Grain Mill or Wort Pump?

[ChiechiBrouw]

A grain mill was one of the best investments I ever made. I can buy bulk grains, my brew process is way more reproducible, and fresh-crushed grains smell awesome first thing in the morning.

As for moving water: When I don't want to life a large volume of (hot) water, I put both containers at equal heights and connect them. When they equilibrate, I move the half-filled receiver to the floor. Also, lift with your legs

 

[kcmobrewer]

I vote for both . Seriously though, mill. Pump saves your back, I agree with that. However, I find greater value in accurately predicting and increasing my efficiency.

 

[IslandLizard]

Another vote for the mill. I bought a Monster Mill MM-2 after doing some research last year. Wouldn't brew without it. You could build your own hopper and baseboard if you want to save a few bucks.

You'll need a decent drill too if you don't have one. The Low Speed heavy duty drill from Harbor Freight was under $50. If you have a Super Coupon it can shave another 20-25% off that. Make sure to get the one with the yellow speed adjuster wheel in the trigger. They sell a similar model that doesn't have that, on the same shelf.

 

[eric19312]

Get the mill (first). Start buying grain in 50lb sacks and you will likely see your grain costs drop dramatically. Put the savings ($0.50/lb?) toward the pump...AND take control of the crush to get consistent mash efficiency.

I use the barley crusher and the harbor freight drill. 1,000 lbs of grain though it over last 2 years and it is doing just fine and so far I am not wishing I had paid more to get a monster mill. Crusher with hopper and base is $118 on the Beersmith website now. Look for a coupon for that drill. Put the savings on the $ between the monster mill and the barley crusher (looks like the mm2 with base and hopper is $204 but maybe can do better) toward the pump...

Pumps are really nice to have...I just got a pump about 5 batches ago and am still learning to use it. I went chugger (~$140) with hose barbs, the fittings and hoses do add up (probably in for about $40 worth of hoses and $30 worth of fittings so far). It is already speeding up my brew day, and really makes my homemade counterflow chiller work the way I had hoped it would work. I am noticeably less tired at end of brew day also.

 

[T-townaler]

Buy an inexpensive thickness gauge from your local auto supply store. Read up on the milling blogs on what the gap is best in your area. Before your LHBS grind your grain have them check their gap with your gauge and have them adjust it to your specs. Voila! Consistency in your grain milling. Guage - $10. Back repair costs = $0 if you buy a pump.
Buy the gauge and the pump. Enjoy!

 

[fletchergsmith]

Depends on what you want more, easier brew day or more consistency.


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[MrFeltimo]

Mill,
I used my mates this weekend, Barley Crusher, and it was great.

 

[Nagorg]

I'd vote for the pump if you can only buy one or the other. My chugger has proven to be a HUGE help on brew day since I'm usually doing 10 gallon batches. I'd like a grain mill but honestly don't know where I would set it up. I sure don't have anywhere to store bags of grain and such. For me, the LHBS does a fine job of storing that stuff and their mills have been doing a fine job too.

 

[Boogogee]

Update:

I want to thank all of you for the replies! Today I bought a double side adjustable schmidling mill. I will be conditioning the grain and brewing tomorrow. For all the pump voters out there I will be investing in one as well some where down the road.

 

[kh54s10]

Update:

I want to thank all of you for the replies! Today I bought a double side adjustable schmidling mill. I will be conditioning the grain and brewing tomorrow. For all the pump voters out there I will be investing in one as well some where down the road.

For $$ reasons I went for a 3 tier gravity system. I have plumbed in a filter and valve to the HLT on the top tier which is on a turkey fryer burner. In the middle is my Mash tun. next is the boil kettle which is high enough to drain to my fermenters on the floor.

No pumps, no lifting pots of water (especially hot) except the fermenter into the basement and my fermentation chamber.

I will be looking at the Schmidling or a Monster when and if I ever retire my Corona knock off.

 

[AnOldUR]

For all the pump voters out there I will be investing in one as well some where down the road.

I voted for the mill, but you've got to have another thirty bucks.

 

[brewkinger]

My 2 cents:

I think that the mill is a better first purchase.

