Grain mill recommendation

[Golddiggie]

Not sure what causes it getting "stuck." Maybe it needs to be realigned, again.

After a few times getting caught filling the hopper and only the driven roller spinning, I now just make sure the slave roller runs freely, before I start the (semi-permanently mounted) drill and fill the hopper.

What do you do to 'clean' it after use? I use the compressor to blow all the remaining dust out of the works after each run.

 

[superiorsat]

I would recommend the geared model. The non-geared model has a habit of sticking once in a while. Its better since I slightly loosened the mounting bolts but still, every once in a while it catches me off guard. No big deal unless you dump 15lb of grain and it decides to stick. I get around that by tossing in a handful first, then dumping the rest if it feeds. If not moving the rollers by hand fixes it but that doesn't work with grain on top, even when reaching under. The geared version would completely eliminate this annoyance. I have the All American motor on mine with the big hopper and a stand I built. Not cheap but its been a great mill other than the sticking issue.

The geared model wasn't available at the time I got my hardened steel MM3 but I would go with geared if I had the choice again. Mine does the stick thing once in a while but no big deal all you do is reach under with power off and rotate the non driven roller just enough to free up the stuck barley ( the 2 non-driven rollers will jam with a few unmilled grains and the main drive roller just spins) 1/16th ish turn put the bucket back under and turn it on. Minor inconvenience but it would be nice not to have to deal with it although I guess there is no gears to wear out.

 

[IslandLizard]

What do you do to 'clean' it after use? I use the compressor to blow all the remaining dust out of the works after each run.

Nothing, really. When done, I just give the "drill platform" a rap on the 2 buckets it sits on to drop most of the clinging dust into the bucket. Then it gets put away.

You may be on to something! Some dust collecting, making the slave roller stick a little, enough to preventing it to engage in the next session.

 

[Golddiggie]

Nothing, really. When done, I just give the "drill platform" a rap on the 2 buckets it sits on to drop most of the clinging dust into the bucket. Then it gets put away.

You may be on to something! Some dust collecting, making the slave roller stick a little, enough to preventing it to engage in the next session.

View attachment 754934

IMO, eventually enough dust will gather to cake/compress around the moving bits to give you issues. It's one of the reasons I use the compressor to clean it up.

 

[Dancy]

I have one of these as well, a good value for the money.

I bought one somewhat recently and I’m very impressed with it and satisfied. However, I brew 5-6G no more than 8x a year. I assume the OP is looking at the more expensive 3-roller mills because he plans on a higher volume of brewing.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Before I moved, I was brewing ~20 gallons every other week.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

BTW- When I was brewing that much, I had a couple of buddies that would come over and help, one would help one time and another the next, each would get half of what was made, so we each would get two kegs of different beers each time.
Usually they would pay for the malt, I would provide the hops, yeast, propane and equipment.

At that time we were having a bunch of parties and the beer, ciders, and hard lemonade would get consumed, although I usually had ~100 gallons on deck in addition to what was in the kegerators. I referred to it as my beer library. lol
And I was all the time giving away 1/2 gallon growlers of beer to anyone who wanted it, hey you really like it, take a growler home with you, enjoy.

We also lived in a metro area of about 500k at that time, now I live in a town with ~2300 people.

Just trying to get "caught up" with having been gone for 2 years now.
My "brew list" continues to grow with what I'd like to have, in the kegerators and on deck.
My wife's friends love the ciders, meads and lemonades.

 

[cbier60]

I have had a MM2 for 8 years, and have used a Bodine DC motor to drive it the past 5. I am pretty sure I mounted the supports to spec, but had problems for a few years with grain getting stuck and keeping the non-driven roller from turning. I added some fender washers as shown to keep grain from being able to get in there and cause a problem. If your gaps are small enough, you would not have this problem. The nice thing about the DC motor and variable speed controller is that I can vary the speed and reverse direction if I ever have an issue.

I have the advantage of being local to Monster Mill, and was able to buy a S&D unit with 2" stainless rollers & 1/2" drive shaft at a substantial discount. Thanks, Fred. While a 3 roller mill might provide a small benefit, I agree with Jayjay1976. This quality 2-roller mill is all I will ever need.

