Need help deciding on which grain mill to buy

[BIGRUGBY]

Looking to spend ~$400 and need help deciding between the two grain mills below-

FWIW- My previous mill experience was with a borrowed Barley Crusher from a coworker and it definitely had the spinning, lack of grabbing grain problem, so the bar was set pretty low.
The two options I am considering-
A geared 3 roller monster mill (just the base) with a corded Milwaukee drill to drive it ~$350
A 3 roller MaltMuncher mill with a motor ~$360

I like the idea of a motorized mill, but I like the American-made aspect of the Monster Mill. The Monster Mill would just be the base so I could built a MDF/wooden hopper for it and possibly motorize it down the road if I wanted a more permanent setup. Thoughts? Other options worth considering?

 

[Jtvann]

I’ve got the regular ungeared 3 roller MM with a corded drill. I tried adding a few different motors to it, and while some worked decent, none worked great.

If I ever have need to buy another mill, or have someone looking for just the plain MM3 so I can upgrade the geared MM3 would be my go to.

 

[DuncB]

I've been using the maltzilla with stainless steel rollers, pretty happy with it built in motor. See portly gentleman review of it on his youtube channel and I have also commented in his video about my experience with it.

 

[Tom R]

I considered all the usual suspects when I needed to replace my worn-out mill, and ended up with a Crankandstein 3D.

I really like the 9 position detented adjusters because it is so easy to precisely reset when switching from wheat to barley and back again.

And the "grain-engaged gears" machined into the edge of the rollers seem to work as advertised, no issues with rollers not turning.

You'll need a serious drill motor to run this at tight settings. I use a corded Milwaukee Magnum 1/2" motor which is as small as I'd care to go.

I see that Crankandstein now offers free re-knurling, that's new.

 

[Sammy86]

IMO a three roller mill isn't entirely necessary at our level unless you're brewing 1/2 BBL - 1 BBL batches.

I started off with a Corona mill and upgraded to a cereal killer from AIH and have been very pleased with the results thus far.

 

[ITV]

I suggest getting a proper motor to power a 3 roller mill. I have the Americal Ale Works motor which is way overkill but my corded milwaukee drill couldn't keep up.

 

[hopjuice_71]

I can vouch for the MaltMuncher 3 roller mill. I had a Schmidling adjustable 2 roller mill for ~25 years that finally gave up the ghost a few of years ago. I got the MaltMuncher 3 roller and power it on the slow speed of a cordless drill. This new mill was a paradigm shift for me.. ..in the best sense. Not sure if it will last 25 years but it sure seems bomb proof.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

To @Tom R about the Crankandstein 3D. Where is the roller cover? I looked at the website. I see the hopper and base, but no roller cover.

 

[Tom R]

The base, sides, and hopper are DIY.
Here's a look at the whole thing.
Got a new mill! | HomeBrewTalk.com - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Community.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Unfortunately https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachments/709098/ goes to a "page not found".

I guess it would not be difficult measuring the mill rollers and cutting plexiglass or other sides and top.

 

[Tom R]

Unfortunately https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachments/709098/ goes to a "page not found".

I guess it would not be difficult measuring the mill rollers and cutting plexiglass or other sides and top.

That's weird, it works for me.
Here's a photo:

 

[dan46nbrew]

Did someone say grain mill? So after the issue with the SS mill having unparallel rollers, then reading about Blichmans's same issue I went ahead and started building up my Monster Mill with American Ale Works motor. Made the cart look like an amp cab... used a magnetic switch that goes to a Dayton forward/reverse switch. Was about to pull the trigger on the Blichman before someone posted a thread here... really disappointing how bad QC is with these companies. No possibility of not having parallel rollers with the Monster Mill since its adjustable (take notice brew companies! can't be that hard to make them adjustable). Just need a little wiring to do and it will be done!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

That's weird, it works for me.
Here's a photo:
View attachment 718803

 

[drjayray]

My first post here so go easy on me please!

was toying with idea of grain mill and saw some incredible Presidents’ Day deals and stumbled upon this. Would need a hopper of course for feeding larger quantities but I think it’s pretty rugged, adjustable, and the wife’s kitchen aid stand mixer has plenty of power and it’s half mine right? I have a meat grinder attachment that works very well. If it’s just for occasional milling I don’t see how you can’t slowly feed it with a scoop and mill it right into a 5gal bucket.

keep the homebrewing going for as long as you can!

