Grain Mills..... Best one, Why?

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Here is what I can tell you from my own experience: I have been brewing for well over 28 years and have blown through many a mill. Most just wear out as I brew a lot. They just are purpose built for the occasional brewer which is most people can be grouped into. You need to be honest with yourself on how much you are REALLY going to use it, if it is only once a month then most offerings will fit the bill. I went with the Monster Mill 3 with the hardened steel rollers, thicker shaft and large stainless steel hopper. It is motorized with a 3/4 hp electric motor. I use it like a $5 hooker on nickel night and it has never gave me one iota of problem. There are other that cost more but I do not think they are a made any better or with a better warranty.
 
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Years ago I bought a Barley Crusher Malt Mill. It's the only one I've purchased so I don't have a comparison. Still works perfectly.
I've read that the gap will slip on some of the cheaper ones.
I did eventually motorize it because I could never get a consistent RPM with the drill. (I'm puzzled why they still come with a hand crank)
 
The best you say?

You could go with a Monster 3 roller with every option available and an American ale works motor and be short of a thousand dollars.

Or maybe a corona mill and a large powerful Chinese drill all in for less than a hundred bucks.

Both will get you where you need to be for a long time in my experience....what’s best for you and your money is really up to you???

Lots of options in between as well....
 
I have the Monster Mill 3 powered by the American Aleworks motor. While there are cheaper options, I doubt there is any alternative that will mill the grain faster or more conveniently.

Is it the best? It's impossible to say. Do you have room for it? The money? Need the convenience? Ultimately you have to decide what elements are important to you.

You ask what the best is for any price. I don't know, all I know is when I bought this I figured I'd never have to buy another. Further, there is no grain mill on the market that even tempts me, even if it were free. Take that for what it's worth.

Here's mine. I just dump in the grain, and in 2 minutes I have crushed grain.

millcarta.jpg millcartb.jpg
 
For longevity, a Corona mill would probably be best. Wear is almost nonexistent. The rollers in roller mills may be hardened steel, (various types may be available), but they are more prone to wear because they are knurled, as opposed to grooved. If you can find a grooved roller mill, and have the change to spare, buy that. If not, buy a Corona. It is by far the most cost efficient, and will last forever-ish.
 
Cereal killer for the win.

Why you ask??

Unlike the Corona Mill its actually meant for grain with a large hopper.
It does the same thing as a Monster mill for 1/3 of the price
It lasts. I've had mine for 5 years and it works like new after 100's and 100's of pounds of grain, 25 pounds at a time.

It only costs around $90 if you get it on sale.

Add it all up and its a win win
 
mongoose33 said:
I have the Monster Mill 3 powered by the American Aleworks motor. While there are cheaper options, I doubt there is any alternative that will mill the grain faster or more conveniently.

Is it the best? It's impossible to say. Do you have room for it? The money? Need the convenience? Ultimately you have to decide what elements are important to you.

You ask what the best is for any price. I don't know, all I know is when I bought this I figured I'd never have to buy another. Further, there is no grain mill on the market that even tempts me, even if it were free. Take that for what it's worth.

Here's mine. I just dump in the grain, and in 2 minutes I have crushed grain.

View attachment 594360 View attachment 594361
Click to expand...
Nice setup...Beats a drill on a bucket on the floor
 
imasickboy said:
For longevity, a Corona mill would probably be best. Wear is almost nonexistent. The rollers in roller mills may be hardened steel, (various types may be available), but they are more prone to wear because they are knurled, as opposed to grooved. If you can find a grooved roller mill, and have the change to spare, buy that. If not, buy a Corona. It is by far the most cost efficient, and will last forever-ish.
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It's also a lot slower than roller mills and way more prone to tearing the husks, which is not generally a big deal for a BIAB brewer but less desirable in a traditional bottom-draining mash tun, and then there's the bogeyman of increased astringency from shredded husks, which I've never noticed, but I also never mashout which is supposedly where the problem occurs.
 
Be patient and wait until the SS Brewtech motorized mill comes out. It will definitely be a game changer. Probably pricey, but worth it if you want the best one as you stated.
grainmill_1200x.jpg
 
Corona mill a lot slower? Not my experience exactly....say a corona mill takes 5-6 minutes on a 30 lb grain bill vs 3 minutes on a 3 roller? If set up on a stand that’s 3 minutes that you are doing something else anyway....

I have a kegco 3 roller aka mm exact copy and a corona....they both produce a very nice crush.

Yes, the 3 roll leaves the husk slightly more intact, but I have yet to actually meet the bogeyman of torn husk fearmongering lol, they both work darn well
 
JONNYROTTEN said:
Nice setup...Beats a drill on a bucket on the floor
Click to expand...

Yeah....I'm fortunate in that I'm an empty-nester so it's easier to afford some things that I'd had no chance to buy 15 years ago.

When I started a few years ago I had the drill and the bucket arrangement....

