Grain Mills

[beerbomb]

What is the best value out there for grain mills.
I do 5 gallon batches, every two weeks or so.
I don't need overkill, just something adequate.

 

[Nmnbrewer]

Kegco 3 roller. My 2 cents.

 

[bleme]

Cereal Killer

 

[kh54s10]

It really depends on what you want to spend. I use a $20 Corona style mill for the last 6 3/4 years.

The Cereal killer and Kegco 2 roller mill are said to be the same and get great reviews for $99

There are tons of threads on this with a lot of people giving their personal experiences.

 

[Hopsimus]

I use the Barley Crusher myself. I suspect it is pretty much the same as the Cereal Killer or Kegco.
It works well enough. Easy to adjust. I would rather it had a solid wood base than the particle board it uses, but so far it's holding up. I've only had it for a year though.
I waited for one of those deals where you buy a gift card and get another cheaper one for free. I managed to knock off about 25% from the price that way.

Cheers!

 

[beerbomb]

It really depends on what you want to spend. I use a $20 Corona style mill for the last 6 3/4 years.

The Cereal killer and Kegco 2 roller mill are said to be the same and get great reviews for $99

There are tons of threads on this with a lot of people giving their personal experiences.

$20 is great, where would I find it?

 

[beerbomb]

I use the Barley Crusher myself. I suspect it is pretty much the same as the Cereal Killer or Kegco.
It works well enough. Easy to adjust. I would rather it had a solid wood base than the particle board it uses, but so far it's holding up. I've only had it for a year though.
I waited for one of those deals where you buy a gift card and get another cheaper one for free. I managed to knock off about 25% from the price that way.

Cheers!

What is the price and where could I find it? Thanks

 

[kh54s10]

Amazon, eBay. They are usually called corn mills. For a little more you can get one with a guard over the grinding plates which will keep the grain from flying all over the place.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6WCAL3/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[PADave]

Cereal Killer

 

[beerbomb]

Amazon, eBay. They are usually called corn mills. For a little more you can get one with a guard over the grinding plates which will keep the grain from flying all over the place.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6WCAL3/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I would be tempted to remove the handle and attach a drill.

 

[kh54s10]

I did that the first day. I found a bolt that had the right threads.

 

[soccerdad]

I hand crank mine which is technically a Victoria but same thing as the Corona. Too much dust for my liking with the drill and bold.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I'm a cereal killer guy myself. Hardened rollers, ball bearings, $99.

 

[mongoose33]

Ask yourself what you're going to wish you'd done a year from now. I know people use those corn mills, and @kh54s10 would not steer you wrong w/ his advice, but how big a hopper does it have? How fast is it? Are you going to wish you had that money back to put toward something else?

If you can afford the $99, get a Cereal Killer.

 

[kh54s10]

Ask yourself what you're going to wish you'd done a year from now. I know people use those corn mills, and @kh54s10 would not steer you wrong w/ his advice, but how big a hopper does it have? How fast is it? Are you going to wish you had that money back to put toward something else?

If you can afford the $99, get a Cereal Killer.

I have been wanting something nicer for 6 1/2 years. I took a cookie container and made a hopper extension out of it. It holds at least 7 pounds of grain. I run it with a Harbor Freight 1/2" hammer drill, hammer turned off. It is pretty adjustable and will run through the 7 pounds a lot faster than I want to go.

I am trying to justify the purchase of a Monster Mill 3 roller or even 2 roller. I can't even get to the point where I want to drop the $99 on a Cereal Killer.

I will upgrade eventually....

 

[mongoose33]

I have been wanting something nicer for 6 1/2 years. I took a cookie container and made a hopper extension out of it. It holds at least 7 pounds of grain. I run it with a Harbor Freight 1/2" hammer drill, hammer turned off. It is pretty adjustable and will run through the 7 pounds a lot faster than I want to go.

I am trying to justify the purchase of a Monster Mill 3 roller or even 2 roller. I can't even get to the point where I want to drop the $99 on a Cereal Killer.

I will upgrade eventually....

So you want a reason to justify the purchase of a MM3, eh? Well, here you go:

 

[cloudybrewer]

So you want a reason to justify the purchase of a MM3, eh? Well, here you go:

You should have gotten a 15hp. Why mess around?

