Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Other discussions for folks new to the wonderful craft of home distilling.

Moderator: Site Moderator

HuckFinn
Novice
Posts: 46
Joined: Sat May 16, 2020 8:16 pm

Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by HuckFinn »

I tried a hand crank one and it did not work well. I am seeing others like kitchenaid grain mills (that have a coarse setting), but I am worried that these will be too fine. It appears that most are made for barley or making flour.

Does anyone have a good affordable (and hopefully reasonably smallish sized) suggestion to crack corn?
Last edited by HuckFinn on Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Expat
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 2245
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:58 pm

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Expat »

The corona mill is definitely a good choice after it's modified to run on a drill.

Replacement the handle with an appropriate thread hex head bolt, and a big funnel to the top and you're done.

Takes me maybe 10 minutes or so to turn 55# of corn to meal.
_____________________
EXPAT

Current boiler and pot head
Cross flow condenser
Modular 3" Boka - pics tbd
___________________
User avatar
still_stirrin
Master of Distillation
Posts: 10337
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by still_stirrin »

Here’s a good mill:
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
HuckFinn
Novice
Posts: 46
Joined: Sat May 16, 2020 8:16 pm

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by HuckFinn »

I tried a knock-off brand of that. It went terribly. Are you confident that it works out okay? I feel like it also can mar a table like my knock off one did. Maybe 1/3rd the corn wasn't cracked, 1/3rd was cracked, and 1/3rd was flour. I didn't like it, personally.
User avatar
still_stirrin
Master of Distillation
Posts: 10337
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by still_stirrin »

Here, this is what I use:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wet-Dry-Electr ... 890.l49292

More expensive, but it has a motor too. The hopper holds a couple of pounds but you can keep filling it.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
StillerBoy
Master of Distillation
Posts: 3387
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2016 6:27 pm
Location: Ontario

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by StillerBoy »

HuckFinn wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:31 pm I tried a knock-off brand of that. It went terribly. Are you confident that it works out okay? I feel like it also can mar a table like my knock off one did. Maybe 1/3rd the corn wasn't cracked, 1/3rd was cracked, and 1/3rd was flour. I didn't like it, personally.
Here's what my corona mill look like as a setup, and does the job well.. corn will take a few passes, and most others one pass..

I can use the mill by hand, or by motor (as shown), or with a half inch drill..

Mars
DSC008512.jpg
" I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent. Curiosity, Obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my knowledge and understanding "

– Albert Einstein
User avatar
Soft batch
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 214
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:42 pm
Location: NE Ohio

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Soft batch »

After hand cranking a bag, I Rigged up a corona type mill to an old kitchen aid mixer. Works perfectly!
greggn
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1379
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:59 am
Location: East Coast

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by greggn »

HuckFinn wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:14 pm Does anyone have a good affordable (and hopefully reasonably smallish sized) suggestion to crack corn?


Affordable is a relative term.

If you want to do corn, whether coarse or fine, then you might want to consider this ...

https://www.agristoreusa.com/collection ... in-grinder


As the saying goes: buy once, cry once
________________

I drank fifty pounds of feed-store corn
'till my clothes were ratty and torn
User avatar
jonnys_spirit
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 3629
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:58 am
Location: The Milky Way

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by jonnys_spirit »

I did a corona mod with some nested homer buckets and running it on a drill. The battery drill wasn’t really enough to get through a run so i bought a dedicated corded drill with more power that wouldn’t overheat. A couple spills of my rigged up hopper was pretty frustrating. Ended up with an agristore and it turns everything to flower or meal which works perfect for corn. If i was doing more single malt barley/wheat I might get fussy and prefer a roller mill for better lautering but not there yet and this works great for my foreseeable future. Well worth the money and by the time you spend on a corona, drill, and any purchases for mods you might just want to spend a little more for a purpose built thing? Just my thoughts :)

I did re assemble the corona for the kitchen where I use it to mill grains in my koji-cooking endeavors. The fraulein might use some hand milled flour too. Seem to have a variety of whole grains available for some reason and hand milling smaller quantities is sorta cool too :)

Cheers!
Jonny
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
User avatar
MichiganCornhusker
retired
Posts: 4527
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 9:24 am

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by MichiganCornhusker »

greggn wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 4:57 pmIf you want to do corn, whether coarse or fine, then you might want to consider this ...
https://www.agristoreusa.com/collection ... in-grinder
+1
I used the corona for years with a corded drill mod.
Got this and never looked back.

