My Ugly Junk- Corona Mill Station...

[Stealthcruiser]

Not a lot of recent activity on this subject, ( or by me either!).

This spotted on FB Marketplace where I live in Ecuador.......Evidently a guy in Quito motorizing them.

 

[Miraculix]

Not a lot of recent activity on this subject, ( or by me either!).

This spotted on FB Marketplace where I live in Ecuador.......Evidently a guy in Quito motorizing them.

View attachment 838024

What a beauty!

 

[NitrogenWidget]

Looks like a washer motor. The little bowl on top of a motorized mill is funny to me. I’ve got a 5 gallon water jug with the bottom cut off as a hopper for mine now and looking for a way to use a motor or strap my drill down after sinking it in a table.

 

[Joggin]

I like cranking it by hand. Good PT for post op shoulder surgery.

 

[balrog]

Ooooooo, rebar.

Sexy!

 

[day_trippr]

Could be a clothes dryer motor which are normally belt drive vs direct drive washer motors...

Cheers!

 

[balrog]

They get many clothes dryers in Ecuador?

 

[Beekeeper]

I like cranking it by hand. Good PT for post op shoulder surgery.

I see manually grinding 7 to 11 pounds of grain as just a normal part of my brewing routine. I typically do this while waiting for the mash water to come up to temp.

 

[day_trippr]

They get many clothes dryers in Ecuador?

Quito is the country's financial center, with ~2.7 million residents...

 

[Closet Fermenter]

So what's your milling setup look like?

I still need to do something for the flying bits...I know some users use plastic bags over the front end.

I have the same mill, and cut the bottom off a green bean can and installed it as a shield around the two grinding plates. I left it open at the bottom.
I have to say though, the folgers coffee container is a classy touch!

 

[Closet Fermenter]

I see manually grinding 7 to 11 pounds of grain as just a normal part of my brewing routine. I typically do this while waiting for the mash water to come up to temp.

Ditto!

 

[mtnagel]

Just skimmed through all 204 pages mostly for pictures for ideas and along the way built my Corona grain mill. Bought it with a package deal with some other brewing parts so called it a freebie. Corona mill, 5gallon mash tun, burner in stand, immersion chiller, pony keg with spigot for $40! Anyway. Here's a few pictures of the single bucket system. Took the spigot out and put in a bolt and a couple washers to fill the gap. Didn't want to kick and break the spigot off the bucket and have grist everywhere. Then drilled a hole out for the bolt and used a Marshalltown hopper for drywall mud as a hopper. Pretty confident it's about 3-4 gallons but haven't tried the hopper out yet. Swapped the cotter pin for a bolt and added some washers. Will add some pictures of the milled grains when I brew my first Berliner Weisse this week! Also been working on some other diy in the background with a low roll around single tier and home made 52" CFC. Going from 5 gallon turkey fryer and mashtun to all keggle pump based brewing all at once, can't wait to try it all out!

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After 14 years of being able to mill my grain at Listermann's homebrew shop in Cincinnati, which was a couple miles from my house, now it's my turn to join the ugly junk corona mills as they closed Got a Victoria mill for $35 on Amazon and installed it in a bucket just like above. Of course when I measured the 2x4", I didn't take into account the fact that a bucket narrows as you do down. Doh! A couple cuts later and it fit.

Was planning on manually doing the first batch but found a bolt that fits so I'll use my corded drill.

Now I just need to figure a better hopper. I found the ones used above but damn they are pricey. If anyone has any recommendations let me know.

Also, what do you recommend to do if anything before I run the grains through it for my next batch? Should I run some grains through and toss them out? Is there much risk of getting metal shavings? I feel like it's not a huge risk since I BIAB and that should catch most and if not, they would settle out in the keg I ferment in and serve from and I use top draw pickup tubes.

Also any tips for setting the gap? I saw online someone said, "For BIAB, tighten it all the way down, and back off slightly." Is that the best method? Thanks!

