Barley Crusher setup (not the pins)

[jacksonbrown]

I finally got me a Barley Crusher today! Came in the mail from Beersmith, and I'm having some trouble with the setup. My handle is facing inward so it can't be rotated and there doesn't seem to be a way to flip it. I can unscrew the fastener, but it won't slide off the rotate bar. Second, when I try the drill, it will only rotate backwards. I can just barley get it to grind forward with my hands (finger grip). Also, I've read numerous times on the forum that people use the factory setting, 0.039, which I'm told this is set to. But when I first poured a 1/2 lb of grain is, some of it went right threw. Not much, maybe half a fist full, but still more than I would expect.
Sorry for the post length, but I'd really like to get some crushin' in this weekend. Any suggestions, or thoughts? Is there something I'm missing (probably).
Thanks!

 

[MashStirBrew]

First get some feeler gauges and check your gap. Then look and see if there is a rubber o-ring on the roller. It is not needed and may have bound up. (do a search for barley crusher rubber o-ring)

 

[Blender]

The handle is probably just stuck. I would tap it gently and probably try some WD40. How can you put a drill on it if the handle is on?
I would check the gap with a feeler guage as well. I get a few grains that fall through initially but not very many.

 

[SourHopHead]

The handle is probably just stuck. I would tap it gently and probably try some WD40. How can you put a drill on it if the handle is on?
I would check the gap with a feeler guage as well. I get a few grains that fall through initially but not very many.

+1 Just tap it and should be fine.

 

[karbinator]

THey put the handle on backwards for shipping, and for storage.
+3 on sliding it off with a few light taps in the right place.

 

[brewt00l]

How'd you attach a drill if you can't get the handle off?

If you're going to crank it by hand, as others have suggested you need to loosen the set screw on the handle and tap it off gentile...turn it around and position it so the set screw is on the flat.

Use a set of feeler gauges (get em from an autoparts shop if you don't have any handy) and then adjust the gap using the two knurled adjustment screws on the mill's sides.

Run a bit of grain through and evaluate your crush...adjust again if necessary.

 

[jacksonbrown]

I was able to turn the handle around by unscrewing the large bold that runs through it. It still won't slide off the rolling arm. But since it has a fastening screw, I could attach the drill by just loosening it and sliding the handle closer to the body.
I see the O-ring, but am not sure if it's bound up. How do I take it out?

 

[jacksonbrown]

New development: using the drill it will roll forward and backwards just fine as long as there's no grain in there. If I put so much as a handful in it will not go forward. Back is no problem, but then it doesn't mill anything, the grain just comes out whole. What is going on here?

 

[nealf]

Just take a knife and cut off the o-ring from the bottom. The handle can get a little stuck so i'll agree with everyone else here and say just tap it a bit and it should come off fine as long as the screw that holds the handle in place is loose enough.

Neal

p.s. I just got my BC 2 days ago and I need to get some feeler gauges because the crush doesn't look quite fine enough for me!

 

[Cookiebaggs]

Try starting the mill with the drill first and then add the grain while it's going.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

Maybe you just need to upgrade your drill to a "Binford 6100".

 

[BierMuncher]

New development: using the drill it will roll forward and backwards just fine as long as there's no grain in there. If I put so much as a handful in it will not go forward. Back is no problem, but then it doesn't mill anything, the grain just comes out whole. What is going on here?

I had a stuck handle and Randy ended up replacing the crusher. Glad you got it off.

If you have not changed the factory settings and your drill is not crushing, you need to get a stronger drill. (Forward is the only direction you want to go.)

To prove my point, reattach the handle and see if you can manually crush a pound. If you can, it means you have a weak drill.

 

[jacksonbrown]

No dice on the manual grind. The screw just wont keep it tight enough.
I did oil it up a bit and that got it going! Hazah! Not too sure on the quality of the crush (will post pics when I get back home), but all the husks are broken up nicely, not much powder, could probably use to be a bit finer.
Thanks as always.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

So you just added some oil to the bushings and that freed it up? Interesting. Mine have spun free as a bird since day 1 and I've never oiled it.

