Barley Crusher dead! Need replacement.

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devils4ever

devils4ever

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Hi,

I think my Barley Crusher has gotten so worn out that I need a replacement. It took over 10 minutes to crush about 13 lb. of malt. The rollers just aren't pulling the kernels in. They seem to be slipping. Based on other posts, it seems these parts aren't replaceable.

So, I'm thinking of going for a Monster Mill either the 2-roller or the 3-roller version. The Crankenstein looks decent as does Millar's Mill, but the MM seems much more popular and easy to get.

So, how hard is it to fabricate a hopper for the MM?

Are there plans available?

Is the 3-roller version a lot more superior to the 2-roller version?

Thanks.
 
I had that happen after a couple years. I completely disassembled the mill, anything that could be taken apart was, and cleaned it fully. A touch of olive oil at the joints where the ends of the rollers meet the housing (I believe they say you don't have to lubricate it, but I did anyway), and works like a dream again.
 
Just a thought, but does the texture of those rollers ever get "clogged" or gummed up with grain residue? This could make the texture seem to be dull, when actually it is just sort of clogged up. I don't know how to clean the rollers, but it may be worth a look around for info on that.

trout
 
The Barley Crusher has a lifetime warranty, so send it in for fixing/replacement.

I hate mine for some of the issues (like yours), and their customer service is lacking, so I would never recommend buying one today- but since you already have it, email/call them and tell them you're sending it in to be fixed/replaced.

Mine has been sent back twice, and it's "ok" now, at best. Not great, and my last brewday sucked, but it's good enough to crush some grain.
 
You have a lifetime warranty on the BC. Send it in for repairs, buy a new MM, and sell the BC when you get it back. That's what I did. I got $110 for the used mill and the buyer got a mill with brand new rollers. I got an awesome MM 3. I was pretty happy with that.
 
Yooper said:
The Barley Crusher has a lifetime warranty, so send it in for fixing/replacement.

I hate mine for some of the issues (like yours), and their customer service is lacking, so I would never recommend buying one today- but since you already have it, email/call them and tell them you're sending it in to be fixed/replaced.

Mine has been sent back twice, and it's "ok" now, at best. Not great, and my last brewday sucked, but it's good enough to crush some grain.
Click to expand...

Which mill would you recommend?
 
Just a short history about that Barley Crusher. When I started my home brew store years ago I only had my Barley Crusher to mill grain with. I had had it for about 3-4 years prior crushing only my grain at home. I started the store and needed a crusher but didn't have the $$ to buy a real good industrial one so I used it. I set it up on a motor and gear box and use it for almost the entire first 2 years to crush grain. We probably crushed 40-50K pounds of grain through that bad boy in those early years and the rollers still looked good. I would still be using it today at home but someone took it apart and lost the front cover for it. I would have to take it apart from time to time and blow it out readjust it and put it back to work. They are amazing mills and I would say you just need to clean it. BUT IF by chance you do decide to get a new mill. I did move over to the MM2 in the store and have been using it for about 4 years now. I am using the hardened rollers for sure and when I first got it I had to make CONSTANT adjustments, it drove me NUTS! I called Monster, explained my issues and he sent me 2 new side plates to try.....That was probably 2.5-3 years ago and I have YET to have to adjust it once we got it locked in. We are not as big as some of the home brew shops but we probably crush 3-5,000# of grain a month through that bad boy and its a very solid crusher.

Good luck on the choice. I like the idea of the 3 roller mill and would probably go that way when I wear this one out. From the looks of it that is going to be a LONG time from now.

Cheers
Jay

EDIT: I totally forgot that those have a lifetime @yooper ! Good call! Wonder if they will take mine back now..Baahhhhaaaaa
 
Ok, took it completely apart and cleaned it. I used Food Grade Mineral Oil to lube it. The rollers don't seem clogged, they just seem dull. Anyways, it's back together now. I'll see if it's any better.
 
I ran about 1/2 lb of 2-row through it and it does seem a lot better. I'll be brewing in another 2 weeks, so I'll be able to determine then if it's acceptable.
 
