Barley Crusher vs. JSP Maltmill

Is there any consensus on which is better?

Is it significant that the spacing on the Barley Crusher is set at .039 and the Maltmill is .045?

I have the JSP adjustable version, so you could achieve any spacing... I made my own hopper and base.

I've made 4 batches from grains crushed in the mill. I am very satisfied with the results.

Ultimately, the recommended settings gave a crush that looked right and my mash efficiency seems pretty good. (I don't have efficiency data in front of me, but I remember being content with the results).

One drawback is that the shaft was not a size that I could easily find a pully for to motorize the mill. That said, I hardly need to. It was pretty easy to crank out the grain bill for a 5 gal. batch... except an IPA batch which had a pretty extensive grain bill (closer to 20 lbs.) That was a workout....

Anyway, I can say that I'm thrilled with the JSP... The other may be nice as well, but I've not tried it.

You're about to get 100 people tell you how great the barley crusher is. I've got one that I won't be able to use until after Christmas, and already I want to tell you it's awesome.

I think the truth is, any of the good 2- or 3-roller mills will give you a great crush and last for years. You just don't ever hear about someone bashing their mill.

I bet they are both about the same when it comes to crushing. I would get one that is adjustable though and the Barley Crusher arrives ready to go but I don't know about the JSP.

If your handy and have space in your brewery, you should take a look at my thread on the MM-3 here.

Though I think any of the mills out today will do the job.

I have a JSP Maltmill and have the feeling that the rollers starting to wear out. After milling about 200 lb of grain it just doesn't grip as well anymore as it used to.

It has a lifetime warranty and I wonder if I can claim that under the warranty if it gets worse.

Kai

Kaiser said:

I have a JSP Maltmill and have the feeling that the rollers starting to wear out. After milling about 200 lb of grain it just doesn't grip as well anymore as it used to...

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Sounds like it's made of pretty soft steel. I have high hopes for my monster mill (don't actually have it yet).

My LHBS has an adjustable JSP Maltmill -- the model AA, I believe. It seems to be pretty badly worn out, and the crush setting drifts as I proceed through a 10 - 12 lb grain bill. Furthermore, the particleboard side pieces are broken and this makes it difficult to effectively tighten down the thumbscrews, which is necessary to keep the rollers in place after adjusting. It's been at the shop for a couple of years, according to the manager. Now, I have no idea how often this is used, and it's available for any Joe Six-pack to come in off the street and use, so it has probably had a rougher life than most home mills. But my experience with it did lead me to get a Barley Crusher instead (or, rather ask Santa for one).

Just my $0.02, and if taken care of properly, the Maltmill may be a great product; I just can't say for sure.

bradsul said:

Sounds like it's made of pretty soft steel. I have high hopes for my monster mill (don't actually have it yet).

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I may have to write an e-mail to Jack Schidling and ask his opinion on this. I'm kinda bummed since I thought I did some research and didn't just buy the first mill I found.

Kai

Kaiser said:

I may have to write an e-mail to Jack Schidling and ask his opinion on this. I'm kinda bummed since I thought I did some research and didn't just buy the first mill I found.

Kai

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I'll be eager to hear what you find out. I, too, purchased a JSP Malt Mill after quite a bit of research.

Chad

Kaiser said:

I may have to write an e-mail to Jack Schidling and ask his opinion on this. I'm kinda bummed since I thought I did some research and didn't just buy the first mill I found.

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I'd be interested in seeing the full text of any reply you get. JS was active in rec.crafts.brewing back when I started brewing, and let's just say he had his own inimitible style which drove me to buy a different mill.

Old thread, but having now recieved and used my BC, I'm now in a better position to comment on BC vs. MaltMill.

My conclusion is BC all the way! It feels like a better-built product, and gave an absolutely beautiful crush at the factory setting, with my old corded drill attached to the driven roller. My efficiency was only 72%, but that's the best I routinely see anyway, as I'm still optimizing other components. Given the choice, I'd buy the BC again in a heartbeat, and the customer service during the ordering was outstanding.

e lo said:

I'd buy the BC again in a heartbeat, and the customer service during the ordering was outstanding.

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Service through the purchase experience may be outstanding but I'm having a hell of a time getting an answer to my question about my BC via 3 emails sent over the last month. I've read that I'm not the only one either.

i have a jsp, and love it. as far as it gripping the grain: i had the same problem. i tightened all the screws back up, and it was awesome again. tighten up everything before you contact them. i think you may save yourself some unnecessary heartache

lumpher said:

i think you may save yourself some unnecessary heartache

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It's not an issue of user error. The input shaft is slightly bent. It wobbles and creates unnecessary vibration.

I recently am in the position to purchase a new grain mill. I had been using the BC in my shop (I own a LHBS). I know just how much grain we put through our mill and it's tons (literally) and I'm in a small town! Needless to say, I only got about 1.5 years out of my BC before it went kaput. I emailed the BC people and got lousy answers and it took way too long for a reply. I'm done with them. Not to mention that my efficiency went way down hill over time. I started with getting 80+% on our shop system and towards the end I was lucky to get 70%. That said, I'm looking at other avenues.

I was thinking of going with a JSP Maltmill but after reading this, I'm thinking of just spending the extra coin and getting a MM3. I spoke with a commercial brewer who uses one of the MM3's who really really likes it. I think I can motorize one and get better results than any other mill out there. Granted I'll be spending an extra $200 on it! But at least this way I know I'll get a reliable crush for several years versus replacing it every year with inconsistent results. Also just for the record, a commercial mill sells for anywhere from $2500+ plus shipping!!

Anyhow for the average homebrewer, a BC is an excellent investment. For the brewer who brews 10 gallon batches every two weeks, it's probably not going to last very long.