# Grain Mill Purchase



## scrogster (4/4/05)

I'm presently looking into buying a grain mill, and I'm leaning towards importing either a crankandstein or a barleycrusher from the states. Is anyone out there interested in putting together a combined order for several units in order to save on freight costs and negotiate a cheaper unit price from the manufacturers.

I'm situated in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Cheers,

Scrogster.


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## Dunkel_Boy (4/4/05)

You can make one for about 1/5th the price, if you were so inclined.


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## keng11 (4/4/05)

Dunkel_Boy said:


> You can make one for about 1/5th the price, if you were so inclined.
> [post="52677"][/post]​




Dunkel_Boy do you have any instructions/pics to show how it's done.Thanks.


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## Trough Lolly (4/4/05)

scrogster said:


> I'm presently looking into buying a grain mill, and I'm leaning towards importing either a crankandstein or a barleycrusher from the states. [snip]
> Cheers,
> Scrogster.
> [post="52676"][/post]​



Scrogster,
Before you splash some money on a cranker or BC, you might want to consider a Marga Mulino mill. I've used one and I've never had less than 80% efficiency according to Promash and I batch sparge. They're available in Australia, if you search for them - grumpys used to sell them - that's where I got mine and it cost me less than $100 delivered.

It's a triple roller mill that is adjustable and IMHO is just as good as something costing twice as much from the US... B) 

Cheers,
TL


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## jgriffin (4/4/05)

TL - i don't think they are this cheap anymore. Last one i saw in a shop was going for $199.


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## Dunkel_Boy (4/4/05)

Hey that sounds good.
I was going to make one soon, a single roller with a wooden + stainless steel crush plate. Simple to adjust. The roller was going to be heavily-knurled mild steel, probably 80mm, coated in POR-15, a rust-preventing etchant. Would just run on sleeve bearings (perhaps rollers) and be drill-driven. 1/2"-1" plywood construction, with a stragetically-placed hopper. Hopefully be around the $60 mark, but this other mill looks bloody good... lot less effort!
It was goign to be based on this design
http://brewery.org/brewery/library/woodmill.html
Just using mild steel (with a rust preventative, it ends up cheaper and a lot easier) and some stainless instead of brass, since brass contains lead.


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## Trough Lolly (4/4/05)

jgriffin said:


> TL - i don't think they are this cheap anymore. Last one i saw in a shop was going for $199.
> [post="52685"][/post]​



Wow :blink: - that's bloody expensive!

The one that Grumpy's sold was modified in that the hopper had an enlarged mouth, and they had hole punched an extra setting for optimum crush of malted barley and they provided a drill bit so you could hook up the drill to the mill.

Even if you found one at a kitchen supplier or foodie warehouse, it would be bugger all work to modify it and turn it into a damn good malt mill. It's even been done before and you can see the photos of a mill conversion in the gallery online!

Cheers,
TL


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## Dunkel_Boy (4/4/05)

Modification is another option, I guess.
Anything that will crack the grain keeping the husks intact, but still break up the endosperm enough, you've got yourself a suitable mill!!


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## Gough (4/4/05)

Yep, as can be seen by typing Marga Mill into the search feature, I am also the proud owner of this mill. Took me a little bit of stuffing about to get it right but now am completely satisfied. Cost $79 including freight to Newcastle from Bake 'n Brew in Gawler SA in September/October last year. I've looked at the BC's and Crankensteins and they are definitely better mills. For the money and convenience of buying in Aus rather than importing though I reckon the Marga's are pretty good. Depends on how keen you are I guess and how much you want to spend. If I'd had more cash I think I'd have gone the BC simply 'cause it comes ready to go. The Crankensteins look the best h'ber mills of the lot, but you'll need to sort out a hopper and a base - not any trouble at all, but if you're lazy...

$0.02

Shawn.


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## Dunkel_Boy (4/4/05)

jgriffin said:


> TL - i don't think they are this cheap anymore. Last one i saw in a shop was going for $199.
> [post="52685"][/post]​



A homebrew shop or a kitchen shop?


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## Ross (4/4/05)

About a month ago Grumpys were selling the Marga, fully modified for $160

I just bought one 2nd hand, still in the box for $80 delivered Brizzy = arrived 2 days ago


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## Dunkel_Boy (4/4/05)

Hmmm.
I think I'll go with my homemade mill, although I'm lucky to have a metal lathe.


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## PeterS (4/4/05)

I might as well add my remarks regarding the Marga Mulino. I also bought mine from Bake' and Brew. $79.00 delivered to my door in brisbane the same time as Gought bought his.

I had no problem doing the mods and so far I am happy with the crush.

