Using a pasta maker to mill grain.

[johnodon]

I have a few questions now that I think of it...

1. What size paddle bit works best?
2. Any suggestions for a motor? What RPM? I assume variable speed would be optimal.
3. For those of you that have the model that has 7 thickness settings, which one have you found works best?

John

 

[johnodon]

Also, found a nice solutin for the ~1" gap in the back of teh crusher. Quarter round fits perfectly:

 

[johnodon]

Some pics of my crush can be found here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/can-you-pick-crush-looks-best-poll-201248/

Please vote and let me know which one looks best.

TIA,

John

 

[coax]

Cool project, I have an Imperia machine that I've only used a couple times so figured why not try to get some use out of it. Here's what it looks like so far just using materials I already had on hand. The 2L bottle hopper is just temporary.

Took it apart and roughed up the rollers using a 1" course sanding wheel in a drill.

Don't have any grain on hand at the moment but it handled a scoop of rice just fine.

Haven't read all of this thread yet, but I'm wondering if an infinite adjustment mod is worth bothering with or will the 6 adjustment settings be enough? Suppose I'll figure that out after picking up a bag of grain (and one of those masonry bits).

 

[tch1980]

After 52 pages I went out bought 1 at jo ann fabrics for 13.00 with a 50% off coupon. Hoping all goes well but if not I'm not out much. Thanks a million for this thread

 

[bbbrew]

I'm going strong with 15 brew run though my now (250+lbs). I did take it apart about half way and greased it up with some silicon lube. It seems to be running just as good as new (knock on wood).

I did pick up a back up some where along the line from the craft store and tried it out. It didn't last long. This one had 'Darice' engraved on the cover.

The one I have been using has 'Atlas' engraved on it. I know it came from my aunt and uncle as a wedding present 15 years ago. I think we used it once over that time for pasta. Now I use it (2) a month.


JohnoDon,
See my post #467 for some further information on the setting. I don't go by the setting # as much as the opening between the rollers. You will know when you are crushing to much.

To your comment above about the quarter round, sometimes its nice to be able to get your hand below and check and see if is the way you want it and not all powder and dust.

Good Luck,
BB

 

[tch1980]

I got my rollers knurled and a hopper made. the hopper didn't turn out to well but better than nothing. ran some grain through tonight to test and it looks pretty good for a $20 mill. I'll try to get a pic up

and here is the grind.

Hopefully the pics worked.

Thanks for all the info on this thread!!!

 

[bigjoe]

I know there were questions about longevity with these. I paid $12.50 for one in 2009. I've run 34 batches through it in that time. The last 6 batches I've been having efficiency problems. So I asked for a Barley Crusher for x-mas. Not sure if the mill crush was a part of my efficiency problems or not. I'll know soon though.

For a $12.50 investment 2 years ago that's not bad, and I'm still not sure its my mill causing problems. The new crusher is nice though. I blinked and a pound was crushed very nicely. The crusher was 10 times the price of the pasta mill.

 

[bryanjints]

I guess I should check in on this thread. I made my pasta crusher a few months back. It has worked fine. The first two batches through I turned by hand. Then as I started the third I just quit after 5 minutes, brought the crank in the garage, straightened it out and cut off the end, then attached to drill. Finished much faster that way.

I will take the award for most ghetto looking mill. I used some junky scraps I had laying in the garage. I am cheap.

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

I have to report that my grain mill has seen better days. I built it 23 months ago, ran god knows how much grain through it (at least 50 lbs last month alone.) probably hundreds of lbs of grain. And I think its time to retire it. Its getting harder and harder to mill the grain and its taking upwards of a half hour for even 12lb grainbills. The mechanics are getting sloppy, the rollers don't stay a constant distance apart.

I may keep it around for sentimental value but I am going to probably need another mill before I can brew again.

Thanks for the memories this thread inspired.

 

[cklages]

It sounds like my mill is in a bit better shape than yours, but it too has been retired in favour of a new crankandstein. In the end, the only real problem I had with the pasta mill was keeping the rollers rough enough to feed at a reasonable rate, and running 1/2 per minute or less was starting to wear on me a bit. It seemed like you had to roughen the rollers between every batch, although malt conditioning certainly helped with that.

That being said, it was this machine that allowed me to get into all-grain at a reasonable price, and I'm certainly glad I built it. I will probably keep it for backup.

 

[bryanjints]

You guys that wore yours out already: what RPM did you run your drill at when crushing? If you didn't use a drill what did you use and how fast?


I run my Milwaukee as fast as it will go and I am afraid the little pasta machine isn't going to last very long. I don't have the cash to replace this thing right now. I have only run about 50lbs through it so I think it will last me a while longer. Just want to know how much abuse I can give it so I can save for a new barley crusher.

