Getting a mill for Christmas

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Clanchief

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So SWMBO is getting me a grain mill for Christmas. I can pretty much get what I want, within a budget of around $150-$200. As I've moved to AG brewing this year, I figured it made the most sense as my next purchase, so I can start getting my base grains in bulk and save some money.

I've been doing some research, and have gotten a lot of conflicting reports on different varieties. What I'm trying to come up with is a narrowed list of 2-3 options to pick from. Most of my beers use between 10-20 pounds of grain. I'm probably going to hand crank, which is fine for me, but I might like the option of hooking it up to a drill. Something which comes with a good size hopper is nice because I don't like having to constantly fill it up when I'm milling. Also, one that has the base built in or pre-attached, so I can just slap it on a bucket to mill into would be really helpful.

What are your thoughts on the best options out there? Thanks.
 
Knightmare said:
For the money I like the Barley Crusher. I use one and it works great!

+1.
Mine has the smaller of the two hoppers, I think its the 7lbs one. I've never had the hopper size be a problem...makes it easier to store :)

The crank is removable for the drill. I've never used the hand crank...cordless drill works great.

Good luck!

Edit: it comes with a base and the rubber feet to secure it to the bucket.
 
I have a Barley Crusher and used to think that it was the cats meow. However, it's two years old now and has processed maybe 800 lbs of grain & it's pretty much worn out. The problem as I see it is that the rollers aren't hardened and the drive roller's knurls have been rounded and smoothed by use to the point that they don't grab the grain worth a damn anymore. The upshot is that I have to add the grain bit by bit or it just spins away without grinding the grain. I've cleaned & adjusted & lubed it repeatedly. I know that 800 lbs sounds like a lot of grain, but I thought that it would be the only mill I'd ever have to buy. Sadly, Not recommended.
 
godrick said:
I have a Barley Crusher and used to think that it was the cats meow. However, it's two years old now and has processed maybe 800 lbs of grain & it's pretty much worn out. The problem as I see it is that the rollers aren't hardened and the drive roller's knurls have been rounded and smoothed by use to the point that they don't grab the grain worth a damn anymore. The upshot is that I have to add the grain bit by bit or it just spins away without grinding the grain. I've cleaned & adjusted & lubed it repeatedly. I know that 800 lbs sounds like a lot of grain, but I thought that it would be the only mill I'd ever have to buy. Sadly, Not recommended.

I wonder if they would ship you new rollers...certainly would be worth trying. Might even be free. It would be worth it to them just to keep the customer happy.
 
I love my barley crusher but have only had it for a year (got it for xmas last year) So I cant attest to the durability of it
 
Thanks for the info folks.

For those recommending the barley crusher, has anyone else experienced extreme wearing on it? I notice the website says it has a lifetime warranty. Has anyone had any dealings with them regarding use of that warranty or what it entails? Maybe if the rollers wear out they replace them? I have no clue, but would be interested to hear.

Has anyone used the Crankandstein and have advice on it? It's one that I've also been looking at.

Thanks!
 
To throw in another option, I love my two-roller Monster Mill--the MM2--powered by a Harbor Freight low speed, high torque 1/2" drill for a relatively cheap motorized mill option. I've put about 400 lbs. through it with no signs of wear or slowing down of the drill.
 
An MM2 plus hopper (11lb max) and base, delivered would be under $200. It would leave you with the ability to add an option or two (1/2 drive shaft or SS rollers or hopper extension).

A crankandstein plus hopper and base, delivered would also be under $200.
 
I too am getting a Barley Crusher for Christmas, how do you maintain 300 rpm on the rollers using a drill? 19.2 V Craftsman Drill, cordless. Do you guys just pull the trigger and let it rip or more of a restrained trigger pull?
 
The Barley Crusher makes a great product. I’ve had mine for two years now and I brew once or twice a month and I see no signs of wear. I have the seven pound hopper and I attach my cordless drill and away we go. No add on's no extra's delivered assembled out of the box ready to go. http://www.homebrewing.org/Barley-Crusher-Grain-Mill-7LB-Hopper_p_872.html. Save your money and buy some grain:rockin:
 
I too am getting a Barley Crusher for Christmas, how do you maintain 300 rpm on the rollers using a drill? 19.2 V Craftsman Drill, cordless. Do you guys just pull the trigger and let it rip or more of a restrained trigger pull?

