# AHB Articles: What is a grain mill to purchase??



## benno1973 (9/7/10)

Sorry, didn't mean to create a discussion topic for this, just clicked on the worng button. Was actually a bit curious to see if anyone had answered this guys question. Anyhoo, back to the forum...

Well, actually, seeing as I was the idiot that clicked on the button, I guess I can provide some sort of information, regardless of how useful or based on fact it is.

Grain Mills go from around $60 up to thousands of dollars. 

Corona mills are the bottom end of the market, and your cheapest option. They have a relatively small hopper, but if you're planning on doing partials, this may not be such a big issue depending on how much grain you want to crush. They are adjustable, and you can get a good crush from them.

Marga Mills are the next grade up, at around $140. These are a 3-roller mill, and rollers are preferred over grinding discs for crush consistency. I own one of these, and to be honest, the major benefit it has over the corona mill is that it takes less effort to crush the grain. They also come with a small hopper, but you can make your own and there's threads on here about how to adjust the Marga for the best crush.

After that, you start looking at bigger mills, like the barley crusher, Monster Mill, Crankandstein, Mill master etc etc. in the $200-400 range There's loads of threads on here that talk about the pros and the cons, and I won't regurgitate what they say. Try doing a search like this. 

Hope this is helpful


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## manticle (9/7/10)

Kaiser Soze said:


> Corona mills are the bottom end of the market, and your cheapest option. They have a relatively small hopper, but if you're planning on doing partials, this may not be such a big issue depending on how much grain you want to crush. They are adjustable, and you can get a good crush from them.



Good information but to add: if you've got the willingness for putting in a bit of physical work, a corona can do whatever you want.

I regularly crack 6+kg and it takes around 30 mins or less (no drill - all by hand). I have done three brews in one day which was around 18-19 kg, a brewing friend did 20 kg on it a couple of weeks ago and has also previously crushed the grain for an imperial stout (around 10+ kg from memory) so they are definitely good for doing more than partials. With a bit of inventiveness you can modify/add to the hopper (although the full hopper is very close to an exact kilo of most grains).

Just don't ever wash it, let it get wet or condition your malt. Brush it clean after use.


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## mccuaigm (9/7/10)

Hey Manticle, where'd you get your corona from? Thinkin about getting one for myself.

Cheers


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## seemax (9/7/10)

A few of us got Monster Mills for $150 delivered to oz. Mind you this was when the dollar was around 93c!

A seriously good mill for the price ... pay extra for a handle or run it with a drill.

Made myself a timber hopper and it crushes 5kg in no time.


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## manticle (9/7/10)

goldy said:


> Hey Manticle, where'd you get your corona from? Thinkin about getting one for myself.
> 
> Cheers



Ebay - around $50 AUD = minimal postage (probably 10ish dollars) so it was a local guy.

Availability unreliable though. I have seen them and variations avaiable from retailers for much more but obviously if you want to spend bigger then some of the other options might be better. If you can find it for under $100 then definitely go for it. If it starts to push too far over, look at some of the other options.


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## thesunsettree (9/7/10)

goldy said:


> Hey Manticle, where'd you get your corona from? Thinkin about getting one for myself.
> 
> Cheers




hi goldy,

i bought one from the brewerschoice guys at wacol brand new $40 (no affiliation). it was just lying around, something they had but just never sold...score! dont know if they have another one (dont think they do) but they did have a shop one that as far as i know isnt used anymore. i finally pulled my finger out and used it for the first time today, did a 5.5kg grain bill, didnt time it but if it was more than 20 min i'd be surprised! i'm a fat lazy prick and would have been bitchin my tits off if it took too long.

cheers
matt


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## marksfish (9/7/10)

+1 on the monster mill and cheers to 4star who ran the bb.


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## wakkatoo (9/7/10)

marksfish said:


> +1 on the monster mill and cheers to 4star who ran the bb.



Thumbs up on that one as well for me. Was lucky enough to get my hands on the last one after someone else pulled out.


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## NickB (9/7/10)

Monster mill was purchased here for just a shade over $100 landed a couple years back. They were 'factory seconds', all that was wrong was some double-knurling on one of the rollers. Check the Monster website for any of these offers.

Went halves in postage with Kram. Extremely happy with my purchase

Cheers


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## jyo (10/7/10)

Inquiring at the moment on buying a "Barley Crusher Malt Mill" from USA. A mate of mine has one, and is very happy.
With currency conversion, it's looking at being $225 delivered to my door. So save about $50 from buying in Aus. 
Cheers, John.


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## ricardo (3/1/13)

I know this thread is old but was thinking about purchasing a Monster 3.2. I was thinking about buying the crank handle but have read this is hard work. I'm not really a handyman and know nothing about drills, can anybody recommend a decent cheap drill to operate the Monster Mill?


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## Frag_Dog (3/1/13)

ricardo said:


> I know this thread is old but was thinking about purchasing a Monster 3.2. I was thinking about buying the crank handle but have read this is hard work. I'm not really a handyman and know nothing about drills, can anybody recommend a decent cheap drill to operate the Monster Mill?




