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Long story long, I live next to a "brew on premise" and have always used their mill (barley crusher) to mill my grains. But now I am moving and time to grow up and get my own, does anyone have advice for which mill to buy?

The "barley crusher" seems to be a good homebrew mill (the B.O.P. just purchased a second after 1,500 batches) but it really seems to be a piece of shit, The B.O.P. has been running the grains through the mill twice for a year now. I want value, a "barley crusher" is $130-$150, but the "monster Mill MM2" is $150. The mill is the only thing that concerns me, I can make a platform & hopper no problem.

I have read plenty of reviews but I want to hear from you guys who have mills and like them or don't, I know it's a long stupid question but give me some feedback... Please!

Also what is the difference between a two and three roller mill? What is the difference in mill material and knurling?

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  • I ended up with the Millars B3 and think it's just the bees knees. I way over thought this purchase, the exciting part is actually... having grains on hand and brewing whenever I want. Don't worry so much about the microscopic details and just buy a mill, thats my advice!
    – Ryan Shdo
    Jan 9, 2014 at 10:13

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I recommend you get a 3 roller mill - then you will not need to crush everything twice. They cost only a little more - $175. The reason they are superior is that the first gap, which is a fixed width, gently breaks open the grain, preserving the husk. The second gap (created with the 3rd roller) is then the one you set to your final crush. This allows you to mill quite finely without destroying the husks since they mostly go through without being pulverized. Keeping the husks intact gives you better filtering when mashing and makes lautering run smoother.

I have the MM3, and mill at 0.035" / 0.88mm, which of course does produce some flour, yet when the wort hits the boil kettle after being recirculated, it's clear. I get 90%+ mash+lauter efficiency with my setup.

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I use a 2 roller mill and just close the gap to get the crush I want. No need for a 3 roller. Based on conversations with people who own mills, they're all pretty good no matter which you buy. I've used a JSP adjustable for 15 years and maybe a thousand batches, but all the people I know who have other brands are satisfied with them.

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