Need New Grain Mill

[mbg]

Anyone have experience with this 3-roller geared mill at More Beer?

https://www.morebeer.com/products/mighty-mill-3-roller-grain.html

 

[Broothru]

I would run the cordless drill at about 1/2 trigger pull in the low speed range (0-500rpm). It was all torque at that speed, so I understand why it ate batteries like candy. Again, their motor option makes things sofa king easier. With the three roller mills, all you need to do is couple the shafts. I don't recall if they have an option to connect from the motor to a 3/8" shaft. Since my mill has the 1/2" shaft on it. Always better to have a larger shaft diameter.

It's 1/2" shaft I believe, so I'm resigned to being tethered to a wall outlet. No problem really since I installed 120V and 240V outlets in the brew area, and I know the Dewalt drill will easily handle the load. My battery powered Ryobi, not so much.

The motor option certainly has appeal, but right now it's 'baby steps' convincing the spousal unit and will wait until a discrete period of time has passed .

 

[superiorsat]

The factory gap was not as stated on the paperwork for my MM3. Don't remember what is was but it was not plug and play as they say. Wasn't overly hard to set, but if I remember you could end up with a different size gap on each end of the roller which isn't good and probably hard on the bearings.

 

[IslandLizard]

Also pay attention to the way you move the adjustable roller to get it to lock down properly. IIRC, they have instructions for that, the only manufacturer that spells it out, AFAIK.

The essence is, the adjustable roller needs to a) move toward the fixed roller and b) coming in from underneath! That way the lock down screws will hold it there, making it impossible for the gap to widen up under load. IOW, the adjusters dig in to the set screws during milling.
Note: Left and right adjusters move in opposite directions (of course).

 

[Broothru]

The factory gap was not as stated on the paperwork for my MM3. Don't remember what is was but it was not plug and play as they say. Wasn't overly hard to set, but if I remember you could end up with a different size gap on each end of the roller which isn't good and probably hard on the bearings.

I measured the existing gap on my defunct crusher last night and it was 1.3mm. Braumeister suggest a crush gap of 1.4~1.5mm to optimize efficiency in their system, so I think I may have been cheating a bit to eek out a point or two of extract. That narrow of a gap sometimes made the crush more difficult if there was much wheat in my malt bill, and I did have some occasional "fountaining" while mashing/recirculating.

I think I'll initially set the gap to 1.4mm and see what kind of efficiencies I get on a few brew sessions. If all goes well I might try to tighten the gap down a little. Resetting the gap on the MM3 looks to be more involved than just loosening a few set screws and turning a knurled knob, so I want to find a single acceptable setting for all the different grains I commonly use to avoid resetting frequently.

Have you experienced any drift in you gap setting after several uses?

 

[Broothru]

Also pay attention to the way you move the adjustable roller to get it to lock down properly. IIRC, they have instructions for that, the only manufacturer that spells it out, AFAIK.

The essence is, the adjustable roller needs to a) move toward the fixed roller and b) coming in from underneath! That way the lock down screws will hold it there, making it impossible for the gap to widen up under load. IOW, the adjusters dig in to the set screws during milling.
Note: Left and right adjusters move in opposite directions (of course).

Yeah, I got that from one of the videos. I guess a lot of people were turning the adjustment knobs in opposite directions which created offset gaps.

"Measure twice, cut once."

 

[IslandLizard]

"Measure twice, cut once."

Didn't someone suggest to follow the alternate paradigm:
"Measure once, cut twice."

 

[superiorsat]

I measured the existing gap on my defunct crusher last night and it was 1.3mm. Braumeister suggest a crush gap of 1.4~1.5mm to optimize efficiency in their system, so I think I may have been cheating a bit to eek out a point or two of extract. That narrow of a gap sometimes made the crush more difficult if there was much wheat in my malt bill, and I did have some occasional "fountaining" while mashing/recirculating.

I think I'll initially set the gap to 1.4mm and see what kind of efficiencies I get on a few brew sessions. If all goes well I might try to tighten the gap down a little. Resetting the gap on the MM3 looks to be more involved than just loosening a few set screws and turning a knurled knob, so I want to find a single acceptable setting for all the different grains I commonly use to avoid resetting frequently.

Have you experienced any drift in you gap setting after several uses?

I set it once years ago to a crush I liked and have not had to do it again since.

 

[T Murph]

Anyone have experience with this 3-roller geared mill at More Beer?

https://www.morebeer.com/products/mighty-mill-3-roller-grain.html

I have the Mighty Mill 3 and I'm very happy with it. Didn't get the larger hopper as I'm restricting my batch sizes to 5g or less. My LHBS uses one to crush grains for home brewers and a couple of local brew pubs. I like the shaft in particular because the end of the shaft is a 1/4 hex made to fit perfectly in a screw gun / impact. They are typically stronger than your basic 3/8 drill. I use a Ridgid or Makita impact to drive it crushing grain with no problem and it never drains the battery for a single batch of beer. The rollers are also easily adjustable for your desired crush. I think I paid $179 for it from More Beer. I'm happy with it.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

The only true 3 geared rollers from what I can find is the Crankenstein 3GT mill.

https://www.crankandstein.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=33
What about the cover? They sell the base and hopper, but what about the sides?

