Barley Crusher, which size?

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

A real man would just make a 50lb hopper.

 

[bad coffee]

no, a REAL man would have a barley crusher for each grain he uses, with a 50# hopper on every one. Computer controlled crushing and weighing for the whole setup would take care of the real work. . .

arh arh arh.

B

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

I'm a hypocrite. I have a small hopper. But then, I don't need to compensate for anything.

My home made hopper sits on my home made mill.

 

[steelerguy]

I was thinking a real man wouldn't need a stinking hopper, he would just punch the grain until it was crushed to perfection. I hear Chuck Norris can crush grain under the pressure of his intense stare.

 

[BrewBrain]

I chew all my grain up until it feels right in my mouth and spit it out into my mash ton. Gives me a good feel for the flavor too so I can adjust with more crystal 40 on the fly if needed.

When's the next swap by the way?

 

[bull8042]

WOW! this thread went to hell pretty quick....

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

WOW! this thread went to hell pretty quick....

Well there are probably brews there to that could use this information. Where do you think BMC is made?

Back on topic.

I don't mind reloading the hopper as I usually load about 2 kilos of grain at a time, grind then check off the list. Base malts would be easier with a larger hopper but it's not that much of a deal.

What I DO want is a large hopper to hold the ground grain that I could then open to have the grains enter the MLT. I hate scooping and mixing.

 

[BierMuncher]

I crushed in for Denny Conn's RYE IPA tonight.

It was nice just filling the hopper once for this 16 (ish) pound grist.

Oh... and last summer at band camp...I was crushing in some grains for a stout.....

 

[Cookiebaggs]

I crushed in for Denny Conn's RYE IPA tonight.

It was nice just filling the hopper once for this 16 (ish) pound grist.

Oh... and last summer at band camp...I was crushing in some grains for a stout.....

More time to eat pretzels.....Snyder's?

BTW, I see you have the cordless drill. What happened to the old girl with the frayed cord and exposed wires?

That's not ugly junk...

 

[BierMuncher]

More time to eat pretzels.....Snyder's?

BTW, I see you have the cordless drill. What happened to the old girl with the frayed cord and exposed wires?

Yeah...well...one night I was crushing in for a big 11 gallon APA and about 60% of the way through...she started smoking, sputtering...sparking, and just generally dying. You know how there's nothing quite like the smell of new electronics right out of the box?

There's really nothing like the smell of old electronics (or power tools) that are dying right in front of you.

She died happy.
She died brewing.
That's the way I want to go. (Right behind my first choice of being put down by a $1,000 a night hooker).
I've saved her "remains" and I will mount her soon for posterity.

 

[Saccharomyces]

Pretty junk...

I have the 15# BC but could have gone for the 7#... refilling isn't that difficult. When I ordered I think it was $20 difference so I figured what the heck.

 

[Cookiebaggs]

Yeah...well...one night I was crushing in for a big 11 gallon APA and about 60% of the way through...she started smoking, sputtering...sparking, and just generally dying. You know how there's nothing quite like the smell of new electronics right out of the box?

There's really nothing like the smell of old electronics (or power tools) that are dying right in front of you.

She died happy.
She died brewing.
That's the way I want to go. (Right behind my first choice of being put down by a $1,000 a night hooker).
I've saved her "remains" and I will mount her soon for posterity.

LOL!!! Prost buddy!

 

[bull8042]

Oh... and last summer at band camp...I was crushing in some grains for a stout.....

Keep that story to yourself! There is a lot I want to learn from you, but the things you do with your flute ain't one of them!!!

 

[LooyvilleLarry]

I chew all my grain up until it feels right in my mouth and spit it out into my mash ton. Gives me a good feel for the flavor too so I can adjust with more crystal 40 on the fly if needed.

When's the next swap by the way?

Oh, so THAT is what they mean by MouthFeel

 

[bull8042]

To bring this back on topic, I brewed 11 Gal of Cream of Three Crops this Saturday. My previous efficiency was a consistent 68 - 70%, but after doing my own crush my efficiency jumped to 83%! So, get a 7lb hopper or a 15lb hopper.... or a 47lb hopper, doesn't matter. Just get a crusher and you won't be disappointed!

