Brewstillery Mill

As the craft beverage industry evolves, many breweries are expanding their offerings to include spirits, giving rise to the concept of “brewstilleries.” With liquor sales continuing to increase, breweries want to get in on the action and provide consumers with a variety of products to stay competitive.

At RMS Roller-Grinder, we’re uniquely positioned to support this trend with our innovative brewstillery mill, the only equipment currently available on the market capable of milling grains for both brewing and distilling processes, allowing brewstilleries to mill grains for both craft beer and spirits with one machine.

Understanding the Difference: Brewing vs. Distilling

Brewing and distilling share some similarities, but require different milling profiles to maximize grain conversion into fermentable sugars.

Brewery Milling

Milling to create craft beer requires a coarse, consistent crush with intact husks, which is crucial for the lautering process.

To accomplish this, we modify a 4-roll mill with the rolls spinning at the same speed to gently crack the grain open. The top set gives an initial crack and separates the husk from the endosperm, followed by a second finer crack on the bottom set of rolls.

Using a brewery mill in a distillery application would require the rolls to be very close to each other, and for grain to be added to the mill at a very slow speed, producing an inconsistent distiller’s grind.

Distillery Milling

In “grain-in” distilling, the milled grain is combined with water, and the entire solution is moved into the cooker and then the fermenter without separating the spent grains from the liquid wort.

Since there’s no lauter step, the grain is milled to a finer particle size to increase surface area and maximize the conversion of fermentable sugars.

In a craft distillery application, we utilize a 4-roll mill with rolls spinning at different speeds and a closer roll gap position on the initial grind with the top set of rolls and then final grinding with the bottom set of rolls.

Using a distillery mill in a brewer’s application will produce an inconsistent crush with excessive amounts of fines and husk damage.

The RMS Brewstillery Mill: A Game-Changing Solution

With two different ideal mill configurations between a brewer’s crush and distiller’s grind, there has traditionally not been a solution for accomplishing both final products without a labor-intensive, time-consuming mechanical drive change–until now.

With a brewstillery mill from RMS, brewstilleries can seamlessly switch back and forth between a brewer’s configuration and a distiller’s configuration by flipping a switch and electrically changing the speed of two rolls, creating either a 1:1 roll ratio for a high-quality brewer’s crush or a fine distiller’s grind.

This innovative solution allows a brewery that is also producing spirits not to have to sacrifice production efficiency in either process, and sets them up for success in maximizing their mash conversion.

Key Improvements in Our Mill

• Larger Motor: Enhances power and performance.
• “Choke Plate” in Hopper: Improves grain flow control.
• VFD (Variable Frequency Drive): Replaces traditional starter for precise speed control.

Benefits for Brewstilleries

• Increased Versatility: Produce both beer and spirits without compromising quality.
• Cost-Effective: One machine serves dual purposes, reducing equipment costs.
• Time-Saving: Eliminate labor-intensive mechanical drive changes.
• Consistency: Achieve optimal grain profiles for both brewing and distilling.

Your Brewstillery Mill Options

If you’re a brewery getting into distilling, we offer a few different options for brewstillery equipment:

1. New Installation. If you are a new brewery or transitioning to a brewstillery, a new machine is ideal when starting from scratch. Our team can help you configure the machine for your specific operations.
2. Retrofit Kit. Already have brewing equipment from RMS? If you have an existing 4-roll mill but want to expand into distilling, we provide a retrofit kit where we replace one of the existing motors with a larger motor, change one of the starters to a VFD, and add a choke plate to the hopper gate.

Contact RMS Roller-Grinder Today

As spirit sales continue to rise and breweries look to diversify their product lines, RMS Roller-Grinder is here to help. Our brewstillery mill is the only solution on the market that truly caters to the unique needs of brewstilleries, offering unparalleled flexibility and efficiency.

By choosing RMS, you’re not just investing in equipment–you’re investing in the future of your craft beverage business. Whether you’re an established brewery looking to expand into spirits or a new brewstillery starting your journey, our brewstillery mill options provide the versatility and quality you need to succeed in this growing market.

Request a quote with RMS Roller-Grinder today to learn how we can help you brew, distill, and thrive in the evolving craft beverage landscape.