Using a pasta maker to mill grain.

MOSFET · Jan 6, 2009

ballegre said:
I hear you about the forum thing...Luckily SWMBO loves the end product so I'm safe for now - at least while I'm learning.

Exactly where does one find a machine shop to do work like this? Yellow pages under "machine shop"?

What improvements you having done - knurling? What do they charge?

Thanks.

Yellow pages is a good idea. I have an auto parts/machine shop around the corner from me. They machine engine parts. Not a typical auto parts shop. I went in with the two rollers and explained I'd like to put down no more than 10-20 dollars and if he'd have a go at the lathe and see if he could knurl or otherwise groove the surfaces I'd be grateful. I suggested horizontal grooves might work best. After explaining what they were for he was glad to accept the challenge. Might be tough because the roller material appears to be steel, yet is a hollow tube, which may preclude the use of the lathe (not strong enough). I'll find out what he does in a day or two.

My first four batches with the rollers went like this. First I hand cranked with Duct Tape wound around each roller for traction. Worked well, but only with rollers more widely spaced than I'd like. I actually hit target gravity but only because I got lucky with evaporation, etc. Second batch I used Duct Tape again, but with a narrower gap for a finer grind. The tape ended up wearing away and partially shredding into my grist. The third attempt I used a file to make little x marks in the rollers for traction. It wasn't enough, so I added a little maple syrup to the rollers for traction. Worked great for one minute of grinding, then the grain flour dried it out and I kept having to add more. Fourth batch I epoxied very hard floor refinishing sandpaper to one of the two rollers. Worked fantastic. By this point I successfully motorized the setup. It blazed through the grind. But again, bits of the sandpaper wore off into the grain bucket. But persistence will pay off, assuming I survive drinking beer brewed with minute amounts of duct tape, epoxy, and sandpaper.

Gonefishing · Jan 6, 2009

Well, the good news there is that most of our friction material isn't soluable so it won't be in your brew.
How did you motorize? I need to do that (and a better knurling job) to mine.

MOSFET · Jan 6, 2009

Gonefishing said:
Well, the good news there is that most of our friction material isn't soluable so it won't be in your brew.
How did you motorize? I need to do that (and a better knurling job) to mine.

Hard to describe without a picture. I'll try to get pictures somehow. After a couple failed attempts I concluded the best driver to shove in the crank shaft was the end of the very crank that came with the unit, so I hacksawed the last 2 inches or so, connected that to a MIP brass threaded end cap through which I drilled a hole. I drilled two cotter-pin style holes perpendicular to this fitting to hold it and crimped two finish nails in them as holding pins. I screwed the threaded brass cap into a FIP coupler that had a 1/2" female adapter on the other end. I screwed that end into a motor shaft attachment I found at ACE hardware for $5-$7 that is for 1/2" motor shafts. I had an old motor with a 1/2" shaft lying around. I also have it connected to an autotransformer so I can vary the speed. Again, sorry, a picture would greatly help this attempt at an explanation. Stay tuned.

Revvy · Jan 6, 2009

MOSFET said:
Hard to describe without a picture. I'll try to get pictures somehow. After a couple failed attempts I concluded the best driver to shove in the crank shaft was the end of the very crank that came with the unit, so I hacksawed the last 2 inches or so, connected that to a MIP brass threaded end cap through which I drilled a hole. I drilled two cotter-pin style holes perpendicular to this fitting to hold it and crimped two finish nails in them as holding pins. I screwed the threaded brass cap into a FIP coupler that had a 1/2" female adapter on the other end. I screwed that end into a motor shaft attachment I found at ACE hardware for $5-$7 that is for 1/2" motor shafts. I had an old motor with a 1/2" shaft lying around. I also have it connected to an autotransformer so I can vary the speed. Again, sorry, a picture would greatly help this attempt at an explanation. Stay tuned.

Picturespicturespicturespictures!!! PLEEZE?

Gonefishing · Jan 7, 2009

yeah, what Revvy said

Revvy · Jan 7, 2009

I know I'm still trying to dial in my corona mill, BUT I'm getting more and more excited about making one of these..That's why I want you all to get your act together , and come up with the definitive version...

TerapinChef · Jan 7, 2009

I've become occupied with plumbing my stand for propane so I have a reason to use a grain mill, so I'm just letting you guys do all the legwork now.

Schlenkerla · Jan 7, 2009

Have you guys ever tried using this or this?

I used a blender before. I was only steeping grains though. I blended a few handfuls at a time until the hulls look split or cracked. It didn't take long to do.

I found that kitchenaide makes grain mill for their mixers....

Revvy · Jan 7, 2009

Schlenkerla said:
Have you guys ever tried using this or this?

I used a blender before. I was only steeping grains though. I blended a few handfuls at a time until the hulls look split or cracked. It didn't take long to do.

THere was an ongoing discussion via listener mail about people using the kitchenade grain attachment...a lot of people who never have actually used it opined that it wouldn't work (like people dis coronas) but then a bunch of people then wrote in and said they did use it...

