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

[augiedoggy]

On this forum, we prefer vendor reviews be made in the Company Reviews area (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/forums/company-reviews.173/). In there, we do moderate to eliminate bashing by people that don't have first-person reviews. We never remove those actual first-person reviews though.

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Sounds completely fair.
all my years here I never even knew there was such a section, since I always see reviews posted in the equipment section. I never even thought to look elsewhere.. good to know.

When I first saw this thread I actually thought I was in the equipment section..

 

[day_trippr]

There are lots of threads that converge on the same complaint with the BC folks. Couple soft rollers and a lifetime warranty apparently written on a sheet of Unobtainium it's not all that surprising.

That said, frankly I felt I got adequate service out of my BC (which compared to many was exceptional). I was prepared to either give it away or recycle it, but discovering the mill appears to perform as good as new with the rollers reversed and capable of dealing with hard wheat was a bonus. I can leave the CK mill gap set for .033" for all my barley needs, and the BC gap set to .025" for when I need to grind some wheat (which I don't use a lot of). Should get extra life out of the CK.

btw, it only takes 10 minutes or so to reconfigure the BC for reverse rotation. Anyone dealing with a balky BC using the bucket mount and a reversible drill should give that a try...

Cheers!

 

[Soulshine2]

that is the keg king branded cereal killer... same mill as a cereal killer and kegco. just sold without the base.

I like it a lot. Occasionally I run cracked corn through it too,on its widest opening. Only thing it wont do is full kernel corn.

 

[Saunassa]

I almost bought one of the cheap Mills on amazing but after reading some posts bought a Hull Wrecker from NB the beginning of June. Appears to be a rebadged CK and worked well, works better when I adjust rollers parallel. Thanks guys!

 

[LeeH]

I’m loving my Millars Mill, it’s so well made and makes light work of a sack of grain.

 

[augiedoggy]

I almost bought one of the cheap Mills on amazing but after reading some posts bought a Hull Wrecker from NB the beginning of June. Appears to be a rebadged CK and worked well, works better when I adjust rollers parallel. Thanks guys!

The Hull Wrecker, Cerial killer , kegco, King King malt munchier, Evil twin, SubYaque, Ferroday (and more) all use the same ball bearing chinese base mill with different options/wooden bases and in some cases handles and hoppers.. They are all rebadges but the cereal killer brand was the first to hit the market. InBev decided they wanted in on the rebranding action and sell thier own store branded versions of a lot of what they already sell for a bit more.
some of these mills advertise carbon steel rollers or stainless rollers but they do appear to all be manufactured by the same company however I am not 100% sure on the last 2 amazon finds in the list.

 

[Soulshine2]

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.

thats really all any homebrewer needs right there. simple and it works.a quality drill motor (corded or battery) runs the mill just fine as long as you're not trying to crush whole grain corn. no need to hook a 1 hp capacitor start motor to the mill.

 

[Amadeo38]

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this discussion. I was able to sell my well-used barley crusher today for $60. I then turned around and bought a brand new cereal killer from Austin homebrew supply for $87 shipped. Excited to give a comparison review in a few weeks, although it won’t be entirely fair given that I was starting to lose efficiency from the BC (went from typical BH efficiency of 75-80 down to 65-70).

 

[johngg123]

thats really all any homebrewer needs right there. simple and it works.a quality drill motor (corded or battery) runs the mill just fine as long as you're not trying to crush whole grain corn. no need to hook a 1 hp capacitor start motor to the mill.

Any issues with crush at that speed? I mean attaching a fancy low RPM motor would help the crush over a full speed drill right?

I feel like a common thing missing from all these posts about mill reviews is how they are attached to a drill or motor. Are they being run at high rpm or low rpm? Does that affect longevity?

 

[Soulshine2]

Any issues with crush at that speed? I mean attaching a fancy low RPM motor would help the crush over a full speed drill right?

I feel like a common thing missing from all these posts about mill reviews is how they are attached to a drill or motor. Are they being run at high rpm or low rpm? Does that affect longevity?

