threshing wheat

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I have 1/4 acre of winter wheat that I planted for a hoot. Well it all came up and with in a few weeks I will need to sycel and thresh it. I have the sycel but after it's cut how do I thresh it with out a threshing machine?

-- Wes (wjjcg6@dellepro.com), May 15, 2001

Answers

I really dont know. But growing up i Had a kids picture bible that showed egyptians(sp?) stacking the cut wheat then. using what looked like a dowl rod with a knuckle they beat the wheat loose then used two blocks to knock the seed from the chaff(sp?). I hope someone else has better advice for ya.

-- MikeinKS (mhonk@oz-online.net), May 15, 2001.

I hope you have scythe not a sickle! I understand modern wheat strains ripen while standing, ancient wheat strains were cut, bundled into sheaves and stooked to ripen and dry. As it will be ripe perhaps you can reap and thresh in one operation, take each handful of stalks and just beat the heads on a tarp spread on the ground, just an idea.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), May 16, 2001.

Hi Wes. Get a clean garbage can and beat wheat heads against the side. Do not store grain in a plastic garbage can - the mice will chew right through it (voice of experience). Sandy

-- Sandy in MN (jpevans_56353@yahoo.com), May 16, 2001.

There really isn't that much difference between modern day wheat and ancient varieties. The reason they used to cut the wheat when is wasn't quite ripe is the grain was less apt to fall out of the heads and harvest losses are reduced. You may wish to do this yourself. Cut your wheat a bit green, haul it to your farmstead and in an open area, make shocks out of the wheat to let it ripen and dry. Then you can thresh the wheat as others have stated - either lay iy out on a concrete pad or barn floor and beat the daylights out of it with a flail. Use a pitchfork to remove the straw, which makes very nice bedding, and you'll be left with grain and chaff. Clean it the old fashioned way by tossing the grain/chaff into the air on a breezy day and let Mother Nature clean your grain. Sound like a lot of work? That's exactly why we use combines!! Perhaps you have a neighbor with an old, small combine that you could hire to come in and cut your wheat for you. Even with a small machine, he could no doubt do the whole job in a half hour.

Good luck! Thomas Langan Ó Longáin Dairy www.thomas.langan.org

-- Thomas Langan (thomas@langan.org), May 16, 2001.


Walton Feed has a site that khas oldtimer info. This information on how to take care of wheat is there--with pictures I think.

-- lynne (leaves8@hotmail.com), May 16, 2001.


Thanks

I have my homework cut out for me now

Wes

-- Wes (wjjcg6@dellepro.com), May 16, 2001.


Would a garden scredder work? or would it be to ruff on the wheat berries, I don't want to grind them (yet).

I was thinking about feeding the stalks through a sqirrel cage fan onto a large tarp. This would separate the wheat from the chaf and blow the chaf way as well.

With all the people that are homesteading I can't belive that anybody hasn't come up with a small home/garden threshing machine. Don't homesteaders grow their own wheat? I can't believe how easy it is.

I checked with Lehans but they didn't have anything. Waltons had an article that showed flaying the wheat such as the people did 3000 years ago. Maybe I will have to design and start making a small threshing machine. Any buyers?

-- Wes (wjjcg6@dellepro.com), May 19, 2001.


I had a couple of hours boring labour (painting) today which gave time for the mind to wander..

How about putting the heads into a clean cement mixer? Put something into the bowl to hit against the wheat then let her rumble for a while. Maybe blocks of wood would be ok. If you have a leaf blower a few puffs from that might blow the chaff out leaving the grains behind.

If you can get the paddles out of the mixer you could put in some old cannot balls (there might be a pile of those outside the courthouse!) and you have a ball mill to grind the wheat.

Like I said, painting is a boring chore!

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), May 19, 2001.


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