Hopper design for Crankandstein?

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LaC - Brew

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Fanø, Denmark
Hi.

Just got the Crankandstein 3D before christmas,:rockin: and got a nice drilling machine for christmas, that is originally ment to be used for mixing cement and concrete. So its slow and strong.

I'm now trying to design a hopper for the mill and have been looking around for a good design. What i would prefer is somethin that will fit easily on top of a 30 liter bucket. And with this design I'll have to fit the mill and the drilling machine on the topside of a plate, that will rest on the bucket when milling.

One thing I've noticed in the different designs I've found, is that there is a difference in how wide people make the hole in the hopper, right where the malt enters the mill. What would be the optimal size of this hole?

:mug:

Regards.
Lars.
 
I'm kind of partial to the Barley Crusher design. Try to replicate that. Sorry, couldn't resist. ;)

FYI - the BC's hopper is wide open all the way across the rollers.

barleycrushers.jpg
 
I wouldn't recommend anything other than a 5 gallon water jug. Quick, easy, and convenient. That's what I use with my 3 roller.
 
Lil' Sparky said:
I'm kind of partial to the Barley Crusher design. Try to replicate that. Sorry, couldn't resist. ;)

He. :) It' ok... Thank You for the answer.
Lil' Sparky said:
FYI - the BC's hopper is wide open all the way across the rollers.

Yes. But how wide is it the other way? Thats where I've seen a difference. It must give a difference in how much malt is fed to the mill all acrossthe rollers?

Lars
 
mr x said:
I wouldn't recommend anything other than a 5 gallon water jug. Quick, easy, and convenient. That's what I use with my 3 roller.

This sounds easy made. :) Do you have a drawing or picture of this design. Especially how its designed where its attached to the mill.

Lars
 
I used a 5 gallon water bottle for mine. I mounted a piece of 2 x 4 on top of the mill into which a 2" hole is bored for the mouth of the jug. I also fashioned a gate valve out of the bottom plastic from the jug so that I can load up the hopper, start the motor, then release the grain. It helps keep the rollers from getting crowded.
 
Bobby_M said:
I also fashioned a gate valve out of the bottom plastic from the jug so that I can load up the hopper, start the motor, then release the grain. It helps keep the rollers from getting crowded.

This sounds clever. How did you do it?
I'm still trying to make up my mind on what type of design to choose.

Thankyou.

Lars.
 
I wish I took a picture of it before I assembled it. I'm too lazy to take it apart.

The gate is really just a rectangle of plastic with a oval slot cut in it at one end. I used four mirror hanging cleats (clear plastic brackets used to mount mirrors to walls) to hold this gate over the hole in 2x4 piece of wood. You slide this plastic back and forth to either line up the oval hole with the one in the 2x4 (to let grain drop) or slide it so solid plastic blocks the flow.
 
Bobby_M said:
I wish I took a picture of it before I assembled it. I'm too lazy to take it apart.

The gate is really just a rectangle of plastic with a oval slot cut in it at one end. I used four mirror hanging cleats (clear plastic brackets used to mount mirrors to walls) to hold this gate over the hole in 2x4 piece of wood. You slide this plastic back and forth to either line up the oval hole with the one in the 2x4 (to let grain drop) or slide it so solid plastic blocks the flow.

Thank You. I get the idea. :)

Lars
 
I just cut a slit in the bottle neck and insert a old credit card rounded at one end to make a good seal.
 
Hi

Just wanted to thank everyone for inspiration. I had to drop the idea with the water bottle, as they are quite hard to get hands on here in Denmark.

I made the hopper in MDF-plate. Here's what it came to look like with everything asembled. It will take 14.5 lb and mills 22 lb in 3½ minute.

CSHopper.jpg


There are many more photos in the gallery on my homepage, though text there is in danish. You can find it on this address: http://www.larchris.dk/tragt_til_crankandstein.htm
On this page theres also a few pictures of what the milled grain looks like. (A Pale malt and a Caramunich III).

Regards

Lars
 
mr x said:
Looks good. What gap are you using to crush?

A little less than 1 inch hole in the hopper if this is what you ask for?
And this seems perfect. I just fitted the foil around the mille, to avoid graindust all over my kitchen.

If its the setting on the mill, I turned it all the way out and turned in three steps for Pale malt. And one step back (wider gap) for Caramunich III

Lars
 
I don't have stops on mine, I use feeler gauges. I'm just guessing from your pic that you could crush finer.
 
mr x said:
I don't have stops on mine, I use feeler gauges. I'm just guessing from your pic that you could crush finer.

Thats right. I just felt that this crush was great. I got a effiency on 77.7 which I find fine, as we accidentially lost between 1 and 2 liters (1/4 - 1/2 Gal.) of wort as we were transfering it from the kettle to the lautertun. :(

Do You think it would get better with a finer crush?

Lars
 
Hard to say. That's good efficiency. I just didn't see much flour. I've found that I get the best results when I have a fair bit of visible flour.
 
Here is mine, a sipmle box with a piece of masonite, holds 25-30 lbs. There are more pics in my gallery.
11999-grainmill004.jpg
 
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