Plug n play, no effort to use and burns through shelled corn no problem.

An added benefit, at least for me, is that it doesn’t mind some bits of foreign matter in the grains. The impellers aren’t sharp, so you won’t dull them, and it is designed with a bit of space for things like stones to collect.

I get some heirloom corns straight from the combine, and though I do screen it by hand for debris, some always gets past.
Shouting and shooting, I can't let them catch me...
User avatar
hypnopooper
Bootlegger
Posts: 119
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2012 4:45 pm

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by hypnopooper »

I also agree on the agristoreUSA.com grinder. I got mine from Tractor Supply for $229 plus tax, it seems this item is currently out of stock at the moment. It might be a covid china shipping issue.... I love this grinder! it can produce almost all the way to a flour like consistency! For all grain corn this is a must!
User avatar
still_stirrin
Master of Distillation
Posts: 10337
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by still_stirrin »

Here’s another look at the mill I purchased:
Corn mill
Corn mill
Free shipping. A fantastic addition to your brewery.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
Zeotropic
Rumrunner
Posts: 514
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2020 7:48 pm

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Zeotropic »

still_stirrin wrote:Here’s another look at the mill I purchased:
8E88930D-D86F-4EA9-BB2B-079C472726F8.jpeg
Free shipping. A fantastic addition to your brewery.
ss
It looks really nice. Thanks for posting. I was looking for something like that.
User avatar
Saltbush Bill
Site Mod
Posts: 9675
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:13 am
Location: Northern NSW Australia

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Saltbush Bill »

still_stirrin wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:23 pm Here’s another look at the mill I purchased:
Pretty sure a few people here and on another forum have bought those......yet to hear anyone complain about them.
greggn
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1379
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:59 am
Location: East Coast

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by greggn »

hypnopooper wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 7:07 pm it seems this item is currently out of stock at the moment. It might be a covid china shipping issue....
China isn't a factor ... the AMA mill is from Italy.

For me, one significant plus for the AMA (Agristore) mill is the availability of replacement parts.
Simple design + available parts = sustainable resource
________________

I drank fifty pounds of feed-store corn
'till my clothes were ratty and torn
User avatar
Rrmuf
Rumrunner
Posts: 667
Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2020 3:07 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Rrmuf »

still_stirrin wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:23 pm Here’s another look at the mill I purchased:

8E88930D-D86F-4EA9-BB2B-079C472726F8.jpeg

Free shipping. A fantastic addition to your brewery.
ss
Nice!
-- Rrmuf
User avatar
8Ball
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1401
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2018 9:12 am

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by 8Ball »

I got a hand crank grain mill for $28 delivered from Amazon. A stack of washers, a couple clean buckets, a piece of scrap wood and some screws, a marker and about an hour of free time was what it took to make my modified mill.

I can coarse grind 16.75# of malts in 5 minutes with an old 1/2 inch electric drill. I made a 8# hopper for it too (not pictured) from a big powdered protein container and a quart sized carry out soup container. It stows inside the bottom bucket.

It works good on cracked corn too. Haven’t tried whole corn, but would probably work if I adjusted the plates some. That would be more hassle than its worth in this configuration.
Grain mill mod
Grain mill mod
🎱 The struggle is real and this rabbit hole just got interesting.
Per a conversation I had with Mr. Jay Gibbs regarding white oak barrel staves: “…you gotta get it burning good.”
User avatar
hypnopooper
Bootlegger
Posts: 119
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2012 4:45 pm

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by hypnopooper »

greggn wrote: Fri Feb 19, 2021 4:53 am
hypnopooper wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 7:07 pm it seems this item is currently out of stock at the moment. It might be a covid china shipping issue....
China isn't a factor ... the AMA mill is from Italy.

