Nice video Mike! I agree, if you are doing all-grain and don't have a mill, get one, even a cheap one. It's so nice being able to control the grind and to keep the grain un-milled for freshness until ready to brew. I was torn between two roller vs three roller when I bought my first mill a couple years ago. Ended up splurging and going with the MillMaster Mini Mill sold by BeerCo. It's only a two roller, but has fluted, fully geared, hardened stainless rollers. I have no experience with other mills, but haven't had any issues with this one and can't imagine getting a better crush from any other mill. It's very high-quality machining and pretty much set it and forget it. A little expensive with the shipping, but at my age I figured it would be a one-time purchase whether I went cheap or for a higher-quality mill. So I decided to splurge a little and hopefully avoid buyers remorse, which I did. Totally happy with the MillMaster.
Fluted from everything I've seen and read is the absolute best. I would expect a two roller fluted to exceed the performance of most 3 roller non-fluted. (aka Gnurled)
Thanks, great info, especially about the geared rollers of the 3 roller mill. Mine is worn out also and ready for the 3 roller, happy to hear there are geared mills. Spending money on a non-geared mill is a waste of money and time (yes, that's a lot of experience and frustration talking). Thanks again, and you saved me some bucks too, enough for a nice batch of beer! Cheers!!!
Not sure if you already got a grain mill. But i have had a Grain Gorilla from Brewferm (2 roller) and was very happy with it. Recently i upgraded to the Grain Gorilla Pro from brewferm (3 roller geared which i think is the one you spoke of in the video) and absolutely live it. On both of these i found the steel base to be great for hooking into a bucket and milling. As for longevity i know my buddy that bought my 2 roller is still super happy with it and using it for around 3 years now. Cant speak for the longevity on the 3 roller just yet though. Only crushed 2 batches on it so far
Sorry for the delay. It looks almost identical to the one I purchased - amzn.to/3uS5mpy - Except I like the base on the Gorilla with the little notches and of course it has a Gorilla engraved instead. This goes back to where I mentioned, I think there are only a handful of companies making these, and then they are being branded for each reseller or distribution company. I've already brewed about a dozen batches using this thing, and I must say it has done a great job. I might increase my gap a little on the rye next time around as I crush most at 0.035 and my rye at 0.025 do to the smaller grains, but I've had a few mash issues, but nothing major as a few stirs of the mash bed and a decrease on the recirculation is usually the fix. If this is the same unit, I think you will be VERY happy!
@RealityBrewing I think it makes sense that they are from the same manufacturer indeed. It makes sense seeing as your mill is in imperial where mine is in metric. Makes sense seeing as I am in Europe. (I think mine has some imperial on it as well though soo yeah identical besides the base and branding) The base of this mill is freaking awesome. Just clips into the bucket and it is stable. I have had 2 brews on this mill now and love it so far.
Convenience is nice if you are using them right away and if you a getting the right crush for you. The great thing about having your own mill is that you can now buy your base malt in bulk and keep stock of the grains you like to use since you can now crush them to your desired crush in a matter of minutes. Plus the shelf life of uncrushed grains is a great deal longer, although some no one grain company seems to agree on just how long that is.
I have an old JSP Schmidling malt mill, which isn’t available any more. Got it after wearing down the Barley Crusher. My point though is that a hopper can be fashioned from a bucket with a 1” hole into which I jammed a large funnel. It feeds perfectly well and I run a slow rpm, high torque motor. Cheers!
I bought my own mill last year. Ended up going with a cheap 2 roller mill like the one you have. I've been loving it so far. I'd say if you got 10+ years out of the cheap 2 roller, just buy another one for the next 10 years.
@@BitterRealityBrewing can you explain what went wrong with your grain mill that it needs to be replaced? Can't you just "rebuild it" bu taking it apart and cleaning/ lubing it?
@@kennyrazor81The knurling starts to wear down and doesn't grab the grain and pull it in any more. Grain dust could also be building up in the bearings, making the unpowered roller less likely to grab.It means you need to run your grain through at the widest setting, then run it a second time at the crush setting you actually want. At least, that's what's going wrong with my ~10 year old Barley Crusher (and why I checked this video out).
