Pretty close to you...using 0.030" for wheat and rye. Did a Witbier with tons of wheat milled to that, and with 1lb rice hulls it turned out fine.
Spike mill in the wild
- Thread starter bf514921
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Help Support Homebrew Talk:
Is anyone's Spike mill slowing down while grinding? I did my first grind yesterday with 10lbs of Rahr two row at .4 and the motor would slow down and then pick back up, at one point I thought the motor was going to stop. I also noticed that sometimes when I push the switch the motor starts for a second and then stops but the light on the switch is still on. If I turn it off and back on again all is fine. I opened a ticket with Spike to see if the motor slowing is normal.
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- Dec 13, 2012
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Interesting, I never saw that FAQ, thanks for the response. I don't believe I've given it 3 seconds to reset, I just turn it off and on again. I'm not sure what kind of load is causing this since it happened with the empty mill before I even used it for my first milling. No problem, as long as it turns on I'm happy.
Anyone having a similar problem that I mentioned above with the motor slowing down to almost a stop? That's my main concern.
Anyone having a similar problem that I mentioned above with the motor slowing down to almost a stop? That's my main concern.
OP
OP
i believe in the users manaual it recomeds you add the grain while the mill is running. like a running start. its page 15 of the users guide on spikes website. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...ls_User_Guide_R6_042524_SE_1.pdf?v=1714062752
Yep, that's what I do. Support wants me to send them a video next time I mill some grains. Thanks.
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OP
OP
Will be interested what u find out
Yea, I'm curious as well. Won't be brewing for a few more weeks, heading off on vacation, so it'll be a bit of a wait.
BTW, do you get any kind of slow down when using your mill?
OP
OP
So far no. I just start it and let it eat with the gap set at 0.045
Not sure if this is related, but my Kitchen Aid mixer (600 Watt) does not start immediately when moving the speed/power switch. There is a slight pause before it begins running at whatever speed I move the switch too. It's part of the electronics and it's been doing that since I bought it 12 years ago!
I received mine a few weeks ago and have done 3 batches now. It is a lovely upgrade from my drill-driven MM2 Pro. The trouble with holding a heavy-duty drill in your hands when starting up is that there's a great deal of torque before things get spinning, especially at narrow gaps. I found it to be pretty manageable at 0.032", but when I went down to 0.018" for rye it would try to rip itself out of my hands. More than once the whole mill flipped up and over and off the bucket, dumping a hopper full of malt on my garage floor. I'm getting too old for that.
I'm using 0.03" for BIAB right now. At this setting there is a fair amount of flour, and the bag requires a bit more squeezing than I'm used to. Efficiency is up. I'll adjust settings and weigh the advantages/disadvantages over the next batches.
I'm impressed with the support and service so far. Spike mistakenly sent me the bucket adaptor when I'd ordered the table. It took them a couple of hours to respond to my email and the table was on my doorstep two days later.
The table, incidentally, is built like a tank. I'm surprised that they can use that much stainless and do that much welding and still turn a profit on the thing.
I'm using 0.03" for BIAB right now. At this setting there is a fair amount of flour, and the bag requires a bit more squeezing than I'm used to. Efficiency is up. I'll adjust settings and weigh the advantages/disadvantages over the next batches.
I'm impressed with the support and service so far. Spike mistakenly sent me the bucket adaptor when I'd ordered the table. It took them a couple of hours to respond to my email and the table was on my doorstep two days later.
The table, incidentally, is built like a tank. I'm surprised that they can use that much stainless and do that much welding and still turn a profit on the thing.
Please keep sharing your reviews for new spike mill owners. I am seriously considering one to more precisely mill my grains and to get a better flavor profile... Milled just perfectly (a slight crack of the grains, hulls mostly intact) with less "flour" flavor and more malt forward. I want one and so far the reviews are moving me to go ahead and get one. I brew a lot and yeah, how you mill your grain is quite important to the final product of amazing beer.
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Yes, I understand your "huh" ? ... What I mean, I am using grist inappropriately ... I mean ... More crushed ... The grist is so fine that it is approaching flour as opposed to a coarser crush, which produces a chunkier grist. Or closer to what is traditionally considered a suitable crush size
Well, I brewed a batch of blonde yesterday and filmed the Spike milling the grain per Spike's instructions. Used 5lbs of the same malt (along with some Vienna and honey malt) I used in the last batch when the mill was slowing down. Dang thing worked like a champ, no slow downs whatsoever. I guess it's good to go for the time being.
Turns out it didn't actually take the rust off, only covered it. Spike ended up shipping me a replacement mill base, which was spotless. Their support is excellent when pushed, though their QC leaves a bit to be desired. I also received their glycol chiller, which would not chill below 77F, so I'm waiting on that replacement...
0.04 mill gap worked well for me on my inagraual brew, 1.063 ipa with Briess Heritage malt . Not much hull bits outside of the basket and 63-64% efficiency. Previously I was getting something like 57 to 59% with store milled grain. Good to be able to start off with predicted preboil gravity and not worry too much on the final product.
Just wanted to report back. I set my mill to 0.040 and was able to run about halfway throttle on the HERMS recirculation - good enough to do step mashing in a decent time frame and no fretting about a stuck mash. Give it a good 10 minute rest after doughing in, start your recirc.
I have the spike trio 20 gallon bottom drain setup. My brewhouse efficiency on a pale ale hit right at 90%. That was around a 27lb grain bill. I used to only get max 80% brewhouse efficiency on the same setup before I could use the mill (LHBS mill). I can theoretically back off my grain bill now and still meet the requirements I want for the beer. That's nice.
One thing I learned quick is DO NOT let that milled grain touch the chute or it'll back up and stop and you'll have to unplug the mill and dig that chute out with your fingers. I know that sounds obvious, but just putting it out there. Obligatory safety warning: DO NOT put your fingers in that thing while it's plugged in.
I was REALLY happy with the flow rate on my recirculation and overall brewhouse efficiency increase. I now feel more confident on my standard brews and avoiding stuck mashes. Gone are the days of trusting the LHBS for milling my grain to match my setup. I friggin love that part. I still buy their grains but now I can customize my crush.
10/10 would buy again.
I have the spike trio 20 gallon bottom drain setup. My brewhouse efficiency on a pale ale hit right at 90%. That was around a 27lb grain bill. I used to only get max 80% brewhouse efficiency on the same setup before I could use the mill (LHBS mill). I can theoretically back off my grain bill now and still meet the requirements I want for the beer. That's nice.
One thing I learned quick is DO NOT let that milled grain touch the chute or it'll back up and stop and you'll have to unplug the mill and dig that chute out with your fingers. I know that sounds obvious, but just putting it out there. Obligatory safety warning: DO NOT put your fingers in that thing while it's plugged in.
I was REALLY happy with the flow rate on my recirculation and overall brewhouse efficiency increase. I now feel more confident on my standard brews and avoiding stuck mashes. Gone are the days of trusting the LHBS for milling my grain to match my setup. I friggin love that part. I still buy their grains but now I can customize my crush.
10/10 would buy again.
