A pearling machine has an abrasive type pearling roll assembly which is formed by stacking a plurality of pearling rolls via intervening air blowing spacers. Stirring bars are secured to the outer periphery of the individual pearling rolls. Resistance bars are provided on the inner surface of a vertical polygonal bran removal cylinder. With a cooperative function of the stirring and resistance bars, grains supplied to a pearling chamber defined by the pearling roll assembly and the bran removal cylinder receive active spinning and revolution action. The grains thus receive uniform cutting action, and thus they are pearled uniformly. The vertical pearling machine permits optimum pearling of grains in dependence on the kind and character of the grains and is suited particularly to the pearling of tempered wheat with outer layer part having been made tough and inner layer part having been made soft.