Crankandstein not grinding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just set up my new Crankandstein 328D mill, tried to run some grain through, but the grain just sits on top of the rollers. I tried just a little handfull, and the drive roller spins but the other 2 seem to get bound up with the grain and won't turn.
Anyone else have this happen to them?

Did you mount it square?

Holy ****. 328D. Are you a commercial brewery?

Hand crank or drill? Are you using the factory settings or did you adjust the crush?

Crankenstein rocks. I love mine.

My sister-in-law raises horses. Gonna see if she has a old grain mill I can use.

My sister-in-law raises horses. Gonna see if she has a old grain mill I can use.

I have many horses and except for "sweet feed" as an occasional treat we feed our horses alfalfa hay. Don't know of anyone who "mills" grains for their horses. Montanaandy

It is mounted square, trying to start a commercial brewery. I'm using a motor to drive the mill, geared down to 280RPM, the manufacturer suggests 200RPM, there is only one driven roller, the others turn as the grain goes through, but the 2 non driven rollers will get a couple of peices of grain in them and then not turn while the driven roller turns.
I wonder if the extra 80RPM that I'm running is the culprit?

I had one, and couldnt get it to work consistently, so i sold it.

I have this happen sometimes if the gap is too tight. Or sometimes the grain just doesn't drain out of the hopper properly. When this happens I give the grain a poke with a dowel rod to get it to drop. Sometimes I'll CAREFULLY give the upper roller (non-powered one) a litle manual spin to get it to engage the grain

You basically have the same mill as I do but yours is on steroids I would agree that the gap may be too tight - you don't mention what you have it set at. I just left mine at the factory setting of .45 and even that setting requires quite a bit of elbow grease to get it going at times. I use the hand crank - I found that using a drill I was unable to get the crush that I wanted (too fine) because it was difficult to control the RPM's. Montanaandy

I have it set 1 or 2 settings below the factory setting, maybe I'll try the factory setting.

Did the factory setting work?

"Did the factory setting work?"

Earth - I assume that it did because he never posted again after that. Good deal. Love my Crankenstein. Montanaandy

Factory setting, and reducing the speed to 175rpm did the trick.
I have to start the motor first then slowly add the grain til it starts to crush, then I dump the whole bucket in. I get 20lbs crushed in about 1min 40sec.
After the little bit of trouble I had, I still think it is a fantastic mill.

Nice! Glad to hear.

That's why I have a little gate valve in my hopper so that I can fill it, then start the drill, then open the chute.

The 328D is a fantastic mill. We use one at the store and I have been very pleased with. When I saw your OP that you used a handful of grain to test it out, I immediately thought that is not enough grain to get that bad boy going. We always start the motor first and then pour the grains in. Congrats on the mill and future commercial brewery.

Ed

Me and my brew buddies purchased this mill and experienced the same thing. What I saw was that grain was getting lodged between the top free spinning mill and the hopper. I used a butter knife to clear it out.

In the future I think I am going to try and throw a washer or two between the hopper and the mill so if grain does go that way it just passes and doesn't get stuck.

Since using this mill we have been getting some stuck sparges so I may either increase the gap (make the gap lager), slow the lauter, or use some rice hulls.

Can someone (aka Brewmasters Warehouse) tell me which is the top of the range Crankenstien with all the optional extras ?

Bru said:

Can someone (aka Brewmasters Warehouse) tell me which is the top of the range Crankenstien with all the optional extras ?

Click to expand...

I believe the 328D is the largest they sell and has three rollers. Spend an extra $30 and you get a base and hopper.

Bru said:

Can someone (aka Brewmasters Warehouse) tell me which is the top of the range Crankenstien with all the optional extras ?

Click to expand...

The 328D is the largest mill they sell. The extra options available are the base and hopper, hand crank (though you are crazy to use it with this mill), and SS Rollers.

Thanks,

Ed