A little ingenuity and use of gravity can go a long way.

My burner/HLT sits on my deck

Gravity feeds to the mash tun on the steps 24" below

Gravity feeds to the burner/BK on the ground 24" below that.

I borrowed a friend's pump once and it can be tricky to dial in the correct flow rates to avoid a stuck sparge.
Not to mention what others said about the added costs of quick connects / valves etc... that come with the pump addition.

I will eventually get a pump, but not until I can afford to get it all at once and have a better understanding of the pump process.

 

[charliehorse]

I think that question that you have to ask yourself is: Are you trying to brew better beer or move liquid quickly? If you want constantly better beer, get a mill. I bought the Monster Mill 2 and have been very pleased. I didn't buy the Barley Crusher because it seemed that everybody wanted the same price (and on principle, I refuse to buy products from companies that mandate how much a retailer has to sell something for). The MM2 is heavier because it has bigger rollers (both diameter and length) than the BC. Charlie P. may use the Corona, but when he started brewing, he was on a teacher's salary and they didn't have all the equipment that we have now.

If you brew the same recipe much, you'll find that you'll be buying grain (and hops) 3 or 4 batches ahead. Have 4 hours on a Saturday when SWMBO is shopping with her friends? Brew a batch of beer and you don't have to make a trip to your LBS or remember to put your order in online. You'll find an instant improvement of the fresh taste of your malty beers with a fresh crush.

Just get the mill and get the pump with the money that you'll save.

 

[KarlHungus76]

Grain mill IMO. I think it was Denny who said approppriately, you don't hear people who own grain mills complaining about their crush.


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[wilserbrewer]

Grain mill IMO. I think it was Denny who said approppriately, you don't hear people who own grain mills complaining about their crush.

I think it was also Denny who just recently acquired a pump after many years and hundreds of batches.

There are far many more easy "work arounds" for not having a pump, but not having a mill???

Easy decision for me....I have a mill and no pump. Don't even plan on getting one any time soon.


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[50quidsoundboy]

I agree with kombat. There is no debate. It's all about the beer.

A pump will make it easier, but a mill will help you make better beer.

here's how a pump helps me make better beer:

- recirculating the mash (better clarity and efficiency)
- recirculating wort during chilling (better hop aroma from faster chilling; clearer wort thanks to recirculation through hop bed)

 

[AnOldUR]

here's how a pump helps me make better beer:

- recirculating the mash (better clarity and efficiency)
- recirculating wort during chilling (better hop aroma from faster chilling; clearer wort thanks to recirculation through hop bed)

- Recirculating gives you clearer wort, not clearer beer.
- Clearer beer is not alway better beer.
- Better efficiency does not equal better beer.
- Consistent efficiency makes better beer.
- Consistent crush equals consistent efficiency.
- Faster chill does not equal better hop aroma

Google hop stand. You can get to below isomerization temperature quickly with an IC by manually stirring.

 

[50quidsoundboy]

Whatever pal. I brew good tasting, good looking beer with consistent efficiency and I've never once looked at a 25kg sack of Maris Otter and thought - "I wish I'd milled this myself". If I'm going to end up with a right arm like Arnold Schwarzenegger, there are more fun ways of doing it...

 

[temple240]

- Recirculating gives you clearer wort, not clearer beer.
- Clearer beer is not alway better beer.
- Better efficiency does not equal better beer.
- Consistent efficiency makes better beer.
- Consistent crush equals consistent efficiency.
- Faster chill does not equal better hop aroma

Google hop stand. You can get to below isomerization temperature quickly with an IC by manually stirring.

Consistency makes consistent beer. Unless you find a flawless recipe and need to hit the gravity dead on for the perfect beer, a consistent crush does not make the beer better. Of course you need to remain within reason but I don't think someone who uses the lhbs mill is seeing 20% swings in their efficiency on average.

 

[charliehorse]

If I'm going to end up with a right arm like Arnold Schwarzenegger, there are more fun ways of doing it...

I just connect my cordless drill to my mill. In less than 5 minutes, I have a 15 lb grain bill milled the way that I want it.

