Looking to buy first Grain Mill

[rjlavs]

I've been all grain brewing for a couple years and am ready to get a grain mill to be able to buy grain in bulk. What is a good grain mill to start with? Is there anything else you need to get when buying a grain mill?

 

[kevinthestout]

I bought a two roller Monster Mill five years ago and haven't regretted it. Whatever mill you go for you might want look at buying a low speed drill to drive it. Mills should be run at less than 300rpm, ideally 150rpm. That's difficult to do with a high speed drill. I use a Hitachi D13VG. Also you'll need to buy a set of feeler gauges if you don't already have them.

 

[Dcpcooks]

Crankandstein mills are a nice option to consider. You may want to look into high torque drills or some motor options as well.

 

[schematix]

If you think you're in the hobby for the long haul you may want to consider spending just a tad more and getting a 3-roll mill. It's not strictly required but it does make a nicer crush with more intact hulls.

 

[LarMoeCur]

I'd get a Cereal Killer or Kegco. Best bang for the buck in Mills. Hardened rollers with bearings that can be replaced. They will last a life time if treated properly. No need to spend 300 dollars on a mill especially if your only brewing 12-14 times a year. The 200 dollars difference in price is lot of ingredients and/or other equipment upgrades.

 

[Nagorg]

I landed on the Monster Mill two roller mill with 2" rollers. I thought I wanted a 3 roller mill but read a lot of posts about them being a bit more involved with setting the gap. The Monster Mill two roller has been awesome and I havent looked back.

I use a 1/2" low speed drill that I picked up from Harbor Freight to drive it. Works great! I'll soon be building a cart on casters to mount it all to along with a switch and potentiometer.

If you are set on a 3 roller, the Kegco mill thats been referenced looks like a great deal and it appears to be the same as the Monster Mill but at a much better price.

 

[Murphys_Law]

I bought a cereal killer last year and love it. It was very affordable and works well.

 

[jakeasaur]

I bought a cereal killer last year and love it. It was very affordable and works well.

Same. Attached mine to an old drill. Works awesome

 

[Bilsch]

I use a 1/2" low speed drill that I picked up from Harbor Freight to drive it. Works great!

I killed two of these trying to mill slowly ~100rpm, IMO they aren't built very well. Gave up and went with a motor and gear reducer. Happily milling at 70rpm now and get an absolutely fantastic crush.

 

[Roadie]

I killed two of these trying to mill slowly ~100rpm, IMO they aren't built very well. Gave up and went with a motor and gear reducer. Happily milling at 70rpm now and get an absolutely fantastic crush.

How much did this route ending up costing you?

 

[Nagorg]

I killed two of these trying to mill slowly ~100rpm, IMO they aren't built very well.

Maybe I got a good one? So far I haven't had any trouble. I only use it for milling though so it doesn't see any other work.

 

[schematix]

I’ve got the HF low speed drill too and I’m terrified it’s going to die during a milling session. Only reason I still have my lousy old BC still is because I don’t have a backup tool to drive the 1/2” shaft on the MM3-Pro

 

[beergolf]

I have the MM-2 pro with the All American Ale Works motor. Awesome combo. I could not be happier. I think this thing would grind rocks if you put them in th hopper. Once I got the gap set, it gives a great grind.

Here is some mill porn for you.

 

[Bilsch]

I got the motor and gearbox free (was in a relatives junk pile) and just needed to buy 2 small sheaves and a belt to connect.
If the people at the church where it originally came from only knew it's now being used for the devils work.

 

[Bilsch]

Maybe I got a good one? So far I haven't had any trouble. I only use it for milling though so it doesn't see any other work.

I was trying to run it about 1/3 speed under load. They don't like that apparently.

 

[schematix]

What failed? Mechanical or did you let the purple smoke out?

 

[Bilsch]

What failed? Mechanical or did you let the purple smoke out?

Purple smoke? That sounds like quite a show.
Both of mine failed the same way and I'd say it probably was the commutator or brushes that went. Either way sparks flew.

 

[schematix]

Purple smoke? That sounds like quite a show.
Both of mine failed the same way and I'd say it probably was the commutator or brushes that went. Either way sparks flew.

Purple smoke is the electrician / electrical engineer's humorous term for when you put a tad too much power through a electrical device and it's magic internals are released as purple vapors. Sparks are just a bonus.

Was the motor stalling? A stalled motor has only the resistance of the winding wire - not much. Motors will normally overheat if run too slow because the current draw is too high for the cooling (if any exists). The impedance of the motor is speed dependent, so the faster it spins, the more it resists. Small motors are even more adversely effected because they have so little thermal mass.

 

[BeardedBrews]

I bought a cereal killer last year and love it. It was very affordable and works well.

Ditto.

I might consider this if I were shopping again, but the little 2roller from AIH is still running well several hundred pounds later

http://www.beveragefactory.com/homebrew/pre-fermentation-equipment/kegco-KM11GM-3R-grain-mill.html

 

[augiedoggy]

Ditto.

I might consider this if I were shopping again, but the little 2roller from AIH is still running well several hundred pounds later

http://www.beveragefactory.com/homebrew/pre-fermentation-equipment/kegco-KM11GM-3R-grain-mill.html

same here... CK works as it should at home under belt and pulley driven motor setup but bought the kegco for a nano

 

[chickypad]

I feel pretty lucky that I got about 750 lbs through a Barley crusher with some minor maintenance, but recently it bit the dust as so many have. I fiddled with it through a few more frustrating batches and now I have a cereal killer on order, based on reading through the myriad of threads on mills. I thought about the MM2 pro for the larger rollers but I do almost exclusively small batches now and didn't want to spend too much. I think this will be right for me and I expect it to last a good while based on others experience.