I use a Ridgid 1/2 inch (2 speed)drill driver attached to my mills drive shaft. I run it at the lowest speed ,but I mill twice. Ive read where guys are all about rpms and itll heat up the grain if its too fast....it passes the rollers once, it cant generate that much heat. I hit my number consistently and theyre always spot on,occasionally theyre slightly higher ,so my efficiency is just fine. I dont spend high amounts of money on something that works if i dont need to.
"if it aint broke, no need to fix it" approach.
I also try to not overthink a simple 5 minute process.

 

[mongoose33]

Any issues with crush at Pthat speed? I mean attaching a fancy low RPM motor would help the crush over a full speed drill right?

I feel like a common thing missing from all these posts about mill reviews is how they are attached to a drill or motor. Are they being run at high rpm or low rpm? Does that affect longevity?

This is actually the main reason why I went with a MM3 and the All-American Aleworks motor. That is, it operates at 180 rpm, which is a fairly slow crush.

If you run a drill too fast, you'll create heat, which is not good for the grain, and you'll create flour. The former oxidizes flavors, the latter, by creating tiny pieces, greatly increases the surface area of the crushed grain, exposing much more to, you guessed it, oxidation.

I used to use a Barley Crusher (no jeers, please, I sold it) with a drill. The drill just didn't have enough torque to keep the mill turning at a slow speed. To get it going I had to run it fast, and it would bog down.

Now, that doesn't mean a larger-capacity drill wouldn't have worked. But I had no way to assess nor set the RPM, and since I was aiming for the slow speed, the choice of motor seemed a reasonable one.

I'm not saying a drill can't be used. Heck, I used one. But it's a tough way to achieve a low-rpm crush and have enough torque to handle that.

 

[Amadeo38]

I'm not saying a drill can't be used. Heck, I used one. But it's a tough way to achieve a low-rpm crush and have enough torque to handle that.

That’s why I’m going with the China Freight low-speed, high torque drill with the trigger lock. Might go grab it today so I’m ready for when my CK arrives!

 

[augiedoggy]

same here as far as speed... went with a 170rpm motor because of dust, as well as reading it would result in better milling, the slower speed makes it more likely to keep grabbing and crushing which I was concerned about if the rollers eventually wear.

 

[Nate R]

That’s why I’m going with the China Freight low-speed, high torque drill with the trigger lock. Might go grab it today so I’m ready for when my CK arrives!

+ 1 to this... remember to 20% off coupon!! Lol. Heck you might even find a 25%!!
I zip tied the trigger all the way in. Max rpm is, iirc, 500rpm. Wired it up to a cheap dimmer switch. Start it slow, dump grain, let ir catch, then dial it to about 1/3 on or so. Roughly i figure i get about 200 rpn or less. I listen to the grain for the sweet spot.
I bet i am doing damage to the drill... but for the 15# i do every other month... i can get away with it.
I will post pics soon. Gonna brew again as soon as i can.

 

[Amadeo38]

+ 1 to this... remember to 20% off coupon!! Lol. Heck you might even find a 25%!!
I zip tied the trigger all the way in. Max rpm is, iirc, 500rpm. Wired it up to a cheap dimmer switch. Start it slow, dump grain, let ir catch, then dial it to about 1/3 on or so. Roughly i figure i get about 200 rpn or less. I listen to the grain for the sweet spot.
I bet i am doing damage to the drill... but for the 15# i do every other month... i can get away with it.
I will post pics soon. Gonna brew again as soon as i can.

I just picked up the drill. It smoked on first firing it up (literally firing it up, I guess) but then went away after letting it run for a minute.

I don’t think I would ever put a dimmer switch on it, as that seems like a sure way to kill it even quicker. Rather, I think I will ziptie the trigger to where it produces the correct RPM then kill the power with a surge strip for turning it on/off.

What’s the consensus on starting the motor with the hopper full of grain versus empty? My assumption is to start the motor with the hopper empty, then pour in the grains. That’s how we did it at the LHBS.

 

[Smellyglove]

I just picked up the drill. It smoked on first firing it up (literally firing it up, I guess) but then went away after letting it run for a minute.

I don’t think I would ever put a dimmer switch on it, as that seems like a sure way to kill it even quicker. Rather, I think I will ziptie the trigger to where it produces the correct RPM then kill the power with a surge strip for turning it on/off.