 

[Dog House Brew]

The only reason I had trouble with the bottom roller on my MM3 not turning, came from the bushing IMO. I think loosening the mount gave it room to move. I do wish Fred used sealed bearings. Just my opinion of course. I have zero complaints with my mill. I bought it before the web sites and this home growth. Really a quality product! No idea on the customer service because I haven’t needed any in the past decade. I generally condition my grain and mill. Might be the moist dust that was getting into the bushing. I mill at .030 and can’t imagine a mill being any better. Like all things, you figure out what makes it tick. My drill is an old Skill from the 70’s that will break your wrist if ya know what I mean. Sure there are cheaper Chinsleaze models. Wouldn’t buy anything else, doesn’t mean I’m right, just a passionate Monster.

 

[Golddiggie]

I swear I can hear my MM2 grumble/growl when I walk past if it's been too long since I used it.

 

[Jayjay1976]

May not be the best of the best of the best, but Adventures in Homebrewing is having a sale on the Cereal Killer. Hundred bucks.

I also have a cereal killer, paid $99 for mine in 2017, hard to beat for the money. I would totally upgrade to a geared two-roller tho, not having to worry about that second roller sticking would be awesome.

 

[RobP]

Why would someone want a 3/8" drive shaft over the 1/2"?

 

[Golddiggie]

Why would someone want a 3/8" drive shaft over the 1/2"?

If the only drill they had was one with a chuck that only opens to 3/8". I've always had drills that opened for 1/2" bits, so was never a concern. Getting the 1/2" shaft also makes it easier (IMO/IME) to motorize it later.

 

[RobP]

Aw I see now. makes sense

 

[RobP]

I got my eye the MM2 pro

 

[A1sportsdad]

Northern Brewer Hullwrecker. Love mine. It’s a 2-roller mill. Easy to adjust and holds adjustment. I did file a flat on the shaft so I could drive it with my drill, but that was easy.

 

[wsmith1625]

I clean my Cereal Killer with a dry paint brush to get the flour off after each use. Never use water on the mill. You'll have a stick mess real quick. This has kept it working great for the 2 years I've owned it

 

[MaxStout]

The only reason I had trouble with the bottom roller on my MM3 not turning, came from the bushing IMO. I think loosening the mount gave it room to move. I do wish Fred used sealed bearings. Just my opinion of course. I have zero complaints with my mill. I bought it before the web sites and this home growth. Really a quality product! No idea on the customer service because I haven’t needed any in the past decade. I generally condition my grain and mill. Might be the moist dust that was getting into the bushing. I mill at .030 and can’t imagine a mill being any better. Like all things, you figure out what makes it tick. My drill is an old Skill from the 70’s that will break your wrist if ya know what I mean. Sure there are cheaper Chinsleaze models. Wouldn’t buy anything else, doesn’t mean I’m right, just a passionate Monster.

MM2 owner. I like it for the most part but wish they used sealed ball bearings instead of bronze sleeves. I use a motor and pulley and am concerned about the side-loading on those sleeves.

Even the $100 Cereal Killer uses ball bearings.

 

[RyPA]

I recently bought a Cereal Killer and used it for the first time on my last brew. It's a solid build for $100, and you can hand crank or connect a drill.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Anybody know of a replacement mounting board for the cereal killer? Mine is made of some cheap plywood that is super rough and hard to keep clean. Been thinking about finishing mine with water based polyurethane but what a hassle it will be getting that smooth.

 

[Golddiggie]

MM2 owner. I like it for the most part but wish they used sealed ball bearings instead of bronze sleeves. I use a motor and pulley and am concerned about the side-loading on those sleeves.

Even the $100 Cereal Killer uses ball bearings.

Side loading is why I made the riser for my MM2 to align with the shaft on the motor. Otherwise I was going to use a pair of pulley wheels (same size) to go between them. I went this route after talking with Monster.

 

[grampamark]

Anybody know of a replacement mounting board for the cereal killer? Mine is made of some cheap plywood that is super rough and hard to keep clean. Been thinking about finishing mine with water based polyurethane but what a hassle it will be getting that smooth.

My CK came with a steel mounting plate, but it’s a year or so newer than yours. I bought it from AIH. They don’t show the base sold separately on their site but it might be worth contacting them to find out if you could buy the base.

The only minor issue I’ve found with the Cereal Killer, or at least with my particular example, is that the quality of the machine work on the eccentrics which adjust the gap isn’t the greatest. The offset on the end which engages the idler roller on one side is a few thousandths more than the other eccentric. When set to the minimum the gap on one side measures .024”, the other .028”. That isn’t much, but it’s enough to cause the idler to jam. When adjusted accurately with feeler gauges, so that the rollers are parallel, the mill works very well. The minimum gap is just a little wider than I would prefer when milling wheat or rye.

