Grain mill comparison

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Killercal

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Hello everyone,

I’m looking at purchasing a grain mill in the near future but I’m undecided which one to get. I’m going to steer clear of the Corona style mills for the reason that they are more likely to damage the husks. The three mills I’m looking at right now are the Crankandstein mill, Monster Brewing mill and the Barley Crusher. So now onto the questions;

1) Does anyone have any pros/cons of each mill?
2) I see that Crankandstein and Monster Brewing have a 2-Roller and a 3-Roller mill, does the 3rd roller really make that big of a difference on the crush?
3) Stainless Steel or knurled steel – Would the knurled steel last as long as the stainless steel and would one have an advantage over the other?

I’ve read the manufactures websites and they all talk up there own product (obviously) but is there really a better mill to get?

Thanks in advanced for everyone’s help.
 
I can only speak from what I know so here it goes. I went straight to the Monster mill MM-3. I also opted for the hoppper and base. The mill really is a monster. The only real issues I've had are 1. The bolts that hold the gap just have to be barely tight otherwise the mill won't turn correctly. That was easy to rectify. 2. Sometimes the grain gets caught in the rollers and the drive roller spins freely. A quick manual turn of the bottom roller and all is well. I've never seen the Crankandstein so I have nothing to add. I have also never used the Barleycrusher, but I did see it and it looks noticably smaller than the monster mill. That being said almost everyone who has a barleycrusher loves the mill so that is a good endorsement right there.
 
Coronas are "more likely to damage the husks?" Wow, someone should tell that to Charlie Papazian then, He's been using his since the 80's.....


And been getting 87% effieciency from his.....Maybe you should tell him he's doing it wrong?!? :D

Don't be too quick to cast aspersions on something based on hearsay...Many, Many people use thier coronas quite successfully, including a ton of people on here. You might want to see what we're doing here; https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-ugly-junk-corona-mill-station-90849/

This quote from an article on Craftbrewer radio's website sums it up nicely.

Corona mills have gotten a lot of bad press over the years, with claims that they are unsuitable for brewing as the give a very poor crush (i.e. tear the grains rather than squeezing them) leading to flavour and extraction problems. The claims have usually originated from either the manufacturers or owners of the more modern roller mills.

But before roller mills (such as the PhilMill, Valley mill and MaltMill) were available for small-scale brewer, Corona mills were the only ones available. Many brewing books had sections on using and adjusting a Corona type mill. Dave Miller's book from the late 80's had a whole chapter devoted to using and adjusting a Corona mill, and he is often quoted as obtaining extremely high extraction rates from the grain.
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If you don't want to use one fine, but don't perpetuate those myths and inuendos when doing so.
 
Revvy,

Sorry for that semi-ignorant comment. I just used a corona mill once (most likely incorrect) with a bad result. I was crushing two types of grain and the first grain crush was ok, but the second grain crush was terrible as it didn't crush all the grain and lead to poor efficiency. Now I can most likely blame the poor crush on the user, but at first I though it was the mill as, like you said, there is a lot of bad press on the corona style mill.

Now another reason I'm leaning away from the corona mill (and maybe it will do what I want to do) is that I have a small motor and want to use it to drive the mill.

Revvy, what do you use for your mill? I have yet to click on the links you provided so sorry if you answer that question in those links.

Thanks for your reply and I hope this doesn't deter more people from adding their comments on which of the three mills they would prefer.
 
OK so I see you use a corona mill with great success. Now I see you use a drill to drive it, so I guess I could use my motor to drive it.

Question, how often do you have to adjust the mill before you crush and how easy is it to adjust?

Again I apologize for my ignorance on this topic of the corona mill!
 
I just picked up the barley crusher with the 15# hopper. didn't do a ton of research when comparing to the others but it seems to be a good value and well built. I like how the base sits on a 5g bucket to simplify things
 
I bought a new pasta roller for $13, made a small hopper from household containers, knurled the rollers with a drill bit and can comfortably crush 10+ pounds of grain in a 15 minutes using my arms to crank it.

Its not the most high tech set up, but it freed up $100+ dollars for other equiptment.
 
