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Larso · 11-18-2012, 05:27 AM

Hi, I'm considering getting a crankandstein 2S. Just wondering if any of you guys mill grain by hand and how long it takes. My drill is crap and I dont want to buy a new one just yet.

Thanks

L

mattd2 · 11-18-2012, 06:03 AM

Never done it, never will. But my mate hand cranked his for the first few batches through his mill and said it would take up to an hour sometimes and his arm would be stuffed afterwards!

bigbeergeek · 11-18-2012, 06:07 AM

Crank out one batch by hand. You'll buy a drill the next morning.

**Dan** · 11-18-2012, 06:15 AM

I'll go against the grain on the above thoughts.. (pun intended)

I don't have the same grain mill as you, I have a Barley Crusher. I truly enjoy hand grinding the grain. When I first got the BC I used a drill. Later I started grinding by hand. In my experience the crush is better, my effeciency better and I've ground 17lbs in maybe 15-20 minutes. I didn't time it. To each their own, I enjoy manually hand grinding. It really is not hard to do, usually do the night before I brew. It's like foreplay to brewing.

fosgate · 11-18-2012, 06:30 AM

I just got done milling 10lbs of 2row and 10lbs of red wheat. Red wheat was pretty tough and would stop the drill if it wasn't going wide open. The only way I would grind by hand is if it was the end of the world with no power, no other people, and I couldn't train a zombie to do it for me.

Black Friday in less than a week someone has to be running a deal. Google it.

Larso · 11-18-2012, 04:49 PM

Thanks guys, I'm not even goin to buy the hand crank then. I need to shorten brewdays, if anything. I reckon Dan is probably built like Arnie

**Bigcorona** · 11-18-2012, 06:16 PM

I crush all my grain manually. I have a ~100 yr old grist mill. It takes about a minute per pound. I usually use 27 to 28 lbs per batch. It has a very large, iron, heavy, round crank that acts like a fly wheel. I think that makes it easier than a simple hand crank.

mattd2 · 11-18-2012, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigcorona

I crush all my grain manually. I have a ~100 yr old grist mill. It takes about a minute per pound. I usually use 27 to 28 lbs per batch. It has a very large, iron, heavy, round crank that acts like a fly wheel. I think that makes it easier than a simple hand crank.

Yeah sounds very different from the normal BC/MM/C&S mills... and very very awesome!
Do you start cranking that thing to get the rollers going and then drop the grain in?

**Dan** · 11-19-2012, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larso

Thanks guys, I'm not even goin to buy the hand crank then. I need to shorten brewdays, if anything. I reckon Dan is probably built like Arnie

Ha ha! Hardly.

gbx · 11-19-2012, 05:26 AM

I hand mill...it does suck if its a really big beer but its not that horrible. I probably can probably do 3lbs/min. But I do think I'm allergic to the dust. I get super congested when milling.