National Homebrew Club Ireland

Brewing Discussions => Equipment & Chemicals => Topic started by: LordEoin on September 05, 2014, 12:13:54 AM

Title: Corona mill woes
Post by: LordEoin on September 05, 2014, 12:13:54 AM
Got a Corona mill yesterday, the hopper took a bit of manipulation with a pliers but eventually fit nice and tight.
but it's missing the spacers off the clamp.
Will I get away with  lobbing a couple of oversize nuts in there? and if so, how thick?
(http://i.imgur.com/xta2x5V.jpg)
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: St. Fursey on September 05, 2014, 12:20:16 AM
I don't think you need spacers. The middle screw is for adjusting coarseness. The mystery part is a shroud to direct grain downwards and stop crushed grain from flying up in the air. To slots over the top half of the grinding wheel
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: Shanna on September 05, 2014, 12:22:56 AM
Quote from: LordEoin on September 05, 2014, 12:13:54 AM
Got a Corona mill yesterday, the hopper took a bit of manipulation with a pliers but eventually fit nice and tight.
but it's missing the spacers off the clamp.
Will I get away with  lobbing a couple of oversize nuts in there? and if so, how thick?
(http://i.imgur.com/xta2x5V.jpg)

Also, it came with this odd piece that doesn't seem to fit anywhere. Can anyone identify it?
(http://i.imgur.com/ZwsirtN.jpg)
Don't use nuts as spacers, get yourself a couple of pairs of washers and use those instead.

The second part is actually a part of a cover from the mill. Look closely at it is and your will see a couple indentations that allow you to fit it to the top part of the mill. See the following image http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31lzvH0s7zL.jpg for details.

I wonder will you try and use a drill with this? This would involve removing the handle and instead adding an hex nut in its place. You then use a drill with a matching attachment to drive the mill.

Shanna
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: johnrm on September 05, 2014, 12:43:21 AM
Supplied by Homebrewwest?
Not the first one I believe.

I believe the packaging hints at a spacer which does not come in the box.

I have an original one.
I measure 34mm 'legs' on mine (no issues)

If the les are the same as above...
The issue could be a reduced depth in the recess for the Axle on newer models - I measure approx 10mm to the ball bearing.
The Axle might be longer on newer models - I measure approx 38mm from grinding face to axle (touches ball bearing)
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: Greg2013 on September 05, 2014, 01:21:28 AM
Might be of some interest to you. ;D

http://www.instructables.com/id/Corona-Mill-Mods-for-All-Grain-Brewing/
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: LordEoin on September 05, 2014, 01:22:33 AM
christ, ye were busy! 2 replies in the little bit it took me to figure out the guard and remove the pics ;D
Yes John it seems to be different mills in the box and on the box.
i tried it without spacers and it had only 1 setting - Flour!
So now i have a couple of nuts and washers in there and it's working a treat. You can actually get some pretty fine tuning on it very quickly.
Which will be handy for switching between different size grains
(http://i.imgur.com/dxfTftS.jpg)

I'm pretty chuffed with it now. It grinds well, leaving very few whole grains but not reducing it all down to flour. mostly nice empty hulls and gritty little chunks :)
almost impossible to get a good pic, but anyway
(http://i.imgur.com/18IKiuK.jpg)

Thanks folks :)



Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: LordEoin on September 05, 2014, 01:25:33 AM
Thanks Greg. I saw that post a while ago. It was actually what made me go for a corona mill instead of forking out a load on a roller ;)
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: Covey on September 05, 2014, 07:28:25 AM
a major flaw, is when its attached to the counter you can't put a bucket under it only a tray. To hack it  I just got a piece of wood and drill it into the top of a bucket to attached it. I getting pretty tired of going through drills through. I would guess that the roller millers are a lot easier on the drills
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: johnrm on September 05, 2014, 07:31:44 AM
Buy a good drill once.
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: derfel on September 05, 2014, 07:45:43 AM
I had the same problem - I queried it with the supplier and they told me none of the others in stock had spacers so that was how they were supposed to be!

I bought a packet of M8 washers (I reckon M6 would do but M8 was what they had in the shop) in the local co-op for €1.50 and now the mill is working perfectly - and the adjustment works too.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3849/14958218627_4d165c8c82_z.jpg)
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: LordEoin on September 05, 2014, 10:14:58 AM
Yeah, I think it needs some kind of spacer alright.
Weird that they would stop supplying them as standard.
It left flimsy without the spacer, but nice and solid with it :)
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: Covey on September 05, 2014, 10:31:07 AM
Quote from: johnrm on September 05, 2014, 07:31:44 AM
Buy a good drill once.

Why would i want to ruin a Good drill?
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: johnrm on September 05, 2014, 11:25:19 AM
@Covey, Ciderhead uses one of these mills with a good drill and swears by it.
Cheap drills will burn out. They are cheap for a reason.
That said, I have a cheap drill - E15 in B and Q - quick gives me no trouble on a Crankandstein 2D, not used it on the Corona, must go to hardware store for a bolt to test the corona.
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: LordEoin on September 05, 2014, 11:45:07 AM
'Buy a good tool once', as they say.
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: LordEoin on September 05, 2014, 11:54:59 AM
Cheap battery drills are fine. The cheap batteries that come with them suck though.
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: Garry on September 05, 2014, 12:21:12 PM
I've yet to try rebuilding one of those battery packs but it's on my to-do list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtOS5evrqrQ
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: Garry on September 05, 2014, 12:32:58 PM
When you smell the copper (windings) heating up you know you're on borrowed time! Do I keep going or let it cool down  :P
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: Rossa on September 05, 2014, 12:35:16 PM
Quote from: Dube on September 05, 2014, 11:48:40 AM
And that applies to mills. Anyone thinking of getting a mill I'd advise buy a roller, even just for peace of mind. You'll never feel inferior!

Drills, unless they're something like DeWalt or Makita they're all cheap. Bosch cordless for €70 lasted a few weeks, Argos cordless €30 lasted 10 years, so it's luck of the draw. (New Argos drills don't seem as robust and the batteries don't last so long)

I use a black and Decker that must be 25+ years old. Works a treat but there is no control over it like you have with a cordless.

Roller mill all the way. The midst reliable you can afford.

Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: LordEoin on September 05, 2014, 12:37:29 PM
Quote from: Garry on September 05, 2014, 12:21:12 PM
I've yet to try rebuilding one of those battery packs but it's on my to-do list.
I hate you Garry. I never even considered rebuilding the battery packs til now.
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: Covey on September 05, 2014, 01:23:57 PM
ok i agree it was a cheap drill....but that why i take out the 2 euro argos insurance on it  ;D
Title: Re: Corona mill woes
Post by: Taf on September 05, 2014, 02:16:00 PM
Quote from: Rossa on September 05, 2014, 12:35:16 PM
Quote from: Dube on September 05, 2014, 11:48:40 AM
And that applies to mills. Anyone thinking of getting a mill I'd advise buy a roller, even just for peace of mind. You'll never feel inferior!

Drills, unless they're something like DeWalt or Makita they're all cheap. Bosch cordless for €70 lasted a few weeks, Argos cordless €30 lasted 10 years, so it's luck of the draw. (New Argos drills don't seem as robust and the batteries don't last so long)

I use a black and Decker that must be 25+ years old. Works a treat but there is no control over it like you have with a cordless.

Roller mill all the way. The midst reliable you can afford.

+1, I have an old black and decker drill that I got from the old fella, as he moved to using cordless ones, and it works really well.