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grain mills

T

The_Jester

There's a new place nearby selling specialty grains, but it's unmilled.  This is new to me.  I know nothing.

Can anyone out there fill me in on grain mills?  (ie. what kind to get, where to get them, what to pay, etc)

Thanks.
 
Hi,
  A double roller mill that is adjustable is the best overall, but will set you back $110 or more.  However you can get by with a meat grinder style "corona mill" for $30-40 if you are on a budget.  I had one of those for a few years and it worked just fine for small batches (in fact I still have it if you really want it).

  I purchased a Barley Crusher last year - double roller mill that is very nice...fully adjustable with a large hopper.  I really like it.

  http://www.barleycrusher.com/

Cheers!
Brad
 
Thanks.

A couple of follow-ups, then . . .  ???

1. Other than speed, are there any other drawbacks to the "Corona" style grinder?

2. Is there a noticeable difference in the final result if you mill all of your own grain on brewing day (versus purchasing pre-ground)?

Thanks again.
 
Hi,
  1) The two roller adjustable will give you more control over the crush resulting in a finer overall crush.  In practical terms that means you gain a few percent of efficiency in the mash.  However, that's not a big deal as you can compensate for lower efficiency by adding just a bit more grain. 

  The corona mill has crude wing nuts to adjust the grinding gap, but with a little tweaking and experimentation is acceptable.

  2) One other minor difference is that a two roller mill will leave more of the husks intact which can help when forming the grain bed for sparging.  Again the effect is relatively minor for most homebrewers but can help overall efficiency and also help avoid stuck mashes.

  Overall the corona style mill is an acceptable and cheap alternative - I used one for several years with good results.  I eventually moved up to the barleycrusher which I really love (mine holds 7 lbs at a shot, it is quicker, gives you more control, is beautifully constructed, can be set up to run off an electric motor).

  Just like most equipment - there is a trade-off between dollars spent, convenience, time and quality of product.  The decision depends on how much you want to spend, how often you brew, etc...

Cheers!
Brad
 
Thanks a lot.  As always, this site has proven to be very helpful.  I've already found a couple of places selling mills.  (Hopefully I can find one in Canada.)  Thanks again.
 
+1 on the Barley Crusher.  I recently purchased one and couldn't be happier.  Great crush from the factory settings along with built in adjustability.  Comes complete with a 7lb hopper and is already set up to use an electric drill.  Makes quick work of a tedious job.
 
+1 on the Barley Crusher......I have one sitting under our tree...its driving me nuts not being able to use it! ;D
 
I have the Crankenstrin with a lrge hopper and it does a great job also.
 
I have a 3 roller adjustable Monster Mill. I used it for the first time yesterday. It worked great. You do have to build a hopper and base for it though but it was pretty easy to put together.

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I have the standard, non-adjustable, JSP MALTMILL.  My efficiencies run 80-88% consistently ....... yeah, I'm a happy brewer !!!

http://schmidling.com/maltmill.htm

- GL63

PS - MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!
 
Bought the Barleycrusher a long time ago, works really well and have had it for awhile.
 
Just note that you want to make sure you get one with a removeable handle so you can use an electric drill or something.
 
Don't want to be cranking a corona forever.....

 
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