First Crush with Monster Mill

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I replaced mine with set screws that allow the hopper to be removed easily for gapping They are not full length and I use the thumb screws as a jamb to keep the set screws from coming out without having to be over tightened.
 
m00se said:
I set my MM2 2.0 to .035 and couldn't seem to get any of the grains to fall through. The roller just spun while the grain sat there. Is there any tricks to get the gap down that low .035 and have the grain crush? Conditioning?
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Mine got stuck this weekend at 0.037. Backed off to 0.040 still stuck. Backed off to 0.045 and turned perfectly. Then I went back to 0.040 and it worked great. I decided I must have had piece of grain jamming it or something the first few times. When I moved back to 0.045 I was careful to clear out all the kernels I could spot. I am not sure what my exact problem was.
 
interesting thread - whenever I get a mill I was planning on the Monster 2-2.0
Lots of good tips here, sounds like it's a good idea to replace those thumb screws right off the bat before I ever even use it
 
I can never get mine started without turning it back wards very slowly then going forward slowly until it catches. But I like I tighter crush...that sounded kinda dirty but I'm not sure why!
 
Going backwards seems to toss some uncracked grains in your catch bucket though. I find its easiest to start the drill while it is empty and add from there. I really need to find a reasonably priced motor and motorize and build a sturdy table for the thing because filling the hppper drilling and trying to keep from dping the whole setup is a tad hard to do with only two hands
 
I asked the homebrew supply store where i buy my grains from what they ground theres at so i could mill mine the same and this is what they told me

We typically have that set to an average of .30 and .35, but the front mill is adjustable so customers can change it, and depending on what grain is being milled sometimes adjustment is needed to get the crystal 50-60 to go through.
 
I bought two of these for tightening the gap adjustments. In fact i replaced all the factory screws/nuts with thumbscrews and wingnuts so i could make all adjustments w/o tools. Last thing i need on a brewday is to be digging through the toolchest.

Btw, i got this info from Fred:
hoppers are 8-32 x 3/8, and mill bolts are 1/4-20 x 1 1/4

tscrews.jpg
 
If you are having trouble starting the mill, chances are you have grain stuck between your "free" roller and the end plates. I spin my free roller backwards to clear any grain, then start the motor, then dump in the grain.

I have a MM3-2.0 and I often wish I had a gear drive between the top two rollers.
 
The gear drive would be nice on the mm3-2, i've had more than my share of jams that gearing would solve. The mashmaster looks like the best geared + adjustable mill out there.

Interestingly i've found that reducing the gap takes care of a lot of my jamming problems. Less slippage i guess.
 
I've never had the two roller outright jam but I have considered buying a second MM2 and mounting it underneath as a fully adjustable multi crush unit. Can even gear or belt connect them together and run them off off each on one motor without any of the hangups of the three. Coincidently, I think it'd still be cheaper than the mash master.
 
m00se said:
I set my MM2 2.0 to .035 and couldn't seem to get any of the grains to fall through. The roller just spun while the grain sat there. Is there any tricks to get the gap down that low .035 and have the grain crush? Conditioning?
Click to expand...

I've been using a MM2 for about 5 years. It's been set to .03 from the time I got it and I haven't changed it. Consistently get an efficiency in the 80% range while fly sparging.

What does happen sometimes on my mill is that the non-driven roller will get a little stuck and I just nudge it with a finger (obviously careful not to be in a position to get pinched). Once it's rolling again the grain going through should keep it going.

I personally think "conditioning" the grain is an unnecessary step. Some swear by it - YMMV.
 
My non-driven roller doesn't seem to move at all. Should it?

Mashinations said:
I've been using a MM2 for about 5 years. It's been set to .03 from the time I got it and I haven't changed it. Consistently get an efficiency in the 80% range while fly sparging.

What does happen sometimes on my mill is that the non-driven roller will get a little stuck and I just nudge it with a finger (obviously careful not to be in a position to get pinched). Once it's rolling again the grain going through should keep it going.

I personally think "conditioning" the grain is an unnecessary step. Some swear by it - YMMV.
Click to expand...
 
m00se said:
My non-driven roller doesn't seem to move at all. Should it?
Click to expand...

You should be able to roll it with very little effort. I recently disassembled my MM2 for the exact reason; couple of drops of vegetable oil on the shaft & bearings & she's good to go.
 
chays99 said:
I noticed that one of the thumbscrews backed out very difficultly today. Sounds like I might have the same problem. How did you deal with it?

Thanks.
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I find the thumbscrews to be the weak link in an otherwise excellently engineered product. When I replaced mine w/ stainless hex head bolts, i had to retap the threads.
 
DrunkleJon said:
Going backwards seems to toss some uncracked grains in your catch bucket though. I find its easiest to start the drill while it is empty and add from there. I really need to find a reasonably priced motor and motorize and build a sturdy table for the thing because filling the hppper drilling and trying to keep from dping the whole setup is a tad hard to do with only two hands
Click to expand...

