2 roller vs 3 roller mill

After my long thread on my poor efficiency I have decided to get a grain mill so that I can start crushing my own grain. I am confused on whether to go with a 2 roller or a 3 roller model. I thought that the 3 roller versions did a full crush twice. But after a little reading it looks like the first stage is permanently set at either .060 or .070, and then the second crush is adjustable. I guess I don’t understand why I would pay for the extra roller if it doesn’t do a full crush.

Also, I am looking at the Barley Crusher, Monster Mill, and CrankandStein brands. I will be purchasing their respective hopper and bucket mounts too. The Barley Crusher doesn’t look as sturdy as the other two. The CrankandStein looks the nicest, but the hopper and bucket mount look like an after thought. So at this point I think I am leaning towards the Monster Mill MMS-2.0. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Good morning, GR. FWIW, I use a two roller mill, its a Malt Mill http://schmidling.com/maltmill.htm I got the non adjustable version - less to go wrong My lhbs carried it, so no shipping costs.

Good morning! The .045 gap seems like it might be pretty large. So, are you pretty happy with it?

This is from someone who doesnt yet have a grain mill.

BUT, if you're looking for YOUR best efficiency, an adjustable mill just makes sense. What if you go from throwing the grains right in to conditioning? that lets you get a better crush with a smaller gap when done right. What if that gap doesnt work for you? etc, etc, I could go on.

My point is, if that were my money, I'd want something I can change if need be

NoNothing said:

This is from someone who doesnt yet have a grain mill.

BUT, if you're looking for YOUR best efficiency, an adjustable mill just makes sense. What if you go from throwing the grains right in to conditioning? that lets you get a better crush with a smaller gap when done right. What if that gap doesnt work for you? etc, etc, I could go on.

My point is, if that were my money, I'd want something I can change if need be

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I think many folks would agree with you. But, there are more than a few threads here from people complaining about the adjustment of their mill going out of whack, or that the mill no longer pulls grains through, etc. Also, you need to be able to measure the gap, of course, to adjust it.

The compromise you make is between the ability to adjust for different grains/situations and the no worry approach of non-adjustable. Its a choice. Of course, cost is a factor, too.

GR, I've been very pleased with mine. My efficiency is dialed in right around 75%, which is just fine for me. For me, I chose it because my lhbs carried it. I don't think its probably any better or worse than the choices you are considering.

Interesting question. How do you measure and set the gap on these mills? I think the CrankandStein has detents which I assume are marked. But I am not sure about the others. Hmmmm .... more research is needed.

I have a BC and it works fine. If I were to start all over I would buy a SS monster mill and assume it to be a lifetime investment. As far as I know the three roller design essentially flattens the grain somewhat then crushes it while leaving the husk intact as much as possible.

That being said, pre conditioning your malt with some water and letting it dry a bit accomplishes a similar crush. If you brew a lot, you might consider that the conditioning process does add a bit of time to your process and having a 3 roller design might be better in the long run.

You set the gap with feeler gauges. These can be bought at most hardware or automotive parts stores.

I have a BC and set the gap to 30. Get a gauge and check as the factory settings were not right -different on both ends. I'm consistently getting efficiency in the mid 80's. It's a well made product. I have a false bottom and have never had a stuck sparge.

Well, I just bought an MM-3 with stainless rollers and hopper direct. Gonna motorize it soon. The construction is very good. The kerning on the rollers is quite aggressive. I have never owned another to compare, though. After looking at the pix, I decided the hopper was the best, sturdiest, and least leaky (dusty) and that and price were my 2 biggest plusses. I looked into Schmidling and didn't like the email exchange I had with him (he called me Shirley). Francis was a good guy and responsive to my pre purchase questions. I went for the 3 roller so I never have to double mill anything (since I'm milling indoors). Seems to me that a non adjustable would be more for milling just malt and less for any other specialty ingredients that you may want to crush.

Re: Monster-The one thing I didn't know is that if you install the hopper, you have to take the adjustment screws out anyways, so there goes your factory setting. I think the general consensus is that if you're going to spend the cash to get a mill, better get feeler gauges as well. I personally think that it should have been included in my hopper kit. The factory setting feeler gauge, at least, since I have to remove factory adjustment to install it.

EDIT: The statement above re: adjustment screws is completely wrong. Dummy me.

I have yet to use it, so don't want to comment, but lemme tell you the mm-3 is a beefy MF.

I have been researching these as well. The 3 roller supposedly leaves more of the husk intact to create a better grainbed. I also read somewhere that commercial breweries use 6 roller mills that act in a similar manner. My choice is the 3 roller. I should have it within the month.

I think the first roller crushes at about .70 and the second at .39 or whatever. It's basically like a double pass thru the mill at once. I have heard that it negates the benefits of conditioning, too.

FYI- Francis himself uses a 2 roller. It's not like he doesn't have the choice. I guess the moral of the story is that a 3 roller doesn't give any better of a crush than a 2 roller can give, but maybe with a little less fuss (no conditioning, double pass thru, changing the gap).

SankePankey said:

I think the first roller crushes at about .70 and the second at .39 or whatever. It's basically like a double pass thru the mill at once. I have heard that it negates the benefits of conditioning, too.

FYI- Francis himself uses a 2 roller. It's not like he doesn't have the choice. I guess the moral of the story is that a 3 roller doesn't give any better of a crush than a 2 roller can give, but maybe with a little less fuss (no conditioning, double pass thru, changing the gap).

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And who is this Francis you speak of?

A large purple giant talking squid with a penchant for Saison.

No, he makes Monster Mills.

Ooops. That's his last name. Fred.

GRHunter said:

Good morning! The .045 gap seems like it might be pretty large. So, are you pretty happy with it?

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I'm not Pappers, but I do have the same mill that he does.
I'm ecstatic with it. I get a consistent 85% efficiency with the preset gap of 0.045" I've checked it with my feeler gauges every year or so, and it has never varied. The only problem I have with it, is that about once every 6 months or so, it stops forcing the grain though the rollers. The fix is really simple. Reverse the rotation for a couple cycles, and everything works fine again for another 6 months or so.

-a.

I got the adjustable Malt Mill, wife bought it for me for Christmas a few years back!! (she rules). I have it bolted to my brew-bench/fermentation chamber on a platform that allows a bucket to fit directly under it. So far it has worked like a champ! Highly recommended. Next project is to motorize it!

SankePankey said:

I think the first roller crushes at about .70 and the second at .39 or whatever. It's basically like a double pass thru the mill at once. I have heard that it negates the benefits of conditioning, too.

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Nope, conditioning still makes a big difference for a 3 roller mill.

I actually still double crush mine with a 3 roller mill. I like a really fine crush, plus my motor doesn't have quite enough torque so the belt slips if the second gap is too small.

I was just quoting a Brew Strong episode. Not personal experience. i plan on finding that out for myself.