I use a BC and although its not the almost industrial strength mill that the Monster mill is I can still spin through 16 lbs of grain with a makita 1/2 inch drill on full speed with no problems what so ever gap set at 32mm only takes a few minutes.
Monster mill or barley crusher?
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Bradinator
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Nothing wrong with that way too
. I brew for fun and for some sick reason I find hand milling grain rewarding.
erockomania
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Golddiggie
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Nothing wrong with that way too
Dude, that IS sick...
erockomania, virtually zero information (of value) about the mill you linked to... No roller diameter or length just for starters.
FirstStateBrewer
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That looks nice. How long have you had it?
Nothing wrong with that way too
Funny I was contractor for years and have more drills than the Duggars have children but for some reason I love crushing my grains with crank too. It kind of makes me feel more involved as well being a bit of a workout. Probably burns off half a pale ale worth of calories. I also suspect that spinning a mill to quickly with say an oversized ac hammerdrill will prematurely wear the bushings, but this is just speculation.
erockomania
Well-Known Member
I've used it for two batches now. Pretty nice mill for the cash and my efficiency went up by 8 pts
Very cool. How does this one size up against a BC or MM I wonder. I like the price
erockomania
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Wreck99 said:Very cool. How does this one size up against a BC or MM I wonder. I like the price
I'm not sure. I've never used either of those but this one is doing the job just fine.
Golddiggie
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I'm not sure. I've never used either of those but this one is doing the job just fine.
How long are the rollers and what diameter are they??
Monster Mill offers two roller diameters (all are 6" long)... The 'standard' mill has 1.5" diameter rollers, where the -2.0 version has 2" rollers. IME, the larger diameter rollers produce a better quality of crush. Longer rollers means more grain can be crushed at the same time.
Can't buy until at least Friday but looking at this again. This is probably the best deal I've found (thank you HomebrewMTB!), so I'll probably grab a MM2.
For comparisions sake, here's a couple places selling the MM2...
NorthernBrewer - $191.97 = $146.99 (mill), $32.99 (hopper), $11.99 (base)
MidwestSupplies - $170.98 = $117.99 (mill), $42.99 (hopper), $10.00 (base)
Farmhouse - $159.99 = mill, hopper, and base
MM3 is ~ $50 more. It's a shame my LHBS doesn't carry these Monster Mills. They do carry a BC though (I think).
Choices, choices...
I had a MM2, and I had some issues after about 5 crushes with keeping the locking pins in place. Ended up stripping out the threads and the second roller coupldn't be set. With the help of MM (excellent response times and HUMAN), they hooked me up with the replacement / upgrade to make my MM2 to a MM3, I kindly paid the surcharge in hopes I would see the difference. Just crushed with my MM3, holy bejeebus. Strap on your boots tight 'cause this thing rips. And increased my efficiency almost 10%.
Enough said.
Enough said.
Nice to hear that. Definately makes it easier to swallow the $200 mill lol. I got just over 77% efficiency on my last brew, and that was LHBS crushed. I never thought to ask them what mill they use or its setting. Maybe I can get better efficiency too with the MM3. That would be cool. Anyone know if there's a deal out there for the MM3, like the one posted in this thread for the MM2?
FredTheNuke
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Heck - the MM3-2.0 with stainless steel rollers and hopper/base plus hopper extension is the one I am looking at. With shipping it's going to be $460.85... Anyone want to buy a lightly used BC with 15lb hopper??? I have no issues with my BC but the MM3-2.0 looks sweet!
Stainless is overkill unless you are going to crush moistened grain. Otherwise the regular one will be perfectly fine. Save yourself $200.
allthingsgiant said:
A little surface rust on the rollers would only improve performance.
Golddiggie
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I went with the hardened rollers instead of stainless. It's only an option with the 2" rollers but well worth it IMO.
FredTheNuke
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The hardened is a $90 option and the Stainless is a $120 option. From what I understood the Stainless is equal in hardness to the normal rollers. Maybe I am better off with the hardened regular steel option. Is this the understanding others have of those 2 options?
