Help With A Hopper

[banora brewer]

Hi, I think I'm going to order the mashmaster mini mill tomorrow, but I am stuck on the hopper, not sure where to begin to make one. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Wolfy]

Depends on your equipment and skill level, they're easy enough to fabricate out of metal, you can make one out of wood, or even adapt plastic-buckets to do the job easily enough.
What did you have in mind, or what do you have on hand to do the job?

 

[paxx]

im building one tomorrow ill let you know how i go it is quite a simple build

 

[NickB]

Built this one yesterday. I'm not fantastic with design, but I used what tools I had at work, and some offcuts I found hanging around. I'm stoked with the result...

What I learnt from a previous attempt however, was don't go for too big! Have yet to use mine in anger, but I'm guessing it'll hold somewhere between 4-5KG, which is perfect for me. Will be eventually building it into a cabinet and driving with an old dryer motor, but will use the old corded drill for now.







Cheers

 

[paxx]

Built this one yesterday. I'm not fantastic with design, but I used what tools I had at work, and some offcuts I found hanging around. I'm stoked with the result...

What I learnt from a previous attempt however, was don't go for too big! Have yet to use mine in anger, but I'm guessing it'll hold somewhere between 4-5KG, which is perfect for me. Will be eventually building it into a cabinet and driving with an old dryer motor, but will use the old corded drill for now.

View attachment 47461

View attachment 47462

View attachment 47463

Cheers

pretty much exactly what i was going to aim for on my build with the main base on the mill then the actual hopper attached to that

 

[Wolfy]

From the first page of a google image search ...
Wood:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pnQEXd93GTw/Sc-_...600-h/mill4.jpg
http://www.slobrewer.com/wordpress/wp-cont...in_Mill_025.JPG
http://tommccabeonline.com/blog/uploaded_i...3289-733689.jpg
http://maltmunchingmashmonsters.com/diy/im...dstein3d-13.jpg
http://users.wowway.com/~gregmuller/Grain%20Mill-4.jpg
http://api.ning.com/files/CU6shprOfGBZuKk7...W/grainmill.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f163/joh...rainMill001.jpg
http://www.mullerbrau.com/PICT0435.JPG

Metal:
http://www.cubby-hole.com/Beer%20Grain%20Mill%20001.jpg
http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/pr..._34937_zoom.jpg
http://www.skotrat.com/skot/equipment/stuffs/webcam321.jpg
http://www.mullerbrau.com/Grain%20Mill-2.jpg

Plastic:
http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo140/d...boy79/Mill1.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k566/t.../GrainMill1.jpg
http://www.laughinggoats.com/images/GrainMill.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/IRem...er/PICT0100.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r80/moo...os/100_3049.jpg

Cardboard:
http://i39.tinypic.com/263ejgy.jpg
http://www.economysizegeek.com/wp-photos/2...21-185409-1.jpg

Here is QLDKev's

And my old one:

One of the ideas I like most, is mounting the mill on the lid of a plastic bucket, then using another plastic bucket ontop (with a slot cut in the bottom) for the hopper, that way it's completly enclosed and there is no dust, its also cheap, simple and very easy. I just can't find any pictures of exactly what I mean, but something like this:

 

[pk.sax]

One of the ideas I like most, is mounting the mill on the lid of a plastic bucket, then using another plastic bucket ontop (with a slot cut in the bottom) for the hopper, that way it's completly enclosed and there is no dust, its also cheap, simple and very easy. I just can't find any pictures of exactly what I mean, but something like this:

Genius!!!

Bucket will fit in hopper/vice versa for storage when not in use

True innovation.

 

[raven19]

I can highly recommend having a sliding orifice to adjust the flow of grain, or if the cordless starts to go flat. You can simply shut off the flow of grain into the mill until you grab that spare battery, etc for the drill.

Linky:
My basic hopper build

 

[banora brewer]

Depends on your equipment and skill level, they're easy enough to fabricate out of metal, you can make one out of wood, or even adapt plastic-buckets to do the job easily enough.
What did you have in mind, or what do you have on hand to do the job?

Don't have many tools, was thinking of getting a design from somewhere and going to the big green shed

 

[banora brewer]

Built this one yesterday. I'm not fantastic with design, but I used what tools I had at work, and some offcuts I found hanging around. I'm stoked with the result...

What I learnt from a previous attempt however, was don't go for too big! Have yet to use mine in anger, but I'm guessing it'll hold somewhere between 4-5KG, which is perfect for me. Will be eventually building it into a cabinet and driving with an old dryer motor, but will use the old corded drill for now.

View attachment 47461

View attachment 47462

View attachment 47463

Cheers

Hi Nick, Is that just mdf for the inside of your hopper? and at the base, how is it joined together as it looks like it is one piece

 

[spog]

ummm,sliding orifice ... maybe a shut off slide... :huh: .
anyway,my mill has a hopper that holds about 500grams of malt so if some thing goes wrong i dont have to lift a big/massive great hopper full of grain out and worry about spilling most of it.
but... i have found the outlet on the bottom of the hopper is very important so the feed from the hopper is not a worry,mine is,it has an opening of 4mm and the grain is constantly jambing.
i brewed today and enlarged the opening to approx 6mm but the amount of grain going in is compacting in the hopper and causing stoppages.
so as raven 19 suggested a flow restricter would be some thing to give serious though too......cheers...spog.....

I can highly recommend having a sliding orifice to adjust the flow of grain, or if the cordless starts to go flat. You can simply shut off the flow of grain into the mill until you grab that spare battery, etc for the drill.

Linky:
My basic hopper build

 

[banora brewer]

Just wondering what the average height is of a metal hopper? Would anyone be kind enough to measure one for me?

 

[big78sam]

There is a drawing for a crankandstein hopper here

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...48789&st=20

It will at least give you an idea

 

[pk.sax]

Milling setup

I still have to find a few more 'offcuts' of sheet metal to put sides on this thing.

Top view

Test run, 2nd pass with some vienna


Question:

Does that crush look OK?

 

[Fourstar]

Genius!!!

Bucket will fit in hopper/vice versa for storage when not in use

True innovation.

Pretty much how mine breaks down and stacks away. The joy of plastic fittings.

 

[amiddler]

HAHA Only Jokes.

I added a plastic front to mine like many others. Will have to add a slide as talked about above as my cordless goes flat about 5Kg into a 7Kg grain bill.



Drew

 

[banora brewer]

I finally decided to go with a wooden hopper, trolley is from bunnings. It holds about 2kg.

 

[RetsamHsam]

I finally decided to go with a wooden hopper, trolley is from bunnings. It holds about 2kg.View attachment 47779

Looking at knocking up a hopper tomorrow.. What I want to know is how have you attached the base of your hopper to the piece of ply attached to the mill?? Have you just screwed it in on an angle from underneath?

 

[banora brewer]

It's just screwed up from underneath, 2 in each side

 

[NickB]

Looks the goods mate!