Yep, I use a 12 volt dewalt cordless with a no load speed of 1400 rpm...and just let 'er rip
 
To throw in another option, I love my two-roller Monster Mill--the MM2--powered by a Harbor Freight low speed, high torque 1/2" drill for a relatively cheap motorized mill option. I've put about 400 lbs. through it with no signs of wear or slowing down of the drill.

I have this exact same set-up with the base and hopper. The hopper is bomb-proof. Really heavy gauge steel.

I plug it in and grind up ~20lbs in about 5 minutes. I dust it off, put a cover on it, and that's it as far as maintenance. As an added bonus, with my own mill and gap settings, my efficiency went up about 10 points and became a lot more consistent. My last three brews had mash efficiencies of 81.7%, 81.8%, and 81.8%.
 
I will say this, my grain mill purchase is probably my favorite. I dig walking in to the home brew shop and walking out with a $37.00 50 lbs sack of 2 row. It will save you way more than its cost.
 
monster mill is the way to go. I bought the 3 roll last christmas (gift to myself) and I have at least 1000 Lbs. of grain through it. It will eventually pay for itself in bulk grain purchases and most important, efficiency.
 
I can attest to the fact that Barley Crusher will indeed honor their lifetime warranty. I got a used BC from a friend. Told them about the knurl wear and they shipped me brand new rollers (only had to pay the shipping). The initial response took about a week, it seems they are a smaller outfit and pretty busy. But they were very courteous and totally honored the warranty. Shipped the rollers out about two days after the initial response. Works like a champ now.
 
Thanks for all the great replies, especially on the warranty for the Barley Crusher. I'm going to look into all of this a little more, but I'm starting to lean that way.
 
I can attest to the fact that Barley Crusher will indeed honor their lifetime warranty. I got a used BC from a friend. Told them about the knurl wear and they shipped me brand new rollers (only had to pay the shipping). The initial response took about a week, it seems they are a smaller outfit and pretty busy. But they were very courteous and totally honored the warranty. Shipped the rollers out about two days after the initial response. Works like a champ now.

This is good to know! There is a pretty large thread on here with people reporting basically the exact opposite expereince
 
From what I understand, they are a small outfit. If you have issues, send them an email. Let them know in that email that you are a home brewer. That's the only way they warranty. If you own a LHBS, they don't honor the lifetime warranty. It's only for home brewers, not for commercial use. You might have to pay for shipping, but that's it. For commercial use, you can get new rollers for $50.

The biggest problem with this mill and all others, is you periodically have to disassemble and do a thorough cleaning to prevent excess friction. It's also a good idea to check the gap on both sides every now and then and oil it. Periodic maintenance always prevents headaches and problems. You can spend big bucks on anything. But if you don't maintain it, it WILL FAIL eventually!
 
For the money I would still go with my Malt Mill, can't beat the 10'' rollers run over 2000lbs through mine (I bought it used) have mine run off a 90volt DC gearmotor with a Dart speed controller at 78 in-lbs of torque.
 
This is good to know! There is a pretty large thread on here with people reporting basically the exact opposite expereince

Yeah, a lot of the threads I have seen involve people emailing them, waiting three days, and then freaking out about "screw these guys and their warranty" only to have BC respond an honor the warranty shortly after.
 
Another vote for the Monster Mill, I have the MM2-2.0 with the 1/2" shaft, the 2" DIA rollers eat grain like a freak, the crush is flawless, the mill is so beefy that I will be handing it down to my 12 year old some day, a very long time from now hopefully :cross:

Cheers :)
 
Hey guys,
I've taken your advice and emailed the folks at Barley Crusher. I sent them the email below and I'll let you all know how they respond.
Cheers:mug:

Hi folks,
About a year and a half ago I purchased a barley crusher through Northern Brewer. I've been pretty happy with the unit until recently, as it is beginning to have problems. In spite of my best efforts - cleaning, lubricating & adjusting the rollers as per the directions, the mill fails to feed itself. That is, it simply runs without milling the grain. I've discovered that it will only feed if I add the grain a cup or so at a time. Upon close examination I can see that the knurls on the driven roller are worn smooth on the leading side. As an experiment, I reversed the driven roller and it fed grain perfectly. I have milled around seven or eight hundred pounds of grain with the crusher, but I'm surprised that it should be worn out so soon. Perhaps the rollers weren't hardened properly. Could you please send me a new set of rollers to repair this mill.
 
