stone grinding soba - need help w/Japanese and with soba making

I've been having a great time with my "slow food" phase. I'm using my stone grinder (2- discs, what's called a Quern) to grind everything from green tea, coffee beans, whole wheat berries, to wet grinding soaked soybeans for soymilk and tofu making.

I got this package of buckwheat from JAS Mart, but I couldn't really read the writing. I also realized that it's pale in color compared to what I thought buckwheat looked like. Can anyone translate?

I've ground up a small batch to try to make soba. The flour is fine, but quite hard, almost like glass dusts...or like very fine white sand.

Now, I realize that soba (the noodle) making seems to be one of the well-guarded secret around. It's definitely more difficult than making Udon. In fact I even found a site where you study to learn about soba making....but no real recipe. I've managed to grind up some wheat berries and made udon all from scratch. (see picture), but soba is just much more challenging!

http://picasaweb.google.com/HLingHLin...

If anyone has information on the following, please help:
1)how to grind the buckwheat for soba noodle making
2) the particulars of the picture of buckwheat I'm posting.
3)whether you use cold or hot water to make the soba dough.

Thanks!