Grain Mill Setup Woes - Toppling, Bucket Size for Big Batches

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BrewThruYou

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1. What does everyone use under their mill when milling for large batches? Just more homer buckets? I'm upgrading from 5G batches to 10 or 15G batches and I'd ideally like a big bucket to collect the grain.

2. How does everyone prevent their hopper/mill from toppling over when not mounted? I have a Barley Crusher with the small hopper and a giant harbor freight drill. If I don't keep my hand on the base at all times, the entire unit topples off the bucket. The solutions I see now are balancing the drill on something on the side to keep it level or disconnecting the drill when refilling the hopper (which would be a big pain with big batches)

Any suggestions to my two problems? Thanks!
 
I use a Corona style mill that I attached to my workbench. I cut a hole for the grain to pass through into a bucket. If I had a very bit grainbill I would have to use more buckets.

My LHBS has their mill mounted and uses a drill with a socket on it. He puts grain in the hopper then grabs the drill and mills that amount. Then repeats until done.

If you mounted the mill to a bench or something solid you could also mount the drill motor permanently.
 
Mounting a barley crusher isn't really feasible for me since I'm not handy at all. I was hoping someone had a solution more elegant than my "propping the drill up on a bucket" technique and had a source for bigger buckets (but cheaper than vittle vaults).
 
I was thinking of making a plywood "table" or bench of some sort and cutting out a bucket-sized hole in it. Then put the bucket underneath and throw the BC on the hole in the table as though it WERE the bucket. Would that help?

Also, I'm considering going to ale pales for catching my grain on 9g batches as a 5g. homer bucket just isn't big enough to hold 18lbs. of crushed grain without interfering with my bucket-mounted corona.
 
I've gotten 25lbs of grain in my homer bucket it's to the top of the rim

I have the same problems with my barley crusher and have been considering building some sort of table contraption and build a motor to crush instead of a drill
 
I was thinking of making a plywood "table" or bench of some sort and cutting out a bucket-sized hole in it. Then put the bucket underneath and throw the BC on the hole in the table as though it WERE the bucket. Would that help?

That would be cool. I put together a removable bottling table (just mounted on 2x4s that go into sawhorse grooves).



I could probably get a smaller 2' x 2' plywood top and another 2x4 and then have some way of the bucket to "latch" under the table opening. Resting the drill on top of the table would solve my tippy problems.

Only issue I see is that I have no real tools to cut into the plywood...don't even have a reciprocating saw.
 
That would be cool. I put together a removable bottling table (just mounted on 2x4s that go into sawhorse grooves).



I could probably get a smaller 2' x 2' plywood top and another 2x4 and then have some way of the bucket to "latch" under the table opening. Resting the drill on top of the table would solve my tippy problems.

Only issue I see is that I have no real tools to cut into the plywood...don't even have a reciprocating saw.

Circular saw? Make it square cut. Or ask a neighbor to cut out the hole.

Remove the plastic part of the bucket handle and hook the two ends into eyelets just outside of the opening. That should hang the bucket there. Otherwise get some pallet or block of some sort to suspend the bucket high enough.
 
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