Barley Crusher Blues

[T.D.]

I had an incredibly frustrating time crushing just 3.5kg of grain last night. My barley crusher is just not grabbing the grain between the rollers anymore. Maybe the knurling has lost its bite, but I am pretty annoyed about this given the mill is only about 18 months old. The website says it "will last a lifetime". :angry:

The drill now is totally useless, it just free-revs. I had to go back to the hand crank so I had some more articulation - ie could turn it back anticlockwise a few mm to try and allow some grain to fall properly into the gap. But even then there was nowhere near the resistance that I am used to and the crush was EXTREMELY slow (around 40mins for 3.5kg, which included some time pouring all the grain in and out of the hopper when it didn't work properly).

I see only one real option, and that is to mill the grain twice - put it through once with a fairly "open" spacing and then back through again with a closer spacing. It seems to only be a problem when its whole grains being milled through a closer-than-stock spacing.

 

[Darren]

Short answer,

Buy a Valley mill. Mine has literally crushed tonnes of malt. Never was an o-ring on it. The idle roller drives perfectly well without one.

Still works as well now as the day I bought it (10 years ago).

Mashmaster, maybe have a look at the difference between BC and Valleymill to see why it doesnot need an o-ring.

cheers

Darren

 

[T.D.]

The more I think (and read) about this the more I realise I am probably trying to crush too fine, the reason for which I'll spare you all the details on! I think I might have to widen the roller spacing (thereby allowing the grain to grab easier between the rollers) and then have a good look at the crush at the end and if need be put it through a second time. Sucks, but looks like the only option...

Keenly keeping my eye on the Mashmaster design though...

 

[Darren]

The more I think (and read) about this the more I realise I am probably trying to crush too fine, the reason for which I'll spare you all the details on! I think I might have to widen the roller spacing (thereby allowing the grain to grab easier between the rollers) and then have a good look at the crush at the end and if need be put it through a second time. Sucks, but looks like the only option...

Keenly keeping my eye on the Mashmaster design though...

TD,

Valleymill will crush the malt to flour when the gap is closed right up. Still never had a problem with the malt going through it even on the smallest gap width.

cheers

Darren

BTW: No affiliation, just a satisfied customer

 

[T.D.]

Darren, unfortunately it doesn't look like Valley Mills are in production anymore... http://www.web.ca/~valley/valleymill.html

 

[Darren]

That is sad 8(. Wonder why they stopped?

cheers

Darren

 

[Jim Botla]

"I had an incredibly frustrating time crushing just 3.5kg of grain last night. My barley crusher is just not grabbing the grain between the rollers anymore."

I don't know about barley crushers, but I have a grain mill that i home made and had a similar problem with. After knarling the rollers which helped but not enough. I went through the idea of tape, which lasted one crush and made the mill hard to turn. On my mill the hopper sits over the rollers and the rollers extend out both sides of the hopper; 350mm wide rollers, 200 mm wide hopper. I solved the problem by wrapping self adhesive velcro around the rollers outside the hopper where the grain doesn't pass. The velcro had to be cut to the right size so it didn't lap and there wasn't much gap at the join. I found that the velcro lifted from the roller so I tied just a single strand of fishing line around each piece of velcro. The line and the knot are thin enough to go between the roller gap with plenty of clearance.
I've done over 40 crushes (over 18 months) since then and haven't had to replace line of velcro. I don't know how it would last if grain was passing through it. I think you might have to make a guard (probably just from cardboard or plastic) and stick it inside the hopper to prevent any grain going through that section.

HAPPY CRACKING!
-Jim

 

[domonsura]

Darren, unfortunately it doesn't look like Valley Mills are in production anymore... http://www.web.ca/~valley/valleymill.html

Yep that's a shame, as they stopped just before I was going to buy one. Not really keen on the barleycrusher idea because of the problems everyone seems to be having - have been looking at a 3 roller crankenstein instead, but no-one seems to be extolling the virtues of them? Am i missing something?

 

[devo]

The 2 whole occasions that I have used the barley crusher with a cordless drill have been excellent but then again it is still early days.

 

[BoilerBoy]

TD,

I also have a BC and have been using it for nearly 12 months.

I lost tho O ring on the 2nd crush and have narrowed the gap from the factory setting twice.

On the second adjustement I experienced the same problem as you, so I just moved it back to my original adjusted setting and have had no problems since and regularly get around 75-80% efficiency which I am happy with.

What gap have you got it set on?

Cheers
BB

 

[BrissyBrew]

BoilerBoy
Yes the tighter the gap setting the shorter the o-ring lifespan.

 

[Duff]

Tim,

Same problem with mine, I started a thread somewhere about it at one point. I've found different styles of grain will spin, eg. Pils, but MO, Vienna and Pale have no problem. I opened mine up a bit to now where it is just finer than factory setting, works OK save for some Pils at times, and still get good efficiency.

Just sounds like yours is too fine. What we need is some hard core tape of some kind to replicate the O-Ring and wrap a little around the end of the idle roller.

Cheers.

 

[BoilerBoy]

Just checked the gap setting on my BC and its 0.83 mm and very happy with the 75-80% I get from that without any further roller problems.

Just one question though, as my O ring fell off at the 2nd crush I didn't even see where it was originally located, is it just on the idle roller?

I'm prepared to plead stupidity but as an ex fitter & turner I just cant get my head round the idea of a rubber O ring being a robust option (as it obviously isn't) in the mechanical operation of a barley crusher!

I mean if its such an obvious ineffective choice to begin with why bother??????

The disclaimer that '"not to worry if the O ring falls off" which is written in the paperwork when you buy it seems a very unsatisfactory response as most home brewers in the search for increased efficiency are going to narrow the gap on the factory setting anyway!

Maybe the disclaimer should be written clearly on their website and not hidden away in the box after purchase <_<

BB

 

[DJR]

I know i am digging up an old thread here, but if anyone has issues with their BC not driving the second roller, clean the roller bushing! On the non-drive side, you'll need to take the screws out, take the roller out, give the bushing and pins a clean (mine were pretty dirty) and lube it back up with some food grade oil.... works again!

 

[Paul H]

Until the next time which tends come around all too soon..