Barley Crusher Fail

[Beerthoven]

For the past few months I've been having trouble with my Barley Crusher. The slave roller will slip or fail to turn at all, making it very difficult to crush grain. I just spent an hour hand cranking through 12 lbs of grain 1 cup at a time.

I've taken it apart twice in the last 2 months and inspected, cleaned, and lubed it, and I can't see why the thing won't work.

Anybody else have this problem? Any fixes? It is 8 years old; maybe it's time to replace it?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Very common issue with the barley crusher mill, couple long threads about this problem.

Some have had good luck returning the mill to the manufacturer under the lifetime warranty.

Ymmv could luck with the issue, I'm sure it is frustrating.

 

[Beerthoven]

Very common issue with the barley crusher mill, couple long threads about this problem.

Some have had good luck returning the mill to the manufacturer under the lifetime warranty.

Ymmv could luck with the issue, I'm sure it is frustrating.

Yeah, I've read those threads. They're a few years old now (at least the ones that I found). I was hoping for some newer info.

Guess I'll send it back and starting looking for something more reliable. It was a good little mill. Worked for 8 years with no problems.

 

[Hammy71]

Yeah, is a common issue, especially if you put a whole lot of grain through it. I don't think it's made for heavy homebrewer use. I retired mine a couple of years ago and spent the coin on a Monster mill. Never looked back.

 

[Yooper]

Mine has been sent back twice, even when it was pretty new. I hate it.

I take it apart, clean it, change the gap, speak sweetly to it, etc, but I still hate it.

I just don't have the budget to buy a new one and I find that if I turn it backwards first, then forwards quickly, it usually will 'grab' the grain enough to get 10 pounds crushed.

Did I mention I hate mine?

 

[Hammy71]

Mine has been sent back twice, even when it was pretty new. I hate it.

I take it apart, clean it, change the gap, speak sweetly to it, etc, but I still hate it.

I just don't have the budget to buy a new one and I find that if I turn it backwards first, then forwards quickly, it usually will 'grab' the grain enough to get 10 pounds crushed.

Did I mention I hate mine?

My 'Hate' led me to the purchase of another brand. I hear ya Yoop.

 

[pretzelb]

I've had similar issues. Sometimes it seems like my cleaning worked and then it fails again. My last brew has a lot of powder even with a 045 gap which makes me wonder if I should upgrade.

 

[schematix]

I used to have this problem with mine all the time but I found a solution... i blast it out with 100 psi after every use. Make sure to hit every nook and cranny. I've put about 1500lbs through mine and its still working.

As Yooper said, turn it backwards slightly and slowly, then try going forward again. 9/10 times it fixes it. If not, give the hopper a firm slap and repeat.

 

[Beerthoven]

I used to have this problem with mine all the time but I found a solution... i blast it out with 100 psi after every use. Make sure to hit every nook and cranny. I've put about 1500lbs through mine and its still working.

As Yooper said, turn it backwards slightly and slowly, then try going forward again. 9/10 times it fixes it. If not, give the hopper a firm slap and repeat.

I do the backwards slightly then forward technique every time. But come to think of it, mine stopped working reliably when I stopped blowing it out with my shopvac after every use. Guess I just got lazy. I'll go back to doing that and see if it helps.

Someone else in another thread reported that they had success by using a spreader to put outward tension on the end plates so the free roller wouldn't get stuck on the sides. I guess I'll try that too.

I'm also going to get a stiff wire brush and scrape up the rollers so they have more friction. Hopefully these things will keep it going for a while longer.

 

[govner1]

For the past few months I've been having trouble with my Barley Crusher. The slave roller will slip or fail to turn at all, making it very difficult to crush grain. I just spent an hour hand cranking through 12 lbs of grain 1 cup at a time.



I've taken it apart twice in the last 2 months and inspected, cleaned, and lubed it, and I can't see why the thing won't work.



Anybody else have this problem? Any fixes? It is 8 years old; maybe it's time to replace it?

Send it back for repair/replacement. Sell it, then buy a Monster Mill.

