So I have 2 grain mills and they both suck you know what. I have a malt master 3 roller and I have another 3 roller no brand name with a giant motor on it which I bought from another brewer. I can't get them to grind properly the one with motor either blows through with out grinding anything or just spins. Pretty much same thing with the other one. I'm tempted to buy one of those flower mills. I'm currently trying to grind raw oats it just ain't working.
I hate grain mills
- Thread starter B-Rad13
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Did the one you bought new work at first? How much grain have you put through them? Do you have a sense of how many rpm you're trying for?
I take it they're both geared?
How do the knurls look? They can wear down, especially on harder grain.
I take it they're both geared?
How do the knurls look? They can wear down, especially on harder grain.
FloppyKnockers
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Sounds like you hate grain mill maintenance more than the mill itself. Try a full break-down and clean. If you can, flip the rollers around so they grab with the other side. It'll be like a new mill.
AdjunctBrewer
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Those homebrew mills won't work for the small kernel field grade oats that you've purchased.
The rollers are too small in diameter.
You'll need a large diameter roller mill (6"+) or a rotary mill (corona or even better a flour mill).
Generally speaking when purchasing that type of oat you might ask at the coop if they can grid it for you, though they may require a certain amount minimum. Same with field grade corn, wheat and barley. Coops will typically grind these and mix with alfalfa or timothy and molasses and vitamins for cows, horses, etc...
Find malting or seed grade oats and you might have better luck on the small diameter homebrew mills.
The rollers are too small in diameter.
You'll need a large diameter roller mill (6"+) or a rotary mill (corona or even better a flour mill).
Generally speaking when purchasing that type of oat you might ask at the coop if they can grid it for you, though they may require a certain amount minimum. Same with field grade corn, wheat and barley. Coops will typically grind these and mix with alfalfa or timothy and molasses and vitamins for cows, horses, etc...
Find malting or seed grade oats and you might have better luck on the small diameter homebrew mills.
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Do you have a feeler gauge? I don't have a 3 roller but have noticed gap sizes for those run above 0.040. I ask because I see a credit card sitting there and the gap is smaller than 0.040 usually for cards.
Also, as mentioned, give the rollers a good brushing with something like a softer metal brush.
Also, as mentioned, give the rollers a good brushing with something like a softer metal brush.
Snuffy
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I bought a 2-roller Mrbrew Malt Mill simply because I was bored and had $100 of Amazon gift cash to burn. Low expectations to say the least. Hand crank my 9 to16 lbs of grain for each batch. It's like squeak therapy cranking that thing. Anyway, in the 6 brews since, I have never missed an OG number. Usually exceed by 2 to 4 points. I can't even make myself connect a drill to it. It's like those lucky socks you gotta wear during the playoffs. Leave the holes in them. Don't wanna jinx it.
A typical gap for barley is around .025-.030 or so. A little tighter for wheat and rye. If you're crushing unmalted feed grain you'll need to experiment some.
Get a feeler gauge if you don't already have one. Auto parts stores usually carry them.
Get a feeler gauge if you don't already have one. Auto parts stores usually carry them.
I did clean it when I first bought it the used one with the motor. The one with motor doesn't have gears. So I am thinking about switching it with the other one which has gears.
No the motorized one is what I bought used and it has always had issues with everything. It is not geared. So I am going to try and switch them out.
I do things the hard way more often than not. And I've been very happy with my Corona mill over the last 13 years, despite chewing through two cordless drills and one set of brushes on the D-Handle drill currently running it.
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I happened to be at a doc appt when responding and the NP came into the exam room so I finished it later but I misread and thought you had said it was blowing the grains apart, not the mills just blow and are passing grain through or just spinning.
I looked up your Malt Master and it has gap settings on the dial. Your motorized mill looks like a Monster Mill hopper and a Monster Mill Homebrew 3 Roller. Did you use a wire brush on it when you cleaned the motorized mill? When my two roller wasn't working well, I wire brushed it. I'd say there was more material caught in there than I thought. It was not engaging, grains would not go through but the rollers would spin. It runs ok now but I did also spin the rollers. Another issue I had that would cause problems was that on my 2 roller, I have to adjust both ends of the roller. Sometimes one end is either loose or not well gapped exactly. This creates a Vee shaped gap between the two rollers and if I remember correctly, also leads to the roller just spinning and the grain bouncing back up. I am not sure if you need to adjust both ends on yours or even if so, whether it would create the same problem with a 3 roller mill. My two roller has two separate screws to set the gap. I did notice two knurled knobs on your motorized mill but have not adjusted one myself.
If you do pick up a feeler gauge set, make sure to wash as the set I got was practically dripping with oil.
