Best grain mill in your opinion?

[beerisyummy]

I am a BIAB-er, looking at getting a grain mill (been double-crushing at LHBS). I brew about one 5g batch a month.

Besides brand, of course, I'm interested in, specifically:

2-roller vs. 3-roller?

experience with milling conditioned grain?

Thoughts on motor vs. hand crank? I'm not above getting some exercise, but is cranking really a drag? I'd be likely to try a drill rather than spend the bucks on a fancy motor.

 

[mongoose33]

How much is your budget? If it's high, get a 3-roller Monster Mill with an All American motor. It'll run...oh, maybe 600 bucks.

Or, if like most people you're budget-limited, look at a Cereal Kill mill. You can drive it with a drill, and it costs $99 delivered. I think it's the most bang for the buck you can get.

My advice would be to NOT get a Barley Crusher. Do a search here to find out why.

 

[smata67]

I have to believe that three rollers are better than two. The first two rollers are fixed and provide a coarse grind that is fed into the adjustable second set of rollers for the finish grind. I have the "Malt Muncher" and have thus far been very pleased with the results. This is the generic version of the Monster. I also brew about once a month and still pleased after running about 100 lb through it. I'm just glad I went to all grain, all my beers are vastly improved and I'm enjoying the process more.

 

[Bobby_M]

This is a very good 3 roller mill https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/grainmill3roller.htm
At 1 batch a month, there really is no advantage to a dedicated motor when a good quality cordless drill is such a mult-tasker around the house.

 

[Kee]

If you want to save money, get a Corona (or Corona type) mill. They are cheap, get the job done and last forever.

 

[RPh_Guy]

This is a very good 3 roller mill https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/grainmill3roller.htm
At 1 batch a month, there really is no advantage to a dedicated motor when a good quality cordless drill is such a mult-tasker around the house.

Are you still shipping orders for the foreseeable future? I need more brewing stuff!

+1 for using a drill and I've been really happy with my 3-roller (I have a kegco). Conditioning is easy and results in a great crush with significantly more intact husks.
Hand cranking would be obnoxious.

 

[Jag75]

If you want to save money, get a Corona (or Corona type) mill. They are cheap, get the job done and last forever.

People are trying to keep from getting the corona

 

[Kee]

People are trying to keep from getting the corona

Very unfortunate brand name right now.

 

[BruceH]

One more for the Corona type. It works excellent for biab. I hand crank mine, it's not that big of a deal for a 5 gallon batch. And at the end of the world you can grind wheat into flour.

 

[Jim R]

I am sure it is not the very "best" that money can buy, but i recently bought a Crop Duster grain mill for $80. So far it has worked great for me and seems very well built. It is a 2 roller grain mill that I use with my cordless drill. It is easy to fine tune the roller adjustment with a feeler gauge. The price was certainly good.

https://www.homebrewing.org/Crop-Duster-Grain-Mill_p_9880.html

 

[Jag75]

I am sure it is not the very "best" that money can buy, but i recently bought a Crop Duster grain mill for $80. So far it has worked great for me and seems very well built. It is a 2 roller grain mill that I use with my cordless drill. It is easy to fine tune the roller adjustment with a feeler gauge. The price was certainly good.

https://www.homebrewing.org/Crop-Duster-Grain-Mill_p_9880.html

Doesnt that one put off a funky smell as the rollers stop lol sorry I couldnt resist it man .

 

[LittleRiver]

I've been using the Kegco 3 roller mill for a few years, powered by this drill.

This setup has worked perfectly, every single time. I set the gap to .025 (for BIAB) when it was brand new, and I haven't had to adjust it since. The knurling on the rollers still feels sharp (I brew about every month). The drill is geared low enough that a cold start with a full hopper is not a problem.

 

[LittleRiver]

...experience with milling conditioned grain?...

Conditioning grain is something that is done to help keep grain husks more intact, to help with the flow of liquid through the grain bed (especially if you need to grind fine to get better efficiency). This helps avoid slow/stuck sparges. Whether or not you need to condition depends on your process & rig.

