Grain Mill Recomendations

[d40dave]

I bought a used Cereal Killer grain mill about 15 months ago. It worked OK at first but lately it has been acting up. The roller just spins but doesn't grab grain so nothing happens. I cleaned it thoroughly and it helped a little but that didn't last long, so I'm in the market for a new mill. I was thinking about the Barely Crusher because of their lifetime warranty but maybe the Monster Mill MM2 might be better. I read that there has been problems with Barely Crushers customer service. Which mill do you think I should get?

 

[mongoose33]

Barley Crusher? Not on a bet. Check on HBT about issues people have had with them, and the difficulty of getting service. BTW, I had one, emphasis on the "had."

Generally, the Cereal Killer has had about the best performance given that price point.

If you want to go up a level, then the monster mills seem to work pretty well. I have one (a 3-roller).

 

[CodeSection]

^^^ I second the Monster Mill. I highly recommend. I have the MM-3Pro and it works great!

 

[wilserbrewer]

Surprised to hear you are having issues with the CK.

Might the mill end plates be misaligned causing binding of the second roller? Perhaps try and loosen the mounting bolts and realigning end plates being sure there is a small gap between end plates and rollers....

The second roller should spin freely to the touch...

Could also be a bad bearing which is replaceable for a couple bucks....

I doubt the rollers are worn to the point of having the mill fail to grab grain...but more likely it just needs service...

 

[Rev2010]

Monster Mill 2 Pro here. Highly recommend it. Don't even consider the Barley Crusher. If money is an issue the KegCo mill is a copy of the Monster Mill. Many people here love it.


Rev.

 

[d40dave]

I took the mill apart and made sure that the end plates were as far apart as possible. I'm not sure if I actually did anything. The rollers do spin freely but they do squeak a little. This is an older version without bearings. I will test it this weekend but am not very hopeful.

I guess I will pass on the Barley Crusher, it is on sale though.

There are so many Monster Mill options. I want a mill that will last for a least 15,000 lbs. of malt. I do BIAB and they recommend 0.026" for BIAB. I think one of the MM3 options will be able to do this in one pass. It seems like some of the pro series requires you to build your own hopper and base. This is not a problem for me if it can be done with wood. I’m not sure what would be involved.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

hold on a sec...

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I want a mill that will last for a least 15,000 lbs. of malt.

15 thousand pounds......15..... thousand pounds......at least......OK.. I'm moving on

I cant believe your $90 mill didn't cut it......shocker

 

[d40dave]

Johnny Rotten,

Not a very useful post for sure. I wasn't expecting a used mill to last forever. I'm not sure what your point is. Do you have a point? There is nothing in my post that said that I was suggesting I wasn't expecting it to last forever. I'm just trying to find a mill that will fit my needs.

So, please move on you obviously have nothing to contribute.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Johnny Rotten,

Not a very useful post for sure. I wasn't expecting a used mill to last forever. I'm not sure what your point is. Do you have a point?

Yes...15 thousand pounds is reaching for the sky...I want a car that will last 900,000...any suggestions

 

[CodeSection]

...There are so many Monster Mill options. I want a mill that will last for a least 15,000 lbs. of malt. I do BIAB and they recommend 0.026" for BIAB. I think one of the MM3 options will be able to do this in one pass. It seems like some of the pro series requires you to build your own hopper and base. This is not a problem for me if it can be done with wood. I’m not sure what would be involved.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Give them a call. The owner is very helpful and will help you choose based upon your needs. I bought the hopper and base from them. It appears they sell hoppers and bases for MM-2, MM-2Pro, MM-3 and MM-3Pro. When I bought my MM-3Pro, I also paid extra for the "Heat Treated 1144 Steel" roller material. Supposedly, it lasts 10 times longer.

 

[d40dave]

OK, please move on you obviously have nothing to contribute.

I meant jonny, the post any getting intermixed, sorry.

 

[LittleRiver]

...I think one of the MM3 options will be able to do this in one pass. It seems like some of the pro series requires you to build your own hopper and base. This is not a problem for me if it can be done with wood. I’m not sure what would be involved. Any suggestions would be much appreciated...

I've been crushing (one pass with a .025" gap) on a Kegco 3 roller mill for a couple of years, and haven't had any problems. It is solid, I expect it to last many years.

They now come with a metal base plate, mine was purchased before that was offered. Here's the base I made from plywood, it fully covers the top of the bucket, so very little milling dust escapes.

 

[d40dave]

Jonny Rotten,

I guess you feel this is false advertising:
https://www.morebeer.com/products/monster-mill-mm3-grain-complete-packages.html

Code Section,

I wrote an email and am waiting for a rely. I'm not sure if they have a phone.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[CodeSection]

@d40dave , see PM

 

[wilserbrewer]

I bought a kegco 3 roll on a whim for cheap even though I didn’t need another mill and haven’t used it much, but it appears nice quality at a good price Fwiw.

It is a MM3 clone built in China on the night shift....perhaps they make the MM’s during the day shift idk lol

 

[mongoose33]

Here's an idea for that mill, assuming the 15,000 pound goal:

That's the all-american aleworks motor; when I bought it part of the thinking was that I wanted this to be the last mill--and motor--I'd ever buy. It's got a slow RPM--180--yet the MM3 still chews through 12-14 pounds of grain in about 2 minutes.