 

[AnOldUR]

recirculating the mash (better clarity and efficiency)

If you have to recirculate to get better efficiency you should probably look at your crush as the culprit. :cross:

 

[mmb]

Spend the money once on a monster mill. Don't buy a barley crusher, it will wear out in a year

Funny, my Barley Crusher is going on seven years and a few thousand pounds of grain. Only thing that has worn out are two HF drills to drive the thing.

Whatever pal. I brew good tasting, good looking beer with consistent efficiency and I've never once looked at a 25kg sack of Maris Otter and thought - "I wish I'd milled this myself". If I'm going to end up with a right arm like Arnold Schwarzenegger, there are more fun ways of doing it...

Be prepared to have your mind blown.

 

[50quidsoundboy]

well, i guess it's different over here in the UK, where probably 90% of homebrewers are getting their malt crushed by the same (highly regarded) guy. with so many other variables to work with in pursuit of making good beer, adjusting the crush of my grain just isn't even on my radar. maybe this will change with time.

for me, adding a pump to my setup made a real difference, if not to the beer itself, then certainly to the experience of making it. automated spargeing, mash recirculation, whirlpool chilling.....these things are helpful and rewarding in themselves (and i actually think they do contribute to the quality of the end product)

 

[mmb]

well, i guess it's different over here in the UK, where probably 90% of homebrewers are getting their malt crushed by the same (highly regarded) guy. with so many other variables to work with in pursuit of making good beer, adjusting the crush of my grain just isn't even on my radar. maybe this will change with time.

for me, adding a pump to my setup made a real difference, if not to the beer itself, then certainly to the experience of making it. automated spargeing, mash recirculation, whirlpool chilling.....these things are helpful and rewarding in themselves (and i actually think they do contribute to the quality of the end product)

Distances are much different over here. If 5% of homebrewers in the US lived close enough to use the same HB shop I'd be shocked. Personally, I'm 100 miles (one way) from a LHBS that has grain and a mill. Adding to that is the general "customer is right" mentality and you've shops that change crush based on what the customer wants, looser, tighter, whatever. Leads to massively inconsistent crushes.

I've both a mill and a pump. Not have a mill would drastically change my brew day and force me to plan brew days a week or more in advance to have grain bills delivered. Not having a pump would force me to use a racking cane and a 4qt pitcher.

 

[Bean]

I would also like to point out that most home brewers don't realize they are being charged a pretty penny to have the LHBS mill grain for them. After I purchased a mill my PPO (price per ounce) dropped drastically and made it possible for me to tackle bigger beers with my ingredient budget.

 

[jbaysurfer]

I would be curious to see what voters have in their own setups. As an owner of both, I'd say pump. If you get a bad crush at LHBS, send it back through the mill another time. You say you get good and bad crushes, so clearly their mill is capable of a good crush.

That said, naturally I vote both if that's an option. I own 2 pumps and I batch sparge, got em on sale, both of them together costed less then my MM IIRC.

 

[passedpawn]

There are far many more easy "work arounds" for not having a pump, but not having a mill???

Phfttt. You just have be creative

Paper Shredder Grain Mill

 

[charliehorse]

Phfttt. You just have be creative

Paper Shredder Grain Mill

Interesting... but nope.

 

[Nagorg]

I would also like to point out that most home brewers don't realize they are being charged a pretty penny to have the LHBS mill grain for them. After I purchased a mill my PPO (price per ounce) dropped drastically and made it possible for me to tackle bigger beers with my ingredient budget.

Guess I'm lucky ... Not only does my LHBS not charge for crushing, I get to use their mill and crush it myself. So for me that make a mill less of a need and the pump I bought made brew day way easier not to mention gave me options for whirlpooling etc...

 

[hannibalmdq]

I must be one of the few people on this board that's completely happy with my stores crush. Consistently around 80% efficiency and no stuck spares. Talking with the store staff they try really hard to keep their machine producing a consistent quality crush. I grab my grains, turn the mill on, dump, and head to the register.

There's definitely an appeal to buying in bulk and crushing myself but since I'm limited by space is really not high on my list of things I'd like to have.