Here's a link to my CL milling cart build. That Harbor Freight drill is made for this mill.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/new-milling-stand-407495/
 
logdrum said:
You should be able to roll it with very little effort. I recently disassembled my MM2 for the exact reason; couple of drops of vegetable oil on the shaft & bearings & she's good to go.
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Thank you. It turns out the non-driven roller was stuck. After fixing it the mill is working like a charm. I'm eager to crush grains for next week's RIS.
 
spray evenly with a small amount of water. It allows the husks to be more pliable and not shred. It allows a tighter crush with better filtration.
 
I condition every brew day. It is cheap insurance against a stuck sparge. I spray the grains with a water bottle set on mist as I pour the grains into another bucket then let it sit for 15-20 minutes. I find that the hulls retain their integrity and the grain bed filters better. I set my Barley Crusher to .035 and get great efficiency and have (knock on wood) never had a stuck sparge.
 
TANSTAAFB said:
I condition every brew day. It is cheap insurance against a stuck sparge. I spray the grains with a water bottle set on mist as I pour the grains into another bucket then let it sit for 15-20 minutes. I find that the hulls retain their integrity and the grain bed filters better. I set my Barley Crusher to .035 and get great efficiency and have (knock on wood) never had a stuck sparge.
Click to expand...

Just to be a contrarian - how do you know conditioning the grain is insurance against a stuck sparge if you've never had a stuck sparge? Clearly every system is different and sparging techniques will impact the risk of a stuck sparge but I crush at .03, don't condition, fly sparge and have NEVER had a stuck sparge. My wort run-off to the BK is also crystal clear. I say do whatever works for you but IMO pre-spraying the grain prior to milling is unnecessary.
 
Tightening the thumbscrews with an adjustable wrench about 1/2 turn beyond hand tight really helped me out last week. No issues with the gap adjusting during use. Got great efficiency as well!
 
Mashinations said:
Just to be a contrarian - how do you know conditioning the grain is insurance against a stuck sparge if you've never had a stuck sparge? Clearly every system is different and sparging techniques will impact the risk of a stuck sparge but I crush at .03, don't condition, fly sparge and have NEVER had a stuck sparge. My wort run-off to the BK is also crystal clear. I say do whatever works for you but IMO pre-spraying the grain prior to milling is unnecessary.
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Very true! I should have said I have never had a stuck sparge SINCE I started conditioning. The one time I did was an incredibly frustrating brew day and led me to these forums and to the malt conditioning info. I have walked the line since and had a couple of super slow run offs, but never completely stuck.

When I compare the integrity of the hulls between a conditioned and unconditioned crush there appears to be a significant difference. You are correct--this is merely anecdotal without controlled experimentation using identical grain bill, equipment, etc. that pushes a system to a stuck sparge with the only variable being grain conditioning. I don't care enough to conduct such an experiment! And my results would not generalize to your system. I will continue the practice as it does not cost me anything but a couple of minutes of my time and I continue to encourage others to do so, especially newer brewers who are having difficulty dialing in their crush and their systems.

And bonus points for contrarian...I often think that should somehow be worked into the name of this forum! We all have our different info, opinions, and experiences which is what makes this such a useful place.
 
+1 on Mashinations' contention that you wouldn't know for sure without more trials to better assess the effects of conditioning.

I can say that after conditioning, it appears that my husks are much more intact while the kernels are very well crushed (some flour). I think that conditioning is a good idea if you have the time.
 
I will create a separate thread for this shortly, but I just received my newly-redesigned adjustable side plates for my MM 2 2.0, and the new design is going to blow your mind! It looks to truly address every concern I had with the mill and turns it into the finest mill on the market IMHO!

More to come - I'll take some pics this weekend and do a writeup.

dan


MNDan said:
To solve the thumbscrew problem, replace the two screws with 1/4-20 by 1.25 or longer bolts that are fully threaded. I replaced mine with hex bolts.

Be careful removing the thumbscrews and replacing with bolts - I had a problem where the ends of the thumbscrews had deformed against the adjustment knobs, so that when I removed them they trashed the threads on the way out. If I were buying a MM today, I wouldn't even use the thumb screws. Go out and get the hex bolts so that you can start with a good screw that never has to be fully removed once you start using it, since I think the ends of the screws are always going to get deformed against the hardened knob.

My two cents...
Click to expand...
 
I saw the new MM design in Philly last month. It is definitely a step in the right direction. I expect it to be far better than the old thumbscrew design.
 
I bought one of the new ones when I was at NHC, I'll try to remember to take pics when I get home from work today
 
Just used my MM-2 for the first time yesterday. After reading this thread i set the gap to .039 and had a great crush. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
 

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