My Ugly Junk- Corona Mill Station...

[IZS]

Great thread, if admitted a bit long winded. I did my homework, and brewed today with a shiny new single bucket mill station.

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3 gal bottle for a hopper, 10#s no worries, the hopper and bucket could probably handle 15#s. that might be about capacity on the single bucket design.

Gap set at .025" with the plate tooth depth (measure it if you doubt me PITA) actual gap (estimated) at .030" it's a corona after all.

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Beat my calculated OG, real great brew day. Thanks for all the tips and hints, everybody. My not so ugly mill will serve me well for the foreseeable future.

Later Dick bags,

IZS

 

[mona]

Great thread, if admitted a bit long winded. I did my homework, and brewed today with a shiny new single bucket mill station.

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3 gal bottle for a hopper, 10#s no worries, the hopper and bucket could probably handle 15#s. that might be about capacity on the single bucket design.

Gap set at .025" with the plate tooth depth (measure it if you doubt me PITA) actual gap (estimated) at .030" it's a corona after all.

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Beat my calculated OG, real great brew day. Thanks for all the tips and hints, everybody. My not so ugly mill will serve me well for the foreseeable future.

Later Dick bags,

IZS

I made one almost just like yours IZS. The difference between yours and mine was that I cut the bottom off of the bucket housing the mill. I then cut out all but the seal part of an old lid I had. So I put the cut out lid on an empty bucket and the mill bucket sits snugly in. I mill my grains and lift off the mill bucket and have my grains in my bucket ready for when I need it.

 

[TorMag]

Every time I use my mill in a bucket, I laugh at the folks who paid hundreds of dollars for their 3 roller mills.

 

[IZS]

All in $45

 

[wilserbrewer]

I made one almost just like yours IZS. The difference between yours and mine was that I cut the bottom off of the bucket housing the mill. I then cut out all but the seal part of an old lid I had. So I put the cut out lid on an empty bucket and the mill bucket sits snugly in. I mill my grains and lift off the mill bucket and have my grains in my bucket ready for when I need it.

There's two basic bucket methods. In one method one cuts out the bottom of the bucket, so the mill is mounted in a bottomless bucket that is placed in a second bucket to collect the milled grains.

In the other method, the mill is mounted in a bucket with the bottom intact, and the mill and bucket are both lifted to pour the milled grains into the brew vessel.

Advantage of the first method is that it is easier to have your milled grains in a separate bucket to dump while brewing. BUT, once you lift the mill and bottomless bucket off the milled grain, you need a place to set the bottomless bucket or a pile of grain dust falls on the floor....perhaps a third bucket idk....of course if your outside maybe one doesn't care idk.

The advantage of a single bucket is that the grain and dust is always enclosed and is potentially a lot less messy, an upside for a basement brewer like myself.

Both ways work well depending on your needs...for me the three bucket system indoors would make me crazy....ymmv

Fwiw, I always add the grain to the run in one pour and begin stirring immediately. I have heard of others who add a little and stir....not needed IME and just more work lol.

 

[horseinmay]

There's two basic bucket methods. In one method one cuts out the bottom of the bucket, so the mill is mounted in a bottomless bucket that is placed in a second bucket to collect the milled grains.

In the other method, the mill is mounted in a bucket with the bottom intact, and the mill and bucket are both lifted to pour the milled grains into the brew vessel.

You forgot the third method - mounting the mill to a piece of wood and then setting that on top of any unmodified bucket. I didn't like the idea of cutting up a bucket or permanently mounting the mill inside one, so I built this. I like that I can take it off the bucket and it stands up on its own.

 

[wilserbrewer]

horseinmay,

That is far too nice for this thread One also needs some carpentry skills to build it, I don't have a hole saw that large lol.

I like it...Does it mark its territory with grain dust wherever it is set down after milling?

 

[Terek]

Every time I use my mill in a bucket, I laugh at the folks who paid hundreds of dollars for their 3 roller mills.

me too especially when they talk sht to me about how they have used both, and there $250 mill is "so much more superior" to my corona mill. How the crush is so much better and adjusting is so easy. I just laugh and laugh as i look at my $15 reciept, and my 82% eff., and think of all the stuff i got with my remaining $235 from not buying a barley mill. then i laugh and laugh some more

 

[IZS]

There's two basic bucket methods. In one method one cuts out the bottom of the bucket, so the mill is mounted in a bottomless bucket that is placed in a second bucket to collect the milled grains.

In the other method, the mill is mounted in a bucket with the bottom intact, and the mill and bucket are both lifted to pour the milled grains into the brew vessel.

Advantage of the first method is that it is easier to have your milled grains in a separate bucket to dump while brewing. BUT, once you lift the mill and bottomless bucket off the milled grain, you need a place to set the bottomless bucket or a pile of grain dust falls on the floor....perhaps a third bucket idk....of course if your outside maybe one doesn't care idk.

The advantage of a single bucket is that the grain and dust is always enclosed and is potentially a lot less messy, an upside for a basement brewer like myself.

Both ways work well depending on your needs...for me the three bucket system indoors would make me crazy....ymmv

Fwiw, I always add the grain to the run in one pour and begin stirring immediately. I have heard of others who add a little and stir....not needed IME and just more work lol.

Hey whatever works for you. After actually using the single bucket setup, I don't see why you're all so obsessed with the capacity limits of the single bucket design. It looked to me like 15 to 20 pounds would mill just fine. Everybody has their our style I guess, after all it's brewing, there must be 8 or 9 ways to skin any particular cat.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Not obsessed with one way or the other.....I'm all for what works.....

