KegLand put an exceptional amount of time into the research, testing, and development of the MaltZilla, and what they came up with is a motorized grain mill unlike anything we've seen before. It features an integrated motor so you'll never have to mess with a hand crank or power drill to spin the rollers. And the rollers themselves are made with a diamond-impregnated surface that offers superior performance and longevity compared to conventional knurled steel rollers.
The integrated 24V motor is powerful enough to chew through popping corn kernels with ease, and works on voltages from 12-30V DC. The higher the voltage the faster the rollers spin, although we recommend 24V for optimum speed and grist results. The unit does not come with a power supply. When purchasing the unit, you have the option of pairing it with either a power supply with 110V plug (CAN111), or with a 6 ft. long cord with Anderson plug and alligator clips (CAN102). The power supply is straight forward, and allows you to plug the unit into a standard 110V power socket. The alligator clips give you the option to power the unit from a battery.
Knurled Steel vs. Diamond Coated Rollers
Your run-of-the-mill grain mills are often manufactured with steel rollers with a knurled finish. The knurling helps grip and pull the grain through the rollers, but even the knurling on hardened steel will go blunt eventually and hinder the mill's performance. Some manufacturers attempt to solve this problem by using geared rollers to better grab the grain, or add a third roller to the mill so the first two rollers with a larger gap force the grain into the third roller. These are only workarounds to the real issue—all steel rollers will go blunt eventually, especially if used with hard grains like wheat or corn. In a commercial setting, it’s not uncommon to send the rollers off to a metalworking factory to re-sharpen and re-knurl, but this is an expensive, time-consuming hassle. Many homebrew-scale users might just end up throwing the mill away and purchasing a new one.
The MaltZilla Diamond Mill is quite a different mill design, and it’s the first in the world to use diamonds impregnated into the surface of the roller. Even after many tons of grain are processed through the mill, the diamond surface will stay just as sharp as it was on day one. The sharpness of the diamonds draws grain exceptionally well, and even when hard grains are used the diamond rollers won't dull or slip in performance.
Sheer Instead of Chop
Most mills require aggressive knurling to push into the grain and “chop” the grain as it passes through a tight gap, which means your grains are often chopped in half. The MaltZilla works on a different principle and gap setting is not as critical. The MaltZilla uses impregnated diamonds to grip the surface of the kernel and the friction of pulling the grain through the gap causes a sheering action. When set up correctly, the sheering action can leave the entire husk intact, reducing the chance of stuck sparge and improve efficiency, while still opening the husk enough that the entire contents of the kernel is available to the mashing process. The 70 mm diameter rollers are double the diameter of many other mills, which significantly improves the crush and assists in drawing the grain in more effectively.
Integrated Motor
You generally would not purchase a car without an engine, so why would you purchase a grain mill without a motor? Milling grain has an optimum RPM— too slow and it will take you a long time, too fast and you will end up with excessive powder. Hand cranking can be a pain in the backside, especially with larger grain bills, and using a power drill doesn't offer much in the way of speed control and adds the potential risk of burning out your drill. The MaltZilla has an integrated motor with a very constant RPM putting out optimum RPM with an integrated gearbox. The high torque and sealed construction make it ideal for a brewing environment, as the motor is well protected from moisture and grain dust.
The motor is seamlessly integrated into the side body of the mill. Being DC, the motor is safer than higher voltage AC, especially in an environment where splashing and hose spray are commonplace. The DC motor is also reversible so the direction of spin can be changed based on the polarity. This is particularly useful for over-mount and under-mount installation.
Over-Mount and Under-Mount Installation
Traditionally, homebrew mills just sit on a board where they are moved from one bucket to another. The MaltZilla has multiple different mounting configurations. It can be over-mounted to a board like most mills are, but if you want a seamless finish to your garage/brewing area, you can mount the mill under your counter where it’s concealed and out of the way. Simply lift up a small opening in the top of your benchtop, drop in your hopper, pour in grain and run the mill. When you're done, remove the hopper and conceal the opening.
There is also a MaltZilla PPE Base Board available for over the bucket installation or designing your own mill stand.
Grain Hopper
This unit does not come with a grain hopper. We recommend using a large funnel with a shortened spout, or a repurposed gallon-sized water bottle. The MaltZilla Aluminum Hopper is currently in development and available for pre-order.
Specifications:
Power: 12-30V DC
Anderson Connector Plug
Grain Inlet ID: 2-3/16"
Grain Inlet OD: 2-3/8"
Weight: 11 lbs
KegLand Part Number: KL15776
Please note: This mill is designed for use with brewing grains only. It will not work for cracking whole kernel corn.
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