 

[LarMoeCur]

I feel pretty lucky that I got about 750 lbs through a Barley crusher with some minor maintenance, but recently it bit the dust as so many have. I fiddled with it through a few more frustrating batches and now I have a cereal killer on order, based on reading through the myriad of threads on mills. I thought about the MM2 pro for the larger rollers but I do almost exclusively small batches now and didn't want to spend too much. I think this will be right for me and I expect it to last a good while based on others experience.

Wow that like 30 batches for me. I'd be upset to say the least if my mill failed after 30 brews.

 

[Nemanach]

I have the cereal killer and a drill from harbor freight. Just got it a few months ago and have done ~10 batches. Works great.

 

[BeardedBrews]

Wow that like 30 batches for me. I'd be upset to say the least if my mill failed after 30 brews.

Agreed. While it seems like it's asking a lot from a mill, I would expect any unit to be able to cross the 2,000lb mark without dying. There are still many LHBS who mill their grain on an old barley crusher.

Regardless, I'm sure you'll be happy with the CK, not much there to break

 

[Morrey]

I feel pretty lucky that I got about 750 lbs through a Barley crusher with some minor maintenance, but recently it bit the dust as so many have. I fiddled with it through a few more frustrating batches and now I have a cereal killer on order, based on reading through the myriad of threads on mills. I thought about the MM2 pro for the larger rollers but I do almost exclusively small batches now and didn't want to spend too much. I think this will be right for me and I expect it to last a good while based on others experience.

Chickypad, I think I'd be on the phone with a customer service rep if this machine has failed with the limited uses you have put on it.

Wow that like 30 batches for me. I'd be upset to say the least if my mill failed after 30 brews.

My feelings as well.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I’ve got the HF low speed drill too and I’m terrified it’s going to die during a milling session. Only reason I still have my lousy old BC still is because I don’t have a backup tool to drive the 1/2” shaft on the MM3-Pro

For what its worth I just picked up a Costco 2 pack drill for $100 for work and milling grain of course....Indefinite warranty....Money well spent... AND cheaper than HF

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...0301083.html&usg=AOvVaw3anNsgADHwJCzQtIivKPUG

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Cereal killer going strong for 4 years and counting...no complaints

 

[schematix]

For what its worth I just picked up a Costco 2 pack drill for $100 for work and milling grain of course....Indefinite warranty....Money well spent... AND cheaper than HF

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...0301083.html&usg=AOvVaw3anNsgADHwJCzQtIivKPUG

I spent less than $50 to get the HF low speed drill delivered to my door. The current model seems to be a cost reduced version of the one i have. The one i bought came with a trigger lock, and speed dial that makes it easy to consistently dial in speed.

Also i couldn't tell from that page, is it a 3/8" chuck or 1/2"? My MM-3 Pro requires the 1/2", which is typical for the larger, more powerful drills.

 

[iijakii]

Cereal Killer and a cheap harbor freight drill as well. No complaints, would not spend more on one at this point. And Im a sucker for overspending on bling.

 

[chickypad]

Chickypad, I think I'd be on the phone with a customer service rep if this machine has failed with the limited uses you have put on it.

I did consider that but after all the stories on here about taking forever to hear back, etc., I just decided to go with a new mill because I want to keep brewing now. I said "lucky" with only 750 lb because it sounds like lots of folks had problems way earlier than that. I would probably have been pretty pissed if I was still doing 10-15 gal batches but I did get a few extra yrs with it since I switched to 3 gal batches. Anyway, hoping the CK will do the trick.

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Cereal Killer and a cheap harbor freight drill as well. No complaints, would not spend more on one at this point. And Im a sucker for overspending on bling.

iijakii, or anyone else (maybe I missed it, sorry), but is there a specific HF you use?

The Ryobi in the KC demo video is a nice little drill, after battery and charger, it's a bit over $100.

 

[iijakii]

iijakii, or anyone else (maybe I missed it, sorry), but is there a specific HF you use?

The Ryobi in the KC demo video is a nice little drill, after battery and charger, it's a bit over $100.

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-heavy-duty-variable-speed-reversible-drill-69452.html

I think that's the one I have. Not cordless.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I spent less than $50 to get the HF low speed drill delivered to my door. The current model seems to be a cost reduced version of the one i have. The one i bought came with a trigger lock, and speed dial that makes it easy to consistently dial in speed.

Also i couldn't tell from that page, is it a 3/8" chuck or 1/2"? My MM-3 Pro requires the 1/2", which is typical for the larger, more powerful drills.

Not sure if its 1/2" and its buried in my truck. Its a "regular" drill like Dewalt plus the Impact...The use for everything factor and endless warranty is what made me buy it

 

[Gadjobrinus]

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-heavy-duty-variable-speed-reversible-drill-69452.html

I think that's the one I have. Not cordless.

Thanks iijakii.

 

[augiedoggy]

Just beware some folks have burned those drills out trying to run the mill at very low rpms for long periods..

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Augie, you mean the HF drills specifically? If so, do you happen to have any recommendations?

 

[iijakii]

Just beware some folks have burned those drills out trying to run the mill at very low rpms for long periods..

Yeah Ive heard the same. Done maybe 600lbs or so through it so far, never gets too hot or smells burny though so whatever.

 

[schematix]

I have the HF 93632. It appears to be discontinued. It is however available by another brand for a lot more money.

The current version is https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-Heavy-Duty-Spade-Handle-Drill-63112.html

It doesn't have the speed lock function though, which sucks.

 

[Bilsch]

I have the HF 93632. It appears to be discontinued. It is however available by another brand for a lot more money.

That's the exact model I killed two of. Guess I'm HF cursed.

 

[Picker]

I have the Cereal Killer with a Rigid cordless drill. No complaints, works great.