 

[Beerthoven]

I took the advice of this forum and bought a new Monster Mill MM2. I used it for the first time this morning, and holy crap that thing is a beast. For anyone struggling with a failing Barley Crusher, I definitely recommend an MM2.

 

[dryboroughbrewing]

Good choice I replaced my BC a few years ago with a Monster Mill, the MM is still going strong, the barley crusher is sitting in a storage closet because I can't bring myself to toss it, but I don't want to inflict it upon another.

 

[burdbrew]

I'm going to get crushed (pun intended) for telling you how I make my BC run, and I don't recommend this, but it works for me.

When the roller spins and won't crush, I lift the mill a little bit and give the dummy roller a spin with my finger. With that I'm milling again in no time, at least until I stop to reload the hopper.

Does the sticker on the mill tell me to be smarter than this? Yes. Is this the way I want my mill to work? No, someday I will upgrade. Will I some day earn a Darwin award? I doubt it. I'm not feeling like this is horribly dangerous, all things equal, but your experience may vary.

 

[schematix]

I just finished a project remounting my BC so i can crush right into my MLT, and also use a larger low speed drill that has a trigger lock and throttle control.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1471127934.425053.jpg

While I was at it, I completely disassembled and cleaned the entire unit. I was amazed how much crap had accumulated inside the bushings and on the ends of the rollers. It was extremely easy to take apart and clean. It might be worth checking into if the idle roller isn't spinning easily.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Good job cleaning your mill and getting it working....I think the beef here is for the money paid the BC should have sealed bearings and harder rollers.

Nice trouble free sealed bearings are not expensive.

 

[schematix]

Good job cleaning your mill and getting it working....I think the beef here is for the money paid the BC should have sealed bearings and harder rollers.

Nice trouble free sealed bearings are not expensive.

I think i dropped about $135 on this thing about 5 years ago. It paid for itself in a few months.

I think its worth it for what it is, but there is very little part content inside. It's only 2 bushing blocks, 2 knurled rollers, 2 eccentric bolts, 2 small sheet metal plates, 6 screws, 2 nuts and some bent sheet metal mounted to a crap piece of particular board.

When this thing wears out i'll definitely buy something nicer, but from the wear i've seen on mine i think i'm good for another 5 years. Only wear and tear i see is on one side of one roller some of the points aren't as sharp as the other side. Bushings are fine and with a cleaning and fresh lube i think i'm stuck with this thing for a while.

 

[MaryB]

I use my air compressor and blow the BC out after every use. The amount of junk that comes from the roller ends will amaze you if you have never done it. Then I cover it with a plastic bag to keep out the garage dust from driving in and out, any wood dust if I have been building something, and any metal dust from grinding/cutting.

 

[unionrdr]

I had to clean the bushings & the roller sides on mine. Lubed bushings with cooking oil. Darn thing won't hold the tolerance I set. I have to keep holding onto one of the adjusters to keep it at the right setting to crush. Other times, the free roller wouldn't spin consistently. I've been thinking about seeing if the MM will mount to the board, hopper, etc of the BC?

 

[schematix]

I had to clean the bushings & the roller sides on mine. Lubed bushings with cooking oil. Darn thing won't hold the tolerance I set. I have to keep holding onto one of the adjusters to keep it at the right setting to crush. Other times, the free roller wouldn't spin consistently. I've been thinking about seeing if the MM will mount to the board, hopper, etc of the BC?

You could build your own mounting board way easier than you think. If you own a jigsaw you are almost there already. If not you could either buy a cheapo one for about $30. I bought a stain grain wood disk for about $8 at Lowe's, and they make smaller ones that would fit a 5-gallon bucket for about $6.

I just measured and marked the opening for the BC (or MM in your case), cut it, sanded it and then drilled the bolt holes. All in all, including trip to the store, took about 3 hours. Also i re-used the rubber feet from the original BC and attached them on the new plate.

 

[Bigfly]

I do the compressed air cleanup after each use as well. Eliminates buildup on the bearings and on the knurling.

