From: arf@ddsw1.mcs.com (Jack Schmidling)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: Re: grain crushing
Date: 13 Nov 92 14:24:40 GMT
Article-I.D.: ddsw1.Bxns15.K6C
Organization: ddsw1.MCS.COM Contributor, Chicago, IL


 
 
 Tue, 10 Nov 1992 21:16:04 GMT  rec.crafts.brewing           Thread   88 of  108
 Article 6764                 Re: grain crushing             
 No responses
 
 >I put a few washers between the bolts that hold the part 
 that holds the outboard grinding plate. This is the yoke 
 that is held on with th wing nuts......This allows the 
 tensioning bolt (the middle one on the outboard side to be 
 adjusted to control the grind.
 
 Now that I have had a chance to study the mechanics of my 
 "new" Corona, I can only suspect that there was a problem in 
 the tensioning bolt on yours because loosening the outboard 
 nuts would only cause erratic and uncontrollable grinding.  
 They serve only one purpose and that is to hold the yoke on.  
 They have absolutely no effect on the spacing or tension of 
 the plates if the tension bolt and its ball assembly are 
 free to move.  If you put washers where you suggest, that 
 only moves the point on the bolt at which proper tension is 
 maintained.
 
 In case you are not aware of it, there is a ball and 
 spring-loaded lock ring inside the tube at the end that 
 presses against the plate hub.  If that ball is stuck, then 
 diddling with the end nuts could relieve the problem to some 
 extent but if it is free to slide, it would have no effect.
 
 It is also pretty much hit and miss to get the plate spacing 
 the same on both sides as there is enough slop in the whole 
 system to allow it to wobble around more than the total 
 spacing one is trying to acheive.
 
 The design is such that all one can control is the maximum 
 spacing and that only when grain is actually being pressed 
 against the end plate.  The actual spacing is random and 
 depends on how much grain is being pushed where.  
 
 I set mine so I could just get a .055 gage between the 
 plates on opposite sides but it is pretty much a shot in the 
 dark.  When actually in use, one side can be in contact 
 while the other has enough space for whole grains to fall 
 right through.   This always happens at the beginning and 
 end of each hopper full and randomly throughout a batch.
 
 Surprisingly, I found that there an excessive amount of 
 large particle grist, flour was not the problem.  I suspect 
 the biggest reason people get better yields with a roller 
 mill is that it produces a much greater proportion of the 
 fine grist that is more readily converted.  This is not to 
 be confused with flour, which is the EXTREMELY fine grist 
 that causes no end of problems at all stages of the process.
 
 A roller mill creates virtually no flour because there are 
 no metal parts scraping together as in the Corona.  The 
 Corona can create vast amounts of flour if adjusted too 
 tight and the compromise position is to settle for larger 
 than optimum particle size.
 
 The other problem that comes up if one tries to set the 
 Corona for optimum particle size is that it hopelessly 
 pulverizes the husks.
 
 A few other observations:
 
 The swing of the very long handle makes milling quite 
 tedious.
 
 I was able to mill a pound in one minute vs 27 secs with  a 
 MM but was much more fatigued because of the long handle.  
 There is no way I could have maintained that rate.
 
 Although I used a 12 in baking pan to catch the grain, a 
 good deal ended up all over the place.
 
 In final analysis, I am glad I developed the MM.  It is a 
 significant improvement in the state of the art and a 
 bargain at only twice the price.
 
 My advice for the uncommitted shopper on a tight budget is 
 to find a partner or join a club that has a roller mill.
 
 js
 
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