Grain mill experience questions

[gwapogorilla]

Hey guys, I am slowly moving towards all grain, and of course the next(and probably last) major investment is going to be a grain mill. The LHBS sells Barley crusher, but I am also considering Monster mill 3.
While I have seen other threads in here of people supporting both units, not many people posting inefficiency numbers.
Could a few folks chime in with some experiences, problems and numbers for me? Thanks guys.

 

[jmcquesten]

Hey guys, I am slowly moving towards all grain, and of course the next(and probably last) major investment is going to be a grain mill. The LHBS sells Barley crusher, but I am also considering Monster mill 3.
While I have seen other threads in here of people supporting both units, not many people posting inefficiency numbers.
Could a few folks chime in with some experiences, problems and numbers for me? Thanks guys.

Haha..... Last investment. Only if you're getting out of homebrewing. Sorry, I don't have anything else to contribute to your question, I have a cheap ($55)corona mill, but it works. I have managed to get 79% efficiency after about 5 tries with it though.

 

[kapbrew13]

I have the BC. It all depends on your gap settings.

 

[emjay]

I have the BC. It all depends on your gap settings.

This. It's not too difficult to hit 80% or higher on a decent system. People have even gotten into the high 90's with their Barley Crusher. And for a proper roller mill, it's hard to beat the price of a BC.

Just make sure to buy a feeler gauge set, they're typically used for setting spark plug gaps so you'll generally find them in an automotive shop/section. They will allow you to set up a proper gap and make sure both sides of the mill have the exact same gap (something you should do even before using the mill for the first time), experimenting with different gap settings to find your ideal balance of efficiency and lauterability, and maintain your ideal gap settings once you've found them for continued success and repeatability (since the gap will inevitably change a bit as the mill is used).

 

[caver95]

I have a barley crusher it is great, I consistently hit 80-85% efficiency. It is not your last major investment, deal with it...

 

[kapbrew13]

Just make sure to buy a feeler gauge set, they're typically used for setting spark plug gaps so you'll generally find them in an automotive shop/section. They will allow you to set up a proper gap and make sure both sides of the mill have the exact same gap (something you should do even before using the mill for the first time), experimenting with different gap settings to find your ideal balance of efficiency and lauterability, and maintain your ideal gap settings once you've found them for continued success and repeatability (since the gap will inevitably change a bit as the mill is used).

Off topic sorry
What's you gap set at. Just curious.

 

[emjay]

Off topic sorry
What's you gap set at. Just curious.

I usually go with .032"

 

[brewkinger]

I have mine set at .036 and hit high 70 and low 80 efficiency regularly.

IMHO it is highly dependent on your setup. When I upgraded to the 5 gal cooler that I now have, I changed my gap setting from .033 to .036 just to maintain good efficiency.

 

[924RACR]

We hit 80% very first time we got our barley crusher into the rotation - super happy after fighting 65% eff. for a long time with the HB store crush and a bazooka tube. I will admit we also upgraded to a good false bottom for our mash tun at the same time, so that didn't hurt.

Very happy with the upgrade.

 

[gwapogorilla]

This will be my last major investment into home brew fellas....the wife even says so.

 

[kapbrew13]

This will be my last major investment into home brew fellas....the wife even says so.

Sorry to hear. Xmas presents? Bday presents? Maybe?

 

[E-Mursed]

I have the MM2 and wouldn't use anything else.

It is the AK-47 of grain mills...it works...it works...it works.

JMO

 

[duboman]

I use the barley crusher and am very happy with it. Factory setting is .039 and with that I hit 75%. I closed the gap to .036 and hit 80%.

Remember, the issue is not how high an efficiency you can get, it's not about chasing numbers. The whole idea is to get to a number and hit it every time consistently! This is why owning a mill is such a benefit.

Obviously there are other factors involved with your set up but stating with a good consistent crush is step one IMO

 

[jammin]

I have an MM3 2.0

Great mill, but save your money and get a mm2 2.0. Only reason I can think of to get a 3 is if you need extreme recirc speeds or have major issues with your lautering system.

 

[Token]

This will be my last major investment into home brew fellas....the wife even says so.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Oh ya, I have a barley crusher. Love it!

 

[kapbrew13]

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Oh ya, I have a barley crusher. Love it!

Good point. Craigslist, garage sales, someone else trash, just learn diy'ing.

 

[Bobby_M]

There's no sense in comparing the BC to a MM3. They are completely different mill designs. I'd say you're either looking at a BC vs MM2 at the same price point or if you're interested in a premium two roller, look at the MM2 2.0. Even once the knurl on the MM starts wearing out, the larger roller diameter will save your ass. If you brew a lot, the knurls will wear out. If you have the BC when that happens, your only choice is to open up the gap.

 

[gwapogorilla]

I have an MM3 2.0

Great mill, but save your money and get a mm2 2.0. Only reason I can think of to get a 3 is if you need extreme recirc speeds or have major issues with your lautering system.

I looked at that system too. The MM2 2.0 is $10 higher than the MM3. The MM3 has got to be more efficient than the MM2 by design, if even only slightly. And, I would assume the MM3 would last longer too. As the two top rollers are .062 gapped, then the bottom is adjustable. Drawing the picture in my head, distributing the crush between 3 rollers is more efficient than 2 rollers...considering the size of the rollers.

I am actually looking for efficiency numbers, consistancy, sparge problems, gapping numbers....stuff like that.

 

[gwapogorilla]

Oh yeah....and jams! I have read the MM3 is kinda notorious for jamming up. Is anyone having that problem? Find a fix? The BC or MM2 have jam problems?

 

[jammin]

MM3 likes to jam if you don't have the torque to run it. It's a serious beast and power requirements to motorize it shouldn't be taken lightly. Trust me, you'll want to motorize it. I run mine off of a 3/4hp, 1750 RPM Dayton coupled to a right angle, 15:1 gear reducer.

 

[924RACR]

We've never had a jam problem with the BC - though we've only run maybe a handful of batches yet, and have made some flour in our time...

We always get our grain pre-milled from the local store anyway; doesn't cost extra, and saves wear and tear on our mill, so why not? We don't buy by the bag, or keep grain long, so those aren't concerns...