I BIAB (no recirculation, no sparge), so there is no such thing as a stuck sparge for me. I grind very fine (.025") without conditioning the grain. My brewhouse efficiency is consistently in the low 80's. There is no need for me to add the additional step of conditioning the grain.

 

[Deadalus]

I started out with a Corona mill and still have it but moved up to a Crusher (I'll have to look into its issues.). I find the 2 roller much faster, about 2-3 rock songs for a typical 6 gallon batch. Seemed to take a lot longer with the Corona, even when I had it mounted well. I recently purchased a variable speed drill for tile work and that goes even faster. I've used the drill for a few batches but still need to finish the tile work. If I can find a cheap motor and work through the design info I may motorize permanently. That being said, I don't mind the exercise. Some tasks are almost therapeutic. I also don't mind so much delabeling and washing bottles or bottling for that matter. It's a great feeling to see two brand new cases of homebrew on the counter and then stashing it in the basement. It's all part of the crafting process.

 

[cubalz]

I have an MM3 being driven by a Dayton 1/2 hp motor. I highly recommend it

 

[beerisyummy]

I started out with a Corona mill and still have it but moved up to a Crusher (I'll have to look into its issues.). I find the 2 roller much faster, about 2-3 rock songs for a typical 6 gallon batch. Seemed to take a lot longer with the Corona, even when I had it mounted well. I recently purchased a variable speed drill for tile work and that goes even faster. I've used the drill for a few batches but still need to finish the tile work. If I can find a cheap motor and work through the design info I may motorize permanently. That being said, I don't mind the exercise. Some tasks are almost therapeutic. I also don't mind so much delabeling and washing bottles or bottling for that matter. It's a great feeling to see two brand new cases of homebrew on the counter and then stashing it in the basement. It's all part of the crafting process.

I find bottle washing therapeutic as well. Sick minds work alike!!

 

[beerisyummy]

Conditioning grain is something that is done to help keep grain husks more intact, to help with the flow of liquid through the grain bed (especially if you need to grind fine to get better efficiency). This helps avoid slow/stuck sparges. Whether or not you need to condition depends on your process & rig.

I BIAB (no recirculation, no sparge), so there is no such thing as a stuck sparge for me. I grind very fine (.025") without conditioning the grain. My brewhouse efficiency is consistently in the low 80's. There is no need for me to add the additional step of conditioning the grain.

Interesting! Yes of course we are not worried about stuck sparges (another reason to BIAB IMO), but I guess I was assuming that conditioning the grain might improve extraction. Not so?

 

[LittleRiver]

... I guess I was assuming that conditioning the grain might improve extraction. Not so?

I've never read anything that implied that conditioned grain (as a separate variable from mill gap setting) will improve efficiency. My personal experience is that I get great efficiency without conditioning.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I've never read anything that implied that conditioned grain (as a separate variable from mill gap setting) will improve efficiency. My personal experience is that I get great efficiency without conditioning.

It can help by letting you crush tighter.

 

[day_trippr]

^exactly^

So, not "a separate variable" wrt gapping, but an enabler of a more effective crush without paying lautering consequences...

Cheers!

 

[Dave Sarber]

I have the Kegco 3 roller mill, and I love it. What sold me is the triangular milling on the shaft, so your drill won't slip, ball bearings instead of bushings, and the 11 pound hopper. I don't even remember who I bought it from, one of the online suppliers, for about $150. It came with a metal base plate that only covers about half of the bucket opening, so I screwed that to a plywood base I made that completely covers the bucket opening to cut down dust.
I have the rollers set to .025, and get a good crush without shredding the husks. I don't BIAB, but my mash tuns don't have any problem with this setting.

 

[bracconiere]

Thoughts on motor vs. hand crank? I'm not above getting some exercise, but is cranking really a drag? I'd be likely to try a drill rather than spend the bucks on a fancy motor.

drill is a must, preferably one you can mount, i didn't even like holding one to mill....hand cranking? (LOL, i don't know why they even sell them with them)


edit: (maybe for the 1 gallon brewers? )


edit #2: takes 20 minutes to mill my ~20lb's with a drill, hand cranking would kill me.....i drink, i don't do cardio...

