Is a cheap grain mill worth it?

[Pilgarlic]

Pistols, people adopt new processes for all sorts of reasons. I usually make changes (and I'm changing my process constantly) because I have an idea as to how they will help me make better beer. I wouldn't add this process to reduce dust. I don't have a dust problem. I wouldn't add this process to reduce my stuck sparges. I don't have stuck sparges. I wouldn't add this process to get more whole husks. I get good whole husks that do the job and I don't brew to get whole husks, I brew to make good beer. I wouldn't do this so I can get a finer crush, because I'm not trying to get a finer crush. I would adopt this process if I believed it would make better beer. I don't. It's not necessary, I don't choose to do it, I don't mind if you do.

 

[Brewskii]

. Redacted

 

[kh54s10]

I got my cheap Corona knock-off as a Christmas present. I linked to one and was told that another was bought because of the price for shipping on the one I chose. I did a little tuning by adding some washers to set the spacing. I have adjusted the set screw for finer when doing BIAB and back for batch sparging. It has been very easy and quite consistent.

I don't know how long the thing will last but could go through 5 of them before getting to the price of a good roller mill.

In the mean time the savings have gone into making more beer!

 

[HomebrewMTB]

Curious: do you mean granular consistency in each batch, or consistency across batches, or both, and what benefit do you expect to get from whichever consistency you are talking about?

The output from a roller mill is going to be the same every time. No grain can make it past the rollers without being crushed the same fixed distance. The corona style mill is much more variable in what passes. Depending on how well the corona mill is setup, the tolerances, and play in the grinder wheels, etc can greatly affect the output. Some grains get ripped to shreds, others fall right through. I'm sure some are better than others and a lot depends on setup. I spent quite a bit of time and effort setting mine up (replacing the hardware etc) and have had much better consistency with conditioning the grain. YMMV

As I said, the corona style mill works fine but a solidly constructed roller mill will be more consistent. Whether the variability will affect the final product depends on your MLT design (braid, manifold, false bottom...), your process (fly or batch sparge), your expectations and your taste.

I'm currently looking at the Monster Mill not because I need it but because I want to reduce some variability in my process.

 

[tre9er]

I noticed some uncrushed grains among my grist today. I have a corona style mill and conditioned it. I sort of think much of it has to do with a few other factors too though such as the kernel size variance. Some grain seems to have mixed kernel sizes making it tough to get smaller kernels crushed.

I also have decided to crush different grains separately in order to make sure the mill is crushing each sufficiently. I wonder sometimes if the kernels in say, NW Pale Malt are smaller than GW Premium 2-row. Wheat kernels can also be smaller, too.

I hope these factors are what's giving me the occasional uncrushed kernel. If they don't help I'll have to do more tweaking with the mill as I know many have great success with them.

 

[jonmohno]

I love my Victoria mill,its easy to set up crush and disasemble.It consistanly crushes grain well and only takes about 5 min or less to crush 2# of grain by hand.Or you can attach a bolt and use a drill if you have alot of grain to crush too.
Although i would like to get a barley crusher grain mill,i dont really need it. And i probably would get a better aeration system instead of using a paint mixer to aerate.
The only whole grains that dont get crushed are the very last few bits (or first few)that you have to tilt to get out of the mill. Otherwise no uncrushed grains here.

 

[jchudon]

I've initially bought a Corona which I hated!2
The crush was awfully inconsistant. I think the 2 disks were not perfectly alligned and this resulted in flour and whole grains whatever the gap I would set it to.

I've used it for 4-6 batches with poor efficiency.

I've recently bought a barley crusher and it is so more convenient to use. My efficiency has raised by a good 10% which will reimburse it in a whiff.

I bet some coronas are good but mine was awful. In addition, I hated the vise system to hook it somewhere. Placing a barley crusher on top of a 5gal bucket is so much more convenient for me.

Enjoy your brewing

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

I've initially bought a Corona which I hated!2
The crush was awfully inconsistant. I think the 2 disks were not perfectly alligned and this resulted in flour and whole grains whatever the gap I would set it to.

I've used it for 4-6 batches with poor efficiency.

