My Ugly Junk- Corona Mill Station...

[Eshorebrewer]

Well... after reading the majority of this thread I bit the bullet today and ordered one. Let the good times roll.

 

[StanJohnson]

What kind did ya order?

 

[Dan]

Here's my new ugly junk...now if only I had some grain to crush! Thanks for the help in this forum!

Lot's of ingenuity on this thread. (I'm known for stating the obvious) Great work everybody! Each time I see a pic with a drill attached, at a quick glance it looks as if it is suspended in air.

 

[tennesseean_87]

I have a drill question: I just got this as a gift. Think it'll do the job, or will I burn it up or something?

 

[Eshorebrewer]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Premium-Cast-Iron-Corn-Grinder-Wheat-Grains-Use-Nut-Mill-/310396556894

Seems like quite a few have went with that seller.

I have an electric motor that I am already looking to gear to drive it lol.

 

[Eshorebrewer]

Oh, got it for $25.77 (shipped) by the way.

 

[rico567]

Yeah, that's old "Discount Tommy." You have to watch him......that mill's back up to $42 now, but it'll be back down again to what you paid. I gave about the same amount as you shipped over three years ago, but you have to wait for his low price. Great mill....mine has chewed through a lot of malt.

 

[HootervilleHops]

Try this site. It is "discount Tommy" but not on ebay.

http://www.discounttommy.com/p-189-...or-use-as-a-nut-mill.aspx?CAWELAID=1057724161

$25

 

[rekoob]

I use a 3/8" B&D and while I don't think it likes it, I run it slow as I can. I wish it had the VSR dial that I could lock in. It's VSR but doesn't lock other than full-speed. Eventually I want a 1/2" with the VSR dial/lock so I can mount it on something and walk away.

That is what I would like to do also, set it, turn it on and do something else while it's doing its job. I used a 1/2" skill hammer drill that I have, you can turn the hammer off. wasn't worried about the drill burning out, but having one that you could set the speed and lock would be a plus. I have 3/8" drill that I might try but I don't think that one is VSR but it might run at a lower speed. I have a couple lager's I am going to try to get to (one hopfully this weekend) so i might try the other drill or at least check the speed on it.

 

[Haputanlas]

Let's start getting really trashy and ugly. I didn't even try to do anything special.

 

[Olive Drab]

any difference in modifying the amazon corona vs discount tommy's mill?

 

[Brewskii]

any difference in modifying the amazon corona vs discount tommy's mill?

I only have ever used a Victoria ( same as corona) but, it appears that the castings are different, so I'll stop short of saying the parts are interchangeable( they may be), however, the designs are identical and the way it's assembled and functions is going to be identical from one to the other. Several people here have used the tweaks in this forum on Tommy's mills.

Someone else may know more about the Tommy's mills specifically.

 

[wilserbrewer]

any difference in modifying the amazon corona vs discount tommy's mill?

Except for the old original Corona's, I think they are all pretty much the same chinese junk, and will differ even within the same supplier due to non existent quality control. Kind of a spin of the wheel, yours may work fine or may need some tweaks. I would try it unmodified, then if you can't adjust for enough gap (too fine a crush / all flour) add washers under the mill face bracket. If the mill burr plate is crooked (allowing uncrushed grain through) due to the big ass cotter pin being jammed through the shaft, replace it w/ a smaller pin or bolt, or drill the hole out a smidge to allow the grinding plate to float or wobble freely and it will tend to self align w/ the pressure of the grain, and it will produce a more consistent crush.

Just play with it as needed to be sure that all the grains are being crushed, and no whole pieces make it to the mash tun...it's really that simple.

I like the bucket mount method linked below on the right.

 

[tennesseean_87]

I have a drill question: I just got this as a gift. Think it'll do the job, or will I burn it up or something?

I ran through both batteries, but the drill it seemed fine otherwise, though it was for a small batch (I brew 2.75 gal stovetop BIAB). The bolt threads seemed to be a bit mangled when I was done, though. I'm not sure I'll use the drill again.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I ran through both batteries, but the drill it seemed fine otherwise, though it was for a small batch (I brew 2.75 gal stovetop BIAB). The bolt threads seemed to be a bit mangled when I was done, though. I'm not sure I'll use the drill again.

While cordless tools are very handy, sometimes you are best off plugging in to the grid...that looks like a very nice cordless drill...be a shame to overwork it. I am surprised you needed both batteries for such a small batch?

 

[beerkrump]

Saw a few posts back, someone had a litter box for a grain catch. I use a litter bucket for my mill housing.

I cut out the bottom and the lid keeps flour dust to a minimum.