 

[beerisyummy]

It can help by letting you crush tighter.

^exactly^

So, not "a separate variable" wrt gapping, but an enabler of a more effective crush without paying lautering consequences...

Cheers!

Right! That's what I thought. Conditioning = better crush = improved extraction. Well, we'll see!

 

[LittleRiver]

... Conditioning = better crush = improved extraction...

Nope.

Finer grind = better efficiency
Conditioning = better draining

Conditioning does not result in a "better" crush that will improve efficiency, assuming the same mill gap setting.

Conditioning can result in more intact husks, which helps with lautering (flow of liquid through the grains when draining). On traditional brewing gear a tight crush can result in lautering problems, i.e. stuck sparges.

If you BIAB you don't have to worry about stuck sparges. You can crush as fine as you want, and there is no need to condition the grain.

 

[beerisyummy]

Nope.

Finer grind = better efficiency
Conditioning = better draining

Conditioning does not result in a "better" crush that will improve efficiency, assuming the same mill gap setting.

Conditioning can result in more intact husks, which helps with lautering (flow of liquid through the grains when draining). On traditional brewing gear a tight crush can result in lautering problems, i.e. stuck sparges.

If you BIAB you don't have to worry about stuck sparges. You can crush as fine as you want, and there is no need to condition the grain.

Ah. Okay then

 

[bleme]

Right! That's what I thought. Conditioning = better crush = improved extraction. Well, we'll see!

I conditioned once, on the theory that more intact husks and less dust would mean cleaner wort on my BIAB barleywine. It also made it just enough harder to crank that my cheap cordless drill just wouldn't go, so I ended up grinding the whole 20 pounds by hand. I haven't conditioned grain since.

 

[dsaavedra]

I have put hundreds of pounds of grain through my Cereal Killer powered by a ~$40 high-torque drill from Harbor Freight and have had no issues with the setup at all. So that's my recommendation!

 

[Dog House Brew]

I bought an original MM-3 w stainless rolls. There were very few 3 roller mills out at the time. Once I learned that the base needs a little movement, I’ve loved it. It was a PITA when I had it all tight on the base. I mounted a 1/2 drill to the base and control speed with a router speed control. I really like the mill.

 

[seatazzz]

My first mill was a Ferroday cheapie from Amazon; it lasted about 2 years before the shaft sheared off during a conditioned grain crush. Now I have a 2-roller (dunno what brand but it looks like a Malt Muncher) that I bought from a friend; he built a fine rolling stand for it, and it's powered by a 1/4HP motor. Only drawback is I can't adjust the speed; so I run my grain through twice, first at a fairly wide gap, then down to 0.025 for the second. Still have plenty of intact husks, and very finely ground grain bits. I MIAB so the finer, the better.

 

[brewkinger]

I have an MM3 being driven by a Dayton 1/2 hp motor. I highly recommend it

THIS ^^^

I will vouch for the MM 2.0 that I have. It is a reliable beast.
I set my gap up when I first bought it and have made upward of 100 brews and never had to change a thing. I check it every time i brew and it is at the same gap. Getting 83% efficiency average over that time.

I never much bothered with grain conditioning, I have fine tuned my process so that I have never much had much trouble with stuck mash.

Motor vs crank is preference I suppose. I like to simplify where I can, so for me the cheapo heavy duty drilll that I bought from Harbor Freight works perfectly. I have 12# grain bills milled in less than 5 minutes which frees up a whole bunch of time to relax and sip on my coffee @5am when the water is heating up.

 

[bleme]

I'll also add another negative for Barley Crusher. About a month ago I was brewing at a friend's house. He was brewing a 10 gallon batch and I had a 5 gallon. His mill is a Barley Crusher with the heavy Harbor Freight corded drill. Before we started, I pointed out that his rollers weren't parallel, with a much bigger gap at one end. After we straightened it out, we couldn't get it to grab the grain at all. The rollers would just spin. Finally I widened the gap up so that it was only cracking about a third of the grain, ran everything through, then tightened the gap back up and ran it again. We ended up with a decent crush but it was a pain.

