monster mill vs crankenstein vs rebel mill

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krenshaw

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i know many have talked about these before, but since i am going to purchase a mill when i get my tax refund back, i wanted to finally get an informed decision on which one to purchase.. the standard 2 roller version of all of these seem to be very similar, i know not exact, but for the price points i really can't tell the difference.. i've heard reviews for both the monster one and the crankenstein are both great, and the rebel looks like a nice complete package, though i haven't seen many firsthand reviews, and none comparing all three.. anybody have enough experience with the rebel mill to recommend it vs any of the others?
 
Rebel looks nice other than having smaller rollers (1 5/16 diameter vs 1.5 or 2 and 5" long vs 6). They all seem to be milling well.
 
I doubt you will find one that has experience with all 3 mills. I had a 3 roller crankandstein, traded it to a buddy since I won a 3 roller monster mill. There wasn't much difference between the 2 other than I had a nicer hopper on the MM3.
 
I've heard the Monster Mill and Crankenstein are great mills. I own the MM2 myself and have had really good results with it.

Based on what I've seen through my research, the Crankenstein and Monster Mills are almost identical in performance. I personally only went with the Monster Mill because I liked their hopper design better (not just a circular funnel to the middle). As for the Rebel Mill, I can't say I'm familiar with that one so maybe someone else can chime in with their thoughts on that one. I get the feeling though they're all going to serve you well.
 
yeah, i pretty much came to the conclusion that any of the 3 will work well for my needs.. i may go based on price if i can find any specials on any of them, though other first hand reviews are appreciated
 
Yeah can't go wrong with any of those. As others have mentioned the hopper on the monster looks nicer.
 
I don't think you need experience with all three to observe the potential issue with small diameter rollers. It's the same problem people have with Barley Crusher. If you see positive reviews of a brand new mill, they can really only be taken seriously after 1000 pounds of grain goes through.
 
I went with the MM2 and it was delivered in 3 days! It was an easy setup and built very well. I have 200 lbs of grain on hand so we have a way to go before I can give an experienced point of view.:tank:
 
I don't think you need experience with all three to observe the potential issue with small diameter rollers. It's the same problem people have with Barley Crusher. If you see positive reviews of a brand new mill, they can really only be taken seriously after 1000 pounds of grain goes through.

Any affordable larger-diameter roller mills you suggest?
 
Bobby_M said:
I don't think you need experience with all three to observe the potential issue with small diameter rollers. It's the same problem people have with Barley Crusher. If you see positive reviews of a brand new mill, they can really only be taken seriously after 1000 pounds of grain goes through.

You saying the 2" diam roller is less prone to probs?
 
I have only had the rebel mill and I can't say anything that hasn't been said on the rebel mill thread. I doubt anyone has put enough grain through them yet to be able to say for certain that they will last "forever" but so far no issues for me and I am extremely happy with it.
 
All other things being equal, a larger roller will crush grain with less husk damage and easier feeding.

I have been looking at the MM2-2.0 for the this reason plus the fact that it is a proven commodity. I really like it's hopper design and it's a beast to put it mildly. The last time I contacted Fred at MM, they weren't currently available...frames were coming in later in the week and all of them were already spoken for. I need to contact him again. As far as I'm concerned, it's worth the wait.
 
I own a Chankandstein and my son & I stopped by Rebel Brewer to look at his mill.

I like Rebel Brewer's rigid frame and hopper but it's not enough to motivate me to upgrade.

If I were buying all over again I would buy which ever one costs me the least because I believe the overall quality is the same.

I have not owned a Monster Mill and I don't have a opinion of them.
 
I'm going Monster. Mainly because it seems most problems (if any) arise out of the roller being too small a Diameter. MM-2 2.0 is 2" Otherwise it's tough to really say one is better than the other Rebel looks great too but small
Diam
 
I have the MM3 altough it is a bit pricey, it is worth every penny. Easy to setup and your grain will come out with the perfect grind. I would make sure you either have a good drill or eventually set it up to use with a motor. A good cordless drill will work, but I would say to go with a corded drill if you are grinding over 10 pounds of grain at one time.
 