Jaybird said:
Just a short history about that Barley Crusher. When I started my home brew store years ago I only had my Barley Crusher to mill grain with. I had had it for about 3-4 years prior crushing only my grain at home. I started the store and needed a crusher but didn't have the $$ to buy a real good industrial one so I used it. I set it up on a motor and gear box and use it for almost the entire first 2 years to crush grain. We probably crushed 40-50K pounds of grain through that bad boy in those early years and the rollers still looked good. I would still be using it today at home but someone took it apart and lost the front cover for it. I would have to take it apart from time to time and blow it out readjust it and put it back to work. They are amazing mills and I would say you just need to clean it. BUT IF by chance you do decide to get a new mill. I did move over to the MM2 in the store and have been using it for about 4 years now. I am using the hardened rollers for sure and when I first got it I had to make CONSTANT adjustments, it drove me NUTS! I called Monster, explained my issues and he sent me 2 new side plates to try.....That was probably 2.5-3 years ago and I have YET to have to adjust it once we got it locked in. We are not as big as some of the home brew shops but we probably crush 3-5,000# of grain a month through that bad boy and its a very solid crusher.

Good luck on the choice. I like the idea of the 3 roller mill and would probably go that way when I wear this one out. From the looks of it that is going to be a LONG time from now.

Cheers
Jay

EDIT: I totally forgot that those have a lifetime @yooper ! Good call! Wonder if they will take mine back now..Baahhhhaaaaa
Click to expand...




I could have just "liked" this post, but felt it was more deserving of a reply.


Good to know about your personal experience with the BC. I've had mine for about 3-3.5 years now and the only negative I can say is the Oring on the slave roller is gone. It still has been getting the job done, so I guess no complaints. My only regret is not getting the bigger hopper. I run a cordless drill on mine so with two people brewing it's not so bad. One runs the drill while the other pours the grain. It's a bit if a pain though loading, grinding, stopping, reloading, grinding, etc.

Thanks for posting Jay. :mug:


EDIT: For those with mills, what do you all do to keep them clean? I usually blow out all the grist with an air hose after each run.
 
I have a crankenstein 2s, about 2 years at >10kg a month. When I have issues with grain not pulling through it is always to much spead.
 
Last edited:
I have a 3 roller mm and if I had it to do over again I'd get the 2 roller mill and pay extra for the larger hardened rollers. 3 rollers is fine, just makes it a lot harder to check the gap.
 
I've had my BC for 4 yrs. now and just use a cheap brush and my shop vac. and it's been running great! I mill really slow with a low speed corded drill The only slipping issue I have is when I use MO base malt.
 
wiggybrewer said:
I've had my BC for 4 yrs. now and just use a cheap brush and my shop vac. and it's been running great! I mill really slow with a low speed corded drill The only slipping issue I have is when I use MO base malt.
Click to expand...

+1 on MO base malt. Ive got a plastic spoon and have to poke the rollers every minute or so grinding MO. Everything else goes through fine.
 
Gameface said:
I have a 3 roller mm and if I had it to do over again I'd get the 2 roller mill and pay extra for the larger hardened rollers. 3 rollers is fine, just makes it a lot harder to check the gap.
Click to expand...

Why? What's the downside of the 3-roller mill? I would assume 3 is better than 2!

BTW, how does that 3rd roller work? The top two rollers are spinning in opposite directions to pull the grain in, correct? Then, the third roller is underneath to crush the grain finer. How does the grain go through? Which direction does the third roller spin? Does the grain go through both spaces with the top 2 rollers?
 
I had a barley crusher.. it worked good for small batches but also had the little headaches everyone mentioned.. I ended up getting a monster mill mm2 pro and it is amazing! Way better mill not a single issue running 50+ lb of grain through it.
 
devils4ever said:
Why? What's the downside of the 3-roller mill? I would assume 3 is better than 2!

BTW, how does that 3rd roller work? The top two rollers are spinning in opposite directions to pull the grain in, correct? Then, the third roller is underneath to crush the grain finer. How does the grain go through? Which direction does the third roller spin? Does the grain go through both spaces with the top 2 rollers?
Click to expand...

The top two rollers have a wider gap that is set and can't be adjusted. It's the bottom roller to the driven top roller gap that can be set and it's very difficult to get a finger gauge in there without taking the hopper and everything off.

Theoretically three rollers is better, the first gap separates the husk and cracks the grain and then the bottom two crush it to your desired setpoint.

I don't know if it really makes any real-world difference and I'd gladly trade in whatever benefit three rollers provides for the ability to quickly and easily check and set my gap.
 
devils4ever said:
I ran about 1/2 lb of 2-row through it and it does seem a lot better. I'll be brewing in another 2 weeks, so I'll be able to determine then if it's acceptable.
Click to expand...

Okay, I thought I'd report back here for everyone's benefit. I did a Kolsch recipe over the weekend and milled about 10-1/2 lbs of grain. The BC worked pretty well after my thorough disassembling, cleaning, and lubing a few weeks back. I was able to crush this malt in a few minutes. At this point, it's probably not worth it for me to go out and buy another mill since this one is acceptable at this point.

