LeeH
Well-Known Member
Can somebody else try contacting Millar? I’m trying to get this mill here before Xmas....
Thanks.
Thanks.
I understand what a pita it was to end up where you are now, but as a BC owner with ~3000 pounds through it I'm always looking over my shoulder wondering if the next batch will be the one that the BC starts with the sticking idler roller under 15 pounds of grain in the bin (I mill with the "Jaws" theme music in my head these days )
You had a carboy? You were privileged, I had the book, no carboys...I was using recycled buckets w/ make shift airlocks....a carboy, and Charlie P's book? !
Jeeze, I came away with a completely different impression wrt that millmaster mill. I think the concept (adjustable gear driven rollers) is a winner from the jump (I've always wondered why that hadn't been done before) and I don't have a problem with bushings as long as they're appropriately sized and good grade.
Otherwise, I'd look for user testimonials to gain insight into actual performance. Could be something there. And I certainly wouldn't visit the sins of Monster on this mill. Slotted /= contoured flutes, and the failure to provide a concentric drive point is MM's mistake alone until demonstrated otherwise...
Cheers!
@JONNYROTTEN Malt oxidizes just like a cut apple gets brown. Here's a recent short writeup from Ron Smith of Foam Blowers of Indiana (FBI) brew club. Check out the pic of the 3 worts at the bottom. https://www.facebook.com/groups/FoamBlowersofIndiana/permalink/1776569752453894/
Thanks, it is definitely ghetto but also compact.
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I have used this Morebeer mill for 1.5 years and it works awsome!
Dump +\- 25 lbs of grains in the hopper, flip the switch and then grab a beer and check the temp of the strike water...
Some great info in here! But I am feeling a tad nostalgic on the holiday and i wondered if anyone remembers when we could actually brew great tasting beer with a pair of modified buckets, a re-purposed meat grinder, a borrowed canning pot, a carboy, and Charlie P's book? Oh well . . . Ya know my first all grain batch cost me about 45 bucks for gear and ingredients (Not counting that borrowed canning pot - thanks mom!) Now it appears it is difficult to brew a barely tolerable barley pop without a 1k dollar grain beater- upper! I must be getting old!~~` Anyway - Might have to get me one of them new ones from SS - if only for the cool factor!
So I've had the mill for going on eight years and brew 150~200 gallons each year.[...]
fwiw, I have had it slip occasionally over all those brews, but nothing pathological. Yet.[...]
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.
The OP asked what the best mill was and why, I dont think he was looking for a philosophical answer but hey now we have that base covered and your right I guess with that answer. But that question wasnt whether the mill is worth it or not and why, It was a question about which hardware performs better than others and why.I've had my barley crusher since the early 2000's. I can't say exactly how much grain it has milled but I go through a couple of sacks of base malt every year. It's outlasted 2 electric drills and I just recently motorized it. I take it apart and clean it occasionally but it is still kicking.
To answer the OP's question... any mill you get will be the best. Why? Because you don't have one yet and just having a mill of any sort puts you in control of your malt.
The OP asked what the best mill was and why, I dont think he was looking for a philosophical answer but hey now we have that base covered and your right I guess with that answer. But that question wasnt whether the mill is worth it or not and why, It was a question about which hardware performs better than others and why.
Fair enough, Sorry Kevin58 for my comment coming out like it was criticism on your post. It's more frustration at this point after reading what's likely been over a hundred complaints about the BC mill on this forum and then seeing it being praised as possibly the best home brewing mill followed by the any mill is the best mill comment which kind of discredits the whole thread discussion as I read it.Dude gave a recommendation for the barley crusher based on his own use. Seems on target to me.
My Schmidling MaltMill is on it's last legs. It did about 15 yrs of service, but has now fallen apart in every way. I wouldn't recommend it. I'm in the market for a new one.
I can't answer the original question, but I've seen about a thousand mill reviews in my time on this forum and it looks like the Monster Mill (2 or 3 roller) is the safest bet. It's not the cheapest. I don't know if the 3rd roller is necessary, and can't assess the value of the hardened steel option for a home user.
I've seen lots of problems with the barley crusher.
... I also use a 3 roller kegco/keg king mill at the brewpub, we brew every week milling anywhere from 3 to 5 sacks worth a week...
Fyi they are both made by the same Chinese manufacturer for those who dont know this. The kegco 2 roller is the CK without the base. The kegco /keg king mills are also sold under at least 3 different brand names including the malt munchie by William's brewing and the others I cant call the proper name brand of off the top of my head but the pricing is all over the place..I've had my 3 roller Kegco for about 3yrs. It's a good product, well made. It has never given me any problems. It works now just like it did when it was brand new. I'm glad I bought it when I did, because the price on them has gone up considerably. They're now ~$200 (does not include shipping).
The Cereal Killer is ~$100 (which includes shipping). It also has a great reputation for being reliable.
Even though I own the Kegco, I recommend the Cereal Killer as the best value on the market.
Fair enough, Sorry Kevin58 for my comment coming out like it was criticism on your post. It's more frustration at this point after reading what's likely been over a hundred complaints about the BC mill on this forum and then seeing it being praised as possibly the best home brewing mill followed by the any mill is the best mill comment which kind of discredits the whole thread discussion as I read it.
I am having some difficulties with the MM3 losing gap while crushing. It's a PITA when this happens as the hopper has to be removed to be able to measure the gap. I tighten those wing screws pretty tight (using pliers until I am scared I might break the screw) but sometimes it will still move during the crush. Anyone else having similar problems?
