlings have been purified and the patent flour extracted. This residual branny substance is ground when the clears are taken off leaving a low form of flour, known as red dog. They are high in ash and contain considerable bran and are classed as first clear and second clear, depending upon the amount of bran and ash present. They are used in combination with straight wheat flour and rye flour in the manufacture of rye breads, although many bakers to-day use good patent flour, straight wheat flour and patent rye flour in making rye bread. Some mills make a special extraction of wheat and rye flour for the bakers who make much rye bread.

Whole wheat flour is made by milling the clean sound wheat into a fine floury meal without the removal of any portion of the wheat by bolting. Graham flour as the name indicates was recommended by Dr. Graham. It is made by grinding the clean sound wheat into a coarse meal without the removal of any part of the wheat kernel by bolting. It may here be stated that the so-called graham flour is sometimes made by adding a certain amount of bran to patent or straight flour. Dr. Graham was a most ardent advocate of this flour. No wheat flour products should contain more than 13.5 per cent of moisture. The grinding of cereals into flour is conducted on a large scale to-day and the process is under scientific control. Under the guidance of the chemists who control and do research work, the millers are able to make a uniform flour of high quality.