I put one of these together a couple weeks ago. The results are pretty good, especially considering the cost involved. I was able to have the machining done for the low, low cost of nothing, through a friend of a friend. He suggested doing what he called a "straight knurl" that he had previously used in a commercial mill application. I've only used it once but I'm fairly impressed.
Hit a new high with my pasta roller mill today. 83% and I was still taking it easy on the crush. I think I can press the high 80s with this thing without any problems at all.
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Heb no oana Hoibe hoch, du Hund!
Drinking: Fight Night Pale Ale
Fermenting: 100 pints o' Stout
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-------------------------------------------------------------------- CORONA MILL BUCKET SYSTEM V. 2.0 "crushing grain on a beer budget" http://www.homebrewtalk.com/1308996-post144.html
Yeah since building it i've used it for 4 or 5 PM's and its been working really well, no mechanical failures to speak of. The only improvement I'm considering is motorizing it. I only need to crush a few pounds per batch, but its still kind of a PITA cranking it out by hand.
The only improvement I'm considering is motorizing it. I only need to crush a few pounds per batch, but its still kind of a PITA cranking it out by hand.
3/8" spade bit on a drill works great, just don't spin it too fast.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------- CORONA MILL BUCKET SYSTEM V. 2.0 "crushing grain on a beer budget" http://www.homebrewtalk.com/1308996-post144.html
I have about 10 brews with my mill. When I mill the grain I have two options. Put it through once but it takes around 30 minutes for 8-10# or move the rollers a little further apart and do it twice. It takes half the time but it still isn't ideal. I need the rollers to be in between the two settings. Has anyone tried to get the rollers just right with the other side of the dial? I'd like to try but I don't know how to measure the opening and then find it on the dial. Any one elase have this problem? Any ideas?
IMHO, if it is taking 30 minutes to mill 8-10#, your rollers aren't roughed up enough. I had a similar experience, and then roughed the hell out of the rollers and I can now mill a 8-10# grain bill in 3-5 minutes.
worth repeating! even w/ the rollers fully scarred, I've found a second pass through the mill is not a bad idea for a heavy crush?? If the mill is feeding slowly, your gap is either too tight, or the rollers don't have enough texture IMO.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------- CORONA MILL BUCKET SYSTEM V. 2.0 "crushing grain on a beer budget" http://www.homebrewtalk.com/1308996-post144.html
Ok maybe I'll get the old drill out and try to rough it up again. Anyone find one way better than another to do that. Last time I ran a 3/8" drill over the rollers with them set as close together as they would go.
I would third the roughing idea as that is precisely what I experienced until I really roughed the living hell out of my rollers. I now use a gap of 5 and then tighten it to a gap of three for a ultra fine finish. I do 10-12 gallon batches so I put 26 lbs through it in around 30-35 mins. I take about five to seven pounds of the rougher crushed stuff and stick it aside before doing the second round on the rest which comes out extremely fine and fast (1 lb/20 seconds). When it comes to dumping the grains in, I like to put the rougher stuff in the bottom and then the fine stuff on top. Even though I am stirring it I like to think that it stratifies some of the grain and leaves some larger stuff on bottom to filter the finer floury stuff up top.
Like I said in the above post, I hit 83% the other day with this method which was the first time I cranked it down on the initial and secondary crush. I'll be doing the entire thing on a setting of 4 with a secondary crush of 3 next time round to see if I can press some more juice out of it.
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Heb no oana Hoibe hoch, du Hund!
Drinking: Fight Night Pale Ale
Fermenting: 100 pints o' Stout
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