Successes and failures with grain mills, what mill has worked best for you?

[JosephN]

I'm looking to start crushing my own grain. I believe that letting my LHBS crush it is costing me the consistent that I know i can have. If all other factors are dead in each time it has to be the milling quality of my grain.

So, what mill have you found works best for you, have you made your own, did you buy one, and what mills land on your failure list?

I keep hearing the monster mill is the way to go but I can't justify that much money after firkin out nearly 2-3k over the last 3-4 months. I'm about out of things my little apartment and beer closet will hold.

 

[1977Brewer]

I love my Corona/Victoria mill. Works great, twenty bucks, zero modification.

 

[Calder]

I'm sure Monster Mills and Barley Crushers are faster, and everything I have heard about them is they are pretty reliable, but I like my Corona with the bigger hopper.

I recently took off the handle and replaced it with a bolt with a recessed hex head (it has a metric thread), and run it with an 18 volt battery drill.

It cost me $30, got it on Buy.com. Probably used it for several hundred lbs of grain. After initially setting the gap, the only time I had to change the gap was when I adapted it for the drill. Running it faster lowered my efficiency. Reducing the gap, brought back my efficiency. Apart from that I have not had to adjust it.

 

[johngg123]

I bought a corona mill and modified it. Used it a couple times but I was trying to nail down an off flavor and a lot of people out there say that corona mills can lead to some off flavors so I ditched it. (My off flavor was NOT the corona mill it turned out ferm temp.)

However, I bought the barley crusher and I must say that and my stir plate are the two most life changing homebrewing things I've bought. If you're patient, you can get a damn good deal on a barley crusher. ($100) Honestly I would skip the corona and just put that money towards a cheap homebrew grain mill like a barley crusher.

 

[UndeadFred]

I just use a Corona in a give gallon bucket with a cheap arsed Black and Decker hammer drill to drive it. I can not ever see a reason for getting something better. The shredded husk thing leaching tannins is yet another in a long line of old wives tale homebrew BS.

 

[JosephN]

I just use a Corona in a give gallon bucket with a cheap arsed Black and Decker hammer drill to drive it. I can not ever see a reason for getting something better. The shredded husk thing leaching tannins is yet another in a long line of old wives tale homebrew BS.

Do you pictures to go along with how well it works for, meaning what your crush look like?

 

[JosephN]

I bought a corona mill and modified it. Used it a couple times but I was trying to nail down an off flavor and a lot of people out there say that corona mills can lead to some off flavors so I ditched it. (My off flavor was NOT the corona mill it turned out ferm temp.)



However, I bought the barley crusher and I must say that and my stir plate are the two most life changing homebrewing things I've bought. If you're patient, you can get a damn good deal on a barley crusher. ($100) Honestly I would skip the corona and just put that money towards a cheap homebrew grain mill like a barley crusher.

Do you have pictures of your crush? A little birdy told me that my LHBS will be having a sale on the barley crusher in the next few weeks.

 

[JosephN]

My LHBS crush looks like this View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1446176563.010220.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1446176584.511074.jpg

 

[BigJack]

My Cereal Killer was affordable and performs like a champ.

 

[Cider123]

Barley crusher here. Works fine. The drill chuck has trouble gripping the shaft of the BC. They should have cut a deeper groove in the shaft.

My next model will be a monster mill with the 3 rollers. So I only have to run the grains through once.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I read a free kindle book called a "treatise on the brewing of beer". It was published in 1796. The guy who wrote it thought that letting your grain sit for five days after milling was important. He may have been fooling himself, but sometimes I think that a toad in your pocket or a good salamander eye potion can really make a difference.

 

[JosephN]

I read a free kindle book called a "treatise on the brewing of beer". It was published in 1796. The guy who wrote it thought that letting your grain sit for five days after milling was important. He may have been fooling himself, but sometimes I think that a toad in your pocket or a good salamander eye potion can really make a difference.

That was a great thing to read and start off my day. Thanks for that.

 

[JosephN]

Barley crusher here. Works fine. The drill chuck has trouble gripping the shaft of the BC. They should have cut a deeper groove in the shaft.

My next model will be a monster mill with the 3 rollers. So I only have to run the grains through once.

That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for. A lot of the home brew guys around nashville Tennessee tell me that the monster is the way to go. I just needed some ideas of why they thought that. Is there anything else that you know of that is troublesome about the BC? Adjustments, hopper size?

 

[kombat]

I had a Barley Crusher, and it served me faithfully for 100 batches. Then it stopped "grabbing" the grain. The roller would just spin while the grain sat above it in the hopper. I guess the knurling wore down. I sent it back to the manufacturer, hoping for perhaps a repair/replacement/refund, never heard anything back.

So I bought a 2-roller MonsterMill and it's been a beast. It's more solidly-built than the Barley Crusher and chews through grain like it's nothing. Very happy with it. We'll see if it lasts more than 100 batches.