Part of the reason I bought this was that I was working on LODO techniques at the time...still am. One tenet is to crush the grain as close to dough-in as you can to limit oxidation of the crushed malt....and this arrangement was as fast a setup as I could find. And it is. I weigh out the grain, toss in the hopper, get the strike water ready, run downstairs and turn on the mill, then in 2 minutes I'm heading back up stairs with crushed grain....
 
mongoose33 said:
Yeah....I'm fortunate in that I'm an empty-nester so it's easier to afford some things that I'd had no chance to buy 15 years ago.

When I started a few years ago I had the drill and the bucket arrangement....

Part of the reason I bought this was that I was working on LODO techniques at the time...still am. One tenet is to crush the grain as close to dough-in as you can to limit oxidation of the crushed malt....and this arrangement was as fast a setup as I could find. And it is. I weigh out the grain, toss in the hopper, get the strike water ready, run downstairs and turn on the mill, then in 2 minutes I'm heading back up stairs with crushed grain....
Click to expand...
This is the first I've heard of Oxygen in malt. Seems a bit extreme but everyone is always looking for the next best thing in brewing. I cant see how an extra 2 minutes of air exposure to milled grain would make a difference but to each their own Not that a drill would be any different than a motor as far as air exposure and timing. I drill it mill it and stick it in my pre heated strike water.
 
I have a 3 roller Monster Mill 2.0 with hardened rollers. Powered it with a 1hp cap start motor and a 10:1 worm drive gear reducer. It was not a cheap build at all but I am fairly certain I could crush rocks (I would never) and from a home brewing perspective its excellent. Consistent crush, no issues ever, capacity of a 5 gallon bucket of 20 gallon can. (Shelf inside the cabinet that collapses to the back for the bucket)

Why:
- It's built like an absolute tank and will likely out live me
- I grew tired of the LHBS mill, mill twice and "oh no someone put rye in it and jammed it up"
- I wanted to buy it one time
- it was a fun project
- I was raised in a family that has such beliefs as "There's no substitute for cubic inches!" and "Go big or go home!"
- It's proper Skookum



Excuse the ajar door, the 20 gallon can barely fits
 
JONNYROTTEN said:
This is the first I've heard of Oxygen in malt. Seems a bit extreme but everyone is always looking for the next best thing in brewing. I cant see how an extra 2 minutes of air exposure to milled grain would make a difference but to each their own Not that a drill would be any different than a motor as far as air exposure and timing. I drill it mill it and stick it in my pre heated strike water.
Click to expand...

It's kind of two things: one is to crush the malt coarsely, which limits surface area oxygen can affect; the other is to get it doughed-in as soon as possible, same reason.

When I first ran across LODO stuff, I wanted to find a few such beers to try, to see if it was worth doing. Well, so much for that. No idea where you'd even start to look.

So I concluded the only way to test it was to try to do it, so I began to systematically, as best I could, implement elements of LODO brewing. That included the mill which--even if it turns out not to matter--is still a hell of a mill.

To this point--and I've been playing with this for almost a year now--it's clear to me there is an effect, and it does make the malt flavors pop. I've brewed one beer doing this I'd consider almost mystical, an Amber that had wine drinkers setting down their stemmed glassware, picking up pint glasses, and having multiple refills. Don't ask me if I've been able to reproduce it yet. Close, but no socks being knocked off.

And there is apparently an oxidation effect some can perceive and others not.

If I ever get to where I feel I've nailed what LODO is, I'll invite you over to see if you think it's all some say it's cracked up to be.
 
JONNYROTTEN said:
Interesting. Ya hear something new everyday in the homebrew world. I wonder how many homebrewers are milling in a Nitrogen purged environment...Me thinks not many.
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If you mill right beforehand I imagine its similar to grinding coffee just prior to brewing. Theres a noticeable flavor difference than if you try to store it for a few weeks/months. A nitrogen flush setup would be the way to go.

Is that SS Brewtech mill legit or a joke? I seriously can’t tell.
 
The 2 roller monster mill has been great for me. I see no reason to go to a 3 roller. I use the hell out of it, buy my base malts by the 50# bag, and I typically see high 80's in efficiency. A good old dewalt or similar cordless drill works perfectly fine if you don't want to go full bore with a stand and motor (you can add that later if desired). Put all that extra cost into grain, hops and yeast.
 
wilserbrewer said:
Corona mill a lot slower? Not my experience exactly....say a corona mill takes 5-6 minutes on a 30 lb grain bill vs 3 minutes on a 3 roller? If set up on a stand that’s 3 minutes that you are doing something else anyway....

I have a kegco 3 roller aka mm exact copy and a corona....they both produce a very nice crush.

Yes, the 3 roll leaves the husk slightly more intact, but I have yet to actually meet the bogeyman of torn husk fearmongering lol, they both work darn well
Click to expand...
Shredded husks have never been an issue for my beer either, but it's something some people are concerned about. As for speed, I use a Corona and my drill doesn't have enough torque to turn it, so I hand crank that sucker. Halving my crush time would be a significant time saver whenever I brew. If it's motorized, I imagine it's not as big a deal unless you're using a drill that can't be locked so you have to hold the trigger down until it's finished, but if we're talking about the absolute best mill as OP asked, being faster is a distinct upgrade.
 
