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

[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...

 

[jake-k]

++. On corona mill. Takes a little getting grinds the way you want them but works great. I still hand crank mine, a little work out to get the blood flowing and mind working before brewing.

 

[C-Rider]

I only brew 2 gallon batches and w/ the $6 blender I bought at Good Will I can turn 4-5 lbs of grain into flour ( I BIAB ) in less than 10 minutes. Works for me.

 

[dkeller12]

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

1977Brewer: Where did you get your $20 mill from?

 

[JGF]

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

Same here. We've had amazing consistency with the Cereal Killer. There are probably better and certainly more expensive mills out there but for someone that brews once, maybe twice a month, it's a good bargain. Our last 10 batches, no matter what we've made, we've consistently been +/- 1%.

 

[sikkingj]

I just love my JSP mill (http://schmidling.com/maltmill.htm). It's a solid 10" wide and cracks up the grains perfectly. I BIAB, so I have cranked down the gap (I have the adjustable mill) it is the perfect crush.

I would highly recommend this product, I've easily crush 750-1,000 lbs of grain and it has barely broken a sweat. I hand crank (I know) and regularly dust 15-25 pd grain bills.

Great product, quality and service - that is hard to beat the days.

 

[Andyoesq]

i have a cereal killer, i love it. good consistent results

 

[ButcherBoy]

I have a CrankandStein 3D mill. Bought pulleys to run it on my Shopsmith at around 150RPM. It works great, easy to adjust the gap, plenty of torque. Dump 10-15 pounds of grain in the hopper, switch it on, come back in 5 minutes and I'm done.

 

[pagrider]

Just got my monster mill on the special deal they have going on. Works great. Increased my efficiency 6 percent.

 

[sikkingj]

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...

I love my JSP mill, but Fred is right. A $40 corona mill, bucket and 25 min of effort will get you a great mill - especially if you BIAB and brew once a month or less.

 

[cjones]

I will be one of those guys that says....

I love my monster mill, yes you can always justify the cost!!!! just be creative

 

[IanJ]

My Cereal Killer was affordable and performs like a champ.

Same here. Originally bought a Corona mill as per much recommendation and it was just terrible in every regard, maybe it was a poor build but it really let me down, so I moved on and couldn't be happier - so far!

Edit: VV - I agree completely. Just isn't doable living in an apartment, if I had outdoor space or tools, I'd have beat the crap out of it until it worked properly. But with about 3 square feet of brewing room I opted for something without the tinkering - plus the mill portion was so damn wobbly I think the building I'm living in was vibrating after the 2nd attempt.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Same here. Originally bought a Corona mill as per much recommendation and it was just terrible in every regard, maybe it was a poor build but it really let me down, so I moved on and couldn't be happier - so far!

Unfortunate you had a bad experience, everyone must realize that for 25-30 bucks, half or more is likely shipping, the build quality on these mills is rather crude, and the final fit up is up to the end user.

They are all a "poor build" of sorts, but typically can be persuaded to mill barley rather well IME. The corona is best for someone with DIY experience and a willingness to tinker. If your expectation is to unbox it and be milling in minutes, perhaps not the mill for you.

Surprised no one has mentioned the Kegco 3 roller selling for $139, seems like a very nice mill for the money.

There is a thread going, sorry no link.

 

[EtchyLives]

Monster Mill 2.0 running with a gap of 0.035 I achieved 90% efficiency on a batch sparge today. Before I was running at 0.030 but the drain was REALLY slow so I upped the gap and everything is better. I am using my corded DeWalt drill to run it and have no issues.

I know that others have had success with other mills but I am very very happy with the performance and predictability of my MM2. Once I set the gap and lock it in with a 1/4 turn from hand tight on the screws it stays at that gap.

 

[JosephN]

Just got my monster mill on the special deal they have going on. Works great. Increased my efficiency 6 percent.

Which model did you get? 2 or 3 wheel?

 

[govner1]

I e had a three roller Monster Mill for a little over two years. I cannot say enough good things about it. I got it with a 10+ lb grain hopper & motorized it w/ the All American Power Grinder.
It goes through my average 15-20
Lbs of grain I no time.
Great crush consistently!

 

[imasickboy]

The corona is best for someone with DIY experience and a willingness to tinker. If your expectation is to unbox it and be milling in minutes, perhaps not the mill for you.

This. 100% this.

I spent about an hour total tinkering with mine, and "fixing" a couple of spots with my Dremel, before it was suitable for milling. A couple of batches to fine tune the crush, and it's been perfect ever since. This hobby can be expensive enough, so I chose to save all that "mill-money" for other brewing expenses.

End result is the same however. Beer. It's really up to you whether or not you're willing to put all that extra coin towards a mill. If you're one of those who buys a Mercedes instead of a Chevy, just to drive to work, then you already know your mill of choice.

 

[pagrider]

2 wheel and I am not looking back. Brewed again today and it's flawless. $165 with hopper, mill, base, feeler gauge and oil . Tough to beat by the time you fiddle around with some diy project you probably aren't saving much if anything.

 

[moreb33rplz]

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.

What bolt/drill exactly did you use? I tried something similar and it wouldn't turn.

 

[drtrkrcr123]

I use a cereal killer and it works great. Never had any issues. Plus it is the cheapest one I have seen.

 

[fuzzy2133]

Using Barley Crusher figured it will last me since I never manage to brew as much as I want to.