 

[IslandLizard]

It depends on how much you brew too.

I bought an MM2 (regular 1.5" rollers) and never looked back, except I should have gotten the 1/2" shaft, much sturdier than the 3/8" one. If you're a bit handy, make your own baseboard (theirs is crap) and hopper (theirs is fine, though). You'll also need a strong drill to drive it (<$50 at Harbor Freight). If it is worth it to you to have a great mill, and need to save up for a couple months to get it, I'd do that.

You could ask your LHBS to tighten down the gap.

Ways to save money:

• Buy grain by the sack and look for a group grain buy in your area.
• Some LHBS' let you "pre-buy" a 50# allotment, stored on their premises. Each time you buy base malt, they'll adjust your tally. Some even let you choose the variety each time you show up, so you can get Pilsner one day and Maris Otter the next.
• Split sacks with other brewers.
• Buy hops by the pound (Hops Direct etc.) and store in freezer. Don't go overboard, only buy the ones you'll use all the time.

 

[brewkinger]

Monster Mill 2.0 for me.
To each his own is my belief because I have seen Corona mills, BC and every other kind do a great job.
It all depends on how much you want to spend.
But QUALITY comes at a price.
Hopper size arguments are a moot point because with a little DIY ingenuity, you can make a bigger hopper.
I have to totally agree with an above post about milling "too fast"
I used a regular drill 600rpm with my MM for 20 batches and got lots of flour, destroyed husks, 75% efficiency.
The drill finally crapped the bed and I bought a new low speed drill from harbor freight.
Started milling at around 200rpm and got a more even looking crush and the efficiency went up to 85% on the next 20 batches.

 

[ghohn]

Monster Mill > Barley Crusher

I have both the 2 and 3 rollers. Go for the 1/2 inch shaft. The Monster mills are serious products.

The Barley Crusher lasted about 50 batches before it wouldn't grab anymore. Customer service was inept at best. I'm happy to be done with them/it.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I would read this thread before buying a Barley Crusher, It's one of many regarding B/C performance and customer service.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=297352&page=5

That being said I would also suggest the lowly corona mill (see the build post linked below under my signature if your interested). If you have deep pockets and prefer something in the $200 range, I'm sure a MM will work great.

I do like how the Crankandstein mills gear drive the second roller off the primary roller. This would eliminate the Barley Crushers Achilles heal lazy secondary roller issue.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=297352&page=5

ps your LHBS crush is too coarse for my taste, I would pass on it asap.

 

[Rev2010]

Yeah skip the Barley Crusher. I had one too that wore out way too soon and wouldn't grab grains. I'd highly recommend just buying a Monster Mill 2 and being done with it as it will last you a very very long time and when it does eventually wear out some day you can just order replacement rollers from them. I bought the regular 2 roller model with their regular sized rollers and I get 86% efficiency for most batches. If you still want to go the cheap route then I'd recommend trying these knock off Monster Mill styled mills as many here have bought and like them:

2 Roller
http://www.beveragefactory.com/homebrew/pre-fermentation-equipment/kegco-KM7GM-2R-grain-mill.html

3 Roller
http://www.beveragefactory.com/homebrew/pre-fermentation-equipment/kegco-KM11GM-3R-grain-mill.html


Rev.

 

[ThunderKhajiit]

I use an antique corona-style mill and it works fine. So glad to be buying grain in bulk. It took a pleasant morning of fiddling with it to get the crush right and since then has facilitated the making of fantastic beer.

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

Cheap Corona don't put your fingers in it and drive with an electric drill.

 

[JosephN]

Cheap Corona don't put your fingers in it and drive with an electric drill.

Yeah that would be pretty dumb

 

[Shooter]

The Barley Crusher works just fine for me.

 

[brew_darrymore]

Another Corona/Victoria user. Very happy with it, consistent results and efficiency between 80-82% on every batch. I grind the barley fine as I do BIAB.

 

[ArcLight]

If you do Brew in a Bag then you can grind the grain to dust, for conversion in 5 minutes.
You can use a corn mill, or anything that grinds.

But with a traditional All Grain system, over grinding can result in a stuck sparge. You want to crush the grain, not grind it.
I suppose you can use a cheaper mill (that grinds, not crushes) but you need to be careful that you don't grind too finely.

I have a Monster Mill that crushes well. I have to retighten it occasionally because one time it slipped and gave me a poor crush.
The lesson learned is measure the gap before using.

 

[wilserbrewer]

If you do Brew in a Bag then you can grind the grain to dust, for conversion in 5 minutes.
You can use a corn mill, or anything that grinds.

But with a traditional All Grain system that will result in a stuck sparge and you want to crush the grain, not grind it.
I have a Monster Mill that works well. I have to retighten it and reset it before each use as it may have slipped.

With all due respect, are you inferring that one cannot use a corn grinder, commonly known as a corona mill with a traditional all grain system? That is not true.

