Tell me about grain mills....
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Hahahah this comment. The LoDo thing is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong. O2 after fermentation: bad. Closed transfer: good. Anything much further than that is severely diminished returns in my opinion. Maybe one day I'll eat my words. I hope I do!
Back on topic, I have the barley crusher. It's worked extremely well for me. I'm somewhere between 60-80 batches with it. It never gets stuck because I don't try to pulverize it to a powder like some folks do to achieve ultra high efficiency. This is another rant worthy topic. The difference between 70% and 100% is two dollars for your average home brewer. A dead consistent 70% efficiency all day long with minimal dough balling at mash after no milling screwery is much more valuable than a high efficiency.
Hopefully my "I like my Barley Crusher" comment did not send the OP on the wrong path. At least I feel good that I purchased an American product from my local homebrew shop for a decent price. I looked at some of the BC feedback thread. I actually did not realize the BC has a lifetime warranty...even if it might take effort for them to honor the warranty. I disassembled, cleaned and oiled my mill for the first time today. I
I suspect if you mill over 1K lbs of grain a year, it is worth a higher end mill. I am not sure I have milled 1K lbs in the last 10 years. I did notice that when I moved to BIAB and changed my gap down to 0.025" that if I throw speciality grains/wheat into the mill it can struggle to pull the grains through, but just mixing my specialty grains in with my base grain has resolved that issue for me.
I suspect if I was shopping now, I would pick up the Cereal Killer...it seem to be the best value out there right now.
I am curious about these replacement rollers. If they are OEM or aftermarket and if there is any difference: https://www.austinhomebrew.com/Barley-Crusher-Replacement-Roller-Set_p_8256.html
I suspect if you mill over 1K lbs of grain a year, it is worth a higher end mill. I am not sure I have milled 1K lbs in the last 10 years. I did notice that when I moved to BIAB and changed my gap down to 0.025" that if I throw speciality grains/wheat into the mill it can struggle to pull the grains through, but just mixing my specialty grains in with my base grain has resolved that issue for me.
I suspect if I was shopping now, I would pick up the Cereal Killer...it seem to be the best value out there right now.
I am curious about these replacement rollers. If they are OEM or aftermarket and if there is any difference: https://www.austinhomebrew.com/Barley-Crusher-Replacement-Roller-Set_p_8256.html
Time was, the Corona mill was a real bargain, but I see that it's $70 these days. For $30 more, you can get a Cereal Killer.
exactly the above is why i went with CK
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Blazinlow86
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No doubt it will last a few years with normal use. Cheers
I think that is around the default factory setting. That worked well for me for fly sparging. I had enough slow sparges that I never felt like I wanted to try a finer grain crush. I moved mine down to 0.025" when I switched to BIAB. That has worked well for me, so I have not tried any BIAB batches with a different setting.
I need to get some feeler gauges so I can tell for sure, but I run at credit card width now.
When I ran at the factory set, the wheat often made it through whole.
When I ran at the factory set, the wheat often made it through whole.
I have a CK and set it with a feeler gauge. I use .035 for barley and .025 for wheat (if my grain bill contains both I mill each separately, readjusting the rollers between grains). My mill will only go down to .025; the adjustable roller is on an eccentric and turning the knob past the .025 mark starts moving the rollers apart.
mashpaddled
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I am a cereal killer user. There are better mills on the market but it is a good compromise of price and quality. The rollers are good and adjustable and I feel I get a good, consistent grind.
I agree with a comment or question above that most people are happy with the mill they bought no matter what it is so maybe it is not valuable for most brewers to spend more than the minimum necessary to get a decent adjustable mill. The nicer mills probably have more durability and life to them but if a $100 cereal killer lasts twenty years I am not sure moving up to a $500 mill makes tremendous sense--at least for my brewing.
My first mill was a corona style mill. I brewed lots of good beer with it. It is not as consistent of a grind and messy but it can work if you fit a cover over the plates. I intend to restore it to use grinding unmalted grains but haven't got around to it. The corona mills were great value when they were $30 and most roller mills were closer to $150 or more. Now corona mills are expensive and you can find the cereal killer on same for sometimes as little as $10-20 more.
I agree with a comment or question above that most people are happy with the mill they bought no matter what it is so maybe it is not valuable for most brewers to spend more than the minimum necessary to get a decent adjustable mill. The nicer mills probably have more durability and life to them but if a $100 cereal killer lasts twenty years I am not sure moving up to a $500 mill makes tremendous sense--at least for my brewing.
My first mill was a corona style mill. I brewed lots of good beer with it. It is not as consistent of a grind and messy but it can work if you fit a cover over the plates. I intend to restore it to use grinding unmalted grains but haven't got around to it. The corona mills were great value when they were $30 and most roller mills were closer to $150 or more. Now corona mills are expensive and you can find the cereal killer on same for sometimes as little as $10-20 more.
Interesting... I figured something like this would be needed, but, the few times I've watched LHBS guy mill grain for customers he just dumps it all through in the same batch. Granted I don't remember exactly what the grain bills were, but it was several grains mixed when I've seen it.
How common is this practice of adjusting for different grains... does everyone do that, or just a few?
Local shops don't generally readjust the mill for different grains, but might if you ask nicely. 
The whole point of owning a mill is to properly prepare the grains for mashing. Wheat kernels are smaller and much harder than barley; combining the grains and milling them at the same setting won't do much to the wheat (except, maybe, a flesh wound). So, when you have a mill, you can mill the wheat with a smaller gap, adjust the mill to a wider gap and mill the other grains (rye is similar to wheat, though with longer and slightly plumper kernels).
Adjusting a CK takes a minute or two (loosen two thumbscrews, turn a knob on each side of the body, check for gap and parallel, and tighten the thumbscrews). Not a big deal in the length of a brew day.
The whole point of owning a mill is to properly prepare the grains for mashing. Wheat kernels are smaller and much harder than barley; combining the grains and milling them at the same setting won't do much to the wheat (except, maybe, a flesh wound). So, when you have a mill, you can mill the wheat with a smaller gap, adjust the mill to a wider gap and mill the other grains (rye is similar to wheat, though with longer and slightly plumper kernels).
Adjusting a CK takes a minute or two (loosen two thumbscrews, turn a knob on each side of the body, check for gap and parallel, and tighten the thumbscrews). Not a big deal in the length of a brew day.
lump42
The Lajestic Vantrashell of Lob
Added bonus, it's shiny and looks cool.
My grain mill is just a generic two roller CK knockoff from Ahmahmoneyzgone. I let my brewpub owner friend borrow it when his big commercial mill failed, and it chewed through 330lbs of grain in no time. I've used it since, and have never had a problem. Cost was about $100, and has saved me tons of time not to mention being able to set my own crush. I don't use a feeler gauge or credit card, just eyeball it and leave it. What I really like is being able to be in and out of the LHBS in 10 minutes, unless I want to sit and chat (which I usually do), instead of having to wait in line to use their mill, if it's busy.
Are there any other grains that you would make a special adjustment for OTHER than wheat?
(I would assume anything "flaked" would not need to go through the mill at all)?
My first uncrushed grains got here today.
(I would assume anything "flaked" would not need to go through the mill at all)?
My first uncrushed grains got here today.
Rye is also small in comparison to barley.
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