Steveruch
Well-Known Member
I'm planning on getting a grain mill in the not too distant future, but not sure where the best place is to get one, or the best brand. Any suggestions?
Best place to get a grain mill
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Small batch? BIAB? Probably not the best, but very effective at a great price. A Corona-style corn mill off Amazon for ~$25.
I've been using one of these for the last few years and have been very pleased.
I don't think you can beat the price vs quality combination for non-geared two-roller mills...
https://austinhomebrew.com/products/cereal-killer-grain-mill
Cheers!
I don't think you can beat the price vs quality combination for non-geared two-roller mills...
https://austinhomebrew.com/products/cereal-killer-grain-mill
Cheers!
+1 on the Cereal Killer from Austin Homebrew. I bought that exact mill on day_trippr's suggestion and it has served me very well for the past 2 years. I have my gap set real close for BIAB and my gravity always comes out above target.
+3 on the Cereal Killer.
If you prefer a 3 roller mill, I like (and have) Kegland's Malt Muncher. If you go for the Malt Muncher, get it at William's as it's about $20 cheaper there than More beer. Both mills have sealed bearings vs bushings.
If you prefer a 3 roller mill, I like (and have) Kegland's Malt Muncher. If you go for the Malt Muncher, get it at William's as it's about $20 cheaper there than More beer. Both mills have sealed bearings vs bushings.
What do you set the gap at? I do 2.5 gallon BIAB and have been considering a mill, but want to get down around .025 or even a bit tighter.
Thanks
I have a Monster Mill MM2-pro. It was a ridiculous premium to pay. Love the mill, though. Big rollers, and an adjustment system that doesn’t require thumb screws. (I hate thumb screws.). Nice company to do business with. A+, would buy again.
Another for the cereal killer here. My MIAB gap is 0.25-0.27 ish, based on the spark plug feelers, and a (fairly thin) credit card.
I double-crush anyways, and has worked well thus far.
I double-crush anyways, and has worked well thus far.
I agree with the cereal killer recommendations. I got mine from AIH a couple years ago and it has performed well. I have mine set to the tightest gap the adjustments will allow and it serves me well for my BIAB batches. Drive with an old variable speed 1/2” craftsman corded drill. 99 bucks and free shipping.
https://homebrewing.org/products/cereal-killer-grain-mill
https://homebrewing.org/products/cereal-killer-grain-mill
I went with a Monster Mill years ago and don't regret it. Built like a tank, plus I like to buy directly from a manufacturer who I can phone and have questions answered. Lots of options and strong product backup.
Red over White
Well-Known Member
The one attribute that you may consider is how easy is it to adjust the gap. My heirloom base malt is a plump kernel compared to most all of the specialty grains and I mill them at different settings for a premium crush with a MLT. For biab this is likely not going to be a big concern. Milling slow is another thing that matters for a MLT. At 50 rpm less flour is produced vs 180 rpm on my geared 3 roller mill. These are small things to consider that do add up at the end of the day.
I do mostly 6 gallon BIAB batches. I have been using the same 'corona' mill with a variable speed drill for twenty years. Works fine.
Man I love this mill below. Got it a few months ago. I don't know if 3 rollers is much better than 2, but I know I'll NEVER have a mill where the top two rollers are not geared. When one of those is a freewheeler, you're bound to have issues. Look at the pic and you'll see it's also easy to adjust the gap. And, there is a great hex shape to the shaft where it's easy to grab with a drill. My last mill just had a round shaft and occasionally my drill would slip.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/mighty-mill-3-roller-grain.html
https://www.morebeer.com/products/mighty-mill-3-roller-grain.html
I have my mill(Cereal Killer) set at .025 with no issues, used a feeler gauge to set it. You will want to use a drill to run it. My next brew will be in a week or two, I'd be happy to post a picture of the crushed grains if you are interested.
InspectorJon
Well-Known Member
The best place to get a mill is from the guy sitting next to you at the local brewery. He used to brew but doesn't anymore and wants to give his to you.
Years ago I bought the Barley Crusher, which I believe is similar to the Cereal Killer. Seem to remember paying around $99 at the time, and it's served me well so far. I do BIAB and using a feeler gauge I have it set to .022.