 

[day_trippr]

Man I would love to see a bunch of close-up pics of that 3GT mill...or a soft copy of the user manual

Cheers!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Man I would love to see a bunch of close-up pics of that 3GT mill...or a soft copy of the user manual

Cheers!

Me too!

 

[Broothru]

Didn't someone suggest to follow the alternate paradigm:
"Measure once, cut twice."

"I don't understand HOW that piece came out too short. I cut it TWICE."

 

[Broothru]

I set it once years ago to a crush I liked and have not had to do it again since.

That's my plan. I really had no idea what my gap was until I went through some notes from years ago. I found a thread on the Braumeisters forum I'd archived 12 years ago and found what other brewers were using. That jibed with what I measured yesterday on my old crusher.

FedEx came through early this afternoon and delivered my MM3, and I just got finished assembling it. Thanks to everyone for their tips on putting it together. It was pretty straightforward (with fore knowledge!) and everything went smoothly.

I had to test it out immediately, so I dug out some old grains (one from 2017) to clean up the machining oil in a sacrificial maiden voyage. It ripped through some 4 year old white wheat malt without breaking stride. Added benefit: the drive shaft is 3/8", and my battery drill had no problems cranking the rollers.

The crush on all three test grains (wheat, 2-row and Munich) was flawless. I was afraid when I looked at the 2-row that a bunch of kernels had passed though uncrushed. Upon closer examination I saw that the husk was open, but not shredded, and the malt pearl was exposed perfectly for mashing. I've never, EVER seen a better looking crush. I had been set at 1.2 mm on my old crusher. Braumeister recommends 1.4-1.5 mm gap. So I split the difference and set 1.3 mm. Visually the 1.3 mm looks much more fine that what I was getting on my old Barley Crusher set at 1.2 mm, but I think it's just significantly a more complete crush.

The real test will come Monday when I brew the first full crush with the MM3. Luckily it's a simple Blonde pale ale with a smaller, simple grist bill. If real world matches the test run, this should be fun!

 

[GoeHaarden]

The only true 3 geared rollers from what I can find is the Crankenstein 3GT mill.

Does the bottom roller need to be driven? Is there a benefit over the MM3-geared?

EDIT: Actually curious for myself as I'm looking at the MM3G. In search of knowledge, not an argument. Thought I should clarify. Lol

 

[matt_m]

I have an MM3 with an Aleworks motor Had some problems with it sticking but now I know to toss a small handful in before I dump the bucket and it hasn't happened since. If I was to replace it I'd get the new MM3 with the gears or the MM2, not sure which. But I'd definitely go back to them. Don't expect I will ever need to though.

 

[A1sportsdad]

I went with the Northern Brewer Hullwrecker. It’s a 2 roller mill. Gap adjustment is easy. Works great with my cordless drill. I have a drill I can set so the speed is not too fast. I did file a flat on the shaft. It did not have any. That was easy though. I would recommend it.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Does the bottom roller need to be driven? Is there a benefit over the MM3-geared?

EDIT: Actually curious for myself as I'm looking at the MM3G. In search of knowledge, not an argument. Thought I should clarify. Lol

As far as I know with the MM3 geared only the top 2 rollers are geared. The bottom roller moves from the force of the grain going thru the rollers.

I'd prefer a grain mill will all 3 rollers geared. Do wish Crankenstein had more info/specs on the mill other than marketing hype "Oh, man, not another homebrew mill on the market. Yeah, but this one sets the pace: three fully geared rollers, index shifters, 1/2" driveshaft, and a precision crossrod for solid performance. Why pay good money for less when you can have the best? Nobody outruns the Gear Triangle."

For example: Roller material? Bushings? Gap range? Or, are the specs same as the 328G?
328G Geared Up Brewing Mill - $410.00 : Crankandstein , Advancing the Craft

We don't know.

 

[GoeHaarden]

As far as I know with the MM3 geared only the top 2 rollers are geared. The bottom roller moves from the force of the grain going thru the rollers.

Right, but does a geared bottom roller pose a major advantage? The grain is still being forced through the smaller gap via the two geared upper rollers. My understanding is that the advantage of being geared is to prevent roller slipping while feeding the grain. If the grain is past the upper rollers then more grain is going to force it through the bottom one.

I also feel like having the bottom roller geared would could cause issues with setting up a gap, but maybe that isn't an issue. I have zero experience with any 3 rollers.

Was all set on a geared MM3 until this thread...haha

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Right, but does a geared bottom roller pose a major advantage? The grain is still being forced through the smaller gap via the two geared upper rollers. My understanding is that the advantage of being geared is to prevent roller slipping while feeding the grain. If the grain is past the upper rollers then more grain is going to force it through the bottom one.

I also feel like having the bottom roller geared would could cause issues with setting up a gap, but maybe that isn't an issue. I have zero experience with any 3 rollers.