Germelli1 said:
I bought a new pasta roller for $13, made a small hopper from household containers, knurled the rollers with a drill bit and can comfortably crush 10+ pounds of grain in a 15 minutes using my arms to crank it.

Its not the most high tech set up, but it freed up $100+ dollars for other equiptment.
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I was going to bring that option up in my original post as well, but I didn't want to push my luck. :D

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/using-pasta-maker-mill-grain-75784/

I even missed this thread about it. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/ugliest-junks-converted-pasta-roller-grain-mill-180116/
 
I have the Barley Crusher, and thus far I love it, I read of a few folks have issues with the roller knurling wearing out and not grabbing the malt, I cryo-treated my mill when I was having a batch of parts done, my knurling still seems great after a year of use, no wear is evident on mine after about 300LB of grain milled.
 
Revvy said:
I was going to bring that option up in my original post as well, but I didn't want to push my luck. :D

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/using-pasta-maker-mill-grain-75784/

I even missed this thread about it. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/ugliest-junks-converted-pasta-roller-grain-mill-180116/
Click to expand...

Haha, I figured I would toss the idea out there to show that you don't need an expensive crusher. I was going to get a corona mill, but when I got a 50% off any single item on labor day coupon from Michaels, I couldn't pass this up for $13.

hjopper.jpg
 
I've used both the malt mill and the barley crusher, and they're both excellent. I'm sure the crankenstein and monster mills are also very good products. You never hear anyone complain about any of them. Currently, I have a barley crusher because it's reasonably priced and good to go out of the box. Seriously, you could open the box and be crushing grains in less than 60 seconds. Some people like to build hoppers and such, but I just wanted something that was as simple as possible. I'd prefer to spend my time brewing or upgrading other parts of my brewery. Plus, you don't need any attachments to hook up a drill. Just undo the 1 screw holding the handle on and chuck the drill to it. Mills are fairly simple things, so I don't know what else people would want.
 
OK, as a Corona mill user, I've had my button pushed. Time to play "Where's Waldo" with the grist. Here's a nice hi-res macro pic of the crush I did this morning to make some Black Pearl Porter. Here's my "ugly junk," and it sure fits that description.

All of you critics see if you can find an uncrushed kernel; I can't. As far as torn-up husks are concerned, someone needs to explain to me just how torn up they have to be to impede lautering. My batches run like a two-foot storm drain, so I can't see any problem.

I started in all-grain a year ago June, have done maybe a dozen batches, and I couldn't be happier. I just followed the Corona Commandment: "Tighten up on that crush until you're scared, then give it another quarter-turn."

Mill Improved.jpg


Crush0910.jpg
 
+1 on the barley crusher with the 15# hopper. I bought it and jumped about 5-10 points in efficiency on my first batch when compared to the hobby store one which has had thousands of pounds ran through it and I"m sure never adjusted....
 
rshosted said:
+1 on the barley crusher with the 15# hopper. I bought it and jumped about 5-10 points in efficiency on my first batch when compared to the hobby store one which has had thousands of pounds ran through it and I"m sure never adjusted....
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So the barely crusher was the reason for efficiency boost and not your lack of adjusting your hobby mill? :eek:
 
rico567 said:
All of you critics see if you can find an uncrushed kernel; I can't. As far as torn-up husks are concerned, someone needs to explain to me just how torn up they have to be to impede lautering. My batches run like a two-foot storm drain, so I can't see any problem.
Click to expand...

That picture looks a lot like the vendors pics of thier crushing! Nice work
 
Wow, I really didn't mean to upset anyone with a corona style mill. I just thought that the reason for my poor crush was the mill itself and not the fact that it was my second time ever crushing grain. Its good to see what people are doing with there mills and all the success they are having with them. Now I pos another question to the Canadian folks out there with a corona style mill; where would one find one for a decent price? I did a quick search on the internet, but came up short. The only places selling these are from the US and the shipping would be the same amount as the mill itself.

