Before going for grinding, grains are treated with water to facilitate the removal of the outer skin. Cold conditioning involves soaking the wheat in cold water for up to three days. Warm conditioning, by contrast, immerses the material in water at temperatures around 46°C for 60-90 minutes and lets it rest for one day.

Water temperatures are sometimes ramped up to 60°C in a technique known as hot conditioning. In this method, grains are soaked for a shorter time. An alternative approach applies steam to the material instead of water immersion.