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any one use one of the standard pasta making rollers as a grain mill?

got one standing idle in the kitchen just begging for action.

what's the difference between this and the more expensive 'marga mill' that seems the homebrewers norm?

cheers

Try it out on a small qty of grain. Don't know the construction of a pasta roller so can't comment if it would be sturdy enough, but one thing is the rollers probably won't effectively grab the grain as I guess there'd be no knurling?

Cheers, Ed

never really had uncrushed grain in the house, as have never had a mill, but i'll do a trial with already crushed grain. should get the idea.

i figure 'knurling' is the technical term for 'little knobbly bits'. do regular grain mills have knurls? as you say, i can imagine the pasta maker rollers not getting enough purchase on the grain and not doing much rolling at all...

I think the already crushed grain won't have much problem feeding through but the uncrushed will probably just slip. Yes knurling is a roughened surface. I have a mill that wasn't knurnled and even though I could get the grain to feed through, it was quite a job. Took to it with an angle grinder and works a treat now Proper way to knurl is with a tool on a lathe. Could be best to buy a grain mill or have the HBS crush it for you. Price for crushing is usually free or just a minimal charge.

Cheers, Ed

pasta maker won't work - i tried it

marga mill is the go

cheers

HBS crush grain for free..... and stored in the sealed bags they give you will last months.

You could use a mortar and pestle and a truckload of spare time and patience......

drsmurto wrote:HBS crush grain for free..... and stored in the sealed bags they give you will last months.

Oxidation?

chris. wrote:

drsmurto wrote:HBS crush grain for free..... and stored in the sealed bags they give you will last months.

Oxidation?

Somewhere on here is a conversation where I arrived at a similar question and the response was that DoggerDan used to buy all his grain crushed at once and keep it for ages and ages. Good enough for me.

I figure that if you keep it cool-ish and dry-ish it will keep for a metric while.

Some info I found which maybe of some use.

The key to storing grain is keeping it dry. Whenever crushed grain is left to sit around, it begins to take up moisture from the air. Most malts have a moisture content between 4 percent and 6 percent, and there are very few climates in the world that do not cause malt to absorb water over time. My rule with crushed malt is to use it as soon as possible, which means don't mill your malt until brew day. This, of course, requires a mill.

If you buy pre-crushed grain and want to store it for some time, you have a few options. One option is to measure the grain into convenient quantities, such as five- or 10-pound lots, and bag it in sealable plastic bags. You can use a fancy vacuum packer, but large freezer bags will do the trick, too. You also can store malt in a sealable container like one used for flour.

Some malts are even sold in woven nylon bags that have plastic liners. These bags work pretty well for extended storage if you roll up the open part of the bag and secure it to reseal the bag.

Malt can be stored at room temperature for extended periods without harm. As long as it stays dry and free of bugs, malt will keep for about a year - although like anything else it will lose its fresh flavor the longer you keep it. Because malt does contain a small amount of oil, it can go rancid if left unused for too long. Rancidity is more likely to occur if the malt is stored in a very hot environment.

I would not recommend storing malt in the freezer, mainly because it is not necessary. The other problem with freezers is their amazing ability to make things taste like they were stored in a freezer! I can't imagine a beer that ended up tasting like a freezer, but I would guess that it wouldn't be all that great.

Cheers

Isn't it amazing? I don't know how many of us have actually *tasted* a freezer, but we all know what they taste like...

Notice how I managed to avoid cheapening the whole discussion by listing other things that fall into this category...

Bugger.

Amazing what has been discussd on here.

I have been looking into alternatives to the Grain Crusher........as I often do not have access to Grain when I need it, ie Sundays when I suddenly decide, hey I know, I'll add grain to that one.

I even borrowed a Sausage Mincer from the Local Butchers, his was $800 , but Commercial grade. It didn't work as some grains went through uncrushed and the crushed tended to get stuck.

Anyone had any success with the Pasta Maker? The Rolls can go really thin, but obviously the grip is an issue.

Cheers

Boonie

Are you steeping or mashing Boonie?

If steeping you should be able to get away with a quick pulse or 2 in a food processor or coffee grinder.

Once you have your own mill, you will realise that all other options are poor alternatives.

I don't think a pasta maker works, as the rollers are smooth, and they will not pull the grain through.
Having said that, a Marga mill will work, and lots of brewers use one with success, once they undergo some minor modifications. Ross still sells them AFAIK.
A good mill has knurled rollers which pull the grain through, leaving the husks largely intact, but crushing the kernel of the grain.

I use a marga and upgrading it is a long way down on my brewery to do list. It works a treat and cost bugger all.

I've also tried the pasta machine but with no success.

My old man used to design roller mills for feed mills etc and I was quizzing him about it. Apparently the good roller mills have the rollers counter-rotating but at slightly different speeds so the grains are sheared while being crushed - otherwise the grain could feasibly squeeze between the rollers.

I was considering converting an old buggered laminating machine but I think I'll wait until a cheapish grain mill comes up for sale. Until then I'm crushing with my blender.....

Cheers,

Tim

timmy wrote:I've also tried the pasta machine but with no success.

My old man used to design roller mills for feed mills etc and I was quizzing him about it. Apparently the good roller mills have the rollers counter-rotating but at slightly different speeds so the grains are sheared while being crushed - otherwise the grain could feasibly squeeze between the rollers.

I was considering converting an old buggered laminating machine but I think I'll wait until a cheapish grain mill comes up for sale. Until then I'm crushing with my blender.....

Cheers,

Tim

How much cheaper are you hoping to find a mill?

You wont find much cheaper than a Marga - Linky

If you really want to save money, you could go for a rolling pin.

drsmurto wrote:Are you steeping or mashing Boonie?

If steeping you should be able to get away with a quick pulse or 2 in a food processor or coffee grinder.

Mashing.

I ran into a fellow HB'er from this site who mashes and I am looking to improve my beers.

I have done the kits with Grain and then all extract....so the next logical step to improve is AG....The HB'er i spoke to said I would not look back, so I am keen to get to all-grain by Xmas once my current stock of kits and extract have run out.

I did not know that the Marga Mill was so cheap. The pasta makers I was looking at were ranging from $60-$110 anyway, so it looks like the Marga may be my 1st Step.

Chris wrote:If you really want to save money, you could go for a rolling pin.

I have heard that too Chris but I was after something basically automated. I understand the Marga still is manual but I am going to attach my variable speed drill to it once I make a "connector" where the handle goes.

Thanks Fellas, I knew I could rely on you for info.

My wife will probably have a fit if I start buying more gear, so I will have to wait a little while before buying the esky, thermo, grain mill etc......

Cheers

Boonie

I have been looking at a mill called "The Barley Crusher" on the beersmith site. They are available direct from the manufacturer with two size feed hoppers. Mill with 7lb Hopper USD 109.95, 15lb Hopper USD 132.95. + USD 21.50 shipping. I recieved an email from Brad Smith (beersmith) regarding shipping rates and apparently shipping costs are built into price for internal US freight if ordered through beersmith.com The larger hopper is just an extension of the smaller one so if you wanted to save 20 odd bucks a piece of corrugated cardboard would do the same job. This leaves an excess shipping charge of USD 46.50 to Australia, that would be a separate payment. These grain mills can be seen at http://www.beersmith.com/barley_crusher.htm For the price they seem like a good unit. One thing to note is that the Aussie dollar has been slipping against the greenback over the past week currently being a tad under 10% at the moment so this would have to be taken into consideration with the above prices.


Cheers.

Anyone have a picture of the inside of their Marga?...........Please ie Twin Rollers etc

Thanks and cheers

Boonie