I got 84% efficiency today using it. The best I have gotten. The other batches I used it for only got 72% or so. I got 72% both conditioning and running grain through dry. Also using setting 7 or 6. Today I ran it through twice after conditioning. The first time through it wouldn't go through on setting 5 so I ran it on 6. Then ran it through again on setting 5.


Before crushing my own I was using Brewmasters Warehouse and getting consistently 85%. So today puts my system back where it was back then. It was hard for me to make a beer below 5% alcohol when useing BMWH. Then the first batch I crushed myself I am shooting for 4.3% Guinness clone. Only got to 3.7%. Today's beer is a Mai Bock that should finish out around 8%. It is a birthday present for my dad. Everything I have brewed up to this point has been an Ale and he doesn't really like Ales all that much. An 8% Mai Bock should be able to be enjoyed by both of us. Hopefully I can ferment, lager, and bottle condition by Memorial day.

 

[gingerdawg]

I had an issue with the bushing wearing out on the drive roller, behind the drive socket. It is some type of cheap, thin flange bushing that appears to be steel, with some low-friction coating. The flange of the bushing takes thrust loads and spinning loads, and it split into two pieces. I replaced the bushing with an oillite bronze bushing that I got from the hardware store. I had to ream the bushing out to some oddball dimension, and thin out the flange, but it is working great now.
I don't know how much grain I have put through it. Two years worth of brewing at a moderate pace. I run it with a drill at 1/3 to 1/2 speed.
Conditioning the malt is a really good idea.

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

I usually ran mine at max, and I can imagine that after 2 years I easily put 300+ LBS through this thing. For my investment of $26.50 I am not going to complain. It would take me 8 years of brewing to equal the cost of a barley crusher if I were to convert 4 of these things. Although, it is much better if you run it at a lower RPM because when the rollers are moving too fast, you actually crush slower.

 

[WCrane]

What's everyone's setting? Mine has 1-9 in the dial and I've had trouble getting it right. I usually set it at 4 (+/- 1).
In the past I was about 70% Eff. wehich is fine, but there is room for improvement. I do need to tweak my batch sparge technique a bit, but I'd like to see what other have going on as far as their setting on the pasta mill. I'd love to consitently get over 75% eff.

 

[Pickngrin]

It sounds like my mill is in a bit better shape than yours, but it too has been retired in favour of a new crankandstein. In the end, the only real problem I had with the pasta mill was keeping the rollers rough enough to feed at a reasonable rate, and running 1/2 per minute or less was starting to wear on me a bit. It seemed like you had to roughen the rollers between every batch, although malt conditioning certainly helped with that.

That being said, it was this machine that allowed me to get into all-grain at a reasonable price, and I'm certainly glad I built it. I will probably keep it for backup.

Ahh. I've had to re-gouge my rollers multiple times, and since no one had mentioned this in the thread (as far as I noticed, anyhow), I thought that I was doing something wrong here. Have people that have had their rollers knurled found them to hold up better?

 

[dutch-brew]

Ahh. I've had to re-gouge my rollers multiple times,

I took a dremel and cut grooves all along the rollers. They are nice and rough, and never had to re-gouge my rollers. Here i am a few hundred #'s of malt later and it is still going.

For what it's worth, i don't run my drill full speed though. Nice and low and slow and the rollers have plenty of bite.

 

[Pickngrin]

I took a dremel and cut grooves all along the rollers. They are nice and rough, and never had to re-gouge my rollers. Here i am a few hundred #'s of malt later and it is still going.

For what it's worth, i don't run my drill full speed though. Nice and low and slow and the rollers have plenty of bite.

Oh, that's a good idea. Can you give me an idea of the pattern you cut the grooves in?

 

[dutch-brew]

I just cut them straight in the length of the rollers. Even did it with the rollers in place in the pasta maker. Use the re-inforced discs. Make sure to wear eye-protection! Those blades are notorious for shattering, esp the regular cut-off discs. Think i might have used 5 discs on it all together.

I used to have a pic up some where of my pasta roller. Will give the link if i can track it down.

 

[st0neski]

I bought this pasta maker and built my grain mill this weekend. I haven't used it yet, but remembered seeing posts about the crankandstein.

When i looked at the pics of the crankandstein i remembered seeing rollers like that somewhere sometime in my life, and today it came to me. Bike Pegs

http://www.biking.com/buy-bike-accessories/lead-foot.html

For two pegs, it would cost $20 plus shipping

These rollers are usually 3.5 inchs to 4 inchs long, so that is pretty close to the crankandstein at a lower cost, plus parts to put them together. What do you guys think?

 

[Revvy]

I bought this pasta maker and built my grain mill this weekend. I haven't used it yet, but remembered seeing posts about the crankandstein.

