Coffee Grinder

[Sammus]

I've searched a fair bit on this and every mention of coffee grinder I see seems to refer to the $30 coffee "chopper" jobs you see at coles and pretty much everywhere. I'll start buy saying that I'm what some some people may consider a coffee fanatic, and before I discovered brewing, it was my sole hobby that all my spare change went in to. That said, it wasn't really change, and I own a coffee grinder worth about $450, and an espresso machine worth nearly a grand (grinder is the Rancilio Rocky, and a PID controlled Rancilio Silvia)

Anyway, for those who don't know this: For optimum espress extraction, grinding coffee beans requires an adjustable (im talking minute adjustments from day to day to compensate for temperature and humidity) extremely consistant grind, and needless to say, blades dont do that very well, or even at all.

Putting anything through my precious grinder would normally be a sin, but i've read about people cleaning out there grinders by grinding some rice, and seeing as I love brewing so much, I figured hey, why not, I could grind some grain, then clean it out with rice - so I dont get grain in my next shot, or maybe I could just leave it and pull a shot of grain brewed espresso...hmm ...

Anyway, I digress...has anyone tried this (using a decent coffee grinder to crack grain - not the grain espresso ) and if so, does it work well?

 

[Kroozy]

Yep I have done this and would not recommend it. The grinder burnt out due to all the dust. Luckily mine was a cheap burr grinder in an old espresso machine. And it gave me the excuse to upgrade to a Lux and Silvia

For about $150 you can get a crankandstein mill that will do a much better job and save your coffee grinder.

 

[barfridge]

You only grind small amounts of coffee at a time, usually less than 50g. Once you start trying to do a 5000g grain bill, it gets slightly ridiculous, both time wise and the amount of grain you can do at once.

And the dust is also an issue, good point kroozy

 

[Zwickel]

Yes, Im using a coffee grinder and Im very satified with it:

[dont look at the dust ]

 

[MHB]

I to love coffee and know how important a good grind is to the making of good coffee. A well milled grist is vital to making great beer to.

There is a large body of research and good technical information out there on both subjects, there is also very little overlap between the two.

A good coffee grinder will pulverise your husks, the last thing you want when preparing a grist.

Coffee grinders for coffee Roller mills for grist.

MHB

 

[Ross]

My local HBS has cracked all their grains for years through a coffee mill. Not the best crush for fly spargers, but works fine for those batch sparging. How i've always had mine crushed until the recent aquisition by a good neighbour of a crankandstein...

cheers Ross

 

[warrenlw63]

Sammus

For small amounts of specialty grains, crystal, roast etc I can't see it being too much of a problem on the coarsest setting.

Rocky is a burr grinder. I think if you were going to grind any pale malts to mash the burrs would pulverise the husk beyond any integrity. Seems almost counter productive personally.

I'd buy a dedicated grain mill or continue to have your HBS crush anything larger than a couple hundred grams of specialty malts.

PID Silvia? Nice! Mine's still bog standard and am using the temp surfing method. Would like to PID her one day though. Got any pics?

Always willing to go OT for coffee. :lol:

Warren -

 

[Screwtop]

Off topic slightly but for Sammus and other Coffee lovers. A friend of mine grows great coffee in the foothills of the D'Aguilar Range here on the Sunshine Coast. She also grows tea which tastes like tea used to taste. Her coffee plants are Arabica Varieties and her Quondong Range Burbon is fantastic. Sold from the farm the coffee has the smoothest taste. The tea leaves are picked chopped and sun dried, thats it, no additives or chemicals, the flavour is great and the tea has a softness, not bitter like some commercial leaf teas. Her name is Julie, and her husband Felix is a home brewer so that makes it kosher for mention here right?

Details below for those who might like to try her wares.

