Mill motorization

[ClaudiusB]

I have a brew slated for next week, so I can check it under load then.

How is your mill performing after all this months ?

 

[sibelman]

As I wrote in a parallel thread, the mill motor worked great until it faced 2 pounds of rye malt, which is considerably harder and smaller than barley malt. After almost 2 pounds, it failed -- apparently a broken gear tooth, though hard to be sure what happened. Motor spins but output shaft only works with low or no load at this point -- won't even mill barley malt anymore. Dang! Need a tougher motor. Grainger has a ~$75 unit that claims a (mere?) 28 in-lbs of torque, and has cast zinc gears -- why not steel? Hmmm.

 

[shoengine]

How is your mill performing after all this months ?

Just saw this. My mill is still working like when I built it. Milled about 20lbs a few weeks ago, but no rye yet!

I'm still waiting for a rock.

 

[OleBrewing]

I have used a 18v cordless drill and it pummeled through a 50/50 wheat/barley. I am considering using an old drills gear box and supplementing to a 12 volt motor (had a motor from a power wheel kids car but can't seem to find it).

 

[day_trippr]

Mill motors are an expensive pita. When I wore out my 2nd 2 roller mill I was going to go with a Crankandstein two roller geared mill - but found my existing gear motor couldn't deal with it at all! Turns out the ideal motor would have been the American Ale Works gear motor - but that company vanished without a trace, and I couldn't find anything comparable for under way too many hundreds of dollars. So I was left to risk an Alibaba buy, or stick with another inexpensive non-geared two roller mill for a few more years...

Cheers!

 

[IslandLizard]

Dang! Need a tougher motor.

I've been using a Harbor Freight Low Speed Drill (550 rpm max), mounted to the mill's baseboard. It chews through a hopper full of malt within a couple minutes. I'm milling at around 150 rpm under load with a Monster Mill MM2 (1.5" rollers).

HF now has a newer version of that low speed drill with similar specs but at a max speed of 600 rpm for around $60 or less (w/ coupons).

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I've been using a Harbor Freight Low Speed Drill (550 rpm max), mounted to the mill's baseboard. It chews through a hopper full of malt within a couple minutes. I'm milling at around 150 rpm under load with a Monster Mill MM2 (1.5" rollers).

HF now has a newer version of that low speed drill with similar specs but at a max speed of 600 rpm for around $60 or less (w/ coupons).

I have one as well but mine is variable I think it’s similar to this, as far as my mill I replaced the bearings several years ago, all is well since
https://www.harborfreight.com/power...2-in-variable-speed-d-handle-drill-59716.html

 

[IslandLizard]

I have one as well but mine is variable I think it’s similar to this

Yeah, mine (the older, gray model) has variable speed too, with an adjustable limiter wheel.

 

[shoengine]

Motor is still going strong. Still haven't tried rye yet!

Had to do some long-needed updating to the table. With no chute on the table it was becoming quite a mess.

Yuck

So I redesigned the spacer to include a short chute. Thinking about making a detachable chute so I can clean it easier. Also printed out a gasket out of TPU to try to keep the dust out of the spacer - mill interface.

We'll see in a few months how this works.

 

[Hunky]

That’s actually a pretty clever workaround — using a treadmill ramp motor is next-level DIY!
Sometimes the "not-so-elegant" fixes last longer than factory setups. Curious — did you rig it to a switch or remote, or just wired it manually?

Thanks! Still works just fine. I had a little 2-way toggle switch I got from somewhere (for forward and reverse) and made a little aluminum plate for its mount. So I guess manually wired it. No remote (no need for me). Used a cord for plugging it into a wall socket when I'm using it. Has a little black rectangular box that I assume is a capacitor that it needs.. came with the motor. I bet a lot of those motors go to the dump or e-waste. Nothing wrong with 'em if you have a use. Good torque.

 

[Hunky]

Had to do some long-needed updating to the table. With no chute on the table it was becoming quite a mess.
So I redesigned the spacer to include a short chute. Thinking about making a detachable chute so I can clean it easier. Also printed out a gasket out of TPU to try to keep the dust out of the spacer - mill interface.

I've noticed a lot of dust collects under my table when milling - I try to brush it into the bucket after milling but it is a bit of a mess and hassle. I needs me a chute.. keep thinking up excuses to buy a 3-d printer. Suppose I could fashion one out of tin or wood.

 

[hungupdown]

I really need to do that to my mill. Right now there's barely a 4" open drop but even that can result in thick malt dust all around the inside of the mill cabinet when the humidity is low. Gotta get 'er done

View attachment 835352

Cheers!

Ever tried malt conditioning?
I use 2% sprayed, and left for 15 minutes. Then a much better crush, and hardly any dust.

 

[Hunky]

Ever tried malt conditioning?
I use 2% sprayed, and left for 15 minutes. Then a much better crush, and hardly any dust.

Nope. Now I remember reading somewhere about doing that after forgetting about it.. I'll give it a try.. seems easy enough. Thanks.

 

[day_trippr]

Ever tried malt conditioning?

I used to, for a couple of years, and was a big fan. But it was causing rust to form on my mill rollers, and frankly I never had problems running my herms with dry crushed grist, so I gave it up...

Cheers!

 

[IslandLizard]

I've noticed a lot of dust collects under my table when milling - I try to brush it into the bucket after milling but it is a bit of a mess and hassle. I needs me a chute..

