Grain Mill Suggestions

[NadoHawk]

I need to mill my own grain as I have a 50 lb sack of grain I picked up for 35 dollars and 7 (was supposed to be six, but it seems an extra one ended up in my order) all-grain kits I did not want to have pre-crushed so they would last longer.

I have been looking at this one since it's 100 and free shipping, but are there any other suggestions?

http://www.homebrewing.org/Cereal-Killer-Grain-Mill_p_2310.html

 

[zach976]

A lot of people have had great success with that mill. Barley crusher makes a good mill, monster mills, Millars mills. Lots of choices.

 

[RM-MN]

How much experience do you have with all grain brewing? What equipment for all grain do you already have?

If you have a conventional mash tun with a false bottom, braid, or manifold and don't expect to be milling hundreds of pounds of grain per year that mill will be fine.

If you haven't brewed all grain before, if you are lacking the mash tun, if you are short on cash, or you just want the easiest way to go all grain, you can spend quite a bit less than that and still be all grain. I use a Corona style mill with BIAB. That mill cost less than $30. If you have a big pot, get a paint strainer bag or a custom made one from Wilserbrewer. With the cheaper mill and no mash tun to buy you can afford another 2 bags of grain and grain is what makes beer, not the fancy equipment.

You can use the Corona style mill with a conventional mash tun too if you keep the mill set with more gap. You might not want to use one forever but it saves you enough up front to be worthwhile.

 

[govner1]

I need to mill my own grain as I have a 50 lb sack of grain I picked up for 35 dollars and 7 (was supposed to be six, but it seems an extra one ended up in my order) all-grain kits I did not want to have pre-crushed so they would last longer.



I have been looking at this one since it's 100 and free shipping, but are there any other suggestions?



http://www.homebrewing.org/Cereal-Killer-Grain-Mill_p_2310.html

Monster Mill

 

[NadoHawk]

I haven't brewed all-grain yet (was planning on brewing an "Imperial Dunklweizen this year but ended up going a bit crazy on my last binge), but I have two 5-gallon coolers (one Home Depot, one Igloo)...the mash-lauter ton has a stainless-steel false bottom with a rotating sprinkler from my HLT.

I expect to mill around 50-80 lbs a year or so since I don't brew heavy beers.

 

[Calder]

I have a $30 Corona mill. Works great, and has lasted years with zero problems. I typically get 80%+ mash efficiency.

When I got it I did partial mash, with only a few lbs of grain. Was perfect for my needs. As time has gone by I've been using more and more grains each batch. I still do partial mash (and partial boil), but now I'm using 8 lbs a time (sometimes it is pretty close to all-grain; some beers need very little additional fermentables - 8 lbs can get you 6 gallons of 1.040 beer). 8 lbs takes me 20 minutes to grind/crush, which is just a little too long; starts to become a chore. I turn it by hand, but can use a drill, which I think I will try next time.

While the Corona mill meets my needs, I think if I had realized the amount of grain I use per batch was going to get as high as it has (and may go higher), I think I would have invested in a proper grain mill from the start. Now I've got it, I feel I have to use it. Maybe adapting it to a drill will make everything easier.

 

[alby44]

I have a $30 Corona mill. Works great, and has lasted years with zero problems.

This, and agree completely if cost is an issue. Have a corona mill attached to a small piece of 2x4, which rests inside a homer bucket from Home Depot. Bought 3 buckets and a large enough piece of a.c. duct work could attach to the mill to allow for 4-5 #s of grain at a time. Not doing it by hand and by drill allows me to finish in about 10 mins. It works great and I average 75% efficiency. Highly recommended!!

 

[RM-MN]

I have a $30 Corona mill. Works great, and has lasted years with zero problems. I typically get 80%+ mash efficiency.

When I got it I did partial mash, with only a few lbs of grain. Was perfect for my needs. As time has gone by I've been using more and more grains each batch. I still do partial mash (and partial boil), but now I'm using 8 lbs a time (sometimes it is pretty close to all-grain; some beers need very little additional fermentables - 8 lbs can get you 6 gallons of 1.040 beer). 8 lbs takes me 20 minutes to grind/crush, which is just a little too long; starts to become a chore. I turn it by hand, but can use a drill, which I think I will try next time.

While the Corona mill meets my needs, I think if I had realized the amount of grain I use per batch was going to get as high as it has (and may go higher), I think I would have invested in a proper grain mill from the start. Now I've got it, I feel I have to use it. Maybe adapting it to a drill will make everything easier.

I had been cranking mine by hand for several years. Since I was doing my beers on the kitchen stove this worked well as I could have the grains weighed and milled by the time I had the water to strike temp. This past session I hooked a drill up to the Corona. WOW!!! Now I have to figure out what to do while the water heats up because the grains got milled so quickly.

 

[Calder]

I had been cranking mine by hand for several years. Since I was doing my beers on the kitchen stove this worked well as I could have the grains weighed and milled by the time I had the water to strike temp. This past session I hooked a drill up to the Corona. WOW!!! Now I have to figure out what to do while the water heats up because the grains got milled so quickly.

Did you remove the handle. I plan to. I replaced the bolt when I got the mill years ago to allow the use of a square drive in a drill, but have never used it. I have half a dozen decent drills, so that is not a problem ........ just never tried it.

 

[RM-MN]

Did you remove the handle. I plan to. I replaced the bolt when I got the mill years ago to allow the use of a square drive in a drill, but have never used it. I have half a dozen decent drills, so that is not a problem ........ just never tried it.

I removed the handle and then used my angle grinder to add 3 more flats to the 3 it already had for the handle, then used a deep well socket with a hex to square drive adapter that fit my drill.

 

[brewbama]

I recommend JSP Malt Mill

 

[Calder]

I had been cranking mine by hand for several years. Since I was doing my beers on the kitchen stove this worked well as I could have the grains weighed and milled by the time I had the water to strike temp. This past session I hooked a drill up to the Corona. WOW!!! Now I have to figure out what to do while the water heats up because the grains got milled so quickly.

I hooked up the drill this time. 8 lbs done in less than 10 mins. Could have been 5 mins - not long.