Diy Grain mill

[Kiwifirst]

What do you think the optimum roller length would be. Ian going to have a go at this project.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Diameter & roller speed are more critical then length.

 

[Kiwifirst]

So I am thinking around 30mm dia at 150 long, would give me 30x125 of crushing area. I agree on the speed, I think I'll make it so I can hand crank it too, just in case my drill goes to fast.

Question now is; would a third lower dollar be the bee's knee's or just complicating things.

Oh and I am going SS rollers too.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

My "Tony mill" has 2" knurnel SS rollers

Roller speed is about 150 rpm.

Gap is 0.9mm. Being a sparkie type guy I use .9 mm wire to set the gap.

They are only 200mm long.

Chews 5kg in 1m.

Bastow is close to the money in terms of crush. Prob a bit fine.

All mills are different. Depends on roller size,knurling,gap,speed..etc.

My advice is build one from whatever you can get your hands on, then tune it to suit.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Hand cranking sucks balls.

XD falcon wiper motor is you friend. And a ten speed bike gears and chain.

 

[lukiferj]

Hand cranking is fun. It's why I look like a crab. Especially after a double IIPA brew day.

 

[Kiwifirst]

Have a favour to call in, so trying to score a 32mm SS bar 500mm long. Can knurl at work, thinking of stepping the ends and running on precision bearings. Assume that I drive only one roller and the other one or two will follow based on the grain being rolled through.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

You really only need 2 rollers.

Make a frame with an elongated slot for your 2nd roller and have a bolt that sits horizontal against the outer bearing shell with a lock nut on the frame on both sides.

 

[Bastow]

2 rollers is all that is necessary. Only drive one. Mine is about 5 or 6 in wide, probably a bit wide as a fair bit of torque is required. Bearings would be nice but not really necessary, I had access to bearings but also brass and decided that either way it will outlast me... I hope. Good luck. Its not that hard. A week on night shift and it will be finished.

 

[Bastow]

Started about 67 finished about 65.5, I did a fair bit of checking temp and it is also cold where I live ATM. I think the finish crush and using a bag inside the tune as well as a good batch spare helped. My tun is an old rectangular Esky, ball valve in the side and some stainless braid, sourced from a length of cable, as the filter.

85% is awsome.

I might try that myself.

What temp did you mash at...

 

[Kiwifirst]

Ok, I'll still go for the 30 to 35mm bar, but ask for less. Although if I got more I am sure they'd be someone happy to take it off my hands

I have access to precision bearings but not brass, so that will be how I do that. We will have a hole cut for one in a fixed place, mill out a slot for the other, with an adjusting screw. Replicate, build a frame, bolt the whole thing together and make the hopper. Guy who is going to knurl the bar is going to make me a quick cad drawing, I'll share that if anyone wants to have a crack. Assuming it works

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

1.5 is ok

Modern malts do most conversion in 20mins.

Might try the voil bag in my false bottom square esky with a fladle floor.

I found more flour gave better eff% but made sparging more difficult.

I used to batch with boiling water, stir, let sit, drain and re-circ untill clear then run into kettle.

Repeat until you have kettle volume

 

[Bastow]

With the voile you don't have to let it sit just get the boiled water in and wide open throttle the tap. Then repeat. It went a bit slow at the start I just lifted the bag a little and away it went, then I dropped the bag back down and it continued.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Nice.

Another method.