For me, one significant plus for the AMA (Agristore) mill is the availability of replacement parts.
Simple design + available parts = sustainable resource
Thanks for the correction, I just assumed without actually going out to the garage to validate. Personally, I'm good for wherever it comes from, I like mine and would buy it again in a heart beat. It's a good investment for anyone that is running at or near the 30 gallon hobby limit on this forum.
User avatar
Bushman
Admin
Posts: 17987
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:29 am
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Bushman »

I love my Monster Mill 2. My setup is very similar to the picture below, I have only used it once on corn and it was cracked corn but went through it with no problem. I have heard that the MM3 does not do corn as well.
9FE0BC68-DBB2-48E1-BD73-A90C1F36C179.jpeg
Zeotropic
Rumrunner
Posts: 514
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2020 7:48 pm

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Zeotropic »

IMG_20210220_172855106.jpg
This is the little blender that could. I have ground 130lb of cracked corn through this over the last few weeks.
I am not recommending it but in a pinch it works.
It takes me a couple hours of leisurely grinding to do 40lb of corn while running the still.
User avatar
SmokyMtn
Rumrunner
Posts: 566
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by SmokyMtn »

DIY mill - might give some inspiration if you're handy.

https://www.grit.com/farm-and-garden/do ... 0z18jazmcg
My 9" Shotgun Condenser


This hobby really is not so much about making alcohol. But bottling opportunities to make memories with Friends and Family.
User avatar
Tummydoc
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 967
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:05 pm
Location: attack ship off the shoulder of Orion

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Tummydoc »

Agristore mill will chew through 50 lbs whole corn to flour in 15 minutes.
Zeotropic
Rumrunner
Posts: 514
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2020 7:48 pm

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Zeotropic »

SmokyMtn wrote:DIY mill - might give some inspiration if you're handy.

https://www.grit.com/farm-and-garden/do ... 0z18jazmcg
Nice. I may have to do something like that.
User avatar
Twisted Brick
Master of Distillation
Posts: 3770
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2013 4:54 pm
Location: Craigh Na Dun

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Twisted Brick »

Keep your eye out for used mills, especially if your'e in the midwest (corn country). From time to time I've seen a number of older corn grinders for sale on Craigslist. I went to go pick up an all-copper kiln I found on Craigslist, and as I was walking out he asked me if I knew anyone who could use a hammer mill. :esurprised: It was ancient and heavy (solid brass), but the motor is strong and reduces everything I put in it consistently into a medium-fine meal.
Hammermill Copy.jpg
“Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake.”

- W.C. Fields

My EZ Solder Shotgun
My Steam Rig and Manometer
User avatar
jonnys_spirit
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 3629
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:58 am
Location: The Milky Way

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by jonnys_spirit »

I saw this stone mill at the international shop today while picking up a bag of glutinous rice. Feels good to have other options but i enjoy the nostalgia.
11309662-BD0A-4072-A0BF-B8FF9BC0B9E7.jpeg
Cheers,
Jonny
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
User avatar
dunluce
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 423
Joined: Thu May 21, 2020 9:27 pm
Location: Wheat fields in the west

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by dunluce »

HuckFinn wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:14 pm I tried a hand crank one and it did not work well. I am seeing others like kitchenaid grain mills (that have a coarse setting), but I am worried that these will be too fine. It appears that most are made for barley or making flour.

Does anyone have a good affordable (and hopefully reasonably smallish sized) suggestion to crack corn?
HuckFinn, this was this afternoon's project. I too, tried the hand crank....not so young anymore, and not so fond of that. So I decided I would motorize this Corona mill with a cheap $5 CAD garage sale drill.

Now....I'm not an engineer. I usually do things by trial and error, and a lot of the time, I spend days planning out how I am going to do this before realizing there's a much easier solution to be had right in front of my eyes. Today's case in point:

I had a large plastic funnel, quite stiff, that I have used to pour into carboys, empty bucket to keg, etc. I now need another funnel, but it was something I could get by with (siphon is slow, but it works). I can't get by without a mill for what I want to do, so it was sacrificed to the grain mill gods.

I eyeballed the diameter (cause I'm once again, NOT an engineer) and sliced off the end of the funnel to be just a bit smaller than the opening of the grain mill. Stiff plastic, but with some gentle coaxing it can be made to fit over a diameter slightly larger than the hole, and then sits snugly around it. Step 1 completed.

