Industrial-strength malt mill, coming soon to Siciliano's

Image courtesy of the manufacturer

We're upgrading again, this time in the milling department.

By Steve Siciliano

A few weeks ago a customer emailed me to say he was experiencing a decline in his all-grain brewing efficiency; he suggested we double-check the gap settings on our Monster mills. I thanked him for his feedback and assured him that we constantly adjust the gaps between the rollers on our two motorized mills. I also advised him to visually inspect the crushed grain the next time he's in and to notify a Siciliano’s employee if the grind appears to be too coarse.

The truth is those grinders are not performing up to our expectations. While The Monster Mill is an excellent product, capable of meeting and exceeding the average homebrewer's needs, it is not intended for use in commercial settings. On some days our two mills are running almost constantly, and I'm pretty sure that in an average week we are grinding as much grain as some nano-breweries. After mulling over this problem for a few days I decided the only solution is to replace the current mills with a machine designed to handle the grinding needs of a small brewery.

Last week I placed an order for an Apollo Econo 2-Row Mill. This motorized, self-contained unit is being used in a number of small breweries. It is "outfitted with a 1-1/2hp 110/220 TEFC single phase motor" and "6-inch wide rolls that are 8 inches in diameter." The new mill should be in-store and available for use before the new year.