I use an Ozito Drill:

http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_produc...randname--Ozito

Has heaps of power for milling slowly an only costs $90. No modifications needed to the drill or the mill, I guess just keep the size of the drill in mind when building a hopper (if your building one).

I didn't mount mine, I just hold it by hand and mill that way. It only takes a few mins to do 10kg, and mounting it with my setup would be pratical. The drill does have some threaded holes for mounting handles so I thing you could use them if you wanted to.

The other option, and I did this before I got the drill, is to use a pair of Vise-Grips to rotate the mill. Takes about 10x as much time but gets the job done. It will scuff up the mill shaft however...


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## Yob (3/1/13)

I use a "Taurus" from Aldi, cheap as chips @ about $50, you want one that has plenty of torque at low RPM or you will burn it out (as I did) I think Kev has a similar Ozitto drill, you want one that has the little dial on the trigger so you can set it to the speed you want.

Stay away from using a battery drill, a PITA as the bloody batteries invariably die half way through the grist and then you burn out the power drill trying to finish it off <_< 

I set mine mill up on my MT and mill directly into it with a wooden jig to hold the drill so it's all hands free.

ed: piccie


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## Oakers (3/1/13)

Just bought the Ozito drill yesterday. Great drill for $90....Variable speed, heaps of torque. You can't go wrong.


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## alcoadam (3/1/13)

I use the Mashmaster mini and crank by hand, I don't find it difficult at all...takes about 5 minutes and you've earn't a beer by the end! I might add I crush at about 1.3mm.

I did once have a look around at drills but the "rpm" I felt on most was too high (for my system anyhow - I didn't want to go over 200rpm). But having said that, a little more "flour" in with your crush may not be a problem.


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## Bribie G (3/1/13)

Likewise the Ozito. Don't be tempted to skimp and buy a cheaper version, for mills you need a tradie strength tool.


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## ricardo (3/1/13)

Cheers guys, i reckon i'll go for the Ozito.

What RPM would you recommend?


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## tiprya (3/1/13)

I dial mine down to the lowest speed it will go without stopping.

It seems like on mine that full trigger goes full speed no matter what the setting, so you have to practice half-holding the trigger to get it to go nice and slow.


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## Yob (3/1/13)

it'll become evident when you start to use it, not too fast not too slow, it depends on a few factors like mill gap setting - load on the drill - even type of mill I expect... there is likely be a sweet spot.

At the end of the day let the crush decide. There is pretty much one sweet spot fro my drill, 3 clicks from stop, 2 clicks and it can be too slow and 4 clicks is too fast.

:icon_cheers:


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## mikec (3/1/13)

I've got that Ozito high-torque one too. Does the job well, as others have said you just need to find the optimum speed. Just fast enough that it will run the mill without jamming, no faster.
Only problem I have with the Mashmaster mill, having a round shaft with no "flat" part, the chuck of the drill doesn't grip it that well and it can slip. I have to tighten the chuck two or three times while doing a 4-5kg grain bill.


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## bookworm1707 (3/1/13)

I have a corona mill I would like to sell if anyone interested? $50 plus postage from adelaide or local pickup.


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## QldKev (3/1/13)

Yob said:


> I use a "Taurus" from Aldi, cheap as chips @ about $50, you want one that has plenty of torque at low RPM or you will burn it out (as I did) I think Kev has a similar Ozitto drill, you want one that has the little dial on the trigger so you can set it to the speed you want.
> 
> Stay away from using a battery drill, a PITA as the bloody batteries invariably die half way through the grist and then you burn out the power drill trying to finish it off <_<
> 
> I set mine mill up on my MT and mill directly into it with a wooden jig to hold the drill so it's all hands free.



No me with the Ozito drill. I did use a geared 18v cordless for a year or so. These days I use a dedicated DC geared motor, costs under $100. I just walk up and throw the switch and get the same speed every time. Details on my website if anyone is interested.


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## Yob (3/1/13)

Billk uses a motor too, (he just needs a bigger hopper h34r: ) nice little unit.. dunno who's photo it was I am thinking of then, from memory he did a little video of it too :unsure: ahh well, at the end of the day there are a million options and reasons for each, me? I went the Taurus and bought a bag of grain with the change and am happy with it  

:icon_cheers:


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## QldKev (3/1/13)

Yob said:


> Billk uses a motor too, (he just needs a bigger hopper h34r: ) nice little unit.. dunno who's photo it was I am thinking of then, from memory he did a little video of it too :unsure: ahh well, at the end of the day there are a million options and reasons for each, me? I went the Taurus and bought a bag of grain with the change and am happy with it
> 
> :icon_cheers:




and as a bonus you get a decent torque drill


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## ricardo (5/1/13)

OK, i just bought the Ozito drill, i haven't received my Monster Mill 3.2 yet, can anybody tell me what type and size of drill bit i need to hook the drill up to the mill?

