Grain Mill

[krjamk]

I recently went to all grain and am looking into getting a grain mill in the next month or so. Anyone have comments or thoughts on what is best? Is there a lot of difference between mills out there? Want something that will do a good job but also don't need to break the bank either!!

[brownbeard]

I have been very happy with my barley crusher. If I would change anything, it would be to get the bigger hopper. Although, I could pretty easily make this hopper bigger.

[Jerry J]

My first and only purchase was the Barley Mill. I grind much finer than my local HBS and get better efficiency. ( I condition the grain) I am also very new at this but i think a home grain mill is a must and this mill works fine for me. I use a 1/2" drill to power mine.

[Jerry J]

Sorry i should have said Barley Crusher

[DrPaulsen]

I started with a Corona Mill & hated it (terrible efficiency, no hopper, no patience to build a hopper).  Next, I borrowed a roller mill whose brand I forget (it was the predecessor to the Monster Mill, before the two guys split apart and formed separate companies) and it worked very well.  I now own a Barley Crusher and have probably run 500 lbs of grain through it with zero serious complaints.  It works great with the hand crank or a cordless drill, plus the mill is easy to clean and adjust gap spacing.  The hopper seems a bit small, but unless it's mounted to a table it can be a little top heavy over an empty bucket, so I wouldn't want much more grain up there at a time.


On Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 10:57 AM, Jerry J <brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

Sorry i should have said Barley Crusher

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[JimF]

Since everyone is singing the praises of the Barley Crusher, I might as well chime in...  I too have a Barley Crusher and am very happy with it. I run mine with a drill, I've never used the handle. On Apr 24, 2013 11:10 AM, "DrPaulsen" <brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

I started with a Corona Mill & hated it (terrible efficiency, no hopper, no patience to build a hopper).  Next, I borrowed a roller mill whose brand I forget (it was the predecessor to the Monster Mill, before the two guys split apart and formed separate companies) and it worked very well.  I now own a Barley Crusher and have probably run 500 lbs of grain through it with zero serious complaints.  It works great with the hand crank or a cordless drill, plus the mill is easy to clean and adjust gap spacing.  The hopper seems a bit small, but unless it's mounted to a table it can be a little top heavy over an empty bucket, so I wouldn't want much more grain up there at a time.


On Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 10:57 AM, Jerry J brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org))> wrote:
: Sorry i should have said Barley Crusher

Post generated using Mail2Forum (http://www.mail2forum.com)

[whitedj]

I started with a corn mill [victoria, corona, etc.], with enough tweaking and hooking it up to a drill it was okay for doing small amounts. I think it took ~30-40 minutes to crush 10-12lb of grain.

With a barley crusher it 2 minutes for the same amount, plus its just easier to crush directly into a 5 gallon bucket [less mess]. I'd spend the extra money up front for something good as opposed to 30-40 on something barley adequate.

[TappedOut]

Grain mills are not high tech devices. Pretty much any designed for brewing will get the job done. (This does not include corona mills.) I have a Barley Crusher, like approximately everyone else, and it certainly does the trick, and at least at the time, was the most cost effective solution that doesn't require constructing a base/hopper yourself. I used the handle once, and then got a cheap 1/2" corded drill from Harbor Freight.

All that said, you might want to check out this:
http://www.homebrewing.org/Cereal-Kille ... _2310.html
$110 including shipping

[Matt F]

I have a Crankandstein which is basically now Monster Mill. It is a two roller mill with a detent adjustment. I have used it since 2003 with no issues with a cordless drill. I plan to run it off an electric motor when I get around to building it. I picked it up during a sale for less than $100.

[krjamk]

Wow, I wasn't expecting such a consensus among everyone. Seems like I might need to check more into the barley crusher. I do like the idea of a mill I can attach my drill to instead of hand cranking.

[Steven P]

Your arms will thank you. I use a BC with a variable speed corded hammer drill (not on hammer setting) and usually crush grain while my strike water is heating. It was $129 IIRC.

[whitedj]

well, with enough ambition and macgyver you can attach a drill to anything I'd think most roller type mills are comparable. Joe sells barley crushers, that's why I bought it.

[bf514921]

I will add my two cents. I had a corona, then got a barley crusher, great mill. I wish i had goten the larger hopper but ist not a deal breaker at all, I wouldnt mind a 3 roller mill, but bang for the buck, a barley crusher and you can go wrong, i have had mine for a few years now and works great.

[mccullpl]

I purchased a Monster Mill a few months back, and did a lot of research before I bought it. To me, unless your looking at hardened or stainless rollers, the only real difference was roller diameter and length, and price I would have probably gotten a Barley Crusher, but they apparently have pretty crappy customer service, if you have questions or need to use the lifetime warranty.

Pat

[Derek]

I have a Monster Mill with stainless rollers ('cause, you know, stainless), that has worked great for me. The Rebel Mill seems nice too (and has a stainless hopper available).

I also saw issues with the Barley Crusher support when I was researching mills, but I'm not sure how large a consideration that should be. It seems like all of the manufacturers that make mills for homebrewing make good products.