Great discussion. In my experience, I did get a 3 roller mill from Morebeer after I tired of a barley crusher. Their MM I guess, and the first one they sent me had the rollers off center. I.e. I would set the gap, and the rollers would either bind or be way off my feeler gauge setting when rotating and they had to replace it. Obviously the QC process at whatever chinese factory that made it wasn't great. As well, after getting a good one, and using it for awhile, it was a pita. Grain dust would get in between the roller and frame and would bind the lower roller, effectively making it a 2 roller mill. That might be mitigated by going to a fully geared option, but I ended up selling it and moving on as I needed to break it down and clean it after every other batch. After, I found a 2 roller Monster Mill Pro, with larger 2" rollers, locally for sale used and never looked back. After cleaning it up, lubricating it, and removing some of the surface rust, I'm super happy with it.
Awesome to hear on the Monster Mill Pro. I saw a lot of good and a fair amount of negatives on the 3 roller from MoreBeer and the one on Amazon as I'm pretty sure they are made by the same company and just sold under different brands. I figure it is worth the risk and I'll keep a watch on the dust once I have it and put it to use.
Yeah, the bigger hopper I think just makes things a little easier and the Hull Wrecker is probably almost identical (on the rollers) as my Cereal Crusher, good little grain mill that lasted a long time before beginning to simply not catch the grains like it used to.
I wasn't kidding when I mentioned being OCD, I think everyone is to some degree but when it comes to wanting to know something, I got a little over the edge in learning.
Thanks for sharing. Great video, I'm in the same situation on looking at buying another mill. Mine is on it's way out, dropped it and the of the roller bent where you attach the drill. So it wobbles when I crush my grain.It's about 15 years old. Cheers!
The roller adjustments on the Brewland is definitely something I’m looking at. It seems like they have stops at those gaps so it’s less likely the rollers move while milling. (Not that that ever happens lol)
You should try a MattMill Master. Wonderful machine, hardened steel rollers, fast adjustment, available with and w/o motor. Made in Germany, not China. Unfortunately only available in Germany and some EU countries.
Very cool but I didn't see it available anywhere in the U.S. as you mentioned. I'm a big fan of equipment made in Germany and Austria as most of the products from those areas are of amazing quality.
If you ever get a chance to read their marketing, read from the entry level first as it will do a nice job and then you read the next one up and it tells you how they don't recommend the previous one. It was just unsettling, I think someone should rewrite their sales info and you should be able to buy every version as a complete setup.
I bought an inexpensive 3 roller mill when I started out, it’s collecting dust, difficult to get dialed in and a lot of jams, I’d suggest geared if you’re going 3 roller. It’s been replaced by a 2 roller monster mill and I’ve had less drama, I use a corded Milwaukee drill on low speed
I finally ended up purchasing the - Brewland Grain Mill Pro 3 roller with gears - amzn.to/3KFcsm3 I feel the 3 roller one at MoreBeer was the exact same one under a different brand name, so it came down to price. So far, I am really happy with it. My only issue is the metal base has two very minor issues, I have to use a bucket now instead of a large bowl as it needs a larger opening for the base to sit level on. The second which was probably an issue with the old one, but on light brown wood was harder to see, is the static crushing grains create, as I'm always whipping off the grain dust before putting it away. (Pretty much non-issues but if I had to pick something those would be it.)
I bet you can guess what mill that I have and would recommend haha but you already said that isn't one that you are looking at. I used to use a monster mill 3 roller mill and it was ok. I contacted customer service a few times and it was a pretty awful experience.
Good to hear that I'm not missing out on never owning a Monster Mill. The Blichmann mill is really nice, especially with the fluted rollers but it is really big from everything I've seen.
Why do you want a geared second roller (assuming both driven at same speed)? The idea is not to just smash the malt but to pull the husk/bran away while exposing the starch. You want the second roller to be going slightly slower which I believe will be the case with single driven roller mills. Double driven rollers, unless you can independently control the speed, do not improve anything. It’s just marketing but counter productive. I’m happy to hear other opinions.
The failure of my current system is the free rolling rollers are so worn down it won't catch the grains easily. If it were a geared system the 2nd roller would be forced to roll, helping to force the grain through the rollers. I wish I could afford a fluted system but the concept of bending the grain allowing it to crack the grains open and never allowing the grains to simply slip through failing to break it open. My 2 roller did a very nice job, but I'm thinking a 3 roller is worth trying.