Hey guys,
I've taken your advice and emailed the folks at Barley Crusher. I sent them the email below and I'll let you all know how they respond.
Cheers:mug:

Hi folks,
About a year and a half ago I purchased a barley crusher through Northern Brewer. I've been pretty happy with the unit until recently, as it is beginning to have problems. In spite of my best efforts - cleaning, lubricating & adjusting the rollers as per the directions, the mill fails to feed itself. That is, it simply runs without milling the grain. I've discovered that it will only feed if I add the grain a cup or so at a time. Upon close examination I can see that the knurls on the driven roller are worn smooth on the leading side. As an experiment, I reversed the driven roller and it fed grain perfectly. I have milled around seven or eight hundred pounds of grain with the crusher, but I'm surprised that it should be worn out so soon. Perhaps the rollers weren't hardened properly. Could you please send me a new set of rollers to repair this mill.

I hope they help you out, but if they won't and you do need to get a new mill, Monster Mill also offers a option for hardened rollers.

Good luck and
Cheers :mug:
 
I will say this, my grain mill purchase is probably my favorite. I dig walking in to the home brew shop and walking out with a $37.00 50 lbs sack of 2 row. It will save you way more than its cost.

Im getting a mill for xmas and I am pretty excited to walk out with 50# sack of marris otter and 50# sack of belg pils.
 
RmikeVT said:
Im getting a mill for xmas and I am pretty excited to walk out with 50# sack of marris otter and 50# sack of belg pils.

Hell yes...one on each shoulder!
 
Im getting a mill for xmas and I am pretty excited to walk out with 50# sack of marris otter and 50# sack of belg pils.

I would love to be able to walk into a local HBS, let alone carry out a 50# sack of anything, closest one is over 100 miles away :(

I order a bunch of 10 to 15 lb bags of grain from someone with flat rate shipping, thats as good as it gets for now lol

Cheers :mug: You lucky dogs lol
 
Barley Crusher all the way for me. 200+ 10 gallon batches and still going strong. I think the extra few bucks for the larger bin is well worth it. Certainly within your budget.

Crusher_2.jpg

Crusher_3.jpg
 
I would highly recommend the Monster Mill 2 (MM-2):

http://www.monsterbrewinghardware.com/mm-2.html

This is the 1.5" roller version. I bought mine with a 1/2" shaft and SS rollers and use it with the Harbor Fright heavy duty (adjustable speed) drill.

My batches are usually between 12 and 20 pounds, and it handles that with no issues. I don't think going with the 2 inch rollers would give you much.

Works great, and I condition my malt and crush at a 0.019" gap.

Whatever you buy, I would highly suggest getting an adjustable mill. Be sure it adjusts on both ends so you get an even crush.

If you ever decide to play with malt conditioning or just want to alter your crush a little, you will regret going with a fixed mill.
 
I think I've decided on the Barley Crusher. I like the fact that it's pre-assembled, lots of people seem to have had good experience, and it's got a lifetime guarantee. Big hopper seems like a nice addition too!
 
I think I've decided on the Barley Crusher. I like the fact that it's pre-assembled, lots of people seem to have had good experience, and it's got a lifetime guarantee. Big hopper seems like a nice addition too!

Welcome, you will like.
 
Went with the Barley Crusher with the bigger hopper. It's sitting on the dinning room table still in the box, but I can't touch it because the wife is giving it to me for Christmas.

:)
 
Is the crush setting set at the factory a good setting?

I tightened mine to 0.033 from 0.039 ad I get ~77% efficiency and no problems with stuck sparge using batch sparge. A lot of people use it at factory default well too.
 
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