Show us your grain mill

[Half-baked]

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-1050w-multi-purpose-mixing-drill_p6290204 showing In stock at my local

Thanks Grmblz, it does look better, but the problem is it has a collet instead of a chuck. I’m not sure how to couple it to the mill shaft?

 

[CaptainMachSnot]

Cut the head off an M14 bolt, and use a spider coupling. I have seen the same drills around with a chuck on them, but don't seem to be in stock atm

 

[CaptainMachSnot]

Could just cut the mixing paddle down to size and use the coupler.

Or this one (comes with a chuck):
DETROIT 1050W 13mm D-Handle Mixer Drill DMX13

 

[Hush]

That is a great set up Hush. When you say low speed, do you know how fast?

Thank you. The mill rotates at 250 rpm and can crush 200kg/h. The paint mixer is a 1200W and there is a gear box in the nose so the electric engine is running fast and do not overheat. Those paint or concrete mixers are rather cheap.
Presently the 3 pinions have 26 theeth each and the 3 rollers turn at the same speed. I would like to have a set of pinions with different number of teeth + or- one tooth. Doing this the rollers would not only press on the grain but shear it as the tangential velocity of the rollers would be different.
I hope you can understand what I mean.
Hush

 

[Grmblz]

Thanks Grmblz, it does look better, but the problem is it has a collet instead of a chuck. I’m not sure how to couple it to the mill shaft?

As CMS ^ says just saw the end off the paddle and use one of these. Before sawing the paddle in half make sure it's running true, I've seen a couple that wobbled a bit, not a problem stirring paint but not good for this use. Or use the Detroit ^ it's a fair bit more expensive but you do get the option of using it as a heavy duty drill as well as a mill motor.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3134001...IflouH0YrqwUTY%2FshH|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2544595

 

[Half-baked]

Thanks CMS and Grmblz, will go down the Ozito path (much better warranty!)

 

[Ballaratguy]

Thanks CMS and Grmblz, will go down the Ozito path (much better warranty!)

Why not get an old powered golf cart and use the drive motor from that?

 

[Ballaratguy]

Why not get an old powered golf cart and use the drive motor from that?

Or get an old kids electric car apparently the drive motors from them work brilliantly on a grain mill

 

[Grmblz]

Why not get an old powered golf cart and use the drive motor from that?

Or get an old kids electric car apparently the drive motors from them work brilliantly on a grain mill

Cost and convenience, ease of mounting plus a speed controlled planetary gearbox for 80 bucks?

 

[fw00r]

Just realised I'd posted already here!

 

[MHB]

Thank you. The mill rotates at 250 rpm and can crush 200kg/h. The paint mixer is a 1200W and there is a gear box in the nose so the electric engine is running fast and do not overheat. Those paint or concrete mixers are rather cheap.
Presently the 3 pinions have 26 theeth each and the 3 rollers turn at the same speed. I would like to have a set of pinions with different number of teeth + or- one tooth. Doing this the rollers would not only press on the grain but shear it as the tangential velocity of the rollers would be different.
I hope you can understand what I mean.
Hush

I would be a little careful with changing the rotational speed. On large mills say >200 mm rollers they sometimes have a tooth or two difference. It really has more to do with wear on the rollers or a damaged point on the rollers not lining up every revolution. Really big mills have other concerns too, like the roller flexing so you get a bigger gap in the middle than at the ends. Hardly a matter of concern on home scale mills either.


The problem with to much difference between roller speeds is that it tends to shear the husks. This results in smaller husk fragments. Means slower and less efficient filtration of the wort in a recirculating or lautering system, not so much a matter of concern for BIAB.
Finer husk fragments do mean measurably more Polyphenols (tannins) get extracted from the husks and that's never a good thing.

Personally if you are getting a good crack and reasonably large husk fragments I wouldn’t change a thing. What you have is way better than one driven roller and a couple of lazy rollers. You should get a better crush than most people. Probably the best thing you could do is to make sure the rollers are 1/ parallel and 2/ at the right gaps.
Mark

 

[RRising]

While milling is topical…
I’ve decided to invest in a mill drill, but the staple Ozito spade handle drill seems to be unavailable these days.
Any standout alternatives? I’m wondering about this from Aldi and am interested in people’s thoughts: 20V Drill with Brushless Motor - ALDI Australia

I have just bought the drill, not just for milling (which i will be using for my next brew) but it's also a good deal for a brushless drill kit with battery, the equivalent Ryobi tool is $169 just for the tool.

 

[yankinoz]

Nice! But hand cranked? Damn, you're keen! I use a cordless drill, makes very quick work of it.

And then, with your leftover time and energy, you can do a few reps and sets on the barbells.

 

[Hush]

On large mills say >200 mm rollers they sometimes have a tooth or two difference. It really has more to do with wear on the rollers or a damaged point on the rollers not lining up every revolution. Really big mills have other concerns too, like the roller flexing so you get a bigger gap in the middle than at the ends. Hardly a matter of concern on home scale mills either.
Personally if you are getting a good crack and reasonably large husk fragments I wouldn’t change a thing. What you have is way better than one driven roller and a couple of lazy rollers. You should get a better crush than most people. Probably the best thing you could do is to make sure the rollers are 1/ parallel and 2/ at the right gaps.
Mark

Thank you for those explanations and clarifications.
We check regularly the gap/parallelisme between the rollers with a feeler gauge valve-tappet .
Hush

 

[Half-baked]

If anyone else is interested in mill drills, turns out my local Bunnings (Kingsgrove Sydney) not only had the Ozito spade handle drill, but it was on sale... $69

 

[MontPel]

If anyone else is interested in mill drills, turns out my local Bunnings (Kingsgrove Sydney) not only had the Ozito spade handle drill, but it was on sale... $69

Has Bunnings stopped selling this drill? I can’t find it anymore!!

 

[Half-baked]

Has Bunnings stopped selling this drill? I can’t find it anymore!!

Are you looking in store or online? I couldn’t find it online but my local store had about six in stock.
Maybe they’re on sale because they are not going to carry them in future?

 

[MontPel]

Are you looking in store or online? I couldn’t find it online but my local store had about six in stock.
Maybe they’re on sale because they are not going to carry them in future?

Was just looking online. Might have to check my local if they still have stock

 

[Clintonb]

Yer they are being discontinued, that's why they are on sale ATM and not able to be purchased online. I tried to get one last week but they had just sold out at my local. I'm just converting a mud mixer ATM to connect to a gain mill because I couldn't get one.

 

[MontPel]

I was very lucky and picked up the last one near me