Hurstvale Park
212 Whites Red
Mt Mellum 4550
PH: 07 5494 1857

NO AFFILLIATION: JUST GOOD NATURAL COFFEE AND TEA

 

[Sammus]

Cheers for the replys everyone! I think I'll pass on using the grinder then, I remembered finding a great website to how the burr grinders work, but late last night I couldn't even remember the word 'burr' - I still tried searching for it but to no avail. I see now it wouldn't be the best idea haha. I'm think a Barley Crusher or a crankandstein...Where would I get the Crankandstein? or a price at least? are either of them available in Australia?
I'll just stick with hbs mill for now. A definite upgrade for the future though.

And warren I havent got any completed pics, if you go to my website in my profile theres a few pics of the work in progress, about a day before I got the PID in the mail to distract me from completing it If you interested, I got a Fuji PXR3 with Ramp&Soak for $90 delivered!! - the only one I've ever seen on eBay! score! I would have preferred the comm port and digital input, but hey, I wasn't willing to pay the $400 odd that theyre worth from the Aussie supplier. I'll get the pics updated soon for ya lol

 

[Sammus]

Oh, and Screwtop, I've already planned to try Julie's coffee, I'll have to give her a call!

 

[KoNG]

I've got rocky and Silvia....
Rocky is for coffee... thats all he is eating..!

i've had grind bog up in the chute, i'd hate to think what could happen with foreign matter.

I wish i was handy with electric crap... PID would be sweet.

 

[Sammus]

It is quite sweet it's really not that difficult, I didn't have to solder or anything, got a $5 crimper from DS and some terminals and bam. It was daunting at first I must admit...Well, if you need any guidance feel free to ask, photos are up and finished on my website (look in profile)

Sammus

edit:spelling

 

[pharmaboy]

Wow, my kind of topic! so many silvia owners on a homebrew forum - theer must be something in that.

I've got an imat mokita combi, should look into whether a PID will help it, although I'm already down to only 2 coffee shops that I can go to, any further pickiness for coffee's going to leave me with none! I think I'd risk my old blade grinder on specialties - but nothing's going near the lux.

ah, off for ssome tanzanian espresso i think.....

 

[Bizarre]

I'm think a Barley Crusher or a crankandstein...Where would I get the Crankandstein? or a price at least? are either of them available in Australia?

Hi Sammus,

As far as I know the Barley Crusher you have to order from the States, Crankandsteins you can order either from the States from Crankandstein themselves or from TWOC over here in Perth - links are http://www.crankandstein.com/ and also http://www.homebru.com.au/index.htm for TWOC.

I just recently got myself a Crankandstein and used it the first time this morning - you gotta build a base for the and also a hopper of some sorts, and you run them from a drill. I've stuck a few piccies up here so you can see what they look like and what the setup sort of is - but I have to say I'm pretty happy with the Crankandstein so far!

Had 2 edit - on looking over this later on I realised I had invented a new brand of mill called Carnkandstein - hehe.

 

[goatherder]

just to keep it off topic, i'm also a rocky/silvia owner. and I roast.

 

[Trough Lolly]

Excellent hull integrity in your crush there, Bizarre... There's a local reseller of Crankenstein mills here in Canberra - at Trojan Hospitality in Fyshwick, no affiliation yada yada.

Cheers,
TL

 

[warrenlw63]

Arghhh!!!

There's been a Coffeesnobs spillover onto the brewing board.

Here's me thinking that it was only Kong, Big Al and myself. World is indeed too small. :lol: :lol:

Warren -

 

[goatherder]

Arghhh!!!

There's been a Coffeesnobs spillover onto the brewing board.

Here's me thinking that it was only Kong, Big Al and myself. World is indeed too small. :lol: :lol:

Warren -

It's not surprising. When you look at it there's a few similarities between coffee and brewing.

- Readily available commercial versions are mostly crap
- General public believes this crap is good
- Both let you make a better product than most commercial offerings at a cheaper price
- Both have scope for buying lots of equipment (toys)
- Both will impress visitors

 

[warrenlw63]

Also.

One greatly assists the hangover of the other. :beer:

Warren -

 

[MHB]

Nothing more refreshing than a cold beer after a 13 espresso night!