What’s the consensus on starting the motor with the hopper full of grain versus empty? My assumption is to start the motor with the hopper empty, then pour in the grains. That’s how we did it at the LHBS.

If you don't have enough torque for a full hopper start up, then start empty, that's basically the only reason I can come up with.

For the smoking it was probably just dust.

 

[Smellyglove]

Here's my future setup, except power connectors and cables. It's still in the building.
Waiting for the power connectors, (will build the cable setup you see are 2 loose ends on the motor tomorrow) going for powercon for AC IN and some lockable waterproof 2-pin connector for DC OUT which looked good on Aliexpress), also waiting for the hopper, although a PET bottle fits into the hole, with cut of bottom, but that wouldn't hold enough for my liking and doesn't look stellar.

Mattmill with 70mm rollers, an (cheapest possible) OEM windshield wiper motor which is insanely strong. I can't hold the axle back/stop it no matter how hard I try with my hand. The switch is for normal operation (roller forward), "off", and also flipping the polarity of the DC-power (reversing the roller) so I can get my totally pancaked and molested finger back If I ever would be so stupid to poke it down between the rollers.

Will probably mount both units onto a board which will sit on top of a fermentation bucket which I'll mill into. The whole thing will be just as wide as the opening of the bucket.

I love the compact size of it. The motor is also very low RPM, I don't know exactly how many revolutions.

 

[augiedoggy]

Here's my future setup, except power connectors and cables. It's still in the building.
Waiting for the power connectors, (will build the cable setup you see are 2 loose ends on the motor tomorrow) going for powercon for AC IN and some lockable waterproof 2-pin connector for DC OUT which looked good on Aliexpress), also waiting for the hopper, although a PET bottle fits into the hole, with cut of bottom, but that wouldn't hold enough for my liking and doesn't look stellar.

Mattmill with 70mm rollers, an (cheapest possible) OEM windshield wiper motor which is insanely strong. I can't hold the axle back/stop it no matter how hard I try with my hand. The switch is for normal operation (roller forward), "off", and also flipping the polarity of the DC-power (reversing the roller) so I can get my totally pancaked and molested finger back If I ever would be so stupid to poke it down between the rollers.

Will probably mount both units onto a board which will sit on top of a fermentation bucket which I'll mill into. The whole thing will be just as wide as the opening of the bucket.

I love the compact size of it. The motor is also very low RPM, I don't know exactly how many revolutions.

View attachment 637569

If thats just a stock wiper motor the rpm will be about 60... it should work but your going to want a huge hopper because it will take you a very long time to mill I just replaced the wiper motor in my dodge truck someone pul a plastic drink cup at the base of my windshield which got wedged in between the hood and motor arm stripped the gearbox..

 

[Smellyglove]

If thats just a stock wiper motor the rpm will be about 60... it should work but your going to want a huge hopper because it will take you a very long time to mill I just replaced the wiper motor in my dodge truck someone pul a plastic drink cup at the base of my windshield which got wedged in between the hood and motor arm stripped the gearbox..

60 RPM sounds perfect. I can brew another batch while one is in the mill

Why would I need a bigger hopper than if the mill would be faster?

Anyway, I'm getting the stock hopper for that mill, and it holds close to nothing, So i have to fill it up a few times.

Edit: According to the information from the manufacturer, it will take me about 30 minutes to mill a 1.100+ beer. Hoho! With several resupplies of the hopper. Gonna see if I can extend the hopper.

 

[Dland]

Anyone having trouble using a drill, you just have the wrong drill. I use a 1/2 variable speed Milwaukee. Not a cheep drill, but the one I used for 30 years at work and shop shorted its trigger recently, and I got another drill just like it on ebay for around $60, and since have found replacement switch for old one, so I have a dedicated brewing one. I can mill as slowly as I want without laboring the drill.

Handy to have around if you need to drill a truck frame or railroad ties too.

 

[Nate R]

I just picked up the drill. It smoked on first firing it up (literally firing it up, I guess) but then went away after letting it run for a minute.

