Grain mill cost recovery

[Jwin]

2 row by the # is $1.39 at lhbs.
$60 per sack(unmilled)
Group buy came out to .70
Ill break even on the cerial killer,HF stand, HF drill and HF speed control after 6 bags of base malt at group buy prices or 10 or so bags at lhbs bulk price.

 

[atoughram]

I obtained about #1200 pounds of two row for.... drum roll.... FREE

I've been giving it away and brewing as fast as I can...

The mill was a no brainer..

 

[krackin]

I obtained about #1200 pounds of two row for.... drum roll.... FREE

I've been giving it away and brewing as fast as I can...

The mill was a no brainer..

Can you deliver 100 lbs. 3400 miles east by tomorrow 6 AM EST?

 

[schatzke]

2 row is by far the grain I use the most and at $50 per 50 lb sack vs. $1.75 per pound at the LHBS my $100 cerial killer is paid for before the 3rd sack runs out.

 

[mcgimpkins]

I am just getting to the point of buying a mill, can anyone recommend a good one to start with?

I bought a Cereal Killer Grain Mill, they run $100 with free shipping (in the U.S.). They have pretty good reviews, and I like it.

 

[matt2778]

The other aspect to owning a mill is you can set the gap to your liking. Before my wife bought me my Gunnar malt mill I was getting 60-65 percent efficiency with the labs crush. I'm currently getting 70-75 percent efficiency with my mill set to .03 inches. So I'm saving in two ways. Grain went from $1.75 for base malt to $.95 plus I'm now getting over a 10 percent efficiency increase. I've probably run 1500 pounds of grain through the $130 mill in the last 5 years with only minimal repairs and maintenance. Realistically I figure I've probably saved around $1000 even after paying for the mill. If you're serious about brewing you're kinda wasting money not owning a mill.

 

[Zuljin]

If you want to save money or spend less, buy beer. If you want to enjoy a deeper aspect of the hobby, buy a mill.

I'm my expirience, AG has cost less than extract. There has been no cost difference for me in AG between not having and having a mill. I don't buy in bulk. All the lhbs I use either mill or allow me to mill on site for no extra charge.

I have a mill because I found one on sale at Austin Homebrew, and I wanted to build my own mill table to mill my own grain. The only cost factor was finding a mill I wanted for the price I wanted.

 

[danthebugman]

I bought a corona mill, so I recovered the cost after the first few batches.

Same here. Corona rocks :rockin:. I only brew smaller batches though so it probably took me a little longer than most to work through enough grain to recover the cost.

 

[atoughram]

Can you deliver 100 lbs. 3400 miles east by tomorrow 6 AM EST?

No, but I'll give you a couple of bags if you wanna pick it up...

I dont have #1200 pounds anymore - I've already ridded myself of about 600 pounds. The other 600 though... My neighbor and brother will take a dent out of it, but I'll give some away.

 

[atoughram]

I bought a Cereal Killer Grain Mill, they run $100 with free shipping (in the U.S.). They have pretty good reviews, and I like it.

Id give it a good review too...

 

[greyghost]

No, but I'll give you a couple of bags if you wanna pick it up...

I dont have #1200 pounds anymore - I've already ridded myself of about 600 pounds. The other 600 though... My neighbor and brother will take a dent out of it, but I'll give some away.

Hey Russ any chance I can get delivery of 4.Haven't been doing to well sense my pacemaker and fall. Can't get around much without walker. Also having a problem with the wiring for the controller for my RIM's

 

[atoughram]

Hey Russ any chance I can get delivery of 4.Haven't been doing to well sense my pacemaker and fall. Can't get around much without walker. Also having a problem with the wiring for the controller for my RIM's

Four?

I can give you a hand Pete...

Are you going to Alaska this summer? PM me - I'll give you a call over the weekend.

 

[augiedoggy]

Id give it a good review too...

ditto..

 

[greyghost]

To me owning your own mill is not about saving money. It's quality fresh ground grain and crush

 

[pigroaster]

You need to go to a farm sale and buy a rolling mill. Usually last item sold. Cheap. I got one from a farmer for $70.00 Canadian. Rollers were new! Has feed roller and gate as well as a rock feature where rollers open up on a spring if you hit small rocks when doing corn etc at a farm,

 

[kh54s10]

I too use a Corona style mill. I asked for it for Xmas a few years ago and a while back added up the grain milled for a response on this site, it was over 700 pounds.