 

[tennesseean_87]

They were brand new, so I'm not sure if they shipped fully charged. I tightened the crank down a lot since my last batch and had a lot of flour and really small particles, but I hit 76% efficiency. I might crank down a little more, but I'm pretty happy with that.

 

[mendozer]

has anyone dealt with this astringency aspect of the beer or is it just solved by aging?

basically, is it worth it to go with a cheap DIY mill and have to wait for proper flavor or just spend some for a crank and stein? Plus i'm reading mixed efficiencies from 75 to 85

 

[wyzazz]

has anyone dealt with this astringency aspect of the beer or is it just solved by aging?

basically, is it worth it to go with a cheap DIY mill and have to wait for proper flavor or just spend some for a crank and stein? Plus i'm reading mixed efficiencies from 75 to 85

If you're getting astringency I'd take a look at your mash PH, I crush my grain really finely and tear all sorts of husks, but don't get any astringency. Maybe try some 5.2 buffer to see if that helps? Do you get astringency all the time or only with a particular beer? Lighter beers or Darker beers?

On the efficiency, if you are not getting consistent efficiency you might want to look elsewhere in your process unless the mill isn't giving you a consistent overall crush. If you brew the same beer 2X, you should get the same efficiency for both batches if you did everything the same. One of the biggest factors for me is whether or not I recirculate my mash & the size of my grain bill. I use BIAB.

 

[mendozer]

i dont use a mill yet but i was reading about the astringency here several times. I'm still using LHBS mill.

 

[wyzazz]

Bottom line is you have to try it and find out what works for you, if it doesn't work to your satisfaction then you need to change something in your process to make it work. I currently mash for 60mins and get 76% efficiency using my mill and BIAB. When I mashed for 90mins I got 83% efficiency, so it was a bit of a trade off for me. I didn't change the gap setting on my mill, only my mashing time.

For me it's worth it to have a cheap mill at the moment and spend most of my money on ingredients and other things. JMO

 

[rico567]

has anyone dealt with this astringency aspect of the beer or is it just solved by aging?

basically, is it worth it to go with a cheap DIY mill and have to wait for proper flavor or just spend some for a crank and stein? Plus i'm reading mixed efficiencies from 75 to 85

I have used my Corona mill for 3.5 years, and have yet to note any astringency whatsoever in any beer I make. As far as efficiency is concerned, I don't keep track of that. If I hit the correct OG number after I mash, I assume things have gone as they should, and that happens on my system with almost boring regularity. I believe, as suggested above, that you should consider other variables if you have an astringency problem.

 

[mendozer]

Hmm ok. Guess ill take the plunge for the mill. How much is bulk grain anyway. My 2 rows costing me 1.39/lb

 

[rhamilton]

Hmm ok. Guess ill take the plunge for the mill. How much is bulk grain anyway. My 2 rows costing me 1.39/lb

Your best prices will be via group buys -- think half of what you pay currently.

 

[wyzazz]

Depends on your LHBS, I pay $.87/lb for Briess.

 

[tre9er]

My LHBS sells 50# for $60. Otherwise it's $1.50/lb. for 2-row. I got in on a bulk-buy with a commercial distributor and paid $33 for 50# of premium 2-row. Maris Otter was like $38 I think...maybe $40.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Hmm ok. Guess ill take the plunge for the mill. How much is bulk grain anyway. My 2 rows costing me 1.39/lb

I pay a lil less than half that on a group buys including shipping and a tip to the buy organizer....dirt cheap IMO. Buying hops and grain bulk and recycling yeast, the cost is not the issue for me...time and effort is the consideration

 

[kh54s10]

Here is my station:

Mill = Xmas present
washers = already had them
drill = already had it
plastic for dust control = already had it.
coffee container for hopper expansion = already drank the coffee.
hole saw to drill through the workbench = already owned it.
pants leg stapled under the bench to control the dust = from worn out pants.
Buckets for the grain = already had them. $1.50 ea from local dairy.

Out of pocket for this project = $0.00

 

[mendozer]

I'm gonna be doing wilserbrewer's 2.0 b/c i have a spare water jug that's useless (has holes on bottom) Although I'm going to try incorporating it into a small cabinet or nightstand

 

[rico567]

Here is my station:

<image snipped>

Mill = Xmas present
washers = already had them
drill = already had it
plastic for dust control = already had it.
coffee container for hopper expansion = already drank the coffee.
hole saw to drill through the workbench = already owned it.
pants leg stapled under the bench to control the dust = from worn out pants.
Buckets for the grain = already had them. $1.50 ea from local dairy.

Out of pocket for this project = $0.00

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the way Ugly Junk is done! Beats mine, I spent 25 cents......