You can't prevent dust from being formed and most will collect underneath the mill. A (deep) chute should help contain most of it.

I use this setup, and mill outdoors:

I get a rather tight seal between the milling platform and bucket underneath. So most of the dust stays inside the bucket headspace, clinging somewhat to the wooden platform that lies on top. It can't go anywhere else. At the end of the milling I just rap the board onto the bucket to drop any loose dust.

 

[playhouse]

Re-purposed an old KitchenAid using the spindle from a broken pasta attachment and a coupler. 8 speed on the KitchenAid delivers 180 rpm consistently with tons of torque.

 

[shoengine]

Nice, that looks like the 6.5 quart. I'd love to see what replaced it

 

[corkybstewart]

I really need to do that to my mill. Right now there's barely a 4" open drop but even that can result in thick malt dust all around the inside of the mill cabinet when the humidity is low. Gotta get 'er done

View attachment 835352

Cheers!

I cut open a pillowcase and stapled it to the bottom plate of my mill to make a cloth chute. It keeps the grain and dust going into the old malt sack I use to collect the milled malt. Since I make 10 gallon batches, 20-30 pounds of malt is common.

 

[sibelman]

cloth chute.

This also works well for me.

 

[ClaudiusB]

My grain mill is outside, and the dust is not a big problem; an opening in the front vents a lot of the dust outside.
My simple mill has been a hard worker for over thirty years.
The mill has several sensors to ensure a steady flow of grain delivery to the mash tun when requested by the brewery, located approximately fifty feet away.

 

[shoengine]

My grain mill is outside, and the dust is not a big problem; an opening in the front vents a lot of the dust outside.
My simple mill has been a hard worker for over thirty years.
The mill has several sensors to ensure a steady flow of grain delivery to the mash tun when requested by the brewery, located approximately fifty feet away.

Requested... please explain

 

[day_trippr]

Automation. @ClaudiusB is heavily into it

Cheers!

 

[ClaudiusB]

Requested... please explain

What would you like to know?

 

[shoengine]

The mill has several sensors to ensure a steady flow of grain delivery to the mash tun when requested by the brewery

This part

 

[ClaudiusB]

This part

Here are the functions of the mill sensors. I won't go into the details of the grain flow under different operational modes.
#1 is the grain hopper full sensor. Should the hopper fill up, the grain processing system will stop the grain delivery from the silos until the level drops.
This is a capacitive type of sensor.

#2 & 2-a is the milled grain hopper full sensor. Should the hopper fill up, the grain processing system will stop milling until the level drops again.
This is an ultrasonic sensor.

#3 is the mill motor rotation sensor. This sensor sends a motor in motion signal to the grain processing system if enabled to do so. The RPM of the motor can also be determined at the same time.
Should the motor stop rotating or lock up, the grain processing system tries to unlock the motor by switching the rotation between forward and reverse multiple times. Should the recovery fail, the grain processing system sends a warning message to the control room for the operator to take action.
This is an inductive type sensor.

 

[Hunky]

That’s some solid DIY ingenuity! Using a garage door opener motor was a clever starting point—too bad about that plastic gear giving out. You’re right, a stronger-grade gear might’ve made it last much longer. And props for thinking outside the box with the treadmill motor—that’s a great source for high-torque, reversible movement. Sometimes, the most unconventional solutions are the most effective. Curious, did you have to rig a custom mount or controller for the treadmill motor, or did it fit in pretty cleanly? Residential Garage Door Repair Santa Clarita

Ah shucks.. thanks!
Pretty crude mount.. basically just a wood cradle with strap, and a bolt in the back that goes thru a piece of copper pipe (to resist the torque) and the table top. I cover it with a wood box to give me a working surface and protect against anything untoward, not like it is high speed to catch a sleeve or something... The switch is a 2-way toggle just to the right and out of the pic.. a piece of flat aluminum partially visible was the mount for the switch.

 

[greg.vinyard915]

I went with the same model/specs motor as @shoengine, crushed about 42lbs of grain so far. I used a universal power supply (the kind that ships with a bunch of barrel jacks, 24V 3amp) and a spare motor coupling from a CNC build from a few years ago. Mounting and spacers drawn in Fusion in about an hour and then 3d printed. Total Cost 34.00. Forgive the crude mounting.

 

[sibelman]

it failed -- apparently a broken gear tooth, though hard to be sure what happened. Motor spins but output shaft only works with low or no load at this point

fwiw, the gears themselves are fine - but the gear on the actual motor shaft is press-fit. Apparently, high load weakened that joint. I lack the ability to weld it. Oh well.

 

[shoengine]

fwiw, the gears themselves are fine - but the gear on the actual motor shaft is press-fit. Apparently, high load weakened that joint. I lack the ability to weld it. Oh well.

Wonder what load those are rated for. Still going strong on mine. Still no rye yet!

 

[sibelman]

Still no rye yet!

YMMV, but I recommend you crush any tough grains another way.

what load those are rated for

Torque of what seems to be the same unit as mine (24V, 50rpm) iis rated at "16.04 kgf.cm" on aliexpress, whatever that means. I haven't seen an exact match for yours, but the higher rpm corresponds linearly to considerably lower torque on the charts I've seen, perhaps only about 6 kgf.cm. I'm not sure this tells us when the unit will break; probably, when it will stop turning if it doesn't break.