What’s the best grain mill for the price?

[MaxStout]

Anyone have any links or know anyone in person who's actually had a problem will the monster mills bushings though? The same few people bring it up everytime monster mills are mentioned as being a huge flaw but ive never read/heard anyone actually having a problem. If anything it's exactly the opposite. Only time will tell but I'd bet the terrible bushings on my monster mill last longer than the rollers did on my buddies cereal killer with the superior chinese roller bearings did. Cheers

Anecdotal data is anecdotal. Your mill vs your buddy's mill.

Meh.

Show us empirical evidence that bronze sleeve bearings are superior to ball bearings. Especially in a mill application where side-loading (e.g., pulleys) is a factor.

I'll wait.

 

[Blazinlow86]

Anecdotal data is anecdotal. Your mill vs your buddy's mill.

Meh.

Show us empirical evidence that bronze sleeve bearings are superior to ball bearings. Especially in a mill application where side-loading (e.g., pulleys) is a factor.

I'll wait.

Meh. Show us empirical evidence that the Chinese made mills with bearings actually makes a longer lasting mill all around.

Again if the bushings wear out I can replace them for 5 dollars. How much do new rollers cost for the superior chinese bearing mills and can you link were I can buy them?

I'll also wait. Cheers

 

[day_trippr]

Why would one need to replace a roller for a failed bearing? Replacement should be no different than replacing bushings.

My BC was bushed but to my knowledge that was never an issue - I use a direct gear-drive setup so the side loading is from the gap/crush pressure alone. And I'm still using that mill, btw - in reverse - set up for hard wheat when that's on the menu. Run backwards I'm using the knurling that's still viable. Saves changing my CK gap for the smaller berries.

I've only run about 300 pounds of barley malt through the CK and have been sticking with a vacuum cleanup vs a compressor blow-out based on conjecture on HBT. We'll see how long that works...

Cheers!

 

[Blazinlow86]

Why would one need to replace a roller for a failed bearing? Replacement should be no different than replacing bushings.

My BC was bushed but to my knowledge that was never an issue - I use a direct gear-drive setup so the side loading is from the gap/crush pressure alone. And I'm still using that mill, btw - in reverse - set up for hard wheat when that's on the menu. Run backwards I'm using the knurling that's still viable. Saves changing my CK gap for the smaller berries.

I've only run about 300 pounds of barley malt through the CK and have been sticking with a vacuum cleanup vs a compressor blow-out based on conjecture on HBT. We'll see how long that works...

Cheers!

Did you read what I posted? My opinion is the bearings or bushings means nothing. Both the Chinese mills I've used had the rollers wear out not the bearings. If you try googling it you will also see that it's a pretty common occurrence with Chinese mills. I can't find anything about rollers wearing out causing slipping on a monster mill however. So again to summarize I feel that cost aside the monster mills are superior to the Chinese mills regardless what bearings are used.To my knowledge you can't replace the part the rollers in the Chinese mills but you can easily change the bushings on a monster mill. Your free to disagree but I doubt many will agree with you if they actually have the monster mill. Cheers

 

[day_trippr]

What you posted:

[...]Again if the bushings wear out I can replace them for 5 dollars. How much do new rollers cost for the superior chinese bearing mills and can you link were I can buy them?[...]

I don't know what you meant to say.

I have read of at least one instance of a bearing being replaced, same process as replacing a bushing. No need to replace a roller.

And as to replacing mill rollers, try replacing worn out BC rollers...

Cheers!

 

[Blazinlow86]

What you posted:



I don't know what you meant to say.

I have read of at least one instance of a bearing being replaced, same process as replacing a bushing. No need to replace a roller...

Cheers!

Your missing my point. The bearings or bushings did not fail in either of the chinese mills. The rollers did and they aren't replaceable. If I had to choose between a mill that's rollers commonly were out and cannot be easily purchased or one thats 5 dollar replaceable bushings *could* but don't typically wear out it's a no brainer. Buy once cry once. Who cares how long the bearings last if the rollers wear out before that. Cheers

 

[augiedoggy]

Your missing my point. The bearings or bushings did not fail in either of the chinese mills. The rollers did and they aren't replaceable. If I had to choose between a mill that's rollers commonly were out and cannot be easily purchased or one thats 5 dollar replaceable bushings *could* but don't typically wear out it's a no brainer. Buy once cry once. Who cares how long the bearings last if the rollers wear out before that. Cheers