MM3 here. I haven't compared it with anything else. I bought it mainly because I wanted to start buying grain in bulk, and it was highly recommended here.
When I ground at the store I was getting 70-75% efficiency with a single-batch sparge. With the MM3 set at 0.039", that jumped to 85-90%. So good that I went to no-sparge (but full-volume mash out), and I still get >70%.
I am also an unrepentant hand-grinder, for what it's worth.
When I ground at the store I was getting 70-75% efficiency with a single-batch sparge. With the MM3 set at 0.039", that jumped to 85-90%. So good that I went to no-sparge (but full-volume mash out), and I still get >70%.
I am also an unrepentant hand-grinder, for what it's worth.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I had added the hopper, hopper extension as well as the base with my order. I don't recall the hardened steel option adding $90 at that time. I went with the hardened for absolite maximum life of the rollers. I suspect this mill will be used for generations to come.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I'm using the 18v Delwalt 1/2" chuck cordless drill/driver/hammerdrill to power mine... Does a top notch job too. On a full battery charge, it has no issue going through 30-40# of grain (combined grain bills of myself and my brew-buddy). I wouldn't go with anything less than an 18v 1/2" chuck cordless drill. For a corded drill, one that has a good speed range (you want something with easy control of the lower speed range), and 1/2" chuck should do the job. I think it's easier to use a cordless drill, personally.
I do plan on motorizing mine eventually (maybe this year even) just to make it easier to run.
I would also recommend doing what you can to get the speed in the 150-250rpm range on the drill. I try to run mine in the 200-250rpm range.
I do plan on motorizing mine eventually (maybe this year even) just to make it easier to run.
I would also recommend doing what you can to get the speed in the 150-250rpm range on the drill. I try to run mine in the 200-250rpm range.
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phoenixs4r
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Look into right angle drills. Electricians use them to drill holes through studs. They have a MASSIVE amount of torque and run at about 500 rpm. Most people recommend 200 so if you run it half way you should be fine.
I ran a simple 3/8" chuck drill to power my mill before I put a pulley/belt system on it, and it sucked hard. If you tried to feather the throttle it ran out of torque.
I ran a simple 3/8" chuck drill to power my mill before I put a pulley/belt system on it, and it sucked hard. If you tried to feather the throttle it ran out of torque.
ShinyBuddha
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I looked at all the mills and it was close between the monster and crankenstien...went with the monster. the malt mill and barley crusher just didn't stand up to what I was looking for. Buy direct.
I have a Ryobi 18v 3/8" chuck drill I think I can use to power this temporarily. It says "No Load Speed: 0-350/0-1300 rpm. 2 speed gearbox and 24 position clutch for high torque application."
What type of motor would you need to get to power this thing, without going overboard?
What type of motor would you need to get to power this thing, without going overboard?
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
My MM2-2.0 has a 1/2" shaft, so you NEED a drill with a 1/2" chuck. The small 3/8" chuck won't be able to get it's jaws around the large shaft on my mill.
I already had my drill before I started brewing. I tend to go bigger than I would probably need for most tasks when selecting tools. Especially with drills.
I've not owned/used a Ryobi drill before, since I have a DeWalt. Keep in mind, you'll be running the drill, under load (fairly heavy load at that) for the time it takes to go through the grain. I suspect I could crush an entire sack on a single battery charge with my drill. I've not [yet] given that a try.
I don't know about buying direct. MonsterMill is expensive! I listed some deals I found earlier in the thread to save money for anyone looking to get one of these.
My MM2-2.0 has a 1/2" shaft, so you NEED a drill with a 1/2" chuck. The small 3/8" chuck won't be able to get it's jaws around the large shaft on my mill.
I already had my drill before I started brewing. I tend to go bigger than I would probably need for most tasks when selecting tools. Especially with drills.