When i looked at the pics of the crankandstein i remembered seeing rollers like that somewhere sometime in my life, and today it came to me. Bike Pegs

http://www.biking.com/buy-bike-accessories/lead-foot.html

For two pegs, it would cost $20 plus shipping

These rollers are usually 3.5 inchs to 4 inchs long, so that is pretty close to the crankandstein at a lower cost, plus parts to put them together. What do you guys think?

I think you should buy a couple, and make a grain mill out of them, put together a tutorial on homebrewtalk about it, and have folks worship you, prost the thread and name their first born kid after you.

In other words don't ask for opinions, prove it by making it work.

 

[st0neski]

I think you should buy a couple, and make a grain mill out of them, put together a tutorial on homebrewtalk about it, and have folks worship you, prost the thread and name their first born kid after you.

In other words don't ask for opinions, prove it by making it work.

I am wondering if the knurl on these things is good enough

 

[Revvy]

I am wondering if the knurl on these things is good enough

I'm sure they're gonna be better than folks on here roughing up the rollers on pasta machines with files. The only way to know is to try. Besides not every kind of mill uses knurled rollers. I've seen wooden and even poured concrete rollers that are pretty smooth and rely on pressure alone. I'm sure you could find a happy medium.

 

[st0neski]

I'm sure they're gonna be better than folks on here roughing up the rollers on pasta machines with files. The only way to know is to try. Besides not every kind of mill uses knurled rollers. I've seen wooden and even poured concrete rollers that are pretty smooth and rely on pressure alone. I'm sure you could find a happy medium.

nice, i dont plan on buying these until my pasta roller fails on me or I just feel like spending more money.

 

[Psych]

Thank you SO much for this thread! I spent the last three hours massacring my 40% off Michael's Pasta Maker and transforming it into the mega-cheap grain crusher. Mounted it on some plywood and wha-bam it grinds grain! I only had some pre-crushed stuff on hand but was able to get a much finer grind on it, so it definitely pulls stuff in.

I used a drill bit made for metal and went to town on the rollers while they were attached to the machine, only had the one side off at the time. Took 30 minutes or so but eventually they got pretty well knurled.

Used a 2 liter pop bottle on top for a hopper (cut bottom off, screwed into 1 inch hole I made in a scrap bit of plywood, threaded nicely and it's very secure!), have it flush with the plates above the rollers so nothing leaks out up top. The only thing yet to do is put a guide on the bottom so the grain doesn't fall partly into the hole in the plywood below, and partly onto the plywood itself. A heating duct sort of shape would work there, flared out. Or really even tinfoil or something I bet would work...hmm...

So sweet though, it pulls grain in just fine! I need to secure it to something a bit heavier to really give'r on the crank though, might bolt my plywood base onto something bigger that can hold a bucket beneath it.

$24 after tax and $10 for misc drill bits that I really could use for lots of other stuff now, so worth the money. Was a fun evening!

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

The only thing yet to do is put a guide on the bottom so the grain doesn't fall partly into the hole in the plywood below, and partly onto the plywood itself. A heating duct sort of shape would work there, flared out. Or really even tinfoil or something I bet would work...hmm...

I used the plastic bag from some specialty grain with the bottom cut out taped to the bottom of the pasta grinder. It hangs down into my bucket and really helps keep the flour dust down as well...

 

[Psych]

I used the plastic bag from some specialty grain with the bottom cut out taped to the bottom of the pasta grinder. It hangs down into my bucket and really helps keep the flour dust down as well...

That's a good idea! I'll give that a try.

 

[Jefathome]

I did the whole Mod thing yesterday and I found that this kind of bit for my dremel seemed to work the best. I was able to groove in some nice lines down the length of the rollers similar to that one non-diamond patter knurl.

I think this will pull the grains in very well but crush them as opposed to macerating them. Also might not get as clogged.

 

[Revvy]

I did the whole Mod thing yesterday and I found that this kind of bit for my dremel seemed to work the best. I was able to groove in some nice lines down the length of the rollers similar to that one non-diamond patter knurl.

I think this will pull the grains in very well but crush them as opposed to macerating them. Also might not get as clogged.

You haven't enough posts to put up pics yet, so I'll do it.

 

[Jefathome]

Thanks...

Here is the dremel bit I used:
http://www.hobbyplace.com/tools/drebits.php
Maybe this is better location:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31gk2YaJKrL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

and here is what my results are similar to... as posted by another member earlier in this thread.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_5sUcJClYpcY/SxLsnlwCSCI/AAAAAAAAADI/z1CZgmlJAts/s512/IMG_0311.JPG

btw, how many posts would I need to be able to use the "img" function?
Not that I'm complaining of course, but I'm on two other boards (Reefcentral for my saltwater reef tanks and I'm a Mod on Ridemonkey com a Mountainbike site) and I've seen minimum posts for doing buy-sell but never for posting images. Well live and learn I guess.