Thanks, but I'm new enough to AG that pic's of crushes don't do much for me. I'll trust what you and others have said here, that setting to the lowest setting, .025, does great for BIAB.
I've been buying pre-milled, but few vendors will go down to .025. Most do .035 (or thereabouts) and will sometimes mill twice if you ask. I think I'm about ready to go with a mill so that I can buy whole grains in larger quantities.
As usual, another timely thread on HBT!
Having owned a BC before the CK, aside from both being non-geared two-roller mills, there's no comparison. The CK uses much heavier aluminum stock, especially for the side plates, and has separate gap adjusters, instead of trying to use the side-plate screws for gap adjustment like the BC does.
Also, the CK uses bearings instead of the bushings found in the BC, and the rollers are hardened steel, definitely unlike the BC.
CK: $99
BC: $147
Cheers!
Dancy
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I like the Cereal Killer I bought a year ago. On sale at $89.99. I’m a light to moderate frequency brewer of 5-6 G batches. At the time I was shopping, it appeared to me some models with different names were likely from the same manufacturer.
GoeHaarden
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CRANKANDSTEIN for life!!
If you're in the ~$100 range then the 2SG would probably be the best 2 roller out there as its hard to beat truely geared rollers. The 2DG would be worth the extra $34.
Don is a true craftsman and he is very helpful. Customer service is impeccable!! I love my 3GT. They are beasts and I'm pretty sure most models have indexed adjustments so no messing around with feeler gauges.
If you're in the ~$100 range then the 2SG would probably be the best 2 roller out there as its hard to beat truely geared rollers. The 2DG would be worth the extra $34.
Don is a true craftsman and he is very helpful. Customer service is impeccable!! I love my 3GT. They are beasts and I'm pretty sure most models have indexed adjustments so no messing around with feeler gauges.
GoeHaarden
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Double
estricklin
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You just can’t beat a Corona mill. My Ugly Junk- Corona Mill Station...
I’m still using my JSP that I bought 22 or 23 years ago.
Dancy
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Nah, you’re only a REAL brewmeister if you buy expensive equipment that‘s built to last three lifetimes
I bought the same after my 15+ year old Barley Crushed bit the dust. Fantastic mill. An added bonus was that MoreBeer had a $20 off coupon when I got mine last summer!
I got that deal too!
Cereal Killer. A steal at ~$100. Ball bearings, heavy build, easy to set the gap. And did I mention that it's around $100?
OP
OP
Steveruch
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I was leaning cereal killer's way, but on another forum I was offered a barley crusher that's not being used for the cost of shipping it to me.
The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. Good luck.
McMullan
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Looks like an analogue radio. Very retro!
Worth a shot I reckon, but be forewarned the BC eventually causes shpilkes in the genecktecessoink
Hopefully the one heading your way didn't reach that level already...
Cheers!
It does look kind of steampunk.
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Steveruch
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The guy offering it said he replaced it with amother mill and had this one reconditioned by the manufacturer.Worth a shot I reckon, but be forewarned the BC eventually causes shpilkes in the genecktecessoink
Hopefully the one heading your way didn't reach that level already...
Cheers!
If they loaded fresh rollers in it you should be good for many years. I had run at least 3000 pounds of malt through mine before I just got tired of dealing with roller stalls and bought the CK mill...
Cheers!
Cheers!
Same here. Working great for me. I even still use the hand crank!
Most people are ashamed to admit they use it.Uh-oh...............
10 years ago, when I bought my Barley Crusher, I tried it with the hand crank on it's maiden voyage. 2nd batch, I broke out the cordless drill. When I bought my Malt Muncher a few weeks ago, the first thing I did was put the handle back in the box......
My first purchase in the hobby was 6 kegs. Back then, they were $25/ea for good used ball locks. A month later I bought my starter kit from Northern Brewer. After the 3rd batch, I bought a kegging package (minus the kegs) from AiH.
I'm pretty lazy when it comes to brewing.
Fixed
[edit] I guess I have no idea how many people crank by hand. But I can't imagine being industrious enough to brew your own beer and not having a drill to turn the mill shaft.
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