Sorry if my post came across one sided, really just trying to provide information, that's what it's all about

Cheers and thanks.

 

[Rivenin]

Here is my old mill... i've had it for a good 5-6 years now, still chugging along! this was thrown together.... one day i'll have it setup a bit different... but works so well, i have no complaints, other then the grain dust... but that's it.

20161202_214843 by Noah Scott, on Flickr

 

[dstockwell]

My ugly junk (weston) corona mil, little paint buck just sitting there for pic. Now I need to guess on brewhouse efficiency. Using BF I set it @ 65% from on-line crush, so maybe start at 70%.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Sooooo....

Hypothetically, lets say some mice may or may not have popped into a corona mill. Is there any way to clean this thing? It's cast iron right, so I should be able to take it apart, scrub it, and toss it in the oven to dry sterilize? Can it be oxyclean soaked?

 

[getack]

Sooooo....

Hypothetically, lets say some mice may or may not have popped into a corona mill. Is there any way to clean this thing? It's cast iron right, so I should be able to take it apart, scrub it, and toss it in the oven to dry sterilize? Can it be oxyclean soaked?

Should not be a problem. Take apart and scrub clean with with a bristle brush. Many of these mills are galvanised and I'm not sure how it will react to caustic chemicals.

Besides. Milling takes place before the boil. After boiling anything that might cause trouble in your wort is long dead. Cleanliness and sanitation only really becomes an issue after your wort has cooled to pitching temps.

 

[TorMag]

Sooooo....

Hypothetically, lets say some mice may or may not have popped into a corona mill. Is there any way to clean this thing? It's cast iron right, so I should be able to take it apart, scrub it, and toss it in the oven to dry sterilize? Can it be oxyclean soaked?

Might be the best beer you ever brew..... Should be no problem cleaning with scalding hot water only and drying...

 

[wilserbrewer]

Wash it with hot water and soap; rinse well and put it in a warm oven to dry and heat sanitize.

Mouse poop is like caraway seeds, no big deal....mouse pee is another story, that reeks!!!!

There is likely occasional traces of mouse poop or bird poop in grain already from the farm field it came from. Natural product

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Alright thanks guys. "My friend" was totally upset when "he" saw that... I'll do a bristle brush, then a pressure wash I think.

 

[JDXX1971]

Working on my 14.79 eBay ugly junk today. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemVersion&item=272511910543&view=all&tid=1770445240017

They raised the price now but still looks like the best deal out there. Shipping was slow though so patience is needed with this seller I guess.

I am going a little out of my way to make sure it is plenty "UGLY" for this thread.

Stay tuned.....

 

[NRF]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1487449416.245830.jpg Thanks to all who have contributed to this DIY. You have all seen this version already. I trimmed a little more off of the water jug then I was able to slide the bottom back on to make a hopper cover. No big deal. Glued a hunk of scrap to it for a handle. Large paint stir sticks fit snugly to create bucket to bucket spacers. Otherwise nothing really innovative to add. Thanks again all. Cheers.

 

[Thorsbrew]

Thanks for the idea. Bolt needed was i believe a 5/16 though unfortunately the threading makes the bolt sit a little cockeyed but it works.

Ended up sitting the mill a little too high up in the bucket and had to cut the lid to get it to seal but perhaps thats even a good thing (gives me more room inside). I love the all-in-one nature of it as its just 1 complete piece to store.

A little simple for a decent DIY woodworker who has done things like make my own gear (rack and pinion) driven drill press but i'm generally a function over form kinda guy anyway so this works fine. And only took like 10-20 minutes to put together.

Question...is it normal/fine that the grinding faces of the plates stick/grind together with no grain in them no matter how loose i make them? (i'm hoping when i get grain in there it'll hold the plates apart). I'm concerned about the metal grinding together and grinding flakes into my milled grain (not to mention wearing the plates right out).

 

[NRF]

Mine is the same. Once you start running some grain it actually runs much smoother. I needed a metric bolt for the auger.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Some replace the larger cotter pin that fixes the grinding plate crooked with either a smaller pin or bolt to allow more wobble in the grinding plate so it can self align easier with grain present, not sure if it is mandatory. Likely not....

I would not be concerned with wear on the grinding plate.

I had the same concern, but after a couple years and many sacks through the mill, the grinding plates on my mill look like new. Cast iron is very hard and doesn't seem affected by the mill plates grinding on each other at all.

 

[JDXX1971]

Mine is coming together quite nicely. I just need a couple of small items and it will be perfect (for this thread)

 

[JDXX1971]

As promised, my ugly junk.

 

[JDXX1971]

This was pretty much my original plan, it didnt turn out quite like I had anticipated, although perfectly fuctionable...

But wait............There is more

 

[JDXX1971]

I found some more junk laying around so I decided to take it up a notch.

 

[JDXX1971]

But wait, you say, what about a hopper??? Well I found some junk to work for that for now too!!

 

[JDXX1971]

And another view!!!!

 

[JDXX1971]

Still not quite done, a little fit and finish left but there it is. Whatcha think about that???????? I had everything laying around here except the 1/2" PVC for the legs. Yes it works freestanding as a counter top model too!!!

 

[JDXX1971]

Oh and SPONSORS!!!!!! I am selling advertisement space on the side of my silo, for the price of......... 1 sticker, magnet or ect......