So I'm very new to all grain brewing, only completed 2 batches, and both times my OG has been significantly lower than the recipe called for. The last one was 1.035 when it should have been 1.051. The LHBS i get my supplies from has a grain mill on site but there are signs that say it does not crush the grains as well on one side and recommends that you scoop out uncrushed grains and try again. I do this 2 or more times and there are still a lot of uncrushed grains in the bag. Could this be the cause of my low OG? Also, i have a kitchenaid mixer and i see they have a grain mill attachment. Has anyone used this before? The reviews online look like it's a good alternative.
Grain mils at the LHBS are notoriously out of spec. Everyone who thinks they know better wants to turn knobs, any knob, in any direction, until they feel they have made things better. And they tend to be used plenty hard, in my experience. Unless you have a skilled brewer keeping on eye on things (also wishful thinking) you are probably better off getting your own mill. It is an expense, yes. I think anyone who has bought a decent mill would not hesitate to say it was a wise decision. There plenty of grain mill threads on this forum. Do a search for helpful advice. If the KitchenAid attachment is adjustable and meant to mill barley it could be a solution. As long as it is big enough to hold a few pounds of grain at a time. Even still, most hand crank mills are easily converted for use with an electric drill, and work quit well. Cheers
I haven't used (nor do I own) a grain mill attachment for my KitchenAid, but it looks to be aimed at making flour for bread, pasta, etc. The hopper looks like it'd hold a pound, maybe two at the most. It does say it's adjustable but I didn't see any info that covers something similar to gap settings. Reviews on Amazon are not particularly encouraging, IMHO. For less than the $150 you'd pay for the KitchenAid you can get a decent grain mill that's designed for barley and most other brewing grains. The Cereal Killer I use is on sale at Adventures In Homebrewing for $99.99, free shipping.
+1 for the Cereal Killer. Iv'e been using one for many years without problems. It comes with a hand crank but I use an electric drill to power it.
Another bonus of owning your own mill is buying base malt in bulk. Usually pretty decent savings doing that. The mill eventually pays for itself.