I have the Millar's Pilot Mill and love it. It breaks down easily to store in it's own bucket, it mills smoothly and easily enough to hand grind. And it's very pretty.
 
Simphoto02 said:
Not talking the "For the money you can't beat it" Grain mill. For a home brewer, what is the best grain mill, at any price, and Why?
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I'll sell you mine for $999.99. Free shipping.

J/K, if this thing every stops working I'll replace with MM3. But unfortunately Jack Schmidling made this MaltMill to last my lifetime.

 
passedpawn said:
I'll sell you mine for $999.99. Free shipping.

J/K, if this thing every stops working I'll replace with MM3. But unfortunately Jack Schmidling made this MaltMill to last my lifetime.

Click to expand...

#metoo. I only wish Jack had offered the adjustable Maltmill 20 years ago when I bought mine, or if he did offer it then I wish I'd had the foresight to buy it as this thing will surely outlive me and I am too cheap to buy another while this mill works so well. The only reason I want an adjustable is sometimes I do BIAB and I want a fine crush but for non-BIAB the crush from this is about perfect for me.
SCfsrzl.png
 
beernutz said:
#metoo. I only wish Jack had offered the adjustable Maltmill 20 years ago when I bought mine, or if he did offer it then I wish I'd had the foresight to buy it as this thing will surely outlive me and I am too cheap to buy another while this mill works so well. The only reason I want an adjustable is sometimes I do BIAB and I want a fine crush but for non-BIAB the crush from this is about perfect for me.
SCfsrzl.png
Click to expand...

Ghetto and I like it. I have been meaning to do what you did there with the bin. One of these days...
 
Just got a MM2 and it's ready to go but I've not used it yet other than to test it out. Very well built and should last a very long time.
I still have a 6 year old Barley Crusher that is showing it's age but no doubt I got my money's worth out of it. I'm hoping the MM2 will last me at least twice that long. I really didn't want to spend the money but in the end, I rationalized that I deserved it and that's that!
 
I used a hand crank grist mill for years until I bought a Cereal Killer mill and put my drill on it. Awesome investment and my efficiency went up considerably.
 
passedpawn said:
That's a 3D CAD drawing.
Click to expand...

Its a design with aesthetics in mind. Something Brewtech seems to excel at compared to the competition. Hopefully it will have more than visual appeal when released.
 
SEndorf said:
Years ago I bought a Barley Crusher Malt Mill. It's the only one I've purchased so I don't have a comparison. Still works perfectly.
I've read that the gap will slip on some of the cheaper ones.
I did eventually motorize it because I could never get a consistent RPM with the drill. (I'm puzzled why they still come with a hand crank)
Click to expand...
The barley crusher IS the one to stay away from due to the rollers wearing out very quickly.
I'm sorry to inform you of this but be prepared to have this issue if you have one and use it on a regular basis.

OP its the one brand of mill I would avoid.
 
I love my Cereal Killer mill. It works great, hand crank or drill, and was a great price. They should go on sale around the holidays, so keep your eyes on it if that is what you want to get. Great effiency boost over Homebrew stores crush.

Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Home Brew mobile app
 
augiedoggy said:
The barley crusher IS the one to stay away from due to the rollers wearing out very quickly.
I'm sorry to inform you of this but be prepared to have this issue if you have one and use it on a regular basis.

OP its the one brand of mill I would avoid.
Click to expand...

Where did you find this information? I have not been able to find any reviews or data indicating the rollers "wear out very quickly".
As mentioned, mine has worked well for several years. Consistent gap. No slippage.
 
SEndorf said:
Where did you find this information? I have not been able to find any reviews or data indicating the rollers "wear out very quickly".
As mentioned, mine has worked well for several years. Consistent gap. No slippage.
Click to expand...
google it also do a search here for "mill rollers stopped turning" or "mill issues" you will find 99% of the many many threads and reviews complaining of this as well as the horrible execution of the lifetime warranty are from the barley crusher mill.. sorry. the rollers are very soft and the bushings get contaminated with grain dust wearing them out.

heres some results from a quick google search.. there as many many more.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...ay-this-common-to-single-roller-mills.508830/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/barley-crusher-fail.585539/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/problem-with-a-barley-crusher.415699/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/barley-crusher-issue.134764/
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=6774.0
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/grain-mill-stopped-working.654248/
https://www.google.com/search?q=bar...IMKHTtQCoIQrQIoBDABegQIBBAM&biw=1920&bih=1064
There are literally like 4 google pages of results on this from homebrewtalk alone

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/t/barley-crusher-not-catching/3831
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=30893.0
http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=75729
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=22431.0

at least a superior replacement is only $99
 
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