Milling: Difference between revisions

[[Category:Beer production]]

|[[File:Star-6-16.png|right]]Cereal Killer, <br/>Kegco 2, <br/>Hullwrecker, <br/>Malt Muncher 2 <br/>(All the same)

|[[File:Star-6-16.png|right]]Kegco 3, <br/>Malt Muncher 3 <br/>(same)

[[File:Star-6-16.png]] = Editor's Pick

Any Monster Mill accessories like {{Amazon|B0064OMA04|this base}} will also work for the Kegco 3-roller mill.

For most home brewers a drill is the preferred method to drive a mill. It is easier to set up and more economical than using a non-drill motor, and significantly less laborious than hand cranking. Low RPM drills provide the best torque. We don't recommend using an external speed limiter ({{Amazon|B00U3LD1WA|example}}) on a high RPM drill because they significantly reduce the torque.<ref>[https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/speed-controller-for-corded-drill-used-for-milling-grain.629645/ Speed controller for corded drill, used for milling grain?] Homebrew Talk website. 2017. Accessed 2020.</ref><ref>[https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=23703 Monster mill drill question.] American Homebrewers Association website. 2015. Accessed 2020.</ref> Affixing a zip tie, 2" tri-clamp, or U-bolt to the trigger of a variable speed drill can help control and maintain a constant speed. A corded drill is generally more powerful than a cordless one, and will usually last longer. However cordless drills can also work well, and they are more convenient for tasks around the house.<ref>[https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/need-drill-recommendations.581479/ Need drill recommendations.] BeerAdvocate website. 2018. Accessed 2020.</ref><ref>[https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=9367 Proper drill for milling grain.] American Homebrewers Association website. 2011. Accessed 2020.</ref> The one requirement to using a drill is that the drill chuck fits onto the mill drive shaft (which range from 3/8" to 1/2" [9-12mm]). If you are holding the drill while milling, you must also hold down the base of the mill. Otherwise the torque may cause the mill to flip over, causing damage and/or injury.

All of the mills we recommend have an adjustable roller gap. A tighter gap produces smaller grain particles, called a fine crush, and a larger gap creates a coarse crush. '''There is not a one-size-fits-all gap setting.''' The ideal mill gap setting is dependent on your mill, your brewing system, and factors related to the grain (which can vary even from batch to batch and with storage time).<ref name=Kunze/><ref name=Crescenzi>Crescenzi AM. [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.2050-0416.1987.tb04498.x Factors governing the milling of malt.] ''J Inst Brew.'' 1987;93:193–201.</ref><ref name=delucchi>Delucchi V. [https://byo.com/article/the-perfect-crush/ The perfect crush.] Brew Your Own website. 2019. Accessed January 2021.</ref> For each batch the objective is to find an acceptable middle ground between lautering/recirculation effectiveness, efficiency (yield), and quality.<ref name="Briess">Hansen B. [http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Assets/Presentations/Briess_2007CBC_Practical_Milling.ppt Practical milling for the craft brewer.] Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. 2007. Accessed 2020.</ref><ref name=smart3>Holbrook CJ. Brewhouse operations. In: Smart C, ed. [[Library|''The Craft Brewing Handbook.'']] Woodhead Publishing; 2019.</ref> Some experimentation with different settings is needed to find out what works best for your mill and your brewing system, although there is a wide range that will be adequate.<ref>[http://www.themodernbrewhouse.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1795 Mashing for high gelatinisation temps.] The Modern Brewhouse website. 2020. Accessed 2020.</ref> Also, the grist should be visually monitored every milling to ensure it is being properly crushed.

# On mills with adjustment knobs, mark on the frame what the gap is at the a variety of knob positions. This way you can repeat different gap settings without getting out your feeler gauge again. We suggest marking increments every 0.005" (0.1mm) over a range of 0.020" to 0.055" (0.5–1.4mm).

Several things should be considered when deciding on mill gap and other parameters that will affect grist performance during mashing.

Husk integrity can be improved by conditioning the grain, by using an appropriately large mill gap, and by using a 3-roller mill or a mill with fluted rollers.

Lighter color kilned or dry roasted specialty malts will crush like base malts, while caramel/crystal and extremely dark roasted products are more brittle and tend to shatter rather than crush. Malts that shatter tend to create more flour which can attribute to difficulties during lautering. The fine particles can fill in the spaces in the otherwise permeable bed causing a slowed or stuck lauter. These brittle specialty malts can typically be milled with a wider mill gap resulting in a larger particle size that will still allow for complete flavor and aroma extraction which is the primary function of these malts. Finding the balance of desired particle size starts with adjusting the mill gaps.<ref>Geurts J. [http://blog.brewingwithbriess.com/9-5-grind/ 9-5 grind.] Briess blog. 2018. Accessed 2020.</ref>

To avoid excessive dust contaminating your gear and wort, it's considered prudent to mill away from your cold side gear and away from where you'll be chilling and fermenting your wort, particularly if you do not condition the grain. Conditioning can help lower the amount of dust generated while milling. However, dust can still be created when measuring the grain. Wearing a mask can be beneficial for your health since breathing in grain dust is not so great.<ref name=mostra/> Thanks to COVID-19 you do have a mask, right?