Cheers,
Keep on Brrewin' :chug:


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## sintax69 (5/4/05)

OK I ve been on to the importers of the marga mills first the are none in Sydney bake and brew have none either mid may before the importes get them and just to top that of 15% price increase yeah ha love that so the cheapest Ive found was bake & brew $94.95(11.85 postage to sydney)thats without the increase (i think) so $109.25 

compared to $70US + $30US = $130AU for the CGM-2S cranknstein but dont quote me on the postage Iam waiting on a return email on that one

Has any one got one these 2s crainknstein if so what are they like I see its had to adjust do u really need that ???

sintax


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## ausdb (5/4/05)

I'll chip in on the Marga recommendation, with a few extra holes in the adjustment knob to make it more adjustable and a bigger hopper they are pretty good. Here's mine in action and the crush I get from it.



The hopper holds about 6kg of grain and I crushed it in about 5 minutes with a single pass. I find it works best running it at a reasonably slow speed, I'm using a two speed drill and run it at about 1/2 of the low setting which is 640rpm so approx 300 rpm.


This is the crush I am geting from it, I'm pretty happy. The hopper has a full width opening across it, I'll take some pictures of it if anyone wants to see it in more detail. The drive shaft is just the tang section of a cheapy screwdriver, the sides of the mill are filled in with acrylic off cuts from the hopper.

Cheers

Ausdb


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## Ross (5/4/05)

ausdb said:


> This is the crush I am geting from it, I'm pretty happy. The hopper has a full width opening across it, I'll take some pictures of it if anyone wants to see it in more detail. The drive shaft is just the tang section of a cheapy screwdriver, the sides of the mill are filled in with acrylic off cuts from the hopper.
> 
> [post="52723"][/post]​



Ausdb,

yes please post some pics of the hopper mod - the marga i bought has the milling adjustment modified but not the hopper - any help from anyone in this department would be appreciated, as mechanical engineering isn't one of my hot points...


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## sosman (5/4/05)

I can't let a thread go by without posting the pic of my Jarrah mill:






Specs:
roller dia: 63mm
roller length: 360mm
roller material: jarrah
frame: aluminium
bearings: sealed ball bearings
throughput: 2kg/min hand cranked
adjustment: continuous: -0.5mm to 2.0mm
direct drive

And to all the people who were punting on the jarrah wearing out, cough up whenever you are ready to concede.

http://brewiki.org/RollerMill


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## roach (5/4/05)

sintax69 said:


> compared to $70US + $30US = $130AU for the CGM-2S cranknstein but dont quote me on the postage Iam waiting on a return email on that one
> 
> Has any one got one these 2s crainknstein if so what are they like I see its had to adjust do u really need that ???
> 
> ...


Hi Sintax,
I have a crankandstein 2s. I haven't bothered adjusting it and gives an excellent crush. You can adjust them, but it isn't something you can do on the fly in the middle of a crush. Personally for the money the 2s was a top buy, and crushes 5kg's in only a few minutes. If you are on a tight budget and will be using the mill a fair bit then the 2s is the way to go IMHO.

Cheers
Roach


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## nonicman (5/4/05)

Hi Sintax, I have a 2D which I adjusted when I first used it, ended up putting it back on the factory setting where it has stayed for the 3 brews it has been used with.


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## ausdb (5/4/05)

Ross said:


> yes please post some pics of the hopper mod - the marga i bought has the milling adjustment modified but not the hopper - any help from anyone in this department would be appreciated, as mechanical engineering isn't one of my hot points...
> [post="52734"][/post]​



I'll take some pics tonight, basically I got rid of the factory hopper completely

Ausdb


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## Dunkel_Boy (5/4/05)

Sosman,
They put jarrah in mallet heads for a reason... it's very tough stuff!
Love your work, I don't think i could be bothered doing that good a job... eccentric adjustment, roller bearings, having a steel shaft through wood, and cutting wood on my good metal lathe, don't think so.
Glad to hear it's working well.


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## Stagger (5/4/05)

Personal I like to make all my own gear for my brewery, I am a fitter and Machinist by trade and make things like that all day however I could not make one for under $100. If I was to put a price on mine it would be $300 plus. 
What I have read here $100 that cheap.


Stagger
:super:


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## pint of lager (5/4/05)

Sos, how is the jarrah holding up? And how many kilos have you put through it now?


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## sosman (5/4/05)

pint of lager said:


> Sos, how is the jarrah holding up? And how many kilos have you put through it now?
> [post="52873"][/post]​


I probably would have put through near 100kg of grain including wheat and roasted varieties. Holding up very well.


