quick! Advice needed about Mill purchase.

[adamg8504]

Alright I am buying a Monster Mill and kind of decided on the MM2 (1-1/2" rollers) with a hand crank (I kind of like the manual labor) and their hopper. But I'm now debating whether I should just go with the MM-2 2.0 without the hand crank and use a drill. Will the drill or hand crank provide a better crush? Is the 1/2 drive on the mill necessary?

I'm basically just starting out (6 AG batches under my belt). I do 5 gal batches and might be looking at 12 batches next year...maybe more.

The reason I'm in a rush is because I placed the order for the mm2 last night but I'm sure Fred can help me out if I get to him this morning.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

I hand cranked my first 12 or so batches of 10 gal all grain before converting to the drill. This was with a MUCH slower and smaller mill. I would keep the hand crank if you are only planning on 12 batches a year...you can work off the homebrew you consume.

 

[adamg8504]

Yeah, with the amount I see myself brewing in the near future, the mm2 seems like the right mill but what if I go the 10 gal batches and increase production? Am I going to wish I got the bigger mill?

My other (cheaper) option is to go with the old style MM2-2.0. This doesn't ave the new adjusters. But is 45 bucks less. I have a couple friends that have mills I could eventually make my own knobs.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Yeah, with the amount I see myself brewing in the near future, the mm2 seems like the right mill but what if I go the 10 gal batches and increase production? Am I going to wish I got the bigger mill?

Well, do you already have a suitable low-speed drill? Cordless drills that most of us own are a pain to run at 300'ish rpm that most mills seem to like. If you do not have a such a drill, a future purchase is likely to be one (I suggest a pawnshop used corded drill with multiple speed settings).

I happen to have a drill that I stole from work many jobs ago that has a low speed setting of 350 rpm. Works great for my tubing notcher, gran mill, mixing mortar and drywall mud.

The only reason I motorized mine was that it just required an axle stub extension and the mill was soooo small (3" x 3" using and upturned 2-liter bottle as the hopper. Still, hand grinding to 15 minutes of intermittent labor for a 22#'s.

 

[Flipadelphia]

The owner of MM told me that the MM2 2.0 is way overkill for most homebrewers. Unless you're intending on sending hundreds of lbs through monthly, just go with the regular 2.0. I did and it's great.

 

[adamg8504]

I ended up going with the mm2, hand crank and hopper/base. I intend to hand crank the mill and figure I can better regulate the feed rate and get a little work out in the process!

Did you have to run grain through to knock off any burrs or did you just go right into milling.?