I've not owned/used a Ryobi drill before, since I have a DeWalt. Keep in mind, you'll be running the drill, under load (fairly heavy load at that) for the time it takes to go through the grain. I suspect I could crush an entire sack on a single battery charge with my drill. I've not [yet] given that a try.
If it comes down to buying a drill for this, then I'll be in the market for a motor. I'm perfectly happy with the drill I have for other things...I don't need 2 drills. Thanks for pointing this out to me
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Just make sure that those deals are units the vendors have in stock.
Something else to consider... With buying direct, you can get the mill customized. Such as going with the different roller material, going with the larger diameter or adding the hopper extension to it. With Farmhouse, you have ONE option set for the mill (no additional options, just the base 1.5" roller mills plus base and first hopper stage)... I wouldn't do that. Mostly because I wanted the additional features included in my own Monster Mill.
I have found the hopper extension to be a HUGE asset for my milling. Especially since I have recipes that easily fill the base hopper. Without the extension I would have to stop and refill the hopper and then start milling again. Not something I enjoyed doing with the BC, so I made sure it wasn't going to happen too soon with the MM2-2.0 mill. Eventually, I could see having more than 39# for a single brew/recipe. By then, though I'll be in a better position and have the mill with a motor on it and be able to refill the mill easily.
Good point, didn't consider the customization factor of going direct. I'm between the MM2 and MM3. Price is a concern for me, SWMBO will have a fit if I spend too much on another gadget. I've already convinced her that I want to buy grain in bulk to cut costs so I need a mill.
Trying to get as good as I can get around $200 if possible. I mean at this point, anything is better than going to the LHBS to get grains milled lol. Sounds like just about anything I buy will work, but I'd hate to see myself upgrading shortly down the road
Is there really a big difference between the 1.5" and 2" rollers?
Does hardened steel somehow increase efficiency because its heavier, or is that just for durability?
If there's no huge difference, I might just get the MM3 1.5 w/ 3/8 drive shaft to fit my drill and a hopper. That's $219 direct, compared to $430 with all the bells and whistles (which don't get me wrong, I'd love to have!)
Trying to get as good as I can get around $200 if possible. I mean at this point, anything is better than going to the LHBS to get grains milled lol. Sounds like just about anything I buy will work, but I'd hate to see myself upgrading shortly down the road
Is there really a big difference between the 1.5" and 2" rollers?
Does hardened steel somehow increase efficiency because its heavier, or is that just for durability?
If there's no huge difference, I might just get the MM3 1.5 w/ 3/8 drive shaft to fit my drill and a hopper. That's $219 direct, compared to $430 with all the bells and whistles (which don't get me wrong, I'd love to have!)
ShinyBuddha
Well-Known Member
No need to go mm3. I actually emailed the company with my expected usage (180 lbs of grain/yr) and they suggested the mm2.
I heard they have scratch and dents too.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I would go with the MM2-2.0 here. Unless you plan on going through many hundreds/thousands of pounds per year that is.
Trying to get as good as I can get around $200 if possible. I mean at this point, anything is better than going to the LHBS to get grains milled lol. Sounds like just about anything I buy will work, but I'd hate to see myself upgrading shortly down the road
Is there really a big difference between the 1.5" and 2" rollers?
From what I've experienced between the BC rollers (1.25" diameter) and my MM2-2.0 (2" diameter) the crush is MUCH better. Seems more even when you examine the grain once it goes through the mill.
I don't believe the hardening increases the mass of the rollers, just improves wear resistance by a healthy margin. I expect these rollers to go through tens of thousands of pounds of grain before they have any issue.
I spoke with the man from Monster before placing my order. I plan/intend to be increasing my batch sizes over the next few/several years and wanted to be sure the mill would be up to the task. Plus, since both my brew-buddy and I use my mill on brew day (easier to setup just one mill) we're already sending a lot of grain through it. I've already had brew days with almost 30# of grain for just my batch. Plus his 15-20# of grain goes through it too. I swear I can almost hear the monster taunting us. Asking if that's all we got...