If you're losing gap it's cause you need to readjust the rollers so that the adjustable roller is coming up from underneath the drive roller when you set the gap, otherwise it will move when milling. It's very confusing but I finally got it sorted out when I got my first MM mill years back. Here's the response from Fred that explains it. If it's still not making sense I've linked the thread which will help to understand it more - most info is on page 2. Btw, don't overtighten the adjustment screws or you could strip the base.
"All the hex head bolts allow you to do is overtighten the bolt, and ruin the threads in the frame. If you make sure that the adjustable roller is coming up from UNDERNEATH the drive roller on both ends when you set the gap, then the thumbscrews should hold. There is TWO positions of the adjustable roller where you can set the same gap, one with the roller coming down from above, and one with it coming up from underneath. If you notice the thumbscrews are OFFSET from the centerline of the knob. they are below the knob centerline. If you imagine the grain pressing against the knob trying to turn it while you are milling, you can see that the thumbscrew will either get pressed against or pulled away from the knob when milling depending on how you set the gap. We have found that the gap should hold with the thumbscrews are finger tight if the gap is set such that the roller is coming up from underneath the drive roller when setting the gap. To state it another way, the gap should get smaller when you turn the knob on the drive shaft side of the mill clockwise."
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/adjusting-monster-mill-2-0.375038/
Rev.
I think I got it set right now and will see if it holds position next brew finger tightened only.
For what it's worth, I do a little more than finger tighten but not much. I take pliers, grip the flat head, and give it a little more of a tighten, like 1/16th of a turn. Been fine doing this, just don't gorilla arm it.
Rev.
its possible, but if you do a search here for grain mill issues or problems, you will find many many threads going back years with people like yooper even commenting she had nothing but issues and had to sent the mill back multiple times for new rollers. most of the components for the BC are made in china but ironically the rollers which have the issue of being made of a soft metal.Seems to me that the people with the best recommendations for the BC have been using it for a LONG time, i.e., they bought it many years ago. More recent ones seem to be less robust, which implies to me that they've changed something in either the metal or the machining. Or both.
That would account for what seems to be inconsistencies in the recommendations for the BC.
its possible, but if you do a search here for grain mill issues or problems, you will find many many threads going back years with people like yooper even commenting she had nothing but issues and had to sent the mill back multiple times for new rollers. most of the components for the BC are made in china but ironically the rollers which have the issue of being made of a soft metal.
yes I remember one of those threads were people stated they sent their mills in for the lifetime warranty and never got them back. I actually did a search here and on google once for grain mill issues and problems and like 90% of everthing I could find was concerning the BC that means either they sold way more mills than any other homebrewing grain mill maker or they truly have a serious flaw as I see it.. I rememeber posting the links to warn a couple members here that posted they were going to buy them, they basically told me I had too much time on my hands and made fun of me but about 6 months later I caught one of those same members giving the same advice not to buy the BC to people in a kegco mill thread so..Not to mention that the proprieter of Barley Crusher has seemingly dropped off the planet, gone into Witness Protection, or something like that. Seriously, there's a thread around here dedicated to the frustration numerous people have had in their attempts to contact that guy for customer service. That in itself speaks volumes. I'd avoid BC like the plague.
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?
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-2-...rs+grain+mill&qid=1560774408&s=gateway&sr=8-7Not 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?
that is the keg king branded cereal killer... same mill as a cereal killer and kegco. just sold without the base.https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-2-...rs+grain+mill&qid=1560774408&s=gateway&sr=8-7
this is pretty much what I have. I brew on average once a month. I run it with a cordless drill driver on the torque setting and have had no problems with it.
yes I remember one of those threads were people stated they sent their mills in for the lifetime warranty and never got them back. I actually did a search here and on google once for grain mill issues and problems and like 90% of everthing I could find was concerning the BC that means either they sold way more mills than any other homebrewing grain mill maker or they truly have a serious flaw as I see it.. I rememeber posting the links to warn a couple members here that posted they were going to buy them, they basically told me I had too much time on my hands and made fun of me but about 6 months later I caught one of those same members giving the same advice not to buy the BC to people in a kegco mill thread so..
heres some old threads showing the issue goes back years.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/barley-crusher-customer-service.297352/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/barley-crusher-problem.124846/#post-1392595
Off topic**There were a few instances in the past where I posted comments re some vendor and had posters respond defensively, as if anyone in the brew supplies business were something sacred. I even had one response to the effect of, "those guys are supporting this site...don't bad-mouth them." I don't see that around here much anymore as I think people are more aware of getting value for their money, and brewing isn't a cheap hobby.
I will also post positive reviews when a vendor impresses me, and have done so many times. I try to be fair and will give credit where credit is due.
Bottom line...I'm a consumerist. No one else is looking after my interests, so I do it myself. If I don't get my money's worth, or I get attitude and frustration from someone I just dropped a bunch of $$ on, I sound off. I'm also a bit of a Darwinist. It's a crowded field, and I don't mind if some of the less customer-focused enterprises shake out.
Off topic**
On many forums, speaking ill or even stating some fact about a supporting vendor is not allowed. I was temporarily suspended from a popular corvette forum once for pointing out that a particular vendor was selling the exact same chinese sidepipes that were available on ebay for $750 shipped which I owned, only they were marking them up to almost $1800... I knew a guy them bought them and we discovered they were one and the same. didnt matter.. I was told the forum existed for the revenue generated by the sponsors and not the members best interests in a very matter of fact fashion.
At least here we all get the choice of being a supporting member to earn the same respect as the vendors and keep things honest.
I also had my posts deleted about my 3bbl system being from the same manufacturer as stout gets them from on probrewer which I felt was shady. Especially since sungood machinery where I got them is also a probrewer forum sponsor. I never entioned anything about cost as it was purely a hardware oriented comment pertaining to the false bottom
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