Recommended mill gap settings to start

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Rob2010SS

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Hey peeps. So I know that mill gaps need to be adjusted based on the system you're using. I also know that different people use different gaps with success. However, my question here is just a starting point as I'm still fairly new with a mill.

I have the MM3 and my recipe for tomorrow consists of the following....

Pilsner
Oat Malt
White Wheat
Honey Malt
Acidulated Malt

From my experience with the MM3 so far, I plan to mill the Pilsner, Honey, and Acidulated at .032" gap. I've actually tried to go smaller and the kernels just don't make it between the rollers so .032" seems to be my minimum gap for those grains.

I also plan to do the white wheat at .026".

What I'm not sure about is the oat malt. What would be a good gap to start with on the oat malt? In a couple of previous threads here, I've read .022" as well as .025". Will the .026" that I am going to use with the Wheat be OK for the oat malt?

Thanks in advance.
 
Sounds like you're on track, I mill barley at .034 wheat at .026 as far as the oats go I cant get my mill much tighter then .026 so I make it as tight as the adjustment will allow me. Maybe run a handful of oat malt through at .026 and see how the crush looks. I usually run mine through twice if the first pass looks like it could use a little more smashing.

Edit ... sounds like it might be time for me to upgrade my mill... hmmm.
 
Sounds like you're on track, I mill barley at .034 wheat at .026 as far as the oats go I cant get my mill much tighter then .026 so I make it as tight as the adjustment will allow me. Maybe run a handful of oat malt through at .026 and see how the crush looks. I usually run mine through twice if the first pass looks like it could use a little more smashing.
Perfect! I'll try that. I'll try the .026 and see what it looks like, run it through twice if I have to. Thanks for the info!
 
I'm not sure how easy it is to adjust that mill, some apparently can be a pain so it may be easier if you dont have to adjust 3 times for one batch. I also rigged a motor to mine so it's nothing to run a second pass. Next thing I want to start doing is conditioning the malt before milling.
 
I’ve had no trouble with barley and wheat both at 0.034” (I BIAB, so no worries about crushing too fine.). For rye and oats you really need to crank it down; I use 0.018” for rye and even smaller for oats.
 
Perfect! I'll try that. I'll try the .026 and see what it looks like, run it through twice if I have to. Thanks for the info!
I run oat malt through a 0.019" gap on my MM2 to get any kind of crush on those skinny leathery needles.

On your MM3 things may be different, and I don't know how easy or cumbersome it is to adjust the gap, especially more than once.
Keep in mind, running twice through a wider gap is not the same as running through once at the correct gap. ;)
 
I run oat malt through a 0.019" gap on my MM2 to get any kind of crush on those skinny leathery needles.

On your MM3 things may be different, and I don't know how easy or cumbersome it is to adjust the gap, especially more than once.
Keep in mind, running through twice through a wider gap is not the same as running through once at the correct gap. ;)
Valid point you bring up!

On the MM3, you have to remove 2 thumb screws that are the set screws for the adjustable roller. Then it's 4 bolts to remove the hopper from the roller housing. Then you can perform the adjustment, slide the hopper back on, attach the set screws and then attach the 4 bolts holding down the hopper. So it's not terrible to adjust the mill but yes, can be tedious.

Good to know about the .018-.019" gap for oats! That's pretty small! So hearing that, I suppose I'll change my game plan and try that and see how it goes.
 
I have an MM3. I set my gap for .05. I run each grain separately to make sure each type gets crushed properly. If the grain is too small and does not look like a good crush I'll run it through again or adjust the gap. I also have a RIMS system which you should be considering in your gap decision. My gap size is recommended by the system manufacturer and I tried different gap settings only to have my efficiency suffer.
 
Its confirmed... I need a new mill


I recently bought a Kegland Malt Muncher 3 roll mill to replace my 10+ year old Barley Crusher. I've only gotten two batches on it, but the crush (to me) looked pretty good. Seems to be a great mill for the money.


I used an old credit card to set my gap. I cut it into a couple of strips and discard the part with the raised account number. If memory serves me, I think a credit card's thickness is .035"?
 
I have an original MM-3. I’ve settled on .028 for normal malts. I’ll run oats and wheat through twice. It works for me generally. My original model is a PIA to adjust on the fly. The new models are so much easier to adjust. Mill adjustments are mill, lauter, and see how it goes. I always condition the grain and look at the husk. .028 gets me a good crush without shredding the husk too much. Setting is totally system dependent. If I were starting with a mill, I’d start at .038 and see. Obviously this is for anything other than BIAB. I haven’t found base malts to make much of a difference for me.
 
I have an MM3. I set my gap for .05. I run each grain separately to make sure each type gets crushed properly. If the grain is too small and does not look like a good crush I'll run it through again or adjust the gap. I also have a RIMS system which you should be considering in your gap decision. My gap size is recommended by the system manufacturer and I tried different gap settings only to have my efficiency suffer.
Thanks for the info! It's crazy how much people's numbers vary. .05 is the biggest I've seen but it sounds like it's working for you!
 
It really is dependent on your system. Like I said I have a RIMS and check the crush of eack type of grain separately. My efficiency runs high 70's to high 80's depending if it is a five or ten gallon batch and high v. lower gravity. Let us know as you dial it in for your system.
 
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