Same thing on here, a couple people asked about them and got shot down by the "know it all's" who really never used it...

It would be nice if a member who has used either, did a write up with pictures, especially with the kitchenade one...I'd love to see a definitive answer to put the debate to rest.

Gonefishing · Jan 7, 2009

Put a debate to rest???? On an internet forum? You know better than that... look how many times you see the question, "Is my beer ruined??"

Revvy · Jan 7, 2009

Gonefishing said:
Put a debate to rest???? On an internet forum? You know better than that... look how many times you see the question, "Is my beer ruined??"

you wouldn't believe how close I was to having to post a thread like that on my experimental belgian strong ale with lugubrious (or whatever they call it) honey malt....

McSwiggin' · Jan 7, 2009

I have never used the kitchenaid grain mill, but I do have a kitchenaid pasta roller. Looks like I will have to give it a spin this weekend and see what happens. I will post some results. I'll just have to rig up some kind of hopper.

Gonefishing · Jan 7, 2009

You're likely to find the rollers in it won't pick up the grain because they're too smooth

TerapinChef · Jan 7, 2009

Although if you wanted to blow a $150 kitchenaid attachment and watch someone lose a gasket...you could get it knurled!

Revvy · Jan 7, 2009

TerapinChef said:
Although if you wanted to blow a $150 kitchenaid attachment and watch someone lose a gasket...you could get it knurled!

OH god....That is something that I don't think I could bear to see...domestic violence is so painful to watch...especially when the wife is kicking the hubby's a$$...

Oh wait it's only 50 bucks....but still burning out the motor trying to crush 15 pounds of grain...may not be too cool

McSwiggin' · Jan 7, 2009

These are all valid points. I may re-consider using the wedding present to crush barley. SWMBO is over my shoulder shaking her head in angst...

Revvy · Jan 7, 2009

McSwiggin' said:
These are all valid points. I may re-consider using the wedding present to crush barley. SWMBO is over my shoulder shaking her head in angst...

As long as she's not holding a frying pan, you're ok

MOSFET · Jan 7, 2009

OK I have a picture, but someone please advise how to share it. I'm new at this site. Do I have to pony up $25 or can I upload a picture some other way? Thanks.

Keith

Revvy · Jan 7, 2009

MOSFET said:
OK I have a picture, but someone please advise how to share it. I'm new at this site. Do I have to pony up $25 or can I upload a picture some other way? Thanks.

Keith

Do a free photobucket or other web hosting site...up load to there and then you can get the html code to post them here...

Of course if you did pony up the cash you could find a wealth of stuff for members....

MOSFET · Jan 7, 2009

Try this picture. Shows the motor and stuff I described above. Note the pasta roller in pieces because the rollers are still at the machine shop. And duct tape in the background. Mmmm.... tasty. When it's back together I'd be happy to videotape a grind.

Revvy · Jan 7, 2009

MOSFET said:
Try this picture. Shows the motor and stuff I described above. Note the pasta roller in pieces because the rollers are still at the machine shop. And duct tape in the background. Mmmm.... tasty. When it's back together I'd be happy to videotape a grind.

It didn't come through..you need to have a .jpeg to get the pic to come through

TerapinChef · Jan 7, 2009

I looked at the picture it looks like it would take your arm off

J/K it's a pretty crazy contraption.

MOSFET · Jan 7, 2009

Seems to work for me in Chrome but not IE. If this doesn't work, link to here:

Picasa Web Albums - M. - Keith

TerapinChef · Jan 7, 2009

Oh. I see.
It was a two part fail.

MOSFET · Jan 13, 2009

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_yggKfA4RjIk/SW1QBCr2aNI/AAAAAAAAACE/vK0Wm6ZFqwY/s912/100_5127.JPG

So I got the rollers back from the machine shop. Ignore the x marks; that's my first attempt to create friction using a file. The machinist grooved out some lines using a milling machine. I gave a quick test and it works. Not as fast as the bonded sandpaper approach, but I don't have to worry about foreign material. I'll do a full blown grind this weekend.

Gonefishing · Jan 13, 2009

That looks good... I think 2x as many grooves in the rollers would work better though.
I like that motor!

MOSFET · Jan 13, 2009

Gonefishing said:
That looks good... I think 2x as many grooves in the rollers would work better though.
I like that motor!

That's exactly what I thought when I saw it. I didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. He only charged me 20 bucks. But I have access to a milling machine and may add more grooves if it's too slow.

Ridemywideglide · Jan 13, 2009

I get a URL not found error...??

TerapinChef · Jan 13, 2009

Yeah me too.

Vebra · Jan 14, 2009

I got mine back from machine shop quite a while ago, he wasn't able to knurl them, but threaded them one way then cross threaded which gave the same output. Problem now, I can't remember how I got the damn thing taken apart so I can put it back together.

Using a pasta maker to mill grain.

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