 

[murphyslaw]

I did the Corona mill for a couple years before getting a cerel killer. If you've got the budget, it's worth the upgrade. The corona mill is not made for crushing barley. lt was kind of a pain and it shreds the husks, which makes lautering really slow. That can be mitigated somewhat by conditioning the malt first, but still not ideal. I also found that the gap would slip on me often.

Still, it beats buying precrushed grain, and you can save a ton buying in bulk. At the time, my budget was such that I was aways doing things the cheapest way possible. But if you've got the budget, don't be fooled into thinking the Corona mill is just as good as a cheap barley mill.

 

[Jayjay1976]

+1 for the cereal killer. Hands down one of the most gratifying upgrades you will ever make. Corona mills can work fine but there are far fewer variables with a 2 roller mill, which will give you far more consistently predictable results. As a new brewer you already have plenty of things to fuss with; take your crush out of the equation with a good quality, basic 2-roller mill and focus your efforts on fine-tuning other aspects of your process.

 

[newtobrew1981]

I have the malt muncher it works great

 

[newtobrew1981]

FYI the malt muncher is almost identical in every way to the mm3 at a fraction of the price

 

[newtobrew1981]

So you want a reason to justify the purchase of a MM3, eh? Well, here you go:


View attachment 566516

What size is your motor

 

[jaymosbeershack]

Just built out my 3 roller. Mill from kegco, motor from William's brewing. Spent a bit more than I wanted, but I know it will run forever

 

[Jayjay1976]

The malt muncher is *almost* identical to the cereal killer, except that it has brass bushings instead of ball bearings, a small detail that makes the cereal killer a much longer lasting unit. I suppose it's easy to swap out new bushings when they fail, or upgrade them to ball bearings yourself, but why bother if you don't have to?

 

[newtobrew1981]

Well unless they are shielded ballbearings then the would probably fail as well. Nonetheless I've haven't heard any complaints about the malt muncher

 

[mongoose33]

What size is your motor

It's 1/2 HP, but the torque is amazing. https://allamericanaleworks.com/shop/

Part of the reason I bought this particular motor was that it's geared down to 180 RPM. I'm experimenting w/ LODO techniques; one of the tenets of LODO is a slow crush, and one that leaves large particles. Another tenet is crushing JUST before doughing in. This mill/motor doesn't require a lot of fiddling which seemed part and parcel of the BC mill. Another is that I can see an increase in batch size on the horizon. This setup will crush 12 pounds of grain in about 2 minutes.

This also is, I expect, the last mill and motor I ever expect to buy. It's not cheap, but it came all ready with the couplers and such that matched my Monster Mill 3.

 

[jaymosbeershack]

Well unless they are shielded ballbearings then the would probably fail as well. Nonetheless I've haven't heard any complaints about the malt muncher

All my research told me bushings are fine for a direct drive setup. A pulley or gear drive system can put horizontal stress on the bearings so ball bearing is better

 

[Jayjay1976]

I don't think it makes much difference, bushings vs. bearings, unless one intends to motorize their mill. In that case, ball bearings are a definite advantage. Sealed units are easy to come by.

 

[Griffin495]

Another vote for the Cereal Killer. Love mine.

 

[LostHopper]

Cereal killer here
No complaints

 

[sgwink]

Visit the corona mill thread. I bought a corona mill off ebay for 15$, bought a bucket from lowes 4$, threaded bolt for use in place of the handle <1$, use drill and an empty pretzel container with the bottom cut out to fit into the metal hopper. I mounted the mill into my bucket, put the lid on, and use a plastic bag from the grocery store to seal the rough cut I made when I grind. No dust issues and no wear issues after over a year of use and hundreds of pounds of grain through it.

 

[Dcpcooks]

Crankandstein 3D. You won’t be sorry.

 

[6Tap]

Go with the 2-roller Malt Muncher.

I have 1 new one on Amazon for $95.99+ $8 shipping!

 

[Jayjay1976]

Visit the corona mill thread. I bought a corona mill off ebay for 15$, bought a bucket from lowes 4$, threaded bolt for use in place of the handle <1$, use drill and an empty pretzel container with the bottom cut out to fit into the metal hopper. I mounted the mill into my bucket, put the lid on, and use a plastic bag from the grocery store to seal the rough cut I made when I grind. No dust issues and no wear issues after over a year of use and hundreds of pounds of grain through it.