I do like the cheaper route on things as long as they will last and work well enough. Thanks to all for opening up my eyes on the corona mill.
 
azscoob said:
Germelli, do you have some sort of chute for the pasta mill? I am wondering how you collect the milled grain.
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I actually made it three days ago (bought it on labor day) to just get by for my first few batches...currently I grind two pounds at a time into a casserole dish
:D but I am currently designing both a chute to a bucket or just a base to sit on a bucket. I am going to choose one of the two.

The plus side to a chute is I get more stability but if I can design a sturdy attachment for the base I am going to go that route.

And a bigger hopper is next on the list
 
Killercal said:
Wow, I really didn't mean to upset anyone with a corona style mill. I just thought that the reason for my poor crush was the mill itself and not the fact that it was my second time ever crushing grain. Its good to see what people are doing with there mills and all the success they are having with them. Now I pos another question to the Canadian folks out there with a corona style mill; where would one find one for a decent price? I did a quick search on the internet, but came up short. The only places selling these are from the US and the shipping would be the same amount as the mill itself.

I do like the cheaper route on things as long as they will last and work well enough. Thanks to all for opening up my eyes on the corona mill.
Click to expand...

Don't be conserned. This topic has been hashed and bashed about on the forums for years. For some folks, it's as if you stuck them in the eye with a frozen carrot if you say the slightest negetive about what they use. You asked for help in good faith, so continue your search for what best suits your needs and pocket book. Cheers
 
I had a corona mill, and it worked OK. I got very high efficiencies with it. However, I dropped it one day and broke it, and replaced it with a crankenstien roller mill that I got for a very good price. I will say that I was getting some astringency that went away with the move to a roller mill, and that the roller mill is a LOT nicer to use - it's just better built and much faster. Now, I never did anything to try to address the astringency I was getting with the corona, so I don't know if it was an inherent problem with the design, or if I was just milling too fine - but I do know that I really enjoy the roller mill.

For me, it comes down to this: a roller mill is unquestionable nicer to use, but I'm not ready to say that it produces a better beer. If cost is a concern, and you're willing to spend time fiddling around with it, then a Corona might be a better value for you. But, if you're looking for faster grinds and some gear that's easier on the brewer, then I highly recommend a roller mill of some sort.
 
prosper said:
I had a corona mill, and it worked OK. I got very high efficiencies with it. However, I dropped it one day and broke it, and replaced it with a crankenstien roller mill that I got for a very good price. I will say that I was getting some astringency that went away with the move to a roller mill, and that the roller mill is a LOT nicer to use - it's just better built and much faster. Now, I never did anything to try to address the astringency I was getting with the corona, so I don't know if it was an inherent problem with the design, or if I was just milling too fine - but I do know that I really enjoy the roller mill.

For me, it comes down to this: a roller mill is unquestionable nicer to use, but I'm not ready to say that it produces a better beer. If cost is a concern, and you're willing to spend time fiddling around with it, then a Corona might be a better value for you. But, if you're looking for faster grinds and some gear that's easier on the brewer, then I highly recommend a roller mill of some sort.
Click to expand...

+1 Yes, but you completely lose the reverse snob appeal. Why drive a Mercedes when you could be driving a Yugo?
 
If I may suggest, just buy whatever is in your means, I have read positive things about all the mills, and a bit o' bagging on them from the other side. Are you a bling bling guy who won't be happy with a corona style mill?
 
6821_134407927435_689937435_2487638_7810204_n.jpg


I've had great luck with the Barely Crusher and by buying grain in bulk it pays for it's self.
 
azscoob said:
If I may suggest, just buy whatever is in your means, I have read positive things about all the mills, and a bit o' bagging on them from the other side. Are you a bling bling guy who won't be happy with a corona style mill?
Click to expand...

I'm not a "bling bling" guy if you were to see my brewery you'd see that. I just want to produce the best beer that I can with equipment that will give me consistent results. I'm willing to drop some money on a mill as I will be able to start buying grain in bulk and save money. Right now I order grain that is crushed by the home brew supplier.

I'm just looking for some feedback on grain mills to see if there is a consistent problem with any individual mill or if a certain milll just kicks a**.
 

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