 

[jacksonbrown]

Directions said to brush it with some veggie oil twice a year, so I figured now would be a good time. Here's a photo of the crush, not too clear, but as I said all the husks are definitely broken. But I'd imagine I'm looking for something finer.

 

[jacksonbrown]

Here are a few more photos, perhaps they will be clearer. Now it's back to work. Sigh, I wish I could just do brew related things all day.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

I think the crush looks good. I would give it a try before you go finer.

 

[WBC]

Your drill must be a weak one. Larger drill motors and slower speeds are the best for powering a grain mill. Mine is a 1/2 inch Milwalkee with trigger speed control and it has plenty of power. Check your gap with a feeler guage from an auto supply store. It should be .039 inch at both ends of the crushing rollers. To crush grain with a weaker drill motor pull the trigger on the drill and then dump in some grain so the drill does not have to start with grain in the rollers.

 

[malkore]

No dice on the manual grind. The screw just wont keep it tight enough.
I did oil it up a bit and that got it going! Hazah! Not too sure on the quality of the crush (will post pics when I get back home), but all the husks are broken up nicely, not much powder, could probably use to be a bit finer.
Thanks as always.

Ok, the rod has a flat side on it, and that's the side the set screw should be pushing against, not the rounded part. I just don't think you have it lined up properly.

 

[jacksonbrown]

I did have it lined up on the flat part. It doesn't really matter now though since the oil got it going with the drill anyway. And yea, my drill sucks, I found that out when I put together my kegarator. But it held up. I like the idea of starting the drill then adding the grain. I'm psyched for this brew tomorrow.

 

[Evets]

As for the uncrushed grain, I put some duct tape corners over the bottom corners in the hopper to kind of funnel the grain just a little bit inward towards center. Seems to work well for me.

 

[jacksonbrown]

Still no luck. I thought it was OK, but I put a 1/4# of grain in this morning and no go. My motor on the drill just froze up. I've drilled through my kegarator with it, so I don't think it's the drill itself (again, could be wrong). But am I just nuts? Has anyone else every had any trouble with their BC right out of the box?

 

[WBC]

It takes a strong drill motor that has adequate torque. Did you check the gap like I said in my last post? What was the gap?

 

[jacksonbrown]

I haven't had time to get gauges, but it's set to the factory setting, which should be 0.039. I used a clamp wrench this morning and managed a manual grind. That was not much fun, 25 min to mill 10 lb.
My drill is an 18 volt 0-500 rpm. I dunno what that means as a mill drill.
So, I milled, I brewed, it's chilling right now, and I have to be to work in 75 min. Blech... But SWAMBO will be happy, she's been wanting this brew for a while.

 

[mykayel]

I've ground my grain by hand so far with my BC but only because my drill batteries are shot and only last about 30 seconds. You should have to "tighten" the set screw on the handle if you have it on the flat part of the shaft, that's the whole point of it having that flat part; just gently screw it in and it should work. And crushing 10 lbs of grain is a little workout.

 

[WBC]

I haven't had time to get gauges, but it's set to the factory setting, which should be 0.039. I used a clamp wrench this morning and managed a manual grind. That was not much fun, 25 min to mill 10 lb.
My drill is an 18 volt 0-500 rpm. I dunno what that means as a mill drill.
So, I milled, I brewed, it's chilling right now, and I have to be to work in 75 min. Blech... But SWAMBO will be happy, she's been wanting this brew for a while.

Your battery must be old if an 18 volt drill will not crush grain. Battery drills suck for milling grain as the batteries are either not charged or will not take a full charge rendering the drill useless. Get a good quality 117 volt 3/8 chuck variable speed drill motor such as a Dewalt or Milwalkee brand. Better yet get a 1/2 inch variable speed drill motor as they have way more torque and lower speed which creates less flour.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

So even after oiling the bushings you still couldn't get the handle to work with the set screw? I hope it's not the mill, but I think I'd give the Barley Crusher guys a call and see what they say. I'm sure they'll be able to help you out.