I think your missing the point... your assuming the rollers are worn out on two mills that you dont own. I own both and am using one in a commercial application with ridiculous amount of use and the knurling still appears new

On the mill (s?) you stated you have seen the roller wear out on, one you state yourself belonged to a buddy who wasnt really much of a brewer.. So how did this wear occur? Over and over the remarks and way you refer to them as inferior chinese mills, are indicating bias which does nothing but misrepresent the fact here.. You state the mill wont "grab grain" below 1.040 but we dont even know how it was adjusted if adjusted evenly or correctly,Hell we dont even know if your buddy who by your own words implied does things half assed, put the mill together correctly. We also dont know your process? do you have the mill running when you pour the grain in or are you filling the hopper and then trying to run it?

I did find threads started with complaints of the MM not working and the rollers not turning but when I read the threads it was obvious why in each thread. some had things adjusted wrong and were binding one of the rollers (which is a very common mistake with any of these mills) some had to take the mill apart and clean the ends and bushings... something Ive never had to do with either on my mills, EVER.. because they have bearings. I am also able to drive my home mill with pulleys and a belt.. something you cant do with a bushing mill.

P.S in my mind at least i feel that if the bushing were so inferior that they would not have used them in the first place just to save 1-2 dollars a unit when everything else is of arguably the highest quality. its not a value type product. they could have just sold the mill for 2 dollars more to cover the cost. i was just looking on the website and unless im missing a professional page or something it appears they dont even offer bearings anymore. cheers

Did you read the part where I mentioned Monster mill does in fact sell ball bearings as an upgrade? They have changed thier options and prices recently (lowering them likely due to competition) but Here is is for one hundred dollars more on thier pro series PD (pulley drive) mills? they do in fact see them as an upgrade. one they want you to spend upwards of $369 for just the base without the hopper..
https://www.monsterbrewinghardware.com/store/pc/MM-2Pro-PD-3p147.htm

This is one of those horses that get beat over and over because instead of directly comparing the design and engineering in 2 comparable products people have to bring in personal bias topics such as the country of origin and the whole "you get what you pay for belief" (Nevermind that likely 90% of the rest of their brewing equipment is likely from china) When the fact of the matter is its just not always relevant... if you bought the MM-3 2 years or so ago you likely paid over a hundred dollars more for it... What advantage did you get vs now?
Why was the mm3 with hopper and handle over $300 when it contained cheaper bushing and everything else is equal to the mill that was $149 shipped at the time. and why is that same mill cheaper now? Because of competition and that competition putting out a solid product for much less. without that competition its a sellers market where they can make whatever profit they want off the product.

 

[MaxStout]

Meh. Show us empirical evidence that the Chinese made mills with bearings actually makes a longer lasting mill all around.

Again if the bushings wear out I can replace them for 5 dollars. How much do new rollers cost for the superior chinese bearing mills and can you link were I can buy them?

I'll also wait. Cheers

Nice.

I ask for evidence to back up your assertions and all I get is your strawman argument about Chinese mills.

I didn't expect a reasoned argument from you, and I knew you wouldn't be able to offer up a sustantive reply. But I had to try, right?

But since you live in a world of anecdotal data, I will offer mine vis-a-vis MM, since you believe no one has had trouble with them. Someone has to be the first to point it out, and it might as well be me. The apertures of the sintered bronze sleeve bearings in my MM-2 have become out of round, due to the radial loading of my pulley system over time. There is a small amount of radial movement of the shaft now that wasn't present when the mill was new. It's not at a critical stage yet, and the play is perhaps a few thousandths of an inch. But it has manifested itself and I have now added a coupled driveshaft held in place by two roller bearing pillow blocks to limit the radial loading on the mill bearings and prolong its lifespan.

A few salient points on bearings and manufacturing:

Your "Chinese-made" argument is too vague and over-broad to have merit. Manufacturing quality varies greatly across different manufacturers in any country--including the U.S. Country of origin, in and of itself, is not an accurate predictor of quality. Again, you need some statistical evidence to make a judgment call.

A $1-$2 savings on a component used in a $200 consumer device in not trivial. If you think that MM would overlook a cost savings like that, you fail to have a good grasp of manufacturing economics. It's all about maximizing margins, and every dollar saved on materials is a dollar profit.