The mill I ordered from Monster (MM2-2.0) has the hardened option (+$60) as well as the base and hopper (+$40) and hopper extension (+$25). Total, as that stands today, is $296. IMO, it's well worth the extra $77 over the base model. Basically, I expect to NEVER need to replace this mill.
phoenixs4r
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I'm not sure about monster mills, but I know that the crankenstein site, I can order spare rollers if mine wear out. Maybe something to look in to
Very helpful feedback Golddiggie, thank you! Hopefully I can put in an order on Friday.
Wreck99 said:
I use a 3/4 hp motor I picked up on EBay for 50 bucks. It's geared down with a 10 inch shiv. Works phenomenal.
two_one_seven
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Rebel Mill nothing else even compares.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Actually, looks like a lower version of a Monster Mill to me... Smaller base hopper, smaller hopper extension, no idea on roller spec's (just looked at the page on their site too) to name just a few items.
While it may be a solid mill, and far superior to a BC, it can't compare (IMO) with a MM2-2.0. Especially as I have mine configured. I can mill 19# more grain with the extension on my hopper than the rebel can (at one filling).
If they (Rebel) wants to compare with the other top end mill makers, they need to include more spec's on their page for the mill. Not looking to bash Rebel, since I like them for a good number of other things. I just don't see their one mill comparing with what Monster offers. Perhaps with C&S, but not MM...
I'm hearing that you don't want a go faster than 200rpm, is this right?
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Monster has it posted on their site... The way they spec out the speed it seems more like 150-200rpm.
RPM
What RPMs should I run my mill at?
The best speed to run all of the drill driven mills at is around 150-250 rpms. Does it have to be exactly 200 rpms? NO WAY. A range of 100-300 is fine, and if you are willing to have a little more flour, then you can run it a little faster. I generally tell folks to run it as slowly as your drill will run it without stalling plus a little more. It usually takes a little more torque to get the mill going than to keep it going, so you will have to give it some more power to start the mill, and then slow it down once you are milling. You should experiment with faster/slower speeds and see what it does to your grain.
Motorizing
How can I motorize my mill?
This is a very complicated answer. We recommend you use at least a 1/2 HP motor for our small 1.5" diameter roller mills, and 1 HP for our larger 2" diameter roller mills. Use a capacitor start motor if possible. They have much higher starting torque and should be able to start milling after the hopper is loaded. If you don't have a capacitor start motor, you may just have to have the mill running when you load the hopper. Get the RPMs down as much as possible. To do this you will need to use as slow a motor as you can get, and put a very small pulley on it, and put as large a pulley as possible on the mill. The biggest problem with this approach is that the pulleys end up being very large.
Most AC motors run at the slowest speed of 1725RPMs. This means that you need to reduce the speed by a minimum factor of 10. So you will need a mill pulley that is 10 times the diameter of the pulley on the motor to get down to 172.5 RPMs assuming your motor runs 1725 RPMs. When using pulleys to drive the mill it may be preferable to widen one flat on your mill's drive shaft using a metal file. The flats are designed for drill driving, and will work better with a pulley setscrew if they're wider. This is easily accompished using a metal file with the drive roller held firmly in your bench vice.
Pulleys to complete a motorization project are readily available from several sources including Grainger, and McMaster Carr. Look for a small pulley with a diameter of 1.5" or less, and a large pulley to mount on the mill of at least 10" with 12-14" being preferable. Worth noting is that usually the pulleys will have different pitch diameters depending upon the width of belt you use. If you use a narrower belt, it will ride lower down in the pulley groove, and effectively reduce the diameter of the pulley.
There was a very informative article written in BYO a while back, that has all the specific information you will need to complete your project. We worked directly with the author to provide accurate information. Gear reduction motors are also an option but they are usually out of the price range of most home brewers. If you can find one used for a good price, I have heard of several folks using them sucessfully, but you must make sure you have enough torque to drive the mill, or it will stall while grinding.
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