I don’t think I would ever put a dimmer switch on it, as that seems like a sure way to kill it even quicker. Rather, I think I will ziptie the trigger to where it produces the correct RPM then kill the power with a surge strip for turning it on/off.

What’s the consensus on starting the motor with the hopper full of grain versus empty? My assumption is to start the motor with the hopper empty, then pour in the grains. That’s how we did it at the LHBS.

Yeah that is what i do, too. Having the dimmer switch helps me start at a slow rpm, let the grinders catch the grain, then bump it up a bit once it's full.

This thing does NOT look pretty (used misc scrap parts i had) but she came in cheap!
You can see in pic 2 how i used the screw hole for the handle to apply to the wooden base. It was metric.

 

[augiedoggy]

Here's my future setup, except power connectors and cables. It's still in the building.
Waiting for the power connectors, (will build the cable setup you see are 2 loose ends on the motor tomorrow) going for powercon for AC IN and some lockable waterproof 2-pin connector for DC OUT which looked good on Aliexpress), also waiting for the hopper, although a PET bottle fits into the hole, with cut of bottom, but that wouldn't hold enough for my liking and doesn't look stellar.

Mattmill with 70mm rollers, an (cheapest possible) OEM windshield wiper motor which is insanely strong. I can't hold the axle back/stop it no matter how hard I try with my hand. The switch is for normal operation (roller forward), "off", and also flipping the polarity of the DC-power (reversing the roller) so I can get my totally pancaked and molested finger back If I ever would be so stupid to poke it down between the rollers.

Will probably mount both units onto a board which will sit on top of a fermentation bucket which I'll mill into. The whole thing will be just as wide as the opening of the bucket.

I love the compact size of it. The motor is also very low RPM, I don't know exactly how many revolutions.

View attachment 637569

I had to chuckle because I got a new wiper motor for my truck yesterday and it looks identical to the one pictured above... if it works well you cant beat the price.

 

[LeeH]

Did anybody find out what happens to Millars? That was some seriously well made mill.

 

[Smellyglove]

I had to chuckle because I got a new wiper motor for my truck yesterday and it looks identical to the one pictured above... if it works well you cant beat the price.

There's now a few people from my local forum using this motor afaik, so I guess it works

The setup is built, but I'm not able to brew for a while so I can't test it myself.

 

[Vale71]

There's now a few people from my local forum using this motor afaik, so I guess it works

The setup is built, but I'm not able to brew for a while so I can't test it myself.

I have the same mill as you have but I made the mistake of buying the original MattMill DC motor for it. It only worked for about half a batch and then the plastic gears in the drive train got destroyed... Pity, because I did get a really fine crush for the 10 minutes it worked. Now MattMill is claiming you cannot use this without setting a huge gap in the mill which will barely crush the grain. No thanks...

 

[Smellyglove]

I have the same mill as you have but I made the mistake of buying the original MattMill DC motor for it. It only worked for about half a batch and then the plastic gears in the drive train got destroyed... Pity, because I did get a really fine crush for the 10 minutes it worked. Now MattMill is claiming you cannot use this without setting a huge gap in the mill which will barely crush the grain. No thanks...

What?! They claim you can't use the motor, which is selected by the producer of the mills, unless you go wide gap? That's ridiculous.

I didn't get it with the original motor only because they are not sold with motors where I got it from. I can see if I can find the OEM-number for the wiper-motor I use if you'd like. It's just an OEM-motor.

 

[Vale71]

I think the original motor is a Mercedes part. Probably from a truck as it was 24V.
I just threw the motor in the trash as I didn't have time to fight for a refund. I'm quite sure they would have claimed improper gap adjustment, I would have claimed that a motor that can generate X amount of torque must not disassemble itself if asked to do just that and we would have argued endlessly. These bug wiper motors are clearly capable of generating much more torque than is actually needed for the operations they are intended for, hence the plastic gears in the transmission.
Now they're offering a 220V motor with all-metal drive train and claim it can operate with a gap as small as 1.0mm (I currently use 1.1mm) but it's too expensive to risk it actually breaking apart... On the other hand SS Brewtech just came out with their own super-sexy fully integrated motorized mill and that is quite tempting, although ridiculously expensive. Decisions, decisions....