I just went through this same decision and ended up getting a Monster Mill MM2 with stainless rollers. I liked the overall package the best. The base and hopper are nice, and the rollers are 6" long. I was also happy with my interactions with Fred @ Monster Mills. Couple all of that with many happy customers on this forum and you can't really go wrong.

I ruled Crankandstein out once I saw the "About us" section of their web page...very unprofessional.
 
are any of the homebrewing mills geared so that both (or all 3) rollers move with motor (or crank)? i coudn't tell from pics and whatnot from many of them.. if not does that mean that the other rollers(s) just move at whatever pace the grain is going through and hopefully not grinding in the process?
 
I just went through this same decision and ended up getting a Monster Mill MM2 with stainless rollers. I liked the overall package the best. The base and hopper are nice, and the rollers are 6" long. I was also happy with my interactions with Fred @ Monster Mills. Couple all of that with many happy customers on this forum and you can't really go wrong.

I ruled Crankandstein out once I saw the "About us" section of their web page...very unprofessional.

Whoa.

Crankandstein said:
ABOUT US
Crankandstein.net is the factory-direct outlet of the originator of all the Crankandstein products. Don't be fooled by the blowhard who tells you otherwise. This where the 3-roller malt mill came from, and I continue to design, manufacture and sell the most advanced homebrew mills available. The quality and value are unmatched by others who merely resell stuff they buy mass produced. Full-time craftsmanship is in short supply these days, and there are plenty of hucksters ready to sell you a poorly thought-out toy that won't work well or last long. In a niche market, too much competition can drive out some of the best. It's already happened to the Valley Mill and the small Automatic mill. If you support constant improvement rather than cost cutting, then welcome aboard. The business plan here is recession proof, because quality sells itself and we're glad to help you whenever you're ready.
 
dk21 said:
I just went through this same decision and ended up getting a Monster Mill MM2 with stainless rollers. I liked the overall package the best. The base and hopper are nice, and the rollers are 6" long. I was also happy with my interactions with Fred @ Monster Mills. Couple all of that with many happy customers on this forum and you can't really go wrong.

I ruled Crankandstein out once I saw the "About us" section of their web page...very unprofessional.

Do tell...!
 
wonder if he posted that after a couple too many brews of his own one late night

No idea, but reading it immediately turned me off to his product. So, I supported his main competition instead...it made my decision easier! :mug:
 
Not very eloquent as Crankenstein could have wrote that much better and said the same thing. It is true thou that a few of the products sold are mass produced and probably actually made in China.

I'm sold on the detent adjustments they have.
 
Not very eloquent as Crankenstein could have wrote that much better and said the same thing. It is true thou that a few of the products sold are mass produced and probably actually made in China.

I'm sold on the detent adjustments they have.

Very true, the detent feature is cool, but not really necessary. It's easy enough to use a feeler gauge, plus there's a more infinite range of adjustments and you're not limited to .005" increments (not that this is a huge amount anyway).
 
1/3hp blower mtr, I wish it was a little bigger like a 1/2hp. pulleys are 12"/1". I don't normally need to mill more than a sack at a time, but if I do, I give it a few minutes to cool down.
 
I just went through this same decision and ended up getting a Monster Mill MM2 with stainless rollers. I liked the overall package the best. The base and hopper are nice, and the rollers are 6" long. I was also happy with my interactions with Fred @ Monster Mills. Couple all of that with many happy customers on this forum and you can't really go wrong.

I ruled Crankandstein out once I saw the "About us" section of their web page...very unprofessional.

Fred used to be business partners with the guy at C&S and they had a falling out so I can't but think that about section is pointed towards Fred. Still in doing research for a mill for myself, I have also seen unprofessional behavior from Fred and the guy who makes the Barley Crusher too: right here on this forum no less.

Still I like the product Fred is selling and just pulled the trigger on the standard 1.5" mm2. I have an old 3/8" craftsman drill that I would like to tear up before using my big boy 1/2" Dewalt so that was a factor for me. It was hard to resist the urge to go overboard and get one of the 2" options though. Can't wait for it to arrive and try it out.
 
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