Thanks for another video, two points I'd like to make, the background music is totally unnecessary; it has to do with sensory overload and even Walmart is offering shoppers with hours of quite time. I think it would be better to compare mills by the percentage of efficiency, does a 10 percent increase in efficiency justify a couple of hundred dollars difference?
Thanks for the music suggestion, as I've done it for so long to help cover pauses or quiet sections in the videos. I'm not sure if I could measure the crush efficiencies easily, although when I get the 3 roller, if it is good, I'll mention that, and if it goes south, I'll mention (complain) about that. 😎
Sorry, for the delay as I kept forgetting to measure it as I never trust specs 100%. I just measured the rollers and they are 1.5" wide. As for the 13 lb hopper, I think it is closer to 11 lbs.
Yes, 100% Low and slow wins the race. There are mills with motors that are tuned to their system but set your drill for torque and you should be good. Try doing a 2 crushes with about 1/4 cup of malt as fast as you can and then with the low/torque setting and you will be shocked. The fast has a habit of pulling the grains through so fast that they simple don't get cracked properly.
I am going to start using an old drill I have laying around even though I have found it cathartic to hand crank my grain mill. Thanks for the info and keep up the good work!
Nice video Mike! I agree, if you are doing all-grain and don't have a mill, get one, even a cheap one. It's so nice being able to control the grind and to keep the grain un-milled for freshness until ready to brew.
I was torn between two roller vs three roller when I bought my first mill a couple years ago. Ended up splurging and going with the MillMaster Mini Mill sold by BeerCo. It's only a two roller, but has fluted, fully geared, hardened stainless rollers. I have no experience with other mills, but haven't had any issues with this one and can't imagine getting a better crush from any other mill. It's very high-quality machining and pretty much set it and forget it. A little expensive with the shipping, but at my age I figured it would be a one-time purchase whether I went cheap or for a higher-quality mill. So I decided to splurge a little and hopefully avoid buyers remorse, which I did. Totally happy with the MillMaster.
Fluted from everything I've seen and read is the absolute best. I would expect a two roller fluted to exceed the performance of most 3 roller non-fluted. (aka Gnurled)
Thanks, great info, especially about the geared rollers of the 3 roller mill. Mine is worn out also and ready for the 3 roller, happy to hear there are geared mills. Spending money on a non-geared mill is a waste of money and time (yes, that's a lot of experience and frustration talking). Thanks again, and you saved me some bucks too, enough for a nice batch of beer! Cheers!!!
Very timely. Just about to invest in one.
Although a 2 roller will work just fine, I am really leaning heavily towards this 3 roller geared system - amzn.to/3YAVkDK
Not sure if you already got a grain mill. But i have had a Grain Gorilla from Brewferm (2 roller) and was very happy with it.
Recently i upgraded to the Grain Gorilla Pro from brewferm (3 roller geared which i think is the one you spoke of in the video) and absolutely live it.
On both of these i found the steel base to be great for hooking into a bucket and milling.
As for longevity i know my buddy that bought my 2 roller is still super happy with it and using it for around 3 years now.
Cant speak for the longevity on the 3 roller just yet though. Only crushed 2 batches on it so far
Sorry for the delay. It looks almost identical to the one I purchased - amzn.to/3uS5mpy - Except I like the base on the Gorilla with the little notches and of course it has a Gorilla engraved instead. This goes back to where I mentioned, I think there are only a handful of companies making these, and then they are being branded for each reseller or distribution company. I've already brewed about a dozen batches using this thing, and I must say it has done a great job. I might increase my gap a little on the rye next time around as I crush most at 0.035 and my rye at 0.025 do to the smaller grains, but I've had a few mash issues, but nothing major as a few stirs of the mash bed and a decrease on the recirculation is usually the fix. If this is the same unit, I think you will be VERY happy!
@RealityBrewing I think it makes sense that they are from the same manufacturer indeed. It makes sense seeing as your mill is in imperial where mine is in metric. Makes sense seeing as I am in Europe. (I think mine has some imperial on it as well though soo yeah identical besides the base and branding)
The base of this mill is freaking awesome. Just clips into the bucket and it is stable.
I have had 2 brews on this mill now and love it so far.
17:14 - OK OK you convinced me! I'll stop buying my grains pre milled and crush it myself. It's so convenient to have it pre milled though.
