Have you made good beer with a Corona mill?

FlyGuy · 06-23-2007, 06:19 PM

I know many people have had bad experiences with Corona or Corona-style mills (e.g. Porkert), and even more are convinced that they are just bad without ever having used one. But I suspect that these mills have a worse reputation than they deserve. I also suspect that while they may not be ideal for brewers who fly sparge, they are probably just fine for those who batch sparge. And given that you can pick them up for $15 - $40, they could be a viable solution for many homebrewers, particularly those experimenting with PM or AG brewing.

I routinely hit efficiencies in mid 70's now with my Porkert mill, and I am quite pleased with that. I am also continually hearing about brewers who are doing better with this mill.

So, the question is, how many of you that are Corona-style mill users have had good success and what efficiencies are you reaching?

[A request: please try to base your response on your knowledge from experience, rather than reputation.]

alemonkey · 06-23-2007, 06:35 PM

I used to use a Corona and it worked fine. The husks got torn up more than my Crankandstein, and the crush wasn't as consistent, but I averaged around 75% efficiency. My main complaint was that it was so slow.

**ajf** · 06-23-2007, 06:56 PM

My experience was almost the same as alemonkey's.
The only differences are:
The husks got tore up more than with my JSP.
I don't know what my efficiency was, because I never used to measure it, but I would guess around 70%
In addition to being slow, it was very difficult to adjust.

I had no problems with it and fly sparging.

-a.

**bradsul** · 06-23-2007, 07:13 PM

I use a Porkert mill and I both batch and fly sparge. When batch sparging I get mid to high 70's and when fly sparging I get low to mid 80's. It does shred the husk a bit much but I'm extremely satisfied with my results and haven't had a single stuck sparge (even with a 70/30 wheat beer).

mward · 06-23-2007, 07:31 PM

I'm using an el cheapo ebay corona mill and been getting great results. I fly sparge and can hit high 70s efficiency easily. I motorized mine by putting a bolt in the back of the shaft and cutting the head off and attaching my drill. It is VERY fast, I can burn through 10 lbs of grain in a few minutes.

Onescalerguy · 06-23-2007, 08:31 PM

I get consistent mid eighties with my Porkert.When i adapted it to a drill i ended up with a tighter fit,hence way finer grind.Lots of flour but mostly intact hulls.No stuck mashes or sparges either.The thing works great,it grinds 1 lb per minute on my electric drill.
Cheers

Beerrific · 06-23-2007, 08:46 PM

I know this isn't exactly what you were asking for but...

I was listening to a Basic Brewing Radio interview of Charlie Papazian, he uses and has always used a Corona mill. Says he has always had excellent results.

wup · 06-23-2007, 09:05 PM

Started low on my first batch, on my 4th batch hit 78%, batch sparge with mine.

homebrewer_99 · 06-23-2007, 09:06 PM

I steep some grains, but recently I purchased a Victoria Molina.

I am very pleased with it because I can adjust the grind. I find most of the husks are intact while the grain is crushed into many bits.

Much easier than a rolling pin...

FlyGuy · 06-23-2007, 09:11 PM

Thanks for chiming in everyone. This confirms my belief that the Corona really isn't that bad a mill.

FWIW, I also have my Porkert motorized now, and it is lightning fast. I can burn through 10 lbs of grain in 2 or 3 minutes. Provided you already have a drill, all one needs is bolt with the head cut off (i.e. $0.25 upgrade). Works great.

Maybe I will hold off on buying that BarleyCrusher for a while...