Brewery Mills

Brewery mill choice comes down to roller size, roller quantity, and quality. Quality is determined by reliability, dust egress, and general heft, which translates to grind consistency.

Roller Length

Regardless of roller quantity, initial surface area determines throughput. As you can see from the table below, this is determined by length. Width contributes to longevity and consistency. The greater the consistency of the grind, the more consistent the end product. And the more tightly you can control the grind, the less particulates you have. And since particulates reduce yield, less of them means you can have better yield.

Roller Width & Weight

The heavier and wider the rollers of a mill, the more consistent your grinds. Greater consistency in your grain allows you to turn out a more consistent beer or spirit. It also lets you avoid particulates, also known as fines.

Roller Quantity

More rollers means more control. With a second pair of rollers the first pair can be backed off, bringing the grains down to a consistent size and reducing jarring on the second pair. This lets you keep more husks in-tact and reduce the presence of fines. Because particulates don’t yield alcohol, less of them means higher yields so thicker and more rollers means slightly better yields. Less fines also means less dust in your environment.

Build Quality

Facets of build quality other than roller weight and size include the control mechanism of the rollers itself, how dust-tight the connections are, and the quality of components including the motor. A higher-quality mill will require less service, will be easier to repair when it’s needed, and will create a lot less noise and dust. Less dust means cleaner air, cleaner floors, and fewer pests. This is particularly important because once insects and rodents have been attracted, they are extremely difficult to get rid of.