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## sosman (5/4/05)

Dunkel_Boy said:


> Love your work, I don't think i could be bothered doing that good a job... eccentric adjustment, roller bearings, having a steel shaft through wood, and cutting wood on my good metal lathe, don't think so.
> Glad to hear it's working well.
> [post="52844"][/post]​


Believe it or not, I figured the eccentric adjustment was the easiest to construct - I didn't even use the 4 jaw chuck, just a spacer on the one of the 3 jaws. The ball bearings were inexpensive, the length of Jarrah cost me $10, the Ally plate $5. A few dollars for bits of steel and nuts etc, probably cost me no more than $70 in materials.

The jarrah "swarf" was no problem to clean up from the lathe. In fact I am thinking of making a rest and buying a few wood working tools.


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## johnno (5/4/05)

sosman said:


> In fact I am thinking of making a rest and buying a few word working tools.
> [post="52894"][/post]​



Can I be the first to put my hand up if you are considering starting to sell them sosman.
After crushing the grain at your place I was very impressed with your mill.


cheers
johnno


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## Dunkel_Boy (5/4/05)

Hmmm, very interesting... I was mostly worried about the swarf (love that word). I guess working from left to right would be a good idea so that deck doesn't get any sawdust caught in it.

My plan was to get a 200-300mm x 80mm round bar of mild steel, and basically cut down both ends into an axle (one end longer than the other so I can put it in my drill chuck). This would leave the middle 150-250mm untouched, and I'd attack that with the knurler or anything else dangerous that was lying around.
This would mount on sleeve/roller bearings on the wooden chassis, and the crush plate would be a bit of 1/2" ply with some 2mm thick SS glued to it. Pivot point will be below/past the tangent of the roller, with adjustment done by moving the entire crush plate 20-30mm each way. The crush plate will be probably 200mm x width of roller, with adjustment done pivoting the crush plate and locking the nuts at the top of the crush plate. The other half of the hopped will be fixed, and probably cut to sit as close to the roller as possible, at whatever angle I desire.


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## sosman (5/4/05)

Dunkel_Boy said:


> Hmmm, very interesting... I was mostly worried about the swarf (love that word). I guess working from left to right would be a good idea so that deck doesn't get any sawdust caught in it.
> 
> My plan was to get a 200-300mm x 80mm round bar of mild steel, and basically cut down both ends into an axle (one end longer than the other so I can put it in my drill chuck). This would leave the middle 150-250mm untouched, and I'd attack that with the knurler or anything else dangerous that was lying around.
> This would mount on sleeve/roller bearings on the wooden chassis, and the crush plate would be a bit of 1/2" ply with some 2mm thick SS glued to it. Pivot point will be below/past the tangent of the roller, with adjustment done by moving the entire crush plate 20-30mm each way. The crush plate will be probably 200mm x width of roller, with adjustment done pivoting the crush plate and locking the nuts at the top of the crush plate. The other half of the hopped will be fixed, and probably cut to sit as close to the roller as possible, at whatever angle I desire.
> [post="52897"][/post]​


If you are going to go to the effort of making a mill - you should seriously consider a two roller design.

If my jarrah roller were to ever wear out - I would be tempted to make a replacement set from concrete.


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## sosman (5/4/05)

johnno said:


> Can I be the first to put my hand up if you are considering starting to sell them sosman.
> After crushing the grain at your place I was very impressed with your mill.
> [post="52896"][/post]​


You can be the first to know. Don't hold your breath though.


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## Dunkel_Boy (5/4/05)

I forgot to mention I'm coating the mild steel in POR-15, a rust preventative etchant.

Two roller would be nice, and I have a good design, but I want to try the single-roller design. The good news is that if it doesn't work I can just make another roller and modify the driving one if necessary. Will probably do your trick using o-rings to drive the secondary roller.


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## sintax69 (6/4/05)

Thaks guys on your replie re the cranknstein just found out it is $28 postage so I am off there now to place an order

sintax


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## voota (16/4/05)

sintax, which cranknstein did you decide to buy? 
,voota


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## sintax69 (16/4/05)

I final ordered the 2S model the cheapest one he had($129au to the door), just waiting on the post now he sent it of friday morning .Like all the other post say you cant complain about this guy he has been great so far prompt with email etc no BS with him he told me out right that he would have a 5day wait before he even started on it . I like that rather than yes sir its in our system BS.

just waiting now ... was that the postie.... ooh ooh no dam

sintax


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## big d (16/4/05)

labour 
$50-60/hour +.
hope mates rates apply other wise cheap mills go out the window once mass produced.

thats my bummer for the night  

cheers
d


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