Was all set on a geared MM3 until this thread...haha

I do believe the 3rd gear will prevent stuck milling. I've run into problems with the MM3 where the roller on the shaft moves, the roller next to it doesn't move and the bottom roller also doesn't move. Perhaps due to binding dust?

However, @Fidelity101 may have a solution. It's the motor and not the mill.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/motorized-maltmuncher-pro.692842/post-9134453

 

[matt_m]

I believe the stuck mllling on the MM3 is caused by very slight sticking of the shafts in the bushings. Giving it a quick turn each use fixes it but if you've dumped in 15lb of grain that's hard to do. But also it seems like if I turn it on and toss in a handful it never sticks. Then I can dump in the rest and its fine. Might help too that I loosened the bolts that attach the mill body to the table. There wasn't detectable binding but maybe combined?

 

[IslandLizard]

Do wish Crankenstein had more info/specs on the mill other than marketing hype [...]

Someone here once said (paraphrased):
"Would you rather buy a mill from by a machinist (Crankenstein), or a sales company (Monster Mill)?"

Although the MM2 works fine for me, I sometimes wish I had bought a Crankenstein, back in 2013.

 

[IslandLizard]

I believe the stuck mllling on the MM3 is caused by very slight sticking of the shafts in the bushings. Giving it a quick turn each use fixes it but if you've dumped in 15lb of grain that's hard to do. But also it seems like if I turn it on and toss in a handful it never sticks. Then I can dump in the rest and its fine. Might help too that I loosened the bolts that attach the mill body to the table. There wasn't detectable binding but maybe combined?

That's a good idea!

Similarly, before plugging it in and filling the hopper, I always spin the slave roller by hand, from underneath (!), on my MM2. Sometimes it's stuck a bit, and when so, it won't mill.

 

[GoeHaarden]

Someone here once said (paraphrased):
"Would you rather buy a mill from by a machinist (Crankenstein), or a sales company (Monster Mill)?"

Although the MM2 works fine for me, I sometimes wish I had bought a Crankenstein, back in 2013.

Damn it man...is that really the case regarding the companies?

Leaning towards the Crank now...blah!

 

[superiorsat]

I always just dump a 5 gallon bucket 95% full of grain on my old non-geared MM3 ( I don't start it first ), 50/50 shot if it will be stuck ( by stuck I mean only the drive roller is spinning ) or mill grain right off the bat. If stuck I'll ( turn off ) pull the bucket give it a tiny turn put the bucket back and works every time.

 

[Broothru]

I always just dump a 5 gallon bucket 95% full of grain on my old non-geared MM3 ( I don't start it first ), 50/50 shot if it will be stuck ( by stuck I mean only the drive roller is spinning ) or mill grain right off the bat. If stuck I'll ( turn off ) pull the bucket give it a tiny turn put the bucket back and works every time.

Sshhh.... my wife might hear you.

I wonder if a similar thing happened to me with my old Barley Crusher. The idler roller moved when I tried spinning it, but clearly the drive roller was the only thing rotating when I tried actually crushing grain. Maybe a bearing was finally giving out after 12 years.

In any event the crush went beautifully this morning with the new MM3. Currently I'm about half way through a 1:45 hour recirculation step mash and everything is working GREAT (cue: Young Rascals singing "It's a Beautiful Morning"). Continuous gentle flow, no wort fountains, pH was right on target. Now if I can only get 3 or 4 more points of efficiency in this mash it'll show that the Beer Gods approve of my purchase.

 

[Golddiggie]

I've never had either roller 'stuck' on my MM2. Then again, I always blow out the dust after using it (I have a large air compressor). Saturday's brew had 21# run through the mill (I put flaked barley in the catch bucket, not sending it through the mill) and had zero issues. Well, other than having to keep an eye on the container fill level and knocking/leveling it so that it didn't overflow. Still had room in the hopper for more grain even with it all in there. I'll probably get another square catch container before the next brew that uses more than 20# in the grist. Just so that I can change the container and not need to worry.

I have the gap set to .035" as per Spike's information for their false bottoms (seen gap setting of both .035" and .036"). I do get some dust, but not a lot.

 

[GoeHaarden]

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on a Crankandstein 3GT.

Someone talk me out of it...

 

[DavidWood2115]

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on a Crankandstein 3GT.

Someone talk me out of it...

Au contraire! I think you should definitely buy the Crankandstein 3GT and give us all a first hand report! I was about ready to buy an MM3G. Now I'm not so sure.

 

[GoeHaarden]

Au contraire! I think you should definitely buy the Crankandstein 3GT and give us all a first hand report! I was about ready to buy an MM3G. Now I'm not so sure.

Yeah, same here. I was set on the MM3G as well, but after seeing the 3GT at the same price point I've definitely been swayed.

Other people have mentioned the lack of description on the CS site, but I would assume it's built to the same specs as their other 3 roller mill only with a 1/2" driveshaft and gears. More of a leap of faith than assumption I suppose...

Anyway. I've made it all the way to payment page a couple times. Maybe just a little more liquid courage to help.

I don't think I'm going to get the hopper and base. For some reason, I think its over priced for what it is. That's where I draw the line. Logic, eh!? Lol