Cheers in advance


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## hsb (5/1/13)

? Just clamp her right onto the mill, the drive shaft on the mill acts as your 'drill bit'. You are good to go once your mill arrives. :icon_cheers:

See here:
http://www.monsterbrewinghardware.com/mm-320.html


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## Amber Fluid (5/1/13)

Yob said:


> Billk uses a motor too, (he just needs a bigger hopper h34r: ) nice little unit.. dunno who's photo it was I am thinking of then, from memory he did a little video of it too ahh well, at the end of the day there are a million options and reasons for each, me? I went the Taurus and bought a bag of grain with the change and am happy with it
> 
> :icon_cheers:



Not a lot of people here would know me as BillK  but yeah the Minimill works a treat and yep, a bigger hopper would be nice but not a necessity at the moment. Here is a link to one of the videos you were talking about.


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## ricardo (5/1/13)

hsb said:


> ? Just clamp her right onto the mill, the drive shaft on the mill acts as your 'drill bit'. You are good to go once your mill arrives. :icon_cheers:
> 
> See here:
> http://www.monsterbrewinghardware.com/mm-320.html




Cheers mate, i need to stop looking at the pictures and read up on stuff before i buy


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## micblair (31/1/13)

Just purchased a CrankandStein 3D, was tempted by its larger sibling, the 320D (and all the trimmings such as SS rollers), but in the end the 3D, hand-crank and hopper + delivery was $290 AUD was enough coin for one evening. Now I gotta get some scales...


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## SNippets01 (12/2/13)

Could you use a pasta roller as a mill if the width/gap of the rollers is enough?


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## Bribie G (12/2/13)

Aren't the rollers in a pasta mill smooth? You need them to be "knurled" to crush grain otherwise they won't grip onto it to pull it through and crack it.


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## TidalPete (12/2/13)

micblair said:


> Just purchased a CrankandStein 3D, was tempted by its larger sibling, the 320D (and all the trimmings such as SS rollers), but in the end the 3D, hand-crank and hopper + delivery was $290 AUD was enough coin for one evening. Now I gotta get some scales...


An opportunity missed.
Have always regretted not getting ss rollers with my Cranker years ago as they are more forgiving if something hard comes along mixed with the grain.
Being ss you can dampen your grain without fear of rust forming on the rollers.
Just my 2 cents.


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## Camo6 (12/2/13)

SNippets said:


> Could you use a pasta roller as a mill if the width/gap of the rollers is enough?


I started modifying a pasta roller at one stage but like Bribie G says the rollers need to be knurled. The rollers on my were just tube with end caps and when I showed a metalworker he said they were too thin for decent knurling. I did read on HBT a build where the bloke took to the rollers with a file and just scored the surface but I didn't want to waste a half decent pasta mill for a half assed grain mill. But YMMV. Ended up doing some OT and investing in a mashmaster minimill and couldn't be happier. Broke the flimsy perspex hopper pretty quickly so made a bigger one from MDF. Not the prettiest but works a treat.

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:57859]


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## felten (12/2/13)

mikec said:


> Only problem I have with the Mashmaster mill, having a round shaft with no "flat" part, the chuck of the drill doesn't grip it that well and it can slip. I have to tighten the chuck two or three times while doing a 4-5kg grain bill.


Does the mashmaster not have one of these? It's a great feature.



Just find a hex bit that fits and stick it in there, that's how I drive my hand crank (speed brace acting as a crank).


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## komodo (4/3/13)

get your 4" grinder and run a few flat spots in. Hell you could buy a 4" grinder with a couple of discs for less than a carton of commercial beer if you dont already have one.

I've a MM3-2.0-SS Thing is a weapon no doubt about it. I've got it backed up by a 10:1 pully combo (or there abouts) and a 1HP 240V 1450 RPM motor.
I will one day own a geared roller mill though as it pisses me off when the grain wont run through and I have to empty it all out to start again. Though this happens less these days than when I first go it.


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## res (25/3/15)

Any of you lads tried one of these?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Brand-New-Barley-Crusher-Malt-All-Grain-Mill-for-Home-Brewing-Monster-Mash-/291405279284?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item43d91bb034


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## superstock (26/3/15)

Bought one of these today http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/350648298611?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
at the price with free postage, had to be worth a try. At this stage I mainly want it to mill specialty malts.


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## QldKev (26/3/15)

res said:


> Any of you lads tried one of these?
> 
> http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Brand-New-Barley-Crusher-Malt-All-Grain-Mill-for-Home-Brewing-Monster-Mash-/291405279284?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item43d91bb034


Have a quick search for "which mill" you will find pages of results for it, other search terms are ebay mill, barley crusher and keg king mill. Not my mill of choice, there are people who have had issue with it and also people who are happy with it.


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## Moad (23/4/15)

I have the barley crusher with a keg king motor, does the job and I'm happy. All up was $300


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