 

[Miraculix]

After 14 years of being able to mill my grain at Listermann's homebrew shop in Cincinnati, which was a couple miles from my house, now it's my turn to join the ugly junk corona mills as they closed Got a Victoria mill for $35 on Amazon and installed it in a bucket just like above. Of course when I measured the 2x4", I didn't take into account the fact that a bucket narrows as you do down. Doh! A couple cuts later and it fit.

Was planning on manually doing the first batch but found a bolt that fits so I'll use my corded drill.

Now I just need to figure a better hopper. I found the ones used above but damn they are pricey. If anyone has any recommendations let me know.

Also, what do you recommend to do if anything before I run the grains through it for my next batch? Should I run some grains through and toss them out? Is there much risk of getting metal shavings? I feel like it's not a huge risk since I BIAB and that should catch most and if not, they would settle out in the keg I ferment in and serve from and I use top draw pickup tubes.

Also any tips for setting the gap? I saw online someone said, "For BIAB, tighten it all the way down, and back off slightly." Is that the best method? Thanks!

All relevant questions which I learned partially the hard way. Good news, you don't have to. I did that for you .

If it makes your feel better, you can run some cheap rice through it first, or corn. Something hard. But I don't think it's necessary. You'll have some metal shavings, but these will mainly get stuck in the mash and be removed with the grain and if not, they will stick with the trub from the boil, which you might not want to throw into the fermenter this time. Just the last litre of wort... And if you still get something into the fermenter somehow, it will settle out with the yeast and stay at the bottom.

The more interesting part is, how tight shall the mill be set. As you biab, just as tight as your drill is comfortably able to handle without overheating. There's no "too fine crush" with biab and a Corona mill as the mill is not able to produce really fine flour. But there's certainly a "too course". If you see whole kernels coming out, it's too course. Tighten the gap and run the stuff again until there's no single kernel whole.

The tip "tighten it down all the way and then back off slightly" is a good one. That's what I'm doing. Just also keep an eye on your drill and on the output regarding whole kernels.

Congratulations, you'll never look back to buying crushed grains.

 

[balrog]

And make sure plates are parallel. And epoxy the setting and cotter pin once you have it where you want it.

 

[Miraculix]

And make sure plates are parallel. And epoxy the setting and cotter pin once you have it where you want it.

That is the hardcore version .

A bit hard to dissasemble for cleaning, don't you think?

 

[balrog]

dissasemble for cleaning

I've never done more than blow out the dust and move on. I've not seen anything try to grow anywhere in or on it. Perhaps my meager 20-30 5gal batches a year is not enough to cause significant buildup.

 

[Miraculix]

I've never done more than blow out the dust and move on. I've not seen anything try to grow anywhere in or on it. Perhaps my meager 20-30 5gal batches a year is not enough to cause significant buildup.

I've had recently food moths or flour moths or however you call them in the house. They really get into every piece of equipment that has some flour residue in it or on it. They build their little houses inside and grow their kids there. They are a pain to get rid of and once you've opened a mill and found lots of little crawlies (their babys) inside, you start to want to check each time before you brew....

 

[balrog]

I've had recently food moths or flour moths or however you call them in the house. They really get into every piece of equipment that has some flour residue in it or on it. They build their little houses inside and grow their kids there. They are a pain to get rid of and once you've opened a mill and found lots of little crawlies (their babys) inside, you start to want to check each time before you brew....

 

[Miraculix]

View attachment 882804

Actually, my girlfirend is cleaning the kitchen right now and I can hear a little scream now and then, when one of them is surprising her

... it is quite funny.

I am probably going to buy those predator insects that get rid of them.

 

[balrog]

nothing survives a few days in the freezer
handy for bags of grain or even the mill but not the whole kitchen

 

[mtnagel]

Thanks all! Very helpful!

 

[Miraculix]

nothing survives a few days in the freezer
handy for bags of grain or even the mill but not the whole kitchen

I only have the small freezer section in the upper part of the fridge.... And that space is obviously occupied by hops .

 

[Shenanigans]

Just found this thread now and haven't read all 55 pages so sorry if I'm repeating what has already been written there.