I've recently bought a barley crusher and it is so more convenient to use. My efficiency has raised by a good 10% which will reimburse it in a whiff.

I bet some coronas are good but mine was awful. In addition, I hated the vise system to hook it somewhere. Placing a barley crusher on top of a 5gal bucket is so much more convenient for me.

Enjoy your brewing

They say that the trick is to set up the rotating disk so that it is loose on the spindle and let the pressure of the grain equalize the distance.

But i haven't had the time to set mine up and test it yet.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Consistency of the particle size in a crush MAY have an effect on lautering efficiency. I've heard it said, but then we've heard pretty much everything said. Anecdotes here and elsewhere would suggest that the particle size also has an effect on extract efficiency. There's much science, though, that suggests otherwise. For those interested, check this out. Much good information: http://www.scientificsocieties.org/jib/papers/2005/G-2005-1123-280.pdf

 

[tre9er]

Consistency of the particle size in a crush MAY have an effect on lautering efficiency. I've heard it said, but then we've heard pretty much everything said. Anecdotes here and elsewhere would suggest that the particle size also has an effect on extract efficiency. There's much science, though, that suggests otherwise. For those interested, check this out. Much good information: http://www.scientificsocieties.org/jib/papers/2005/G-2005-1123-280.pdf

I'm talking about kernel size, such that larger kernels are crushed with some flour and smaller ones aren't, or all aren't crushed. I noticed that with my batch Saturday and wondered if I should just crank it down more or crush each different grain separately.

 

[Pilgarlic]

I'm talking about kernel size, such that larger kernels are crushed with some flour and smaller ones aren't, or all aren't crushed. I noticed that with my batch Saturday and wondered if I should just crank it down more or crush each different grain separately.

For what it's worth, I adjust my settings while crushing. Usually to adjust to different kernel sizes.

I know many who successfully just crush the whole bill VERY fine and have no problems, but I still like to try to get a mixture of larger and smaller particles from each grain.

 

[tre9er]

I've been thinking of just cranking it down more. I haven't had issues with stuck sparges and use some rice hulls with most batches that are thick. Might as well try it. I use hose braid.

 

[Pilgarlic]

I suspect that if you were to set the mill to give you a good crush on your smallest-kerneled grain you'd be fine. I use a braid, too, rarely change it and it works great.

 

[tre9er]

I thought I had it where I needed to be but Saturday I did a GB that had 6lbs. 2-row and 5lbs. NW pale ale malt. Afterwards I noticed maybe 1% uncrushed grains, maybe 1 or 2 per handfull. Of course I noticed it right as my preheat was done and strike was coming down. I have the bolt instead of cotter pin, but I still wonder if my mill is grinding inconsistent.

 

[Pilgarlic]

I'm sure it's crushing inconsistently. I think it's the nature of this beast. Using my Victoria corn mill I keep an eye on the milled grain throughout the process and adjust as necessary.

 

[brewit2it]

I have a real corona brand mill I got some 20 years ago (it sat dormant for around 18 of those years). It gets the job done, but by the nature of how they work, it shreds rather than crushes and I find I have to reset it often. Overall I would say it's definitely sub-optimal compared to a mill that actually crushes and will likely replace it at some point with a crusher.

 

[tre9er]

I don't mind the shredding, haven't had tannins or astringency. Don't mind flour and fine crush, haven't had stuck sparge. I just hate realizing I have undercrushed grain. I put that on me for rushing through the crush and not taking time to check it. I also need a 1/2" drill as my 3/8" really hates running the mill and is part of the reason I rush to get it over with.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Mine's a Victoria brand. I get a crush without a shred if I'm paying attention.

 

[StanJohnson]

I have one like this. It works great.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Weston-Cereal-and-Multi-Grain-Mill/14223932

 

[epistrummer]

After reading this thread I was going back and forth in my mind as to whether I should have bought my $180 grain mill.(not yet delivered) But from what I hear it's as good as or better than the others on the market and I like to have the best equipment I can afford anyway...If I don't get any stuck sparges then I will consider it money well spent and leave it at that.

 

[iambeer]

I'd rather get a CO2 tank and a soda keg to play with first. Coz bottle conditioning is killing me.