There's another motor out there that's cheaper that seems to do the job--https://www.williamsbrewing.com/Double-Roller-Grain-Mill-Motorizing-Kit-P4176.aspx

 

[beerbomb]

I've been crushing (one pass with a .025" gap) on a Kegco 3 roller mill for a couple of years, and haven't had any problems. It is solid, I expect it to last many years.

They now come with a metal base plate, mine was purchased before that was offered. Here's the base I made from plywood, it fully covers the top of the bucket, so very little milling dust escapes.

View attachment 613611 View attachment 613612 View attachment 613613

Nice job, the base I got with my CK is adequate with small dowel pins, but flops around while milling. You need 3 hands to keep the process going smoothly! I like your design, as it will hold the mill snugly on the pail.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Nice job, the base I got with my CK is adequate with small dowel pins, but flops around while milling. You need 3 hands to keep the process going smoothly! I like your design, as it will hold the mill snugly on the pail.

Something is up with your setup. The CK base fits exactly on a 5 gallon bucket with no play. I use a drill with no hands on the mill

 

[beerbomb]

Hey JOHNNYROTTEN,nice of you to respond in your Rotten style![emoji4] Please offer a rotten solution for me so I can be rotten too![emoji5][emoji5][emoji5][emoji5]

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Hey JOHNNYROTTEN,nice of you to respond in your Rotten style![emoji4] Please offer a rotten solution for me so I can be rotten too![emoji5][emoji5][emoji5][emoji5]

I wasnt being rotten I was being realistic. At the average 5 gallon batch it would take 23 years to reach 15K pounds brewing every single week nonstop...thats askin a little much

But ya I dont know how your setup requires 3 hands. Did you modify the base at all for some reason?

What do you mean by "small dowel pins"

 

[bracconiere]

I have a Schilng(sp?) malt mill...quite often i have the same issue with one roller not spinning, i just get something to turn it a bit while it's running...and it catches...

 

[d40dave]

To quote thadius856:
"The most expensive tool you'll ever buy is the one you keep replacing."

The MM-3 is supposed to last for 12,000 - 15,000 lbs so if I do get it then it will most likely be the last mill I ever buy. It will also mill the grain in one pass rather than 2 that it takes the CK (when it's working). The Kegco 3 looks tempting too.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

To quote thadius856:
"The most expensive tool you'll ever buy is the one you keep replacing."

The MM-3 is supposed to last for 12,000 - 15,000 lbs so if I do get it then it will most likely be the last mill I ever buy. It will also mill the grain in one pass rather than 2 that it takes the CK (when it's working). The Kegco 3 looks tempting too.

Sorry for being a little straight forward before...Just kind of took me by surprise...thats alot of grain...Good luck with your mill selection...Cheers

 

[wilserbrewer]

Sorry for being a little straight forward before...Just kind of took me by surprise...thats alot of grain...Good luck with your mill selection...Cheers

Where is JOHNNYROTTEN and what have you done with him?
Lol

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Where is JOHNNYROTTEN and what have you done with him?
Lol

I had a moment...its gone now

 

[d40dave]

Jonnyrotten,

Your are right, 15,000 lbs is a lot. If I do get it it may just outlast me but still it may be most economical in the long run assuming their numbers are correct.

Dave

 

[augiedoggy]

To quote thadius856:
"The most expensive tool you'll ever buy is the one you keep replacing."

The MM-3 is supposed to last for 12,000 - 15,000 lbs so if I do get it then it will most likely be the last mill I ever buy. It will also mill the grain in one pass rather than 2 that it takes the CK (when it's working). The Kegco 3 looks tempting too.

branding and pricing aside,
The kegco 3 is an engineering upgrade to the standard mm3. It comes with real sealed ballbearings that wont wear and become impacted with grain dust over time like the bushings can. You can get the mm3 with real bearings but you have to buy it as an upgrade on the mm3 pro and its well over $600..
at $150 shipped including the hopper and backup manual handle you really cant beat the value... although I have a 2 roller CK mill for home and that does just as good a job for $99 (I actually get better efficiency with the CK but thats on a totally different brewing system as well so poor comparision). been using it for almost 5 years now.

 

[augiedoggy]

I wasnt being rotten I was being realistic. At the average 5 gallon batch it would take 23 years to reach 15K pounds brewing every single week nonstop...thats askin a little much

But ya I dont know how your setup requires 3 hands. Did you modify the base at all for some reason?

What do you mean by "small dowel pins"

Depends on which side one mounts the drill shaft... if mounted to turn clockwise toward the larger side of the wood base your good if mounted the other way you need more hands. I used the have the same setup before building a wooden bucket/mill setup like above myself and motorizing it for my CK.

 

[augiedoggy]

I bought a kegco 3 roll on a whim for cheap even though I didn’t need another mill and haven’t used it much, but it appears nice quality at a good price Fwiw.

It is a MM3 clone built in China on the night shift....perhaps they make the MM’s during the day shift idk lol

mm3 is made with standard sized bolts and different size shaft.. but that and the bushing vs bearing the only difference I can find having both the mm3 and kegco3 at the brewpub. in fact the mm3 hopper extension bolts right on the kegco 3 we've used to make over 1000 gallons of beer in the last couple months.