Convenience is nice if you are using them right away and if you a getting the right crush for you. The great thing about having your own mill is that you can now buy your base malt in bulk and keep stock of the grains you like to use since you can now crush them to your desired crush in a matter of minutes. Plus the shelf life of uncrushed grains is a great deal longer, although some no one grain company seems to agree on just how long that is.
I have an old JSP Schmidling malt mill, which isn’t available any more. Got it after wearing down the Barley Crusher. My point though is that a hopper can be fashioned from a bucket with a 1” hole into which I jammed a large funnel. It feeds perfectly well and I run a slow rpm, high torque motor. Cheers!
Great point! I guess I'm a bit overly used to my completed Cereal crusher, ready to go out of the box. Looking for the same but with a nice step up.
I bought my own mill last year. Ended up going with a cheap 2 roller mill like the one you have. I've been loving it so far. I'd say if you got 10+ years out of the cheap 2 roller, just buy another one for the next 10 years.
Agreed, but I do like to try new things, although I don't expect a 3 roller to last any longer than a 2 roller.
@@BitterRealityBrewing can you explain what went wrong with your grain mill that it needs to be replaced? Can't you just "rebuild it" bu taking it apart and cleaning/ lubing it?
@@kennyrazor81The knurling starts to wear down and doesn't grab the grain and pull it in any more. Grain dust could also be building up in the bearings, making the unpowered roller less likely to grab.It means you need to run your grain through at the widest setting, then run it a second time at the crush setting you actually want. At least, that's what's going wrong with my ~10 year old Barley Crusher (and why I checked this video out).
Great discussion. In my experience, I did get a 3 roller mill from Morebeer after I tired of a barley crusher. Their MM I guess, and the first one they sent me had the rollers off center. I.e. I would set the gap, and the rollers would either bind or be way off my feeler gauge setting when rotating and they had to replace it. Obviously the QC process at whatever chinese factory that made it wasn't great. As well, after getting a good one, and using it for awhile, it was a pita. Grain dust would get in between the roller and frame and would bind the lower roller, effectively making it a 2 roller mill. That might be mitigated by going to a fully geared option, but I ended up selling it and moving on as I needed to break it down and clean it after every other batch. After, I found a 2 roller Monster Mill Pro, with larger 2" rollers, locally for sale used and never looked back. After cleaning it up, lubricating it, and removing some of the surface rust, I'm super happy with it.
Awesome to hear on the Monster Mill Pro. I saw a lot of good and a fair amount of negatives on the 3 roller from MoreBeer and the one on Amazon as I'm pretty sure they are made by the same company and just sold under different brands. I figure it is worth the risk and I'll keep a watch on the dust once I have it and put it to use.
I went cheap and got the hull wrecker 2 roller. Double mill, bag in the anvil malt pipe. Works great for me, but I'd love a bigger hopper
Yeah, the bigger hopper I think just makes things a little easier and the Hull Wrecker is probably almost identical (on the rollers) as my Cereal Crusher, good little grain mill that lasted a long time before beginning to simply not catch the grains like it used to.
Thanks for the great breakdown!
I wasn't kidding when I mentioned being OCD, I think everyone is to some degree but when it comes to wanting to know something, I got a little over the edge in learning.
Thanks for sharing. Great video, I'm in the same situation on looking at buying another mill. Mine is on it's way out, dropped it and the of the roller bent where you attach the drill. So it wobbles when I crush my grain.It's about 15 years old. Cheers!
I never imagined mine wearing out until it started failing to catch the grains and pull them through. I guess nothing lasts forever.
Good over view of mills Mike!
Thank you and I swear the majority are being made by one or two companies when you really start analyzing them.
@BitterRealityBrewing they certainly appear that way. Oh to have an old high school metal shop 🤣
The roller adjustments on the Brewland is definitely something I’m looking at. It seems like they have stops at those gaps so it’s less likely the rollers move while milling. (Not that that ever happens lol)
I'll most likely be ordering one very soon as I feel it is the best value from everything I've researched.
You should try a MattMill Master. Wonderful machine, hardened steel rollers, fast adjustment, available with and w/o motor. Made in Germany, not China. Unfortunately only available in Germany and some EU countries.
Very cool but I didn't see it available anywhere in the U.S. as you mentioned. I'm a big fan of equipment made in Germany and Austria as most of the products from those areas are of amazing quality.
I hear you on the monster mill. I bought mine a while ago and never looked back. I forgot what I paid, but it was pricey. Buy once, cry once.