There's no reason my supplier shouldn't be completely able to mill this stuff and I have no desire to buy bulk. But if I had more room and more time to experiment, I definitely would get a mill.

 

[tre9er]

Played around with my Corona style mill last night. Did notice that the rotating plate is uneven and thus 2/3 of the time it's close and 1/3 of the time it's further away from the fixed plate. I tried filing down the shaft it mounts to on one side to counteract, tried various bolts and washers through the collar that holds it on, nothing worked.

In the end I conditioned some grain and ran it through until there were no uncrushed kernels. There was a fair amount of flour but plenty of husks to create a lauter bed. The big difference here is that with the fine crush you'll likely need to vorlauf a bit more but I have been running off 3 pints and then it's clear.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

Played around with my Corona style mill last night. Did notice that the rotating plate is uneven and thus 2/3 of the time it's close and 1/3 of the time it's further away from the fixed plate. I tried filing down the shaft it mounts to on one side to counteract, tried various bolts and washers through the collar that holds it on, nothing worked.

In the end I conditioned some grain and ran it through until there were no uncrushed kernels. There was a fair amount of flour but plenty of husks to create a lauter bed. The big difference here is that with the fine crush you'll likely need to vorlauf a bit more but I have been running off 3 pints and then it's clear.

Usually on these mills, the little nut type thing that the cotter pin rests against has two sets of channels on it.

One of those sets of channels is deeper than the other.

If you move the cotter pin to the deeper channels, the rotating disc will float loose, and the grain pressure should keep the distance equal.

 

[tre9er]

Usually on these mills, the little nut type thing that the cotter pin rests against has two sets of channels on it.

One of those sets of channels is deeper than the other.

If you move the cotter pin to the deeper channels, the rotating disc will float loose, and the grain pressure should keep the distance equal.

I think that's what I did. I'm using a bolt for holding the plate in though. I was happy with my crush last night. Since my drill is underpowered and the higher speed was giving me inconsistent results I think I'll keep hand crushing for a while. Maybe I can get the kids involved!

 

[Pilgarlic]

I think that's what I did. I'm using a bolt for holding the plate in though. I was happy with my crush last night. Since my drill is underpowered and the higher speed was giving me inconsistent results I think I'll keep hand crushing for a while. Maybe I can get the kids involved!

Although I try to be efficient with my brew day, and to save time, I perversely enjoy hand cranking my Victoria mill, keeping eyes and fingers on the crush. I usually do it the night before a very early brew day, so I'm unhurried.

 

[tre9er]

Although I try to be efficient with my brew day, and to save time, I perversely enjoy hand cranking my Victoria mill, keeping eyes and fingers on the crush. I usually do it the night before a very early brew day, so I'm unhurried.

I need to start doing this. Even when I have time to mill as strike is heating, then there's time to wait when tun is preheating, etc...I still rush.

I worry my family will leave me if I'm "always down there" in my basement bryggeri, so I try to do it all in the confines of the 4 hour brew day. I gotta sneak away and mill ahead of time and measure hops, though.

 

[Pilgarlic]

So long as the grains are broken and the hulls are left pretty much intact, why does one care about the consistency of the crush? My crush yields everything from flour to kernels that might have been broken into just a few pieces. It gives me good, quite consistent results.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

So long as the grains are broken and the hulls are left pretty much intact, why does one care about the consistency of the crush? My crush yields everything from flour to kernels that might have been broken into just a few pieces. It gives me good, quite consistent results.

just like a roller mill

 

[tre9er]

So long as the grains are broken and the hulls are left pretty much intact, why does one care about the consistency of the crush? My crush yields everything from flour to kernels that might have been broken into just a few pieces. It gives me good, quite consistent results.

because I have sometimes seen uncrushed kernels in my grist. I've said before I don't mind flour or shredded husks so long as there are enough larger pieces to eventually form a lauter bed. Plus, rice hulls are cheap if I were to be getting stuck sparges.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Wasn't necessarily directed to you, tre9er. My question was "so long as the grains are broken". Some people seem to have an almost aesthetic wish for uniform grain particle size in the crush. I know that's not you. Personally, I don't care a whit whether my particles are a matched set (and I don't think conversion does either).