He had been complaining about his efficiency ever since he moved to that house, and blamed it on the water, but I'd be willing to bet it was that mill. With the wider gap at one end, I'll bet a fourth of his grain wasn't even cracked.

 

[HDChef]

I have a JSP MaltMill that's been working great for me since I started doing all grain brews. And I still hand crank it!

 

[Jeff...]

This one any good? I like it for it's stainless rollers

https://www.hobbyhomebrew.com/produ...-grain-crusher-stainless-steel-free-shipping/

 

[grampamark]

This one any good? I like it for it's stainless rollers

https://www.hobbyhomebrew.com/produ...-grain-crusher-stainless-steel-free-shipping/

Are the rollers stainless, or aren’t they? The initial paragraph says stainless, the product description says “cold rolled steel”. I’m guessing it’s the latter, as this looks like all of the other, generic, Chinese-made, Cereal Killer type mills with a slightly larger hopper. It’s also described as having bushings instead of bearings to support the rollers. The CK has bearings.

When it comes to inexpensive, two-roller mills, I think it’s a matter of paying your money and taking your chances. I’ve had a CK for almost two years and have no complaints after 300+ lbs. In reality, unless you’re processing 100 lbs a week, any of these basic mills will probably give you you’re money’s worth long before they wear out.

 

[smata67]

Probably not a bad idea to check the gap prior to every milling. And do an inspection of the results prior to moving on to the mashing in step. "To get what you EXPECT, you must INSPECT," the old timers used to say.

 

[Bassman2003]

I recently replaced my Barley Crusher as it was not gripping the grain, even after paying postage both ways to have the guy "fix" it...

I purchased a Cereal Killer Grain Mill from Adventures in Homebrewing for $99. It fits on a bucket which I put my bag in so the grain falls right in. It is a very nice mill for the price and the crush is very good imho. Can't go wrong with this one.

 

[Jeff...]

Are the rollers stainless, or aren’t they? The initial paragraph says stainless, the product description says “cold rolled steel”. I’m guessing it’s the latter, as this looks like all of the other, generic, Chinese-made, Cereal Killer type mills with a slightly larger hopper. It’s also described as having bushings instead of bearings to support the rollers. The CK has bearings.

When it comes to inexpensive, two-roller mills, I think it’s a matter of paying your money and taking your chances. I’ve had a CK for almost two years and have no complaints after 300+ lbs. In reality, unless you’re processing 100 lbs a week, any of these basic mills will probably give you you’re money’s worth long before they wear out.

Sorry, what is a CK? Crush King?

 

[day_trippr]

Cereal Killer

 

[AzOr]

Another vote for Cereal Killer.
It’s one of those pieces of equipment that I don’t even think of anymore. Which is a great thing.
I think I have at least 25-30 batches through it, so at least 275 lbs of grain.

 

[dochawk]

Back in the dark ages, I got a Corona mill.

I quickly got a cheap $50 drill to run it, figuring out that replacing it every other years as I burnt it out was acceptable. Since I typically use 30 lbs, hand cranking isn't desirable . . .

As it turned out, it lasted 7 years--at which point I bought a 7A dewalt--a model used by contractors to mix small batches of concrete . . .

The mill lasted another several years--and could have gone longer, but the cause of death was the bolt breaking, and even a press (drill press, iirc; it was one of my students) failed to remove it.

With the corona type, you can cut the head off of a 5/16 bolt to attach your drill.

But that's not why I'm posting.

My point is to *not* use a variable speed drill--running them on this kind of load burns them out faster. Just go for a single speed drill, the heavier the better.

If I keep to it this round, I'll buy a nice mill--I suppose selling me one will make up to it to Steve for not giving him fresh tales of a lunatic showing up with 30 lbs to grind . .