Using a pasta maker to mill grain.

Nostrildamus · 08-10-2008, 08:16 PM

While making pasta with my pasta roller thingy:

it occured to me that it may very well serve as a grain mill. Sure, it might not have a hopper and may not have large knurled rollers but it may work, right?

If one were to hack off the crank handle so that it could be attached to a drill, use a dremel with a cutting disk to cut some shallow lines into the rollers to aid in dragging the grain through and to build a makeshift hopper out of some spare wood would this do the trick? The smallest gap is .031 and can be adjusted to larger sizes.

I'm asking before I go out and pick up a cheapy in a garage sale and try it out.

Wadda you think ladies and gents? Have I just made it feasible for everyone to start milling their own grain for approx. $30 or am I wasting my time?

**DeathBrewer** · 08-10-2008, 08:19 PM

fixed that picture for ya:

**DeathBrewer** · 08-10-2008, 08:20 PM

you could always make a hopper for it.

i guess it just depends on how big the space is that they would pass through. you want them cracked open, not shredded.

Nostrildamus · 08-10-2008, 08:40 PM

Thanks for fixing the pic.

I can set the gap to the same as the Barley crusher as well as larger and smaller. So gap size doesn't seem to be an issue.

Very true, I could always fashion a hopper out of wood or...

... wait for it...

... METAL!

Nathan Explosion wouldn't have it any other way (this will surely be lost on those who are un-metal).

**the_bird** · 08-10-2008, 08:45 PM

The question, I suppose, is whether it would be better than a $20 Corona mill. Seems like the hardest part will be getting the rollers right.

**DeathBrewer** · 08-10-2008, 09:11 PM

i wouldn't use "heavy metal"...sheet metal might work better

Nostrildamus · 08-10-2008, 09:17 PM

Sound advice from the mash-pit.

**Yuri_Rage** · 08-10-2008, 09:24 PM

It might work. If not, I suspect it will fail spectacularly. I'm interested to see how it turns out. Instead of scoring the rollers with a Dremel, try roughing them on a diagonal with some 40-60 grit sandpaper. They don't really need a ton of "bite."

**DeathBrewer** · 08-10-2008, 09:28 PM

why do you need the rollers to be roughed up anyway? my LHBS is flat rollers and i find it to be the best crush out there. the other rollers with the rough surfaces like to shred grains.

Nostrildamus · 08-10-2008, 09:29 PM

Well then, if it has received the blessing of the tech-diety Yuri Rage, it surely must be worth a go.

Like he said, the worst that can happen is miserable failure!!!

I can totally see it breaking, exploding under high revolutions or otherwise crapping out half way through a 20 pound grind! I can't wait to swear and then throw it across my backyard and onto the street.