 

[unionrdr]

You could build your own mounting board way easier than you think. If you own a jigsaw you are almost there already. If not you could either buy a cheapo one for about $30. I bought a stain grain wood disk for about $8 at Lowe's, and they make smaller ones that would fit a 5-gallon bucket for about $6.

I just measured and marked the opening for the BC (or MM in your case), cut it, sanded it and then drilled the bolt holes. All in all, including trip to the store, took about 3 hours. Also i re-used the rubber feet from the original BC and attached them on the new plate.

True enough, but even less work if the better one is the same size so it'd bolt right up. Hate to let the good parts go to waste...

 

[beergolf]

I doubt that they will bolt right up You may be able to modify the base. Maybe you can modify the hopper. It may just be a lot easier to get the base ond hopper made for the mill.

I have the MM2 pro with the 2" rollers and that thing is a beast. But there is no way you could hand crank that so you would have to use a drill or motorize it. It is easy to adjust the gap and it holds that gap. I have not had it change at all. Set it and forget it.

There are some good prices on the mills with the 1.5" rollers going on right now.

 

[unionrdr]

I may just have a look around soon for something I can hand crank. Can't find the charger for the drill battery packs. Can't believe how hard it is to find the charger separately?

 

[schematix]

I may just have a look around soon for something I can hand crank. Can't find the charger for the drill battery packs. Can't believe how hard it is to find the charger separately?

Buy a $20 refurbished corded drill.

 

[beergolf]

Buy a $20 refurbished corded drill.

This.... It is probably cheaper to buy a drill than a charger for an old drill. a corded drill will have more power anyway.

 

[schematix]

Harbor freight item #60614 - $20 and there is 20% off coupon almost all the time.

There is no excuse for hand cranking!!!!

I just got a HF #93632 with a 20% off. It has a max speed of 550 rpm AND a trigger lock and speed control.

 

[schematix]

True enough, but even less work if the better one is the same size so it'd bolt right up. Hate to let the good parts go to waste...

I would bet with a jigsaw you could modify the barley crusher base to accommodate the MM. Barley crusher base is only 3"x6", with the hole cutout being approx 2.75"x5"

 

[unionrdr]

Don't have a jigsaw anymore. Some fool tossed some of my power tools in the garage. winter isn't good for'em. I'll just have to find one close & use the Dremel.

 

[Sadu]

I love my malt grinder now that I figured out how to set the gap properly.

Bit of a pain to store though - quite an awkward shape, especially with the hand crank hanging out the side.

I do mostly 1 gallon batches so hand cranking isn't too much hardship, if I do get around to connecting the drill it will be for the fun factor

 

[augiedoggy]

I think i dropped about $135 on this thing about 5 years ago. It paid for itself in a few months.

I think its worth it for what it is, but there is very little part content inside. It's only 2 bushing blocks, 2 knurled rollers, 2 eccentric bolts, 2 small sheet metal plates, 6 screws, 2 nuts and some bent sheet metal mounted to a crap piece of particular board.

When this thing wears out i'll definitely buy something nicer, but from the wear i've seen on mine i think i'm good for another 5 years. Only wear and tear i see is on one side of one roller some of the points aren't as sharp as the other side. Bushings are fine and with a cleaning and fresh lube i think i'm stuck with this thing for a while.

Fair enough, But from what Ive read most people are finding their BC mills are wearing out a lot quicker than yours did so maybe they have cheapened them? In any case Its sad that a $99 chinese made cereal killer is better made with sealed bearings and hardened rollers than the often more expensive barley crusher which brags about being assembled in the USA as a selling point.

I ended up motorizing my cereal killer mill with a dc gear reduction motor I found in my garage. I made an ac to dc power converter from a $7 light dimmer and a $2 bridge rectifier after seeing some you tube videos on how to do it. this gives me speed control for the 110vDC motor. I made my own stand and mounting plate as well so a bucket fits neatly under it and slides right in and out. I know it could be done more elegantly but for the $10-15 investment im quit happy with its performance.