Cheap Grain Mills

I'm not sure, but those both look like Corona style grain mills. Those grind with a shredding motion rather than crushing like a parallel roller mill. Given the design and the goal, I personally wouldn't use a corona mill for brewing, but I know others may swear by them.

 

I've heard more bad things about the corona type of grain mills than good things. If you're looking for a cheap, reliable, adjustable grain mill, they start around $99. The cereal killer is decent. I've used one for a year now and it's served me well. It's not the prettiest bell at the ball but it does a good crush. I mash in a cooler tun and batch sparge and routinely get around 83-84% mash efficiency using a credit card size mill gap. Add about $40 more and you start to get into a little nicer mill. One thing you don't get in a cereal killer is parallel roller adjustment. Some of the nicer mills will have that. But if your careful, you can set the cheap ones just fine. Attach a variable speed drill to it and you're all set. I must say I'm glad I didn't cheap out too much

The crushing mechanism of the corona tends to pulverize so if you are batch or fly sparging, I'd fear a stuck sparge. On the other hand if you are BIAB or partial mash... I think you may be OK with a corona. Go ahead and get a good tennis elbow brace though, you'll be crankin ALOT!

 

I have a friend who uses a Corona mill to crush his grain for all grain brewing. It works for him, anyway. A key is adjustment of the separation of the plates.

 

Anyone know anything about the grain mill accessory for a Kitchenaid? Saw this recently at Penney's and was wondering if it would be good for brewing purposes. And I know I could easily talk the wife into getting one, as she's a Kitchenaid accessory fiend.

 

This attachment is very close in price to a 2-roller grain mill such as the Barley Crusher of Monster Mill. It is probably only a Corona-type mill. If one wants to go that route, the hand cranked Corona mills are much cheaper. Also, I believe it would be a real strain on the mixer to try and grind 10 lbs of grain with this thing (based on remarks in the comments section of Amazon).

 

Yeah, just looking at it, I could tell it probably wasn't up to the task for brewing, just curious.

 

Barley Crusher is a cheap grain mill but it also costs a lot.

 

If you wont the cheapest mill at amazon I pay $60 for it, better have it for around $25

 

I have 2 Corona mills, and never used them for brewing.

You get what you pay for. I have a non adjustable JSP, works fine but would like adjustable for things like wheat and rye. At the NHC I plan to look at the Monster Mill display if he is there. Thinking about an upgrade, so go big is my saying.

 

I use to cereal killer grain mill, 100 and works great. Like others said it isn't pretty buy it gets the job done.

 

I have a Corona mill, I'd say it's OK for crushing specialty grains. I used it for 5-gallon all-grain batches, and when I finally upgraded to a Barley Crusher I noticed a big improvement in quality (and arm fatigue).

 

I use a corona type mill. I bought one made by grizzly, which I think is the cheapest you can find out there ($20-30).

Setting the plates properly is your key. I have heard a lot of horror stories but I haven't had problems. Like any piece of equipment you need to dial it in and setting the plates for a good crush is what you need. You can expand the hopper by attaching almost anything to the existing hopper. I use a two liter soda bottle with the ends cut off. You can also drive it with a power drill, just like a roller mill.

I will say, for as much as I have gotten good results with my grizzly mill, roller mills are better products and at some point I'd like to upgrade and set the grizzly to mill adjuncts (particularly unmalted wheat) but for now I am getting good value out of a $25 mill.