The mere fact that MM installs steel roller bearings in some of their top-line mills tells me that they are acutely aware of the superiority of those bearings, and are willing to pass along the added price to buyers of premium mills.

So where are we on the sleeve vs ball dichotomy? Let's check with an industrial source for their thoughts on the basic principles of the two bearing types:
*Both sleeve and ball bearings work well in applications involving thrust loads only.
*Sleeve bearings are generally quieter than ball bearings, but that is a non-issue, as the sounds from milling will mask that.
*Sleeve bearings are best applied in vertical orientations, while ball bearings work well both vertically and horizontally.
*Ball bearings are superior in cases of radial-loading, which would be the case of belt-and-pulley systems. Direct-drive and gearbox systems would limit this radial-loading, but horizontal shaft positioning may still be an issue.
*Ball bearings with sealed enclosures can be selected, and such bearings generally have better lifespans, due to better lubrication. Sleeve bearings can and do leach out lubricant over time.
*Both bearing types can be press-fitted onto a shaft and easily removed if needed, so the argument re replacement difficulty of ball bearings is moot.

 

[applescrap]

From the outside looking in, someone who has no pony in the race, it seems a no brainer. The cereal killer. Motorized and on a cart would be a plus.

 

[Blazinlow86]

After using a barley crusher , cereal killer and monster mill I much prefer the monster mill and believe it will last longer than the barley crusher and cereal killer did regardless of the bushings. The end

 

[blizz81]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only Barley Crusher success story in the history of homebrewing. I've been using one for 10 years. Had the rollers fail to spin / run grain through a number of times in the first couple years - disassembled, cleaned, lubricated. About 7 years back when I disassembled, I lubed the portions of the shaft sitting in the bushings with a tiny bit of gun oil. Never had a problem since. Only brew about once a month, 5 gallon batches (prolly average of around 15-16lbs grain per batch), so maybe I'm not running it into the ground as much as some folks.


I think I'd agree with the consensus now that I'd probably get a Cereal Killer for the $

 

[Blazinlow86]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only Barley Crusher success story in the history of homebrewing. I've been using one for 10 years. Had the rollers fail to spin / run grain through a number of times in the first couple years - disassembled, cleaned, lubricated. About 7 years back when I disassembled, I lubed the portions of the shaft sitting in the bushings with a tiny bit of gun oil. Never had a problem since. Only brew about once a month, 5 gallon batches (prolly average of around 15-16lbs grain per batch), so maybe I'm not running it into the ground as much as some folks.


I think I'd agree with the consensus now that I'd probably get a Cereal Killer for the $

The cereal killer is definitely the best bang for the buck. Cheers

 

[applescrap]

I know you all know the difference between bearings and bushings but I didn't. I found this video As I was looking the difference up.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Strongly emphasized....”For the price”

The lowly acclaimed corona mill can’t be beat imo.

I ran a motorized corona for years, no idea how many sacks without issue. Disassembled after many sacks thinking I would see some wear, surprise, cast iron is so hard it laughs at barley w/ no wear whatsoever

Fast forward caught a deal on a Bev Factory MM3 clone.

They both crush grain well....perhaps more style points with the 3 roller but minimal difference in crush.

Corona does take a bit of mechanical aptitude, but will mill train cars full of grain is cast iron, can easily be motorized and had extremely hard cast iron burr milling surface.

Earlier in the thread someone criticized the corona because they had trouble starting it with a cheap drill....really a drill issue rather than a mill issue, can we stay on topic lol thanks

 

[CharlieW]

Cereal Killer here also. Does a great job so far for the price.

 

[z-bob]

Just wondering if anyone here has Jack Schmidling's (sp?) Malt Mill? Not sure if he sells them anymore. IIRC it has larger diameter rollers than most other small mills.

I use an original Corona mill, not sure how many decades old it is. It does just fine, but creates more flour than is probably optimal.

 

[kh54s10]

Earlier in the thread someone criticized the corona because they had trouble starting it with a cheap drill....really a drill issue rather than a mill issue, can we stay on topic lol thanks

That was me and it was a reason for switching. I also said that I used my Corona for almost 8 years. You say I used a cheap drill... You don't know what drill I used..... I used several different drill motors. All of them had the issue. It is partially a drill issue but also a mill issue. The Cereal Killer doesn't suffer the same... I also stated that if the Cereal Killer went down I would have no issues returning to the Corona.