-drjayray the brewrad

https://www.wayfair.com/kitchen-tab...mill-attachment-for-stand-mixers-kad1607.html

 

[eric19312]

Those motors look very cool but for the record I have no issues driving a three roller monster mill with a harbor freight low speed high torque drill. This seems to be the current model and for $43 I'd not hesitate to give this a try before assuming a motor will be necessary...

 

[dan46nbrew]

Those motors look very cool but for the record I have no issues driving a three roller monster mill with a harbor freight low speed high torque drill. This seems to be the current model and for $43 I'd not hesitate to give this a try before assuming a motor will be necessary...

I can't say from experience but I have read other people having the mill get stuck due to underpowered motors. Of course you can put less grain in at a time or maybe double mill instead of having a smaller gap...

 

[eric19312]

My first post here so go easy on me please!

was toying with idea of grain mill and saw some incredible Presidents’ Day deals and stumbled upon this. Would need a hopper of course for feeding larger quantities but I think it’s pretty rugged, adjustable, and the wife’s kitchen aid stand mixer has plenty of power and it’s half mine right? I have a meat grinder attachment that works very well. If it’s just for occasional milling I don’t see how you can’t slowly feed it with a scoop and mill it right into a 5gal bucket.

keep the homebrewing going for as long as you can!

-drjayray the brewrad

https://www.wayfair.com/kitchen-tab...mill-attachment-for-stand-mixers-kad1607.html

TBH that does not look like a good choice for milling grain for beer. I think at that price point you can get a cereal killer which will do fine for several years. If you want something cheaper get a corona mill and read on here about how to modify it for drills or hoppers etc. A mill is a really really nice piece of homebrewing equipment to get. Even for small batch brewers it is nice to be able to buy a pound of grain, use 4oz in a recipe and keep the rest unmilled for a future batch.

 

[eric19312]

I can't say from experience but I have read other people having the mill get stuck due to underpowered motors. Of course you can put less grain in at a time or maybe double mill instead of having a smaller gap...

The key is to get a low speed high torque drill. Corded. This is the drill that is designed for mixing 5 gallon buckets of drywall mud. If you need more power than that for milling grain you are doing something wrong.

 

[dan46nbrew]

The key is to get a low speed high torque drill. Corded. This is the drill that is designed for mixing 5 gallon buckets of drywall mud. If you need more power than that for milling grain you are doing something wrong.

Makes sense. The American Aleworks motor is definitely overkill but who doesn’t like overkill? It could probably mill gravel lol.

 

[AAAW]

Did someone say grain mill? So after the issue with the SS mill having unparallel rollers, then reading about Blichmans's same issue I went ahead and started building up my Monster Mill with American Ale Works motor. Made the cart look like an amp cab... used a magnetic switch that goes to a Dalton forward/reverse switch. Was about to pull the trigger on the Blichman before someone posted a thread here... really disappointing how bad QC is with these companies. No possibility of not having parallel rollers with the Monster Mill since its adjustable (take notice brew companies! can't be that hard to make them adjustable). Just need a little wiring to do and it will be done!

Well done! That's the way a motorized mill is supposed to look! Nice drum switch too. Overkill = fewer problems, less wasted time, and long term satisfaction! Happy Brewing!

 

[Crafty_Brewer]

Looking to spend ~$400 and need help deciding between the two grain mills below-

FWIW- My previous mill experience was with a borrowed Barley Crusher from a coworker and it definitely had the spinning, lack of grabbing grain problem, so the bar was set pretty low.
The two options I am considering-
A geared 3 roller monster mill (just the base) with a corded Milwaukee drill to drive it ~$350
A 3 roller MaltMuncher mill with a motor ~$360

I like the idea of a motorized mill, but I like the American-made aspect of the Monster Mill. The Monster Mill would just be the base so I could built a MDF/wooden hopper for it and possibly motorize it down the road if I wanted a more permanent setup. Thoughts? Other options worth considering?

I’m pretty happy with my Cereal Killer from AIH; $99 and it has actual bearings for the rollers instead of bushings. I haven’t had any problems with it. That being said, I don’t know what $400 buys you for a mill, but my little cereal killer just keeps crushing.

 

[stealthfixr]

Had nothing but problems with my Barley Mill, and after a lot of research, I went with the Kegco KM11GM-3R . The difference was amazing, and using the standard gap settings my efficiency went up ~5%. I bought a corded, variable speed Metabo drill from amazon for $40 to drive it. It can chew through grain nice and slow without any hiccups at all.