As to those that say you will not recoup the money? I think it depends on your definition or circumstances.
I have a LHBS that is not too far away and will mill the grains for free. But, when I buy a sack it costs less. When I buy sales online, I save.

And by limiting my trips to the LHBS I save on gasoline. This probably accounts for the largest savings!!!

Also I get the convenience of making a recipe on brewday and having the grains on hand ready to mill. I also get the same crush consistency every time.

 

[wilcode190]

I obtained about #1200 pounds of two row for.... drum roll.... FREE

I've been giving it away and brewing as fast as I can...

The mill was a no brainer..

If you need any help getting rid of any of that I pick up. And just live off 160th.

 

[arnobg]

The way I see it is as an investment for a hobby, not a cost/return purchase. It is like anything else we buy in brewing because we just want it. If we justified every purchase such as a larger kettle and what not, then it wouldn't be as enjoyable. If you look at it like that, you never make any money back upgrading a kettle.

 

[krackin]

The way I see it is as an investment for a hobby, not a cost/return purchase. It is like anything else we buy in brewing because we just want it. If we justified every purchase such as a larger kettle and what not, then it wouldn't be as enjoyable. If you look at it like that, you never make any money back upgrading a kettle.

Agreed, yet getting a nice return on investment leaves a few bucks to put into something else to better the hobby. Even if you don't get much money back on upgrades, peace of mind is priceless.

Do what you can and don't sweat the easy stuff, it is a hobby.

 

[imasickboy]

One of the best benefits for me not going to the LHBS is the money I save. Every time I go there I buy stuff I didn't intend to. Having all your ingredients at home whenever you decide you want them prevents unnecessary extra purchases at the store.

 

[cbier60]

I'm happy to save money, crush my own fresh grain, and support my LHBS. One of our local shops offers group buys, so we get sack grain from them at costs as low or lower than any online shops with no shipping costs. Thank you WWBC!

 

[atoughram]

If you need any help getting rid of any of that I pick up. And just live off 160th.

I may... You're close - I'm on 144th and Woodland

 

[JPicasso]

Bit late to the party, but if you BIAB, you won't get a great crush at your Local store, so you almost need your own. But it's built in as part of the deal.

Instead of the cost of a burner/HLT and Mash tun, I spent on a crusher. About the same price, but the "savings" are in time and equipment space.

At least that's how I justify it. Most LHBS will crush for free, and if I had a 3-Vessel system, I wouldn't bother with a crusher.

 

[huxon44]

I recently bought a Kegco 3 roller mill that is very similar to the MM3. I have a close friend who owns a brewery and can buy 50lb sacks of 2 row at 20$ which he allows me to buy from him at the same price. 2 row at my LHBS is roughly 1.15$ per pound and there for I will recoup the amount for my grain mill in about 6 months with my brewing habits. My situation is unique but the LHBS would not let me crush outside grain on their mill which I understood.

 

[Mer-man]

I think I will go with the Mattmill Classic Complete. German design, German steel, German construction.

 

[kombat]

I think I will go with the Mattmill Classic Complete. German design, German steel, German construction.

FWIW, the worst cars I ever owned were Volkswagens. Thankfully, I learned my lesson after 2.

 

[Jimbodaman]

cereal killer from homebrewing.org is a great mill so far. As far as cost recovery don't forget that you can improve your efficiency, as well as buying in bulk. I was pleasantly surprising how well it was made.

 

[tracyk]

Yes, it was a little bit of convenience, but more so to be able to brew when I want to, for me as my local brew store is 70 miles away. My work schedule is just as hectic. I do not know how many times I have planned a brew day only to postpone it a week or two later. I do buy my base grains in bulk and usually have several different crystals and specialty grains on hand. This way I can go into the grain closet and pick out the grains to brew whenever.

 

[Mer-man]

FWIW, the worst cars I ever owned were Volkswagens. Thankfully, I learned my lesson after 2.

Really. Most reliable I ever had was a 96 golf.

 

[Mer-man]

FWIW, the worst cars I ever owned were Volkswagens. Thankfully, I learned my lesson after 2.

If you're in the usa, there's a good chance they were built in Mexico.

I will post on the forum if I have any troubles with it!