Meat grinder instead of a grain mill?

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Moezart

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Hello everyone.
I tell you. This is getting quite tiring!
So I am an all grain brewer; not by choice but by necessity as I live in a country where there is 0-nothing available for a home brewer as far as supplies, equipment or ingredients. So I have to make everything myself!!!
That being said, I have brewed about 12 batches so far with varying degrees of success.
I go to the animal feed store where I get my grains, I germinate them, kiln them (in my homemade kiln) then crush them in in my blender... Then... you get the rest..
. Problem is most of my brews end up quite astringent and harsh. Pissed me off but... Oh well!!! did my research, and apparently it is due to my grains being ground up too finely rather than just crushed or split in two. The thing is,
I have absolutely nowhere to find a Corona or a grain mill in my country, so i am seeking advice here : can I invest in a good meat grinder to deliver something close to what a grain mill could provide? Or am I doomed to my blender and its powdery product!?

Thanks guys!!!
 
Hello everyone.
I tell you. This is getting quite tiring!
So I am an all grain brewer; not by choice but by necessity as I live in a country where there is 0-nothing available for a home brewer as far as supplies, equipment or ingredients. So I have to make everything myself!!!
That being said, I have brewed about 12 batches so far with varying degrees of success.
I go to the animal feed store where I get my grains, I germinate them, kiln them (in my homemade kiln) then crush them in in my blender... Then... you get the rest..
. Problem is most of my brews end up quite astringent and harsh. Pissed me off but... Oh well!!! did my research, and apparently it is due to my grains being ground up too finely rather than just crushed or split in two. The thing is,
I have absolutely nowhere to find a Corona or a grain mill in my country, so i am seeking advice here : can I invest in a good meat grinder to deliver something close to what a grain mill could provide? Or am I doomed to my blender and its powdery product!?

Thanks guys!!!
Can you get a flour mill and set it coarse? Lots of people use Corona brand hand-crank mills and run them with a drill, they claim it works really well. On a side note, I crush my grain extremely fine for BIAB and have not had any problems with astringency. Have you checked your mash pH or adjusted your water? What country are you in?
 
as far as astringency, i had a problem before i knew not to heat my sparge water to boiling, and just to 168f...

i heard tell of some people using a scuffed up pasta roller for a mill before?
 
and also my first mill was an old phil mill, just one knurled roller and it pressed it against a piece of sheet metal...can you get knurled rollers? build your own?
 
Meat grinder probably won't work, but it might. I might give it a try, I've got one and use it regularly. You might consider a macerating juicer - they dice stuff up pretty good.

Or a paper shredder. Yes, this worked.

Paper Shredder Mill

Shredder_with_Hopper.JPG


Grain_After_2_Passes_in_Shredder.JPG
 
Meat grinder probably won't work, but it might. I might give it a try, I've got one and use it regularly. You might consider a macerating juicer - they dice stuff up pretty good.

Or a paper shredder. Yes, this worked.

Paper Shredder Mill

Shredder_with_Hopper.JPG


Grain_After_2_Passes_in_Shredder.JPG
Jesus christ man, we need to take up a collection and get you something more civilized.
 
Where are you from? I’m assuming UPS delivers to your location? Or FedEx? Order from online?
Can't do that either. I am in Tunisia and I cannot order online unless I have an international card... Which I don't have. See, cards from local bank are not accepted!!!
 
Let’s all through a dollar in the pot and send him one via eBay/AliExpress.
You're a good man LeeH. Thanks for the thought... I think I am going to go a pasta maker. I saw a good pasta maker and I think I am going for it. I saw a few videos on how to convert one into a grain mill... We ll see how that works. Thanks Lee.
 
Do you have a blender? Or can you find a used one cheap?

I’ve used a modded pasta roller and while they work, I would prefer a blender.

Load a couple cups at a time so the grains swirl in the blender, pulse it until all grains are broken well.
Jmo and experience.
 
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