I bought one of those China mills with 2 rollers about 5 years ago and put my Corona-clone into semi-retirement, only using it for wheat berries now and again.
The new mill fell off my shelf (don't ask) and the crank arm on the roller got bent so I it's not running smoothly with my drill anymore.
It's actually jumping around, rendering it useless.
So, I have recently reverted back to my corona-clone mill.
I just cut the bottom off a cheap plastic shopping back and fixed it over the plates with an elastic band.
Works perfectly, all the grain falls out the bottom of the bag into my bucket without any mess.
The original grain hopper only holds between 0.5 and 0.75kg grain.
I overcome this by sticking a 1-meter piece of plastic drainpipe directly into the original hopper.
Now several kilos fit in there.

I'll take a picture next time I'm milling grain.

 

[Miraculix]

Just found this thread now and haven't read all 55 pages so sorry if I'm repeating what has already been written there.

I bought one of those China mills with 2 rollers about 5 years ago and put my Corona-clone into semi-retirement, only using it for wheat berries now and again.
The new mill fell off my shelf (don't ask) and the crank arm on the roller got bent so I it's not running smoothly with my drill anymore.
It's actually jumping around, rendering it useless.
So, I have recently reverted back to my corona-clone mill.
I just cut the bottom off a cheap plastic shopping back and fixed it over the plates with an elastic band.
Works perfectly, all the grain falls out the bottom of the bag into my bucket without any mess.
The original grain hopper only holds between 0.5 and 0.75kg grain.
I overcome this by sticking a 1-meter piece of plastic drainpipe directly into the original hopper.
Now several kilos fit in there.

I'll take a picture next time I'm milling grain.

Proper low tech! I like that! I'm actually doing the same with the bag, just using a freezer bag.

 

[mtnagel]

Finally got mine finished up. Definitely stole some ideas from this thread so thanks for the inspiration! I'm assuming I'll never need that big of a hopper but I left it big now and can always cut it if it gets annoying. The painters tape was just temporary to make sure everything works as expected. Might try to do something sturdier in the future. I left the full neck of the better bottle. Not sure if I should cut it some to try to make the opening bigger or if that won't matter at all. Thoughts?

 

[Miraculix]

Finally got mine finished up. Definitely stole some ideas from this thread so thanks for the inspiration! I'm assuming I'll never need that big of a hopper but I left it big now and can always cut it if it gets annoying. The painters tape was just temporary to make sure everything works as expected. Might try to do something sturdier in the future. I left the full neck of the better bottle. Not sure if I should cut it some to try to make the opening bigger or if that won't matter at all. Thoughts?

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Man that is beautyfully ugly! I'd use that!

 

[mtnagel]

Maiden voyage went swimmingly! I had always just double crushed at my LHBS and really hadn't given it much thought. This is one pass. I had planned two but figured this looked good enough. How does this look for BIAB?

 

[Miraculix]

Maiden voyage went swimmingly! I had always just double crushed at my LHBS and really hadn't given it much thought. This is one pass. I had planned two but figured this looked good enough. How does this look for BIAB?

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I looks ok, but no great. You can go finer. In my experience it is best for biab to set the mill gap as tight as still possible to run. This looks like it is not as tight as it gets.

 

[balrog]

I agree w @Miraculix
Make as certain as you can that the two grinding plates are parallel so grains can't escape one side or other being less ground.
The plates should clack/rub/touch when turning without any grain

 

[balrog]

Then again, if it works for you, consistently, repeatably, with a brew house efficiency you find satisfactory, then I feel you are good to go.

 

[mtnagel]

I looks ok, but no great. You can go finer. In my experience it is best for biab to set the mill gap as tight as still possible to run. This looks like it is not as tight as it gets.

I agree w @Miraculix
Make as certain as you can that the two grinding plates are parallel so grains can't escape one side or other being less ground.
The plates should clack/rub/touch when turning without any grain

Ok thanks both. They definitely made noise without grain.

But I ended up with 84.5% mash efficiency. Guess my brown ale will be a bit higher ABV

Then again, if it works for you, consistently, repeatably, with a brew house efficiency you find satisfactory, then I feel you are good to go.

That is true. Cheers!