Step two: I hacksawed off the bottom of the attachment part of the mill, so I could have it a) sit flat on a piece of wood it would be bolted to, and b)sit farther down into the bucket I was going to use, thereby allowing me to put a lid on the entire thing to keep flour dust in. (notice the notch where I started cutting)
153200602_286473796236353_3855153457398786360_n.jpg
153200602_286473796236353_3855153457398786360_n.jpg (15.13 KiB) Viewed 3662 times
153219822_769514253664468_8183273689268731125_n.jpg
153219822_769514253664468_8183273689268731125_n.jpg (15.5 KiB) Viewed 3662 times
153104208_503953484333995_1341689030823492725_n.jpg
153104208_503953484333995_1341689030823492725_n.jpg (13.13 KiB) Viewed 3662 times
Step three: I used some small carriage bolts to attached to a block of 2x4 I had drilled two holes in, running the length of the mill, in order to give it some stability and not want to tip forward all the time.
152978648_1089108451571016_5009165554032840261_n.jpg
153134196_539470490324728_1855459727077648237_n.jpg
153322630_429966861762958_1712569304618009546_n.jpg
User avatar
dunluce
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 423
Joined: Thu May 21, 2020 9:27 pm
Location: Wheat fields in the west

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by dunluce »

Step four: I drilled a hole into the side of the bucket for a similar thread bolt with the head removed to slide through, and then attached the drill to it. I did flatten the sides of the bolt in order to give the drill more "grip" on the bolt.
152820249_869138443866002_5867135163588315357_n.jpg
Step 6: Loaded it with malt, cranked it up on high, ensured success for about 3.42 seconds and then the mill tipped, knocked the lid off, and blew flour dust everywhere. The torque from the drill tipped it over onto it's side.

(not me, but a damn good representation).
4d5f6d683cb8d85718c69b04a05c39bf.jpg

Cleaned up, thought about it, had some previously run likker with some orange juice, and figure out how to brace it. (Remember trial and error?)

Step 7: Grab the jig saw, outline the bucket on a 2x4, cut just inside the line so it will fit, and screw the carriage bolts through both blocks of 2x4, this time with the bottom one widthwise to the mill and try again - SUCCESS! If you look close in the picture below you can see what I did.
153603397_717736175462086_7276421802534262962_n.jpg
It will mill 2lb of grain in 30 seconds flat. (not corn, but gives you an idea....I've never milled corn)

I would check around with any local homebrew clubs. The nice thing about distillers is that we are everywhere, but the bad thing is that we are underground. Could have someone from the forum next door and I would never know. But homebrew is more out in the open, and someone might be looking to upgrade their mill, as in the case where I sourced mine.

Good luck. :D
User avatar
Expat
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 2245
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:58 pm

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Expat »

dunluce wrote: Sun Feb 21, 2021 4:22 pm Step 7: Grab the jig saw, outline the bucket on a 2x4, cut just inside the line so it will fit, and screw the carriage bolts through both blocks of 2x4, this time with the bottom one widthwise to the mill and try again - SUCCESS! If you look close in the picture below you can see what I did.
Take the bottom off the bucket, and stack it, easy to clean out.
Add a lid if you don't like dust.
IMG_20181117_141752_copy_800x1066.jpg
IMG_20181117_141807_copy_800x1066.jpg
IMG_20181117_141827_copy_800x600.jpg
_____________________
EXPAT

Current boiler and pot head
Cross flow condenser
Modular 3" Boka - pics tbd
___________________
User avatar
dunluce
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 423
Joined: Thu May 21, 2020 9:27 pm
Location: Wheat fields in the west

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by dunluce »

Expat wrote: Sun Feb 21, 2021 7:33 pm
Take the bottom off the bucket, and stack it, easy to clean out.
Add a lid if you don't like dust.
Expat, how do you keep it from torquing over to the side? Maybe it's my mill, but it seems like there is a lot of torque.

Cool idea though.
User avatar
Expat
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 2245
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:58 pm

Re: Please recommend a grain mill to crack corn

Post by Expat »

dunluce wrote: Sun Feb 21, 2021 7:56 pm
Expat wrote: Sun Feb 21, 2021 7:33 pm
Take the bottom off the bucket, and stack it, easy to clean out.
Add a lid if you don't like dust.
Expat, how do you keep it from torquing over to the side? Maybe it's my mill, but it seems like there is a lot of torque.

Cool idea though.
Never had too much of a torque issue. Perhaps the weight of the bottom bucket helps. I'm using a 5g plastic water bottle (with the bottom cut off) as a feeder, so it starts out pretty top heavy, probably would have shown instability quickly.
_____________________
EXPAT

Current boiler and pot head
Cross flow condenser
Modular 3" Boka - pics tbd
___________________
Post Reply