 

[RyPA]

I agree with @grampamark, adjusting it is a little frustrating, but once you have both sides evened out and tightened up, it's fine.

Another slight negative is the gaps on the hopper leading down to the rollers, which may also exist in other mills. For this I used some aluminum tape, allowing just a little flex so when grains are loaded in, the tape isn't entirely supporting the weight. It may not be needed as once grains are loaded in, the gap may be too small for a grain to slide through, but I have OCD.

 

[dwightr8]

You just need two rollers to get the job done. Adding a third, less reliable roller is pointless. Don't fall for the marketing BS. Crushing malt between two rotating objects is the basic truth of what you're doing, goes back thousands of years. Splurge elsewhere.

Quote from Crankandstein.net in description of their 3D mill, "The third roller is smoother to reduce husk damage. The triangular configuration of the rollers forms two gaps. The first fixed at .070" softens the grain interior and speeds up throughput. The adjustable second gap can then more readily open the husk with less damage and separate it from the starch." I can heartily recommend this mill as I've had one for about 20 years and put thousands of pounds of grain through it with zero problems. I've got mine powered with a very old (70+ years) 1/2" drill with a router speed control.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Quote from Crankandstein.net in description of their 3D mill, "The third roller is smoother to reduce husk damage. The triangular configuration of the rollers forms two gaps. The first fixed at .070" softens the grain interior and speeds up throughput. The adjustable second gap can then more readily open the husk with less damage and separate it from the starch." I can heartily recommend this mill as I've had one for about 20 years and put thousands of pounds of grain through it with zero problems. I've got mine powered with a very old (70+ years) 1/2" drill with a router speed control.

Not saying that three roller mills don't work, just that a third roller is unnecessary. A two roller mill does virtually the exact same thing, at far lower cost.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I agree with @grampamark, adjusting it is a little frustrating, but once you have both sides evened out and tightened up, it's fine.

Another slight negative is the gaps on the hopper leading down to the rollers, which may also exist in other mills. For this I used some aluminum tape, allowing just a little flex so when grains are loaded in, the tape isn't entirely supporting the weight. It may not be needed as once grains are loaded in, the gap may be too small for a grain to slide through, but I have OCD.

View attachment 755074
View attachment 755073

Damn, I even have a roll of that aluminum tape on hand. Thanks for the great idea!

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Not saying that three roller mills don't work, just that a third roller is unnecessary. A two roller mill does virtually the exact same thing, at far lower cost.

hmmm...as somebody that does BIAB and crushes quite fine, I wonder then if the 3 roller mill is a big plus for me. Is the basic strategy of a 3 roller mill that the rollers crush a little more coarse than the second rollers and the main benefit is to keep the hull more intact? Or are there other advantages of a 3 roller mill?

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Quote from Crankandstein.net in description of their 3D mill, "The third roller is smoother to reduce husk damage. The triangular configuration of the rollers forms two gaps. The first fixed at .070" softens the grain interior and speeds up throughput. The adjustable second gap can then more readily open the husk with less damage and separate it from the starch." I can heartily recommend this mill as I've had one for about 20 years and put thousands of pounds of grain through it with zero problems. I've got mine powered with a very old (70+ years) 1/2" drill with a router speed control.

Antique drill, nice

 

[PCABrewing]

Quote from Crankandstein.net in description of their 3D mill, "The third roller is smoother to reduce husk damage. The triangular configuration of the rollers forms two gaps. The first fixed at .070" softens the grain interior and speeds up throughput. The adjustable second gap can then more readily open the husk with less damage and separate it from the starch." I can heartily recommend this mill as I've had one for about 20 years and put thousands of pounds of grain through it with zero problems. I've got mine powered with a very old (70+ years) 1/2" drill with a router speed control.

Well you have a sweet setup.
I'm not convinced that it would not be just as sweet with a two-roller mill.
I am very impressed with the vintage drill motor. They don't make them like that anymore.
Kudos on the engineering of your milling station!

 

[PCABrewing]

I have a barley crusher.
I've been considering trading-up to a three roller mill but this thread has cured me of that. Lots of good points made on both sides but I think the money could be better spent on other improvements to the two roller mill that I have.
I'd like to see a speed-adjustable drive or easier/better gap adjustment as standard, better hopper design.
Otherwise it does what I need it to do. When it needs to be replaced I'll reevaluate what's on the market.
Any deficiency in my brew is not the fault of the mill, I gotta own that.