Which roller mill ? How long can I store crushed grain ?

brewman ! · 02-05-2008, 04:53 PM

LHBS is charging $2 per pound for 2 row and not crushing it well. I can buy malt locally for 50 cents a pound. The malt supplier will crush the malt for $2.20 a bag.

http://www.northcountrymalt.com/pages.php?pageid=9#price

Should I buy a malt crusher or just get the supplier to crush it and then store it in a deep freeze in sealed bags ?

Which roller mill is the best and why ?

Do the roller bushings ever wear out on these things ?

How does one adjust the roller spacing on a Barley Crusher ? I don't see an adjustment mechanism.

Thanks.

jdoiv · 02-05-2008, 05:01 PM

If you are close to North Country, I would buy in bulk from them and crush it yourself. The grains will stay fresh uncrushed but will stale quickly once they have been crushed. Our club does group buys with North Country and will buy a palate or two at a time. Saves us a ton of money.

There are lots of mill options. Do a quick search on the forum and you will find several threads.

It will take a very long time to wear out the bushings and I wouldn't worry about it. It should last a good 10 years or more.

I'm not sure about the adjustment of the barley crusher, but I know it is adjustable. Best way to measure the adjustment is by using feeler guages. You can pick them up at any auto parts store.

lustreking · 02-05-2008, 05:07 PM

I think it would be better for you to buy a mill, and crush the grain when you need it, than to get an entire bag crushed. I think you'd probably have settling issues if you didn't use the whole bag at once.

What if you wanted to make a recipe with a different base grain like pils or something. Then you'd have to go back to the LHBS's crush, and your efficiency would probably drop.

Which mill is best. I'm pretty sure that you'd be happy with any adjustable roller mill. I have a Barley Crusher, and I chose that one because it was the least expensive mill that was ready to go out of the box.

Here's the adjustment on the Barley crusher. There's one knob on each side.

brewman ! · 02-05-2008, 05:19 PM

I don't understand how that knob adjusts the spacing. Its on a concentric, right ? Is that knob on a shaft that sticks into the roller ?

Does it make a difference that one roller is driven and the other one is passive ? The JSP mill has an optional gear drive that means both rollers turn.

Thanks

jdoiv · 02-05-2008, 05:40 PM

Yeah it's concentric so when you turn the knob you are moving the axle of the roller closer or farther away from the drive roller. The friction and weight of the grain will cause both rollers to turn. No need for a gear unless you space them too close together.

mr x · 02-05-2008, 06:09 PM

I have a Crankandstein 3 roller and only one roller is driven. I don't think there is any advantage to having both rolls driven, unless the diameter is really small and the gap is real tight. Probably more expense for negligable gain. Those passive rolls will turn with the grain.

As far as bushings go, they may get a mil or two loose, but I can't see a homebrewer ever wearing them out. Even if you do, they are and easy replacement.

brewman ! · 02-05-2008, 06:35 PM

OK, thanks.

Kim