Sorry, but pretzel jug, garbage bag? Sounds like a bunch of trash. All that aside, corona type mills shred grain while roller mills crush it. Husks remain intact. Rotary mills result in powdered husks ending up in the boil and in the fermenter, which is not a good thing. It's not only an opinion, it is a fact that rotary grinders pulverize husks. Pulver is the german word for powder BTW. Corona mills are fine, just know what it is that they do to grain and husks and be prepared for the permanent impact this will have on the flavor of your beer.

 

[Jayjay1976]

The Cereal killer is an excellent choice. $99 isn't exactly pocket change, but what does a sack of grain and a pound of hops run you? Buying a proper mill is perhaps the most effective upgrade you will ever make in regards to improving beer quality. What else matters as much as that? This is basic stuff folks, a predictable, repeatable crush is about as important as solid sanitation practices. When you get serious about producing quality beers, you buy a mill. It's a no brainer, really. At least it is for those of us with a functioning brain.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Sorry, but pretzel jug, garbage bag? Sounds like a bunch of trash. All that aside, corona type mills shred grain while roller mills crush it. Husks remain intact. Rotary mills result in powdered husks ending up in the boil and in the fermenter, which is not a good thing. It's not only an opinion, it is a fact that rotary grinders pulverize husks. Pulver is the german word for powder BTW. Corona mills are fine, just know what it is that they do to grain and husks and be prepared for the permanent impact this will have on the flavor of your beer.

Interesting read on milling and grain particle size distribution of the grist produced from commercial mills, home brew mills, and the often maligned corona type mill.

http://brewlikeapro.net/maltmilling.html

Interesting that the findings show that commercial mills produced more “pulver” than the corona mill? Also, the corona mill has the closest particle size distribution to the commercial mills than any of the Home brew mills.

Might your concerns regarding the corona be overstated given these factual, science based test results vs theory and opinion?

I have both a corona mill, and a kegco three roller mill, a close visual observation of the grist produced by both of them is, meh...not much difference...both crushes look good and not substantially different.

 

[kh54s10]

Sorry, but pretzel jug, garbage bag? Sounds like a bunch of trash. All that aside, corona type mills shred grain while roller mills crush it. Husks remain intact. Rotary mills result in powdered husks ending up in the boil and in the fermenter, which is not a good thing. It's not only an opinion, it is a fact that rotary grinders pulverize husks. Pulver is the german word for powder BTW. Corona mills are fine, just know what it is that they do to grain and husks and be prepared for the permanent impact this will have on the flavor of your beer.

There are thousands of people using corona style mills, myself included, many for decades. They do shred the husks somewhat but they also produce excellent beer!

 

[Jayjay1976]

There are thousands of people using corona style mills, myself included, many for decades. They do shred the husks somewhat but they also produce excellent beer!

Warning--anecdote ahead:
The two batches I brewed with a borrowed corona mill had a noticeable grainy/straw flavor. Of course it could have been something else but I haven't had that experience with my roller mill.
Caveat-the corona may have been poorly adjusted or I ran it too fast. I prefer a roller mill because it has only 1 adjustment and requires very little fiddling to get consistent results.

 

[Rev2010]

I had a Barley Crusher when I started. Like all the others I was happy with it and recommended it - until it stopped grabbing grain. It wore down way too fast. After that I purchased a Monster Mill and personally I think it was a significant upgrade. It mills with ease, the build quality is great, and they are known to last a very very long time even without the hardened upgrade. I also hated that the BC drive shaft would slip when using my drill cause the flat spot was so small - not a problem with the MM. Matter of fact, I'm just getting back into brewing after a hiatus due to a divorce and move into an apartment and just yesterday ordered a Monster Mill (since I sold all my prior homebrew stuff) and skipped the $60 hardened upgrade. $60 isn't much at all and they tout it lasts 10x longer, I just passed on it to save money overall and I know it will last a long long time anyway.


Rev.

 

[nymtber]

Cereal killer here. Set it to credit card gap, and I get 82% efficiency almost every brew. Sure, it grinds a bit fine at that setting, but for BIAB, its no big deal. Not too fine though.

I wouldn't even mess with a corona style. Save up for the Cereal killer, and get a corded drill. You CAN hand crank, but... $40 buys a nice "Skil" hand drill at lowes, I even paid the extra $5 2 year warranty, just in case