Barley Crusher Hell

[Snow]

Thanks for the help, i tend to pour about 1cup of grain in, and use the hand on the roller shaft to grip onto the roller, once it grabs i turn it on and pour more in, often it takes off for a while, but often it stops within 20 seconds.

I am cracking 14 odd kgs each run but it never gets half way without a hick up.
I have tried a large gap - it helps but means 2 runs, and a tighter gap = no chance.

It used to be great but i wonder if its wearing out, either way its really getting to me. I was going to brew today however the entire day was spent trying to get the mill to work. Finally with a double pass its worked ( about 2 hours) so i can brew tomorrow but i doubt i can keep spending such time to crack grain. A slow crack is one thing but the start stop anger is just doing my head in

Gout,

this sounds like a painful issue. I too am having feeding problems with my BC. Have you tried running the mill at a slower rate? The fact that it is stopping feeding during the crush says to me that it is running too fast for subsequent grains to catch in the roller while the current grains are being pulled through. Just a thought...

Hope you sort this - it would be a shame to have to buy a new mill when your current one has a "lifetime" warranty.

Cheers - Snow.

 

[Hatchy]

I ran mine quicker yesterday than I normally would & it seemed to work as well or better. If it starts slipping it's normally just a matter of running the drill in reverse for a second & then forward again & it goes ok. My barley crusher is less of a PITA than the can opener I was using in the kit days.

 

[Gout]

i have tried running it very slow (eg turning it slowly by hand to "grip") but it can still slip.

I will play with the gap and maybe end up doing 2 runs in the mill ( loose then finer) and when i win the lotto i would love a mashmaster or similar to prevent this slipping roller issue that i have been having.

It used to be a great mill and over the years slowly got worse. It has cracked much grain, but i am sure others would have cracked more without these issues.

 

[Paul H]

I too have had this issue & have been advised by the makers of the BC to disassemble, clean & add a small amount of oil to the free rolling roller. I enjoy a small improvement for only a couple of kilos but invariably I end up with the same result again. I am not even prepared to on sell it as I don't believe the product can be returned to full function.

ATM I am enjoying one of Franks MM mills (courteousy of a brewer on a hiatus) & again am reminded of the advantages of buying local.

Cheers

Paul

 

[Gout]

same advice - same result here.

 

[Duff]

Same problem with mine. Over the years I have owned it (5 - 6 now) I have tried the pull apart and clean method which works temporarily but gets back to the same problem again not long after. For my brew yesterday I find that if I mix all my additional malts (crystal, wheat, etc.) in with the base it will pull through alot better than the base by itself. I still have to get my hand in under the mill to give the idle roller a turn at times, but it is a bit more bearable. Next mill will be a dual roller drive for sure.

Cheers.

 

[MHB]

Just a thought, has anyone looked at replacing the bronze bearings?
They should be available from any halfway decent engineering shop.

MHB

 

[wobblythongs]

Hmmm Well the knurl looks brand new so that eliminates that side of the problem.

My guess would be at 1 time the drill pulled over the mill and bent the shaft slightly and has gotten worse over time.

If it works OK when you oil it for a short time maybe next time pull it apart buy some engineer's blue then run it to see any major wear in one place.

 

[QldKev]

Are the rollers aligned square to the end plates? I think it could causing jamming of the non driven roller. Maybe over the years the mounting has moved?

QldKev

 

[beers]

I've only had mine for a year or so & unfortunately it has started to do the same. Annoying as hell when you have a full hopper.

 

[devo]

I've had mine for a few years now and never had this issue.

 

[Snow]

I've had mine for a few years now and never had this issue.

Thanks for your help Devo. Awesome.

 

[Hatchy]

I thought I'd fixed mine but from reading this again it looks like I'll probably have the same problems again at some point.

Mine seemed to start having problems when I started crushing quicker. I'll be going with a slow crush from now on. Is it worth wetting the grain a bit or using some wheat in every recipe? I'm not really good at anything to do with tools so I'd prefer not to have to keep pulling it apart if possible. I got given a cordless drill for it, would a corded drill work better?

I was amazed how much crap was in it but my guess is that it would've milled over a ton of grain (I got it 2nd hand) so it's no surprise that it needed a clean & a lube.

 

[Superoo]

If the knurling is ok, then the only things i can think that might bind it up would be gunk buildup between the ends of the rollers and the end plates, or the bearongs are tight.
If it spins freely with no grain by hand, i would Assume that when the grain puts the side load on the bearings, they are not smooth or lubed enough.
As previously mentioned, try an engineering shop or even ebay for bronze bushes / bearings.

Hope it works out fo you.

Cheers,

 

[BoilerBoy]

I thought I'd fixed mine but from reading this again it looks like I'll probably have the same problems again at some point.

Mine seemed to start having problems when I started crushing quicker. I'll be going with a slow crush from now on. Is it worth wetting the grain a bit or using some wheat in every recipe? I'm not really good at anything to do with tools so I'd prefer not to have to keep pulling it apart if possible. I got given a cordless drill for it, would a corded drill work better?

I was amazed how much crap was in it but my guess is that it would've milled over a ton of grain (I got it 2nd hand) so it's no surprise that it needed a clean & a lube.

Hatchy,
I wouldn't wet the grain, just make sure the rollers are brushed clean after each use, build up occurs making it less effective.

Use your drill on a slow speed it will make a better crush and as I said earlier in this thread you can try two crushes adjusting the gap width each time which is very annoying but I hate having to empty out the hopper constantly.

Just get yourself a set of feeler gauges and a screw driver its not difficult to adjust.

Cheers,
BB

 

[barneyhanway]

Same issue for me. I've resorted to what I call the "reach around" method: reach under the base board with your spare hand (right hand is on the drill) and flick the non-drive roller to get it spinning again. Watch your fingers!
Such a pain in the arse, I have to give it a reach around every few seconds sometimes. Makes me so mad.

I have gone through phases of pulling the whole thing apart and cleaning, even after say every second batch. It goes back to sticking pretty darn quick.
I considered replacing the o-ring (factory one fell off within 4 crushes) but don't really want to do that every couple of times either.

I realise this is an old thread, just wanted to add another voice to the choir of discontent.

 

[djar007]

I wouldn't be putting my hand anywhere near it mate. Use a stick or a fork or something.

 

[mje1980]

I've got one and it's great. Occasionally doesn't want to crush but it's usually a bigger or smaller grain size, so I adjust and you wouldn't believe it, it works. It ain't rocket science.

 

[mckenry]

Timely. I just ordered a MM on Friday. My Barley Crusher finally ******* me off one too many times. I was the public defender of the BC, swearing by its longetivity. I must have cracked over 1000kg in the years I had it, but it was slipping too much for my liking. I pulled it apart, cleaned it and while it worked well for a few more brews it would slip again. I have not replaced any parts as suggested in this thread though. So, if someone is looking to buy a second hand Barley Crusher Mill and they can replace the rings/washers etc to bring it back to new, send me a PM. Maybe you'll get the bargain of the day!

 

[fletcher]

ack. i was just looking to get one of these in a week or two...but now i'm second guessing it.