Grain Mill

[Steven Sinclair]

Looking at purchasing the Kegco KM11GM-3R Grain Mill with 11 lb. Hopper and 3 Rollers, but also need a motor for it. Are there any out there for under $50 that would work with this mill? If so, does anyone recommend any specific motors? Thanks in advance.

 

[DVCNick]

If it can be run by a cordless drill I'd just do that, unless you really just want to spend some extra money.

 

[Steven Sinclair]

I was wondering about that, but have seen a lot of comments around the web that their drills burnt up doing so. Wonder how real that is?

 

[DVCNick]

I can only speak for myself, but my drill is a 12 year old (blue) Ryobi that wasn't exactly top of the line when it was new, and hasn't burnt up yet. If it does I'll just get a modern drill to replace it. It does't seem like a very demanding application to me, so if my drill burnt up from that, I'd want a better one anyway, but ymmv I guess. I honestly can say I've not seen those type of comments when I was looking into getting a mill for the first time.

 

[bracconiere]

I was wondering about that, but have seen a lot of comments around the web that their drills burnt up doing so. Wonder how real that is?

i used a cordless, had to charge the battery during a grind....my corded drill didn't burn-out, but i did have to replace the chuck on it.....now i use something like this, with the speed locking trigger....just mount it somehow, then lock it on, and set the speed on it.....

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hyper-To...KuoMA8BqhArdh85FdSRFA247eoBMuknRoCO1oQAvD_BwE

i'm not sure, but i think drills like this you can turn on/off the precussion effect.....

 

[MikeCo]

I also use a corded drill with my mill. It’s the type that has a speed dial and locking trigger. My Dewalt 20v cordless could never mill all my grains with one battery at full charge. I like the consistent low speed and high torque I get with the corded drill.

 

[DVCNick]

You guys milling 300lb commercial batches or something?

 

[Yorkshire lad]

I use my plug-in heavy duty drill to drive my mill. I added legs to the mill base to fit in the paint bucket for stability in case I let go of the drill, and that prevents the mill from toppling. I also use the same drill with a paint stirrer in the middle of the chiller coils when cooling boiled wert. (210F to 80F in 15 minutes). Then, after the wert is cooled and the chiller removed, I drop in a "Trub Trapper" then whirlpool with the paint stirrer to form a cone, which helps clear the brew before it is drained into the fermenter. Multi-purpose tools make me happy.

 

[bracconiere]

You guys milling 300lb commercial batches or something?

don't tell me you're one of the "1 gallon brewers unite" people.....lol

 

[DVCNick]

don't tell me you're one of the "1 gallon brewers unite" people.....lol

Heh no, I'm doing 5 or 10 gallons, going off memory my biggest grain bill that I've fit in my tun is ~23 lb or so.

Milling that hardly puts a dent in a midsize Ryobi battery for me. Not sure what the disconnect is, but if your drill can't mill a few grains, I'm not sure how it is going to do its intended job of actually drilling things or driving fasteners.
Just sayin'

 

[electricsailor]

I have a lot of 12 volt stuff in my shop, so I used a windshield wiper motor to power my 2 row grinder. 12 pounds of grain in about 4 minutes.

 

[bracconiere]

going off memory my biggest grain bill that I've fit in my tun is ~23 lb or so.

about what i mill for my 10 gallon batches....that's q 5 gallon bucket, and it takes like 10 minutes of high torque......

just saying when i used a cordless drill, i went through two batteries to get a batch milled....not that i liked sitting there holding a corded drill much either!

 

[RPh_Guy]

I was wondering about that, but have seen a lot of comments around the web that their drills burnt up doing so. Wonder how real that is?

Most people use drills... There's also a very simple way to reduce the strain on the drill if that's a concern:
https://***************.com/wiki/Milling
Cheers

 

[Gozie Boy]

I've got that same 3-roller mill, and have used my 12V Milwaukee brushless drill-driver for almost 3 years without problem. I use either a 4 or 6 ah battery, and it has never breathed hard to finish a grain bill for my 10-12 gallon batches (up to 39 lbs). I see no reason to buy a motor or heavier-duty drill than this. (But it's always good practice to have a charged-up backup battery on hand in case you get that "first time" event.)

 

[MikeCo]

I just looked at my DeWalt batteries. They are 18v Ni-Cad. I don't see an amp-hour rating on them.

I guess the message is some cordless drill batteries have better life than others. Maybe mine have lost chargeability over time; they are probably 6 or 7 years old. As you say - always have a spare that's charged.

I'm happier using my corded drill for milling. It never leaves me with a partially milled batch.

 

[DVCNick]

Yeah they haven't made Nicads in years and current Lithium Ion will have between three and twelve times more capacity than the Nicads had when they were new. And they've probably degraded over the course of 6 or 7 years.
My advice would be get some modern batteries, it will be well worth it if you use the tools at all.