 

[gozer]

I have a monster mill MM3 and do not recommend. It slips more than it catches. Thinking about a downgrade to a 2 roller system from another company.

 

[day_trippr]

Cereal Killer. I've been very happy with mine.
Then put your mm3 on the For Sale forum...

Cheers!

 

[augiedoggy]

My kegco 3 roller is still going strong at the brewpub. its only getting used 2-3 times a month to brew 3bbls of beer each time right now due to covid but its literally milled thousands of lbs of grain now and still looks visibly and functionally unaffected so... my CK hasnt been used in over a year now..

 

[RPh_Guy]

I compare a variety of mills in this article, review their features, and explain in depth about how to mill:

https://modernbrewhouse.com/wiki/Milling
@augiedoggy if you wouldn't mind taking a look, I'd appreciate it. It's a wiki, so you can easily make changes if you want.
Cheers

 

[jma99]

OK, I'll play:
Are you counting the cost of a drill to power your mill?
If so, then you may want to consider this no name motorized mill from Amazon: ($157.99)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D1Y51WT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have had it for about a year and brew 10 gallon batches grinding about 22 to 25 pounds of grain per batch.
Works very well so far. I load up the hopper and can walk away.
Of course, YMMV.

 

[augiedoggy]

I compare a variety of mills in this article, review their features, and explain in depth about how to mill:

https://modernbrewhouse.com/wiki/Milling
@augiedoggy if you wouldn't mind taking a look, I'd appreciate it. It's a wiki, so you can easily make changes if you want.
Cheers

Nice comparison site!
the maltmuncher 3 and kegco 3 are the same mill. even the maltmuncher 2 vs the cereal killer... some people have reported thier malt muncher 2 as having the ball bearings and some stated bushings... My guess is they changed over at some point and the maltmuncher 2 now are the same as the CK and kegco 2.

They are also sold as unbranded generic mills on aliexpress and ebay like this one.. I know is says the specs are different in the descriptions but if anyone has one here to measure im 90% sure they are one in the same.
https://www.ebay.com/i/303142077539...b40SSAoLuV6IwWSu8_PlbWpN4-yt2yOsaApb9EALw_wcB

 

[augiedoggy]

heres proof... they just change the advertised specs to mislead folks into believing they are different. Some sites are using the base length and some the actual roller length.

https://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/Malt_Muncher_Three_Roller_Malt_Mill_p/maltmunch-3-roller-mill.htm
and here the malt muncher 2 specs claim to have hardened steel bearings....
https://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/Malt_Muncher_Dual_Roller_Malt_Mill_p/maltmunch-2-roller-mill.htm

 

[RPh_Guy]

@augiedoggy Thanks!! Updated.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I have a monster mill MM3 and do not recommend. It slips more than it catches. Thinking about a downgrade to a 2 roller system from another company.

I have an original MM-3 w stainless rolls. The one thing that I learned is that it can’t be tight to the base. When the end caps were tight, I had issues with it not catching/spinning. I loosened the end cap bolts and I’ve never had an issue. I’ve ran probably 2000# through it. That being said, I’d probably buy a CK if I were looking.

 

[renstyle]

I'm in the market for mill myself currently.

this thread has been pure gold. thanks for all of the feedback on the various options. I was initially leaning toward a cereal killer, and after reading, still am.

really appreciate all of the info folks.

cheers!

 

[mbg]

Looking at 3 roller mills. I was looking at the Kegco at beveragefactory but then read the MaltMuncher 3 roller was identical and found it was less expensive. Then I looked closer at the specs and the Kegco at beveragefactory says 6" x 1.5" rollers and the MaltMasher at MoreBeer says 5" x 1.25". Yet the link given above by @augiedoggy to OBK says the MaltMuncher is 6" x 1.5" rollers.

Does anyone have a MaltMuncher 3-roller mill KL03261 and can verify the roller length and diameter?

Thanks
Mike

 

[sicktght311]

I’m currently on year 2.5 of the cereal killer and it hasn’t skipped a beat

 

[day_trippr]

You're a year ahead of me but so far I'm quite pleased.
But I was happy with my BC for many (8) years and ~3000 pounds of malt before it lost its grip.
That said, the CK design and construction runs rings around the BC, so I'm optimistic - particularly wrt the hardened rollers.
We'll see...

Cheers!