 

[Spikybits]

I 2nd a Cereal Kill + motor or use a drill. Crushes like a boss, cheap and cant be killed. I have a few hundred lbs of grain through mine with a $12 harbor freight drill.

save money and buy something else shiny!

 

[dan46nbrew]

Well done! That's the way a motorized mill is supposed to look! Nice drum switch too. Overkill = fewer problems, less wasted time, and long term satisfaction! Happy Brewing!

I know with this motor it should last forever and don't have to worry about running more difficult grains through the mill all day. It's a beast!

 

[Wigglebutts Brewery]

Bought the AIH Cereal Killer for my son, he's been out of the hobby for 7 years. His review was thumbs up for the initial run. Knowing him, motorization will follow when he starts 10g batches. I have the MM 2 roller which has been great for five years with a 1/2 corded drill. I looked at the MM 3 roller but couldn't justify the cost. Having a mill is critical then take care of it and test the gap. Good luck

 

[LarMoeCur]

I'm all for American made but not at more than 4 times the cost. I bought a Cereal Killer 5 years ago and have put thousand of pounds of grains through it. I got it on sale for $89 bucks. It works great never an issue. The crush is important...Yes...but not $400 dollar important.

I'd look at the Crop Duster mill it's $79 bucks delivered.

$400 is a huge budget for a mill that just crushes the grain. Yes that is me sounding jealous! I wish!

 

[z-bob]

This is the one I have my eye on, Grain Mill with 11 lb Hopper and 3 Rollers but I can't justify the expense because I don't brew that often and the old Corona mill does a great job it's just a little slow.

 

[Saunassa]

I’ve got the regular ungeared 3 roller MM with a corded drill. I tried adding a few different motors to it, and while some worked decent, none worked great.

If I ever have need to buy another mill, or have someone looking for just the plain MM3 so I can upgrade the geared MM3 would be my go to.

what corded drill do you use, was given a MM3 and my current drill is not big enough for it.

 

[Jtvann]

what corded drill do you use, was given a MM3 and my current drill is not big enough for it.

I use a corded dewalt hammer drill. Not the hammer function, but it’s a pretty powerful one.

 

[day_trippr]

I use one of ^those^ with my old Barley Crusher which I use exclusively for wheat and oats.
It's a beast of a cordless drill - If I'm not careful with the trigger when starting it up the torque tries to snap a wrist

Cheers!

 

[govner1]

I’ve been using a Mm-3 with the All American Aleworks power grinder for 6-7 years and it has worked very well.
I was recently gifted a custom motorized mill with a combination belt and gear drive with 3.5” diameter by 6” solid SS fluted rollers.
So I’d go with a motorized MM-3 if I was to start over.

 

[rallenhall]

I run an MM-3 with a 5/8" low gear corded "mud drill" that was on close-out at Menards. Ample power at low rpms.

 

[Saunassa]

Ordered up a 1/2" low rpm drill from home Depot. Used the house account vs my brew money because I will use it to build a new deck platform

 

[micraftbeer]

I had the cereal killer for several years and was generally happy with it. When I did some experiments to hone in on efficiency, I ended up with gap settings that had me constantly on the edge of a stuck sparge or notably lower efficiency than planned.

So I went to an MM3 3 roller. I am very pleased with the switch, would not go back to a 2 roller again. And like a previous poster said, designed and built in the US (Georgia) is nice. I use a corded drill, cordless don't have the oomph to get it done with the 3 roller. I would like a motorized attachment so I don't have to continually attach and remove my drill, but I don't want to dedicate the space to that as a permanent set up.

Here's the link to my review of the Monster Mill:

https://www.homebrewfinds.com/2020/04/hands-on-review-monster-mill-mm-3-grain-mill.html

 

[Saunassa]

micraftbeer it was fun to look at the photo of the drill you are using. I believe i ordered up that same model yesterday with the keyless chuck.

 

[micraftbeer]

Yeah, I bought that drill for something else, so just had it around. But there are features on there that I suppose are great benefits: 1) Keyless chuck would be an absolute must. Using a key every time to torque and untorque would really suck, 2) It has that little second hand grip that you twist to lock/unlock and rotate to 90 degrees offset. Due to the torque the 3-roller mill takes, I suppose I could've developed some repetitive wrist strain trying to resist that torque.