I’m considering getting a KoMo medium flour mill. I live in an apartment and would need to store the grains (berries) in a freezer to keep them from going rancid. Would I be able to put frozen wheat berries (or other types of berries or legumes) in a KoMo mill?
Unless your apartment is warmer than 80F, I think you’re fine to store wheat berries at room temperature in an airtight container (or even the ziplock-type sacks they come in).
One of the incentives to get a mill and buy/store wheat berries is that you don’t have to worry about rancidity until the grain integrity is compromised through milling i.e. turned into flour.
@Christina20 I have a Mockmill 100 flour mill (stone mill, not metal blades). I don’t own a KoMo mill so I don’t know anything about them. I don’t know what the instructions are for milling frozen grain (berries) for the KoMo but I do have a suggestion if you do decide to freeze your grain for storage before grinding for use.
I keep my grain frozen. That’s how I store it. When I want to grind some, I merely measure out the quantity I need of the frozen grain and just spread it onto a cookie sheet (with sides or you’ll lose your grain, LOL) and let the grain come to room temperature before grinding in my mill. It takes less than 30 minutes to come to room temperature. If your mill is a grinding stone mill, the reason you don’t want to grind the grain while it’s still frozen is because you don’t want any moisture (ice crystals) or condensation that might be on the grain to get onto the stones. Moisture on the stones will create a mold situation that will ruin your mill. Once those spores develop, they’re impossible to remove. Simply allowing your grain to come to room temperature before milling eliminates that issue. It works for me! I just measure out what I need, let it thaw for about 30 minutes before grinding and keep the rest of the grain safely in the freezer.
I hope that helps!
Baking blessings,
Leah
Thanks! My apartment can get quite warm and near that temperature. I have air conditioner but at times it gets quite warm. So I think freezing in my case is the best bet! 
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Thanks Leah, this is very helpful! Sounds like it really doesn’t take long for the berries to thaw. Great suggestion, I’ll just put them out for a 1/2 hrs before using! I am getting a used Komo medium mill tomorrow and am new to this bread making but looking forward to starting my sourdough journey. Now I just have to decide on a clay baker. Do you know whether to recommend the Emile Henry baker or the Breadtopia clay baker? The EH is glazed and it appear a bit smaller. I wonder which is better in terms of shape and size for a loaf? Thanks!
@Christina20 Hi, Christina! A very warm welcome to you to this forum and to the wonderful world of homemade sourdough bread! Funny thing is, I still consider myself to be rather new at this too even though I started back in April 2018. I’m definitely just a novice baker, not a teacher or expert at all.
Breadtopia has been my baking lifeline through Eric’s videos, the recipes and techniques (many thanks to @Fermentada Melissa whom I consider to be my baking angel), this forum with all the wonderful teachers, baking experts and awesome posts on threads and being the supplier of all my bread needs through the website. I’m not affiliated with or on Breadtopia’s staff. I’m just a VERY satisfied customer.
To answer your question about which clay baker to purchase. Well, I personally chose the Breadtopia clay baker in the “country loaf” size/shape which is more of a oval “sandwich” shape (batard), not a skinny oblong like a French bread baguette shape. I purchased it back in 2018 when I first started my sourdough journey. I personally love it and use it exclusively for baking my bread. It is my one-and-only clay baker as I was only looking to purchase one clay baker and wanted something that would give me a “generic all-purpose” shape to my baked bread. This one totally fit the bill.
Honestly, one of my reasons for choosing it was the fact that it wasn’t as expensive as the EH. I’m sure the EH is a great clay baker. A lot of people own and use one but I am MORE than thrilled with the quality and performance of my Breadtopia clay baker. The included instructions for use are simple and easy to follow. If using the baker only for bread (like I do), you don’t even have to clean it after use! It’s been awesome! I can personally highly recommend it.
Baking blessings,
Leah
Hi Leah
Thank you for the warm welcome! Yes, I see this site has so many resources and passionate people who love making bread and share their knowledge - it is awesome! I’m really looking forward to trying out my first loaf, perfecting it and experimenting as I learn about the process.
Appreciate your recommendation for the Breadtopia clay baker. This was the one I was leaning towards. I also like the fact that it is unglazed and appears a bit larger than the EH. And the price point is great. A little concerned it could be breakable but I’ll make sure to handle it with care.
So, tomorrow I place my order and pick up my new ‘used’ flour mill. On with the adventure!
Thank you
Christina
@Christina20 You’re very welcome! My pleasure. BTW, any clay baker you purchase would be considered breakable! That’s the nature of clay. If you handle it gently and thoroughly read the included instructions for care, you should be just fine. I like to say if an item can withstand being used by me and not break, it’s indestructible!
Leah
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I just saw this video and text about the use/care of the Breadtopia clay baker. I thought I’d pass the information on to you.
https://breadtopia.com/clay-baker/
Baking blessings,
Leah
Thank you Leah, this is helpful! 