If you ever get a chance to read their marketing, read from the entry level first as it will do a nice job and then you read the next one up and it tells you how they don't recommend the previous one. It was just unsettling, I think someone should rewrite their sales info and you should be able to buy every version as a complete setup.
@@BitterRealityBrewing I’ll check it out. I don’t remember their marketing information. It’s been a few years.
I bought an inexpensive 3 roller mill when I started out, it’s collecting dust, difficult to get dialed in and a lot of jams, I’d suggest geared if you’re going 3 roller. It’s been replaced by a 2 roller monster mill and I’ve had less drama, I use a corded Milwaukee drill on low speed
Sounds like a few people have gone from a problematic 3 roller (non-geared) to a 2 roller Monster Mill and been much happier. Thanks for the support.
I have the same one you currently have,works great. If it’s lasted you this long why not buy the same one ? End result is the same … crushed grain
Yeah, but the concept of a 3 roller with the geared system just makes a lot more sense from my Engineering type mind.
Very helpful video. Which one did you decide on? Will you do a review?
I finally ended up purchasing the - Brewland Grain Mill Pro 3 roller with gears - amzn.to/3KFcsm3 I feel the 3 roller one at MoreBeer was the exact same one under a different brand name, so it came down to price. So far, I am really happy with it. My only issue is the metal base has two very minor issues, I have to use a bucket now instead of a large bowl as it needs a larger opening for the base to sit level on. The second which was probably an issue with the old one, but on light brown wood was harder to see, is the static crushing grains create, as I'm always whipping off the grain dust before putting it away. (Pretty much non-issues but if I had to pick something those would be it.)
I bet you can guess what mill that I have and would recommend haha but you already said that isn't one that you are looking at. I used to use a monster mill 3 roller mill and it was ok. I contacted customer service a few times and it was a pretty awful experience.
Good to hear that I'm not missing out on never owning a Monster Mill. The Blichmann mill is really nice, especially with the fluted rollers but it is really big from everything I've seen.
Why do you want a geared second roller (assuming both driven at same speed)? The idea is not to just smash the malt but to pull the husk/bran away while exposing the starch. You want the second roller to be going slightly slower which I believe will be the case with single driven roller mills. Double driven rollers, unless you can independently control the speed, do not improve anything. It’s just marketing but counter productive. I’m happy to hear other opinions.
The failure of my current system is the free rolling rollers are so worn down it won't catch the grains easily. If it were a geared system the 2nd roller would be forced to roll, helping to force the grain through the rollers. I wish I could afford a fluted system but the concept of bending the grain allowing it to crack the grains open and never allowing the grains to simply slip through failing to break it open. My 2 roller did a very nice job, but I'm thinking a 3 roller is worth trying.
Can these mill be used for crushing olives for oil making ???
Thanks.
No, as it isn't designed for that and I think for olives you need a press instead of a mill.
Thanks for another video, two points I'd like to make, the background music is totally unnecessary; it has to do with sensory overload and even Walmart is offering shoppers with hours of quite time. I think it would be better to compare mills by the percentage of efficiency, does a 10 percent increase in efficiency justify a couple of hundred dollars difference?
Thanks for the music suggestion, as I've done it for so long to help cover pauses or quiet sections in the videos. I'm not sure if I could measure the crush efficiencies easily, although when I get the 3 roller, if it is good, I'll mention that, and if it goes south, I'll mention (complain) about that. 😎
What size are the rollers
Sorry, for the delay as I kept forgetting to measure it as I never trust specs 100%. I just measured the rollers and they are 1.5" wide. As for the 13 lb hopper, I think it is closer to 11 lbs.
I have the cereal killer that I have had for about 12 years and it's about gone . Do you think the 3 roller is worth the extra $
I tell you very soon as I'm close to pulling the trigger. From everything I've researched it is the best value I can find.
Does speed affect the crush?
Yes, 100% Low and slow wins the race. There are mills with motors that are tuned to their system but set your drill for torque and you should be good. Try doing a 2 crushes with about 1/4 cup of malt as fast as you can and then with the low/torque setting and you will be shocked. The fast has a habit of pulling the grains through so fast that they simple don't get cracked properly.
I am going to start using an old drill I have laying around even though I have found it cathartic to hand crank my grain mill. Thanks for the info and keep up the good work!