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Your motor plate looks like the name Tuan Ji? and may say aleworks.com on the bottom of the plate? I don't think the guy that sold those is still selling motors but it seemed like the motor was sized right and people were generally favorable about performance.
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I didn't listen to this video but just watching it, it shows how to adjust the gap on both ends for a 3 roller Monster MIll.
I’ve been using a Cereal Killer for 3 years, gapped with a credit card and spun with a drill, no issues.
One thing to remember when setting the gap on a 3 roller,(monster mill) when turning the knob on the shaft end, you tighten the gap CLOCKWISE, then the opposite(non shaft end) end turn the adjuster COUNTER clockwise, otherwise, the 3rd roller large gap will be wider at one end than the other and the mill will jam and not feed...
I do the same thing as far as hand cranking it. I figure, that is my exercise for the day and then drinking a beer or three is ok. LOL. In all honesty, I feel I get a better grind doing it by hand. I know I am not right, but I justify it that way. LOL
Cereal Killer user as well. About 10 years old, never an issue. It’s one of those pieces of gear that I don’t even think about.
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The motorized one is missing set screws. It is a Monster Mill 3 or at least a copy of one. I have that mill. It is supposed to have wing nut set screws like the picture attached below. One time my mill was blowing through grain without crushing it, then would just spin, just like you said yours does. Found the problem was those set crews had come loose. Tightened them and fixed the problem. Without them the roller just moves over and opens or closes the gap. It’s a very nice mill. I love mine. I’m sure if you replace those you’ll love it too.
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The OP took the set screws off and they are on the cabinet top.
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Well damn. Maybe I jumped the gun. I didn’t notice that.
Most grain mill products offer the user a choice of how cheap they want to get one and how well it does the job. Or if it will last. My first grain mill was as cheap as they come, around $100 and after a year of service it has become a real pain in the butt. Adjusting and setting the gap is a chore and good luck having it work exactly as you want it. Basically - it was cheap and get the job done without much precision or repeatability or ease of operation.
Buy once - cry once. So ... On black Friday I ordered a discounted Spike grain mill which is still "on the way" but should arrive in the next 10 days I hope.
Yeah. It's expensive. But I am expecting it to last a lifetime. At my age ... That should happen. Haha.
Buy once - cry once. So ... On black Friday I ordered a discounted Spike grain mill which is still "on the way" but should arrive in the next 10 days I hope.
Yeah. It's expensive. But I am expecting it to last a lifetime. At my age ... That should happen. Haha.
I bought a used cereal killer off the classifieds, and other than having to replace the bearings it has been relatively problem free. Gap seems to stay consistent, and I motorized it so now I don't have to stand there with one hand on a drill and the other holding a bucket. It is only a two roller, and I have no experience with the three roller setups.
Snuffy
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Yeah. Cranking that thing, you can feel the crush going on thru the handle. Kind of an old-school throwback thing. Makes me feel like I should be wearing a newsboy hat and sock gaiters.
I love my Spike mill. Lots of thinking this one over before pulling the trigger. Thanks to all who posted on this topic.
ksmax
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I opted for the maltzilla for the ease of adjusting the gap for different grains. I then also found a reasonable set of pans to sift the grain to measure the grind. I have a #14, #30, #60 and a solid pan. I also have stainless steel balls that I place in each pan to aid in sifting the milled barley. 100 grams of 2 row and I am able to measure how much is in each pan. A quick search online will provide spreadsheets to calculate how course or fine the grind is.
Spike makes very nice stuff and Milwaukee is one of the best places on earth for engineers who invent stuff like the Spike mill. Some serious brain waves went into making that mill.
You are welcome, so how much was it? And which one did you get
Still waiting on it. Got it from Bobby_m who passed on a modest Spike black Friday discount. I got the smaller sized model which is perfect for my batch sizes.
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Make sure you order the Spike Mill Bucket Adapter with the Spike Home Mill. I actually ordered both the Bucket Adapter and the Spike Home Mill Table. I integrated the Bucket Adapter with the Table using a spring-loaded, 3D-printed "chunnel" (chute + funnel).
Snuffy
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If I owned that mill, I would have to paint flames on it. Or maybe a dragon on a pile of skulls. Awesome.
Fancy!
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It's a beauty and a beast.
I ordered a complete spare parts kit for my two Spike Flow Pumps yesterday. I asked Spike Customer Service what they'd recommend in terms of a spare parts kit for my Home Mill. Their answer ... nothing. Spike ran tens of thousands of pounds of grain through the Home Mill as part of the field trial. The field trial did result in a few design improvements, however, Spike's claim is that the resulting design and construction is bulletproof. I follow Spike closely and the new Home Mill has been extremely well received. The new Spike Glycol Chiller? Well that's another story.
Ballaratguy
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Hey I’d love the file for the Chunnel if possible please