 

[augiedoggy]

Well like I mentioned above my wiper motor in my truck (97 dodge) which looks identical to the one above in my truck had gear failure because a plastic cup was wedged in my cowl area under my hood stopped the wiper arm from moving.. the cup was stronger than the gears in the motor.

 

[Smellyglove]

Now I'm curious about if mine will fail. I know some people who has used this for quite some time. But, they use it with smaller rollers, which is easier on the motor.

 

[Vale71]

I would in any case at the very least refrain from milling wheat malt with it.
Personally, I've come to the conclusion (the hard way) that these motors are at best a stop-gap measure...

 

[bracconiere]

I just picked up the drill. It smoked on first firing it up (literally firing it up, I guess) but then went away after letting it run for a minute.

I don’t think I would ever put a dimmer switch on it, as that seems like a sure way to kill it even quicker. Rather, I think I will ziptie the trigger to where it produces the correct RPM then kill the power with a surge strip for turning it on/off.

What’s the consensus on starting the motor with the hopper full of grain versus empty? My assumption is to start the motor with the hopper empty, then pour in the grains. That’s how we did it at the LHBS.

i got the one with the varible speed lock trigger.....

 

[Smellyglove]

I would in any case at the very least refrain from milling wheat malt with it.
Personally, I've come to the conclusion (the hard way) that these motors are at best a stop-gap measure...

I'm gonna load it up with a hefe-grist as soon as I get the chance to do so, and the next batch, and probably the third batch too. If it breaks down I want to know it as fast as possible if this is rubbish so I can upgrade.

Heck. Even if I know I''ll not be brewing for a while I'll get some wheatmalt from a friend of mine and just test it.

 

[Vale71]

You into SM much?

 

[Smellyglove]

You into SM much?

I'm into Hefeweizen much.

 

[Smellyglove]

Better to test it while not brewing, than to have it fail while trying to brew.

 

[jrgtr42]

I'm sort of looking into getting a mill.
Not looking to spend a ton for the 4 - 6 batches a year I do.
I got an email from Austin Homebrew with one called the Crop Duster.
Anyone have any experience with this one or any opinions?
Sale for $80, normally $90. Is it worth the extra 20 or so bucks for the Cereal Killer? I don't think I can swing the Malt Muncher past SWMBO.

 

[Nate R]

I'm sort of looking into getting a mill.
Not looking to spend a ton for the 4 - 6 batches a year I do.
I got an email from Austin Homebrew with one called the Crop Duster.
Anyone have any experience with this one or any opinions?
Sale for $80, normally $90. Is it worth the extra 20 or so bucks for the Cereal Killer? I don't think I can swing the Malt Muncher past SWMBO.

Crop Duster? I think it is worth it just for the name!
I do not have any experience with either, sorry.
Keep an eye on Northern Brewer and their occasional 20% off... I also like it 'cause there's no sales tax for me.

 

[day_trippr]

First I've read of that model mill. Interestingly it's engraved with "Malt Master" - and is being sold as such elsewhere.

The mill doesn't look bad at all. The side plates are considerably thicker than many of the consumer grade mills out there, the knobs for the adjustment lock-downs are an upgrade from winged screws, and the adjusters have engraved references that may be handy once the marks are correlated against a feeler gauge.

No mention of bearings vs bushings. Or if the drive shaft is suitable for motorization. And is type 304 stainless steel harder than cold rolled carbon steel?

Cheers!

 

[NGD]

Crop Duster? I think it is worth it just for the name!
I do not have any experience with either, sorry.
Keep an eye on Northern Brewer and their occasional 20% off... I also like it 'cause there's no sales tax for me.

I wanna know that hat trick.

Crop Duster is almost as bad a name as the Soylent food company. Keep expecting to see www.theonion.com at the top of the page

 

[augiedoggy]

the stainless rollers are great if your going to condition your grain first.. otherwise its softer and will wear faster but with only beng used 6-8 times a year you dont have to worry about wear. otherwise it looks pretty nice.. and the price is cheaper than the ones being sold under the original malt master name like here from affordable distilling.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Malt-Master-Grain-Mill-Brewing-and-Distilling-7lb-Capacity-/273788437839