If your having to re tighten and reset your mill prior to each use, something is wrong, it should lock at a setting and not move if adjusted and set properly I would think.

I would not be happy if I had to adjust and tighten a mill every brew.

Interesting article linked below on various crush results obtained on many popular mill styles, the author also includes the corona mill, and the results IMO are very favorable, and desirable in my interpretation of the data.

http://brewlikeapro.net/maltmilling.html

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

cereal killer,hundreds of pounds with no issues

 

[LandoLincoln]

I started out with a Victoria grain mill for $50 and after spending a couple of hours tweaking it with various hardware improvements it worked pretty good for me. My only concern was that I wasn't getting a consistent mash efficiency, so I decided to upgrade to a Monster Mill MM2-Pro. The thing is a beast and I have zero doubts about the grain crush I'm getting with it. It's super easy to adjust if needed, though I haven't had much need to adjust it. I still do have occasional efficiency issues and since have learned about the other factors that might be throwing my numbers off. So I can't say for sure that my old grain mill was the problem. But I do know for sure that my current one is not.

 

[Genghis]

Corona mill over here as well. I still crank it by hand.

 

[robbyice1]

Barley crusher here. Works fine. The drill chuck has trouble gripping the shaft of the BC. They should have cut a deeper groove in the shaft.

My next model will be a monster mill with the 3 rollers. So I only have to run the grains through once.

wait... you run your grushed grains through there twice? I crush once with the barley crusher.. I usually am a little low on my efficiency, maybe ill start doing the "double crush" wouldn't take much more time I guess...

 

[Rev2010]

The Barley Crusher works just fine for me.

Yeah, worked just fine for me too during it's short life cycle. The problem isn't it working fine, the problem is it wears out way too fast. With the amount of grain I put through it, and averaging the grain amount per batch I calculated a cost of around $1.70 per batch to crush my grains, and that's not economical. Many on here have reported the same early wear issues. Much happier with my MM2 so far, but of course the true test is how long it lasts. At least with the Monster Mill though I know I can simply order new rollers. Getting a reply from Barley Crusher didn't happen for me.


Rev.

 

[Psylocide]

My blender works like a champ. Consistent crush, 80% efficiency every time.

 

[Rev2010]

I have a Monster Mill that crushes well. I have to retighten it occasionally because one time it slipped and gave me a poor crush.
The lesson learned is measure the gap before using.

If it's slipping it's not adjusted correctly. I went through this in the beginning. When you have the mill sideways, both knobs closest to you, when you adjust them clockwise (respective to looking at each knob face on) it should move the roller closer to the second roller. If when you turn it clockwise it's moving away from the second roller keep turning it until it loops over and begins moving the opposite direction - closer to the other roller. Once you have it set where turning each knob it's own respective clockwise and moving closer to the second roller you can then set your gap and lock it down and it won't slip.


Rev.

 

[Shooter]

Yeah, worked just fine for me too during it's short life cycle. The problem isn't it working fine, the problem is it wears out way too fast. With the amount of grain I put through it, and averaging the grain amount per batch I calculated a cost of around $1.70 per batch to crush my grains, and that's not economical. Many on here have reported the same early wear issues. Much happier with my MM2 so far, but of course the true test is how long it lasts. At least with the Monster Mill though I know I can simply order new rollers. Getting a reply from Barley Crusher didn't happen for me.


Rev.

Fair enough, I can't confirm or deny that. To this point, it has been working fine for me. I definitely can't comment as to how long it will ultimately last or Barley Crusher's responsiveness as I am both unable to predict the future and am not currently employed by the manufacturer.

 

[ResumeMan]

I only have used the MM2-2.0, so I can't compare to anything else. I've been happy with mine. About a year ago I did some fairly extensive research for my mill purchase, and I concluded that the MM is probably the best choice.

I think if I were to do it over again the only change I'd make is to get the SS rollers. I've noticed a few little spots of surface corrosion. I've tried to up my game in keeping it clean, so possibly that's the issue. Besides that, it's a great product.

 

[oujens]

I have a cereal killer and love it for the price. My efficiency is much more consistent than without it.

 

[fuzzy2133]

I used the corona mill fro a couple of years it is slow even with a drill driving it. A roller mill is definitely faster. Nothing wrong with the corona if you need a compact, budget friendly solution.

 

[oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

joshephn People do crazy stuff when they drink and mess with power tools.

 

[mikescooling]

You can get a good mill for about $100, if you're going to be a heavy user you may want to invest in a better mill. I have a MM3 with the 1.5" rollers, my mill has seen a few thousand pounds and still works great. I do like the 3 rollers, it's cool to think about all 3 of them working at the same time.

 

[UndeadFred]

I am going to be the guy (since I have three in me right now) that will say that most people will spend $200 to solve a $40 problem... Infer what you will...