I would love a Monster Mill, but I can't justify the $$$ just yet.
 
Don't mean to hijack the thread from OP, but have a question for Jaybird...

Jay, would you recommend the Barley Crusher for a home brewer? Though I occasionally day dream of quitting my job and opening a home brew supply/brew your own type place, I just can't see me crushing that much grain. Realistically, I brew once a month. 10 Gal batches at prob 18# (low side) to 30something #s (for a bigger beer) a year. So, in the 'hood of ~300#/yr.

The MM looks bada$$ but is also $100 more for the same setup as the BC (mill, base, & hopper). Is it worth the extra $$?

I'm a believer in "Buy once. Cry once". But also don't want to spend $$ just for the sake of spending $$. That extra $100 could be another brews grain bill!
 
boondocksaint said:
Don't mean to hijack the thread from OP, but have a question for Jaybird...

Jay, would you recommend the Barley Crusher for a home brewer? Though I occasionally day dream of quitting my job and opening a home brew supply/brew your own type place, I just can't see me crushing that much grain. Realistically, I brew once a month. 10 Gal batches at prob 18# (low side) to 30something #s (for a bigger beer) a year. So, in the 'hood of ~300#/yr.

The MM looks bada$$ but is also $100 more for the same setup as the BC (mill, base, & hopper). Is it worth the extra $$?

I'm a believer in "Buy once. Cry once". But also don't want to spend $$ just for the sake of spending $$. That extra $100 could be another brews grain bill!
Click to expand...

I've had my BC for just over three years. I've not taken it apart (have taken a stainless steel brush to the rollers, kept it blown free of flour after every use and oiled the shaft once). I just ran 28# through it yesterday and it still works like a champ. I've been extremely happy with mine. I run probably 65-80# through mine a month (more if I'm brewing for a competition). :tank:
 
boondocksaint said:
Don't mean to hijack the thread from OP, but have a question for Jaybird...

Jay, would you recommend the Barley Crusher for a home brewer? Though I occasionally day dream of quitting my job and opening a home brew supply/brew your own type place, I just can't see me crushing that much grain. Realistically, I brew once a month. 10 Gal batches at prob 18# (low side) to 30something #s (for a bigger beer) a year. So, in the 'hood of ~300#/yr.

The MM looks bada$$ but is also $100 more for the same setup as the BC (mill, base, & hopper). Is it worth the extra $$?

I'm a believer in "Buy once. Cry once". But also don't want to spend $$ just for the sake of spending $$. That extra $100 could be another brews grain bill!
Click to expand...
Your ignoring the option right between the two.. the cereal killer... they use ball bearings instead of cheap bushings like the BC and better rollers that I have yet to see anyone say has worn out... and they are $99
 
When I built mine I had issues after the O-ring wore through (quickly). Grain just slipped.

I added a pair of gears to mate the two rollers and it's awesome now. More dangerous, but some day I will mount a guard over the gears to keep fingers safe...
 
augiedoggy said:
Your ignoring the option right between the two.. the cereal killer... they use ball bearings instead of cheap bushings like the BC and better rollers that I have yet to see anyone say has worn out... and they are $99
Click to expand...

Honestly, I just started researching mills and hadn't yet thought of the cereal killer. I will definitely check it out. Thanks to both who recommended it!
 
LHBS has two BCs...I assume they have been around for quite a few years. When I first started visiting this shop a couple years ago, I encountered occasional problems with the rollers not pulling the grain through on one of the two. Owner showed me how he rammed a plastic spoon in there to get it going. Fast forward to present, they both have the problem and it is worse than when I first started encountering problems with the one a couple years ago. Even the regular afternoon gal had problems getting it going this past Saturday. Will have to ask them about that lifetime guarantee the next time I stop by...
 
Homercidal said:
When I built mine I had issues after the O-ring wore through (quickly). Grain just slipped.

I added a pair of gears to mate the two rollers and it's awesome now. More dangerous, but some day I will mount a guard over the gears to keep fingers safe...
Click to expand...

How did you add the gears? Can you show us a picture or plans?
 
devils4ever said:
How did you add the gears? Can you show us a picture or plans?
Click to expand...

The roller shafts extend past the frame a bit. I simply cut flats on the shafts and slid the gears on. They are held in place with Allen Screws located between the gear teeth.

The gears were designed from some informational sites I checked out and drawn up in Solidworks. Then I had a guy at work cut them out of 1/4" steel plate scrap on the Wire EDM machine.

I actually have a second set sitting on my desk.

I doubt they wouldn't be applicable to any of the retail mills out there.
 

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