Grain Mills, What to look for?

Systems, Gear, & DIY
1

So i just made the jump in to AG, and have yet to invest in a roller mill.  I currently have been using a corona mill and it was a nightmare. So i guess the questions are.

2 roller or 3 roller?
Is there a particular brand that most people swear by?
do hoppers come with a good roller or must you buy/make one?

I wont be able to make a table for it for some time, but i would like to attach a drill to it right away to save my shoulder.

Jeff

2

2 roller would be sufficient.  And make sure that the roller gap is adjustable.  There are many to choose from.  I have a Barley Crusher with a large hopper and I like it just fine.

3

I agree with the first response you received.  I also have a barley crusher and have been very happy with it.

One of us should point out that most people are very happy with their mill, no matter what mill they have.  As long as it is adjustable and can be motorized (the typical next step after getting a mill) they are happy with it.

Bigger mills can plow through grain faster than smaller ones.  My BC will chew through 12lbs in 4 to 6 minutes.  So if you are going to be doing 50 gal batches you may want a bigger mill.  Mine works great for 5 gal. batches.

Paul

4

+1 to what Paul said.  I use a 3/8" drive drill motor for mine and it takes a few minutes to go through 10 or 12 lbs. of grain.

5

Ok, So what will a 3 Roller Mill do for me that a 2 Roller wont?

6

I have the Monster Mill 3 roller.  (got a deal at NHC last summer) But I’m gearing up to brew 1bbl batches.  I had the Barley Crusher, and found it tough to adjust, but I also know that many folks swear by the BC mills.

I can get through 35lbs of grain in less than 5 minutes.

7

Ok so if i want to build up to bigger beers or bigger batches i should just dump the extra 50 bucks into a MM3.
Easy enough.  Also i found this on a website.
Difference between 2 roller and 3 roller mills is

[quote]The MM-3 crushes all your grain twice, with one pass through the mill. It starts with a preliminary crush through the initial fixed gap between the top two rollers, and then ends with a pass through the second gap between the drive roller, and the bottom third roller. The initial pass slightly flattens the grain, and gets it ready for the next crush, that breaks apart the grains and loosens the starch with minimal husk damage.
[/quote]

Cheers,
Jeff