[klickitat jim]

Why not just adjust based on the crush?

Too pragmatic?

Guess so.  People seem more worried about gaps than crush.

My Cereal Killer has marks. I cant remember what they say, .025 .050 .1 maybe? I run it halfway between the lowest and middlest. Crush looks like crush and I dont get stuck. I ran it at the tightest for a long time until my last batch that got stuck. Too much flour I reckon.

[hopfenundmalz]

Why not just adjust based on the crush?

Too pragmatic?

Guess so.  People seem more worried about gaps than crush.

Of course they are because the "gap" largely dictates the "crush", and when adjustments needs to be made you can't dial your mill to a certain "crush level" but you can dial to a specific "gap distance" between rollers. One serves as a sort of measure for the other.

Otherwise, we'd just recommend that the OP set his mill for the "optimal crush" and he'd be all set.

There are different mills. I have a 3 roll MM, the first gap is gentle to crack the grain, the and the second is where it does the more thorough milling. Then there are those that condition the malt and get more intact husks, and can mill a little tighter, and it still looks good.

How about 6 row that has a smaller grain size? Or rye, wheat berries, or golden naked oats that are smaller than barley?

The lauter screen will also have an influence on how you want the cruch to look. For my false bottom not so fine. For the round cooler with the bazooka screen I can go finer. I have a SS hose braid in the 72 quart blue cooler I can go pretty fine, maybe not at fine as Denny goes, but I wouldn't use it on the false bottom.

Like most things, it depends.

[denny]

Otherwise, we'd just recommend that the OP set his mill for the "optimal crush" and he'd be all set.

But IMO that's exactly what he should be doing.  The gap that works for me may not work for you, so how could I recommend a setting to anyone?  Besides, I have no idea what my gap is.  I set it for optimal crush years ago and it's never been changed.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

IMO get a feeler gauge. if you're roller is different then mine...2 vs. 3 for instance, you may get different results. for me, i know exactly what gap I want  for barley,vs rye, vs. wheat...no guessing. they are cheap so no reason to guess and just know what gap for what grain.

http://www.harborfreight.com/32-piece-sae-metric-feeler-gauge-32214.html

EDIT: as Denny mentioned, do visual. husks intact but separated, and good mix of crushed grain and flour. for me and my system, gap of .030 for barley works great.  just depends on your system.

[flbrewer]

Otherwise, we'd just recommend that the OP set his mill for the "optimal crush" and he'd be all set.

But IMO that's exactly what he should be doing.  The gap that works for me may not work for you, so how could I recommend a setting to anyone?  Besides, I have no idea what my gap is.  I set it for optimal crush years ago and it's never been changed.

I understand. The reason I commented about this is my last brew missed the OG by quite a bit. New grain mill and perhaps everything isn't listed perfectly in BeerSmith, but it was enough to say perhaps I should move it from the "medium crush" setting.

[tommymorris]

There is nothing wrong with using a tool to get the job done right. For setting gaps, IMHO, the right tool is a feeler gauge.

[coolman26]

I adjusted mine to fit my manifold. It ended at .035 after starting at .030. Used it to get it even and looked at the crush. When I use wheat or rye I run it through twice. Mine is a MM-3


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[Slowbrew]

For me the feeler gauge serves two purposes:

1) It gets me in the ballpark when I need to setup a mill from scratch.  Like a new mill or a freshly rebuilt mill or a mill I just dismantled due to some issue.

2) Once I know "my gap" then I can quickly check/adjust the gap as the mill ages and the rollers wear down.

Like adjusting anything else, you need start somewhere and then tune it in for your system.  Kind of cross between rigid settings and Denny's free spirit method.

For what it's worth, I generally set my mill at .029 and go.
Paul

[denny]

There is nothing wrong with using a tool to get the job done right. For setting gaps, IMHO, the right tool is a feeler gauge.

IMO, the right tool is your eyes.  Crush til you're scared!

[tommymorris]

There is nothing wrong with using a tool to get the job done right. For setting gaps, IMHO, the right tool is a feeler gauge.

IMO, the right tool is your eyes.  Crush til you're scared!

My eyes are not worthy. I crushed til I got a stuck sparge and then backed off 5 mils.

[denny]

There is nothing wrong with using a tool to get the job done right. For setting gaps, IMHO, the right tool is a feeler gauge.

IMO, the right tool is your eyes.  Crush til you're scared!

My eyes are not worthy. I crushed til I got a stuck sparge and then backed off 5 mils.

I did the same except I have no measurement for how much I backed off.  Just until I could see a roller barely move.  That's where it's been for the last 15 years.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

$4 ......that's all folks. I like it because I move rollers to clean, different malts, etc. why piss blindly into the wind over $4- but to each their own.


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[flbrewer]

$4 ......that's all folks. I like it because I move rollers to clean, different malts, etc. why piss blindly into the wind over $4- but to each their own.


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Ken, is there any issue with the feeler gauges and the oil that comes with them? Are you supposed to keep them oil free for the purposes of what we're using them for?

[Wort-H.O.G.]

$4 ......that's all folks. I like it because I move rollers to clean, different malts, etc. why piss blindly into the wind over $4- but to each their own.


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Ken, is there any issue with the feeler gauges and the oil that comes with them? Are you supposed to keep them oil free for the purposes of what we're using them for?

Just wipe it off- mine haven't rusted.


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[hopfenundmalz]

$4 ......that's all folks. I like it because I move rollers to clean, different malts, etc. why piss blindly into the wind over $4- but to each their own.


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Yes, I have those. Set several .05 inch increments, marked with a sharpie so that I can adjust quickly. I will check again someday.