Custom Millmaster Hopper Designs Please!

[LexP]

Hey guys,
I bought a millmaster mill and hopper recently and I'm finding that the hopper doesn't appear to work very well as the drill often stalls. I have to feed the grain in very slowly and this doesn't seem right.

What sort of hoppers have people made to combat this? I think I've seen some made out of water cooler jugs?

Thanks,
Lex

 

[Sammus]

More powerful drill is the answer

 

[captaincleanoff]

try wetting the grain with a cup or two of water.

I recently had a problem with my Barley Crusher mill - it just wouldn't grab the grain, no matter how much I cleaned it, lubed it etc.

A few cups of water to soften the grain solved my problem

If you are going to make a hopper, the water cooler thing is a good idea, I've got the exact same thing

 

[brendo]

+1 for water cooler jug... that's what I have on mine and it works a treat!!

 

[warra48]

The problem is not the hopper.

It is probably grain getting caught in the geared part of the rollers, causing a heavy load on your drill, and the stalling.

You need to make yourself a gearguard to prevent this happening. Use either card, or as I did, make it from the stiff but thin plastic cover of an office file.

It's quite easy to do. Look through the threads on MillMaster, and you should find it.

 

[samhighley]

Discussion of the gear issue on [topic="28437"]this thread[/topic].

 

[samhighley]

Or more specifically, here.

 

[LexP]

Cheers for all the input guys! I'll try a gear guard and see if that improves things.

 

[glaab]

Hi all,

does anyone have any pics of a bigger hopper they have made for the MillMaster? The one that came with is a bit mangey...,

Thanks

 

[Andyd]

Here's my design...

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...showtopic=37646

Andy

 

[pdilley]

You need a powerful drill.

This one for example:

This puppy is designed to drill a tunnel from Russia to the US through the Baring Straight, when done you might ask for a loan or a good price on it for your MillMaster. This will let cheap Chinese goods to be freighted direct over land along with Russian gas right to the US so you might find you could pick up a Chinese made guard by then on the cheap


The gear guard will help. You can make one out of cardboard or thin plastic for a trial period. Without one you need to pour your grains slowly from a bag by placing the bag over the gear end of the rollers and then lower it and let the grain trickle out towards the non-gear side. The grain will flow onto the roller and if too fast pile up on the edge near the end without gears. After doing this mine never got stuck again -- still eagerly awaiting that gear guard (Scully!)

This pretty much means you can not use a hopper until you guard those gears without getting the odd jammed gear.


Cheers,
Brewer Pete

 

[glaab]

Thanks for the reply Andy but I just need something for on top of the existing hopper. I've already gone too far with the stand etc to do one like yours, Cheers

 

[bconnery]

I use a rainwater diverter as a hopper as shown here, albiet on a marga in the pic. Doesn't hold a full batch but does a fair bit...

I use a gear guard cut from a cereal box. Not measured, just cut out by sight based on Pumpy's design which is around here somewhere. Over a years worth of cracking so far with that gear guard...

 

[spog]

try adding the grain slowly then if it jams you dont have to unblock so much uncrushed grain,slowly,slowly,catchy monkey.......cheers........spog.......

 

[absinthe]

i made mine from marine ply