 

[Sudz]

I like the 15# since I do 10-gallon batches.

I can do most of my 1040(ish) beers with just one dump into the hopper.

View attachment 10319

What gap do you have yours set at BierMuncher?

 

[BierMuncher]

What gap do you have yours set at BierMuncher?

If you know me, you know my answer is "I dunno".

It varies greatly. I reduce the gap as much as possible for wheat and rye malt (and still run it through twice).

For two-row I set it as close as it will go and still "grab" the grains. I found that setting it too close and the rollers just skim the grains and don't grab-and-crush.

Even between different two-rows, there is a difference. Golden Promise seems to be a slightly larger hull and if possible...a bit more slippery.

So for me...the gap setting is whatever I need to get optimal crush.

 

[Sudz]

If you know me, you know my answer is "I dunno".

Something to be said for truth in advertizing.... Thanks for the response. I hadn't thought about slipping on a narrow gap. Makes sense. I also hadn't considered the variability in grains and it's effect.

Guess it's time to go make some "experience"...

Cheers....

 

[JVD_X]

If you know me, you know my answer is "I dunno".

It varies greatly. I reduce the gap as much as possible for wheat and rye malt (and still run it through twice).

That is exactly what I had to do this weekend. I do wish the Barley crusher had a better way of setting gaps than the current thumb rollers - maybe a lever or something.

 

[Sudz]

Used my 7 lb for the first time this weekend. Did an outstanding job. Unfortunately too good.

I checked the gap on my LHBS grinder and confirmed mine was the same at .039. However, the new crusher produced significantly finer results?? This resulted in a stuck sparge and way too much efficiency for my brew. Usually get about 75 - 78%. This beast produced 90%. I'll be dialing out the gap but what puzzles me is why would the results be so different with the same gap.

 

[Catt22]

There are more factors involved than just the gap. The diameter of the rollers, the coarseness of the knurl and the speed at which the mill is turning can all affect the crush. It only takes a few stuck mashes to make one back off some on the crush. Determining the optimum crush is something of an art. Once you get it right, it's easy to recognize a good crush and repeat it time after time.

 

[Sudz]

There are more factors involved than just the gap. The diameter of the rollers, the coarseness of the knurl and the speed at which the mill is turning can all affect the crush. It only takes a few stuck mashes to make one back off some on the crush. Determining the optimum crush is something of an art. Once you get it right, it's easy to recognize a good crush and repeat it time after time.

I'm a believer... Guess I'll crush some 2 row at my LHBS and use this for a visual comparsion in getting mine adjusted to match. Probably is simple once you've done it but initially I feel like I'm flying in the dark.

 

[BeerPressure]

I just crushed 11lbs of Belgian Pilsner with my brand spankin new barley crusher at factory settings. Crush looks great, alot finer than my LHBS.

Worried I will get too high of efficiency. I want to nail this beer and really dont wanna over shoot.

 

[Sudz]

I just crushed 11lbs of Belgian Pilsner with my brand spankin new barley crusher at factory settings. Crush looks great, alot finer than my LHBS.

Worried I will get too high of efficiency. I want to nail this beer and really dont wanna over shoot.

If it was set at .039 it will be too fine using a drill... get ready for stuck sparging.... and the highest efficiency you've seen on your equipment.

Great product but mine will get some adjustment before it's used again.

 

[BeerPressure]

If it was set at .039 it will be too fine using a drill... get ready for stuck sparging.... and the highest efficiency you've seen on your equipment.

Great product but mine will get some adjustment before it's used again.

Nah, I've ran my grain through twice at the homebrew store and it was similar and didnt get stuck.

 

[paledragon]

If it was set at .039 it will be too fine using a drill... get ready for stuck sparging.... and the highest efficiency you've seen on your equipment.

Great product but mine will get some adjustment before it's used again.

i gapped mine slightly smaller than the factory setting and have yet to see a stuck sparge on 10+ batches, covering everything from rye IPA's to oatmeal stouts. a lot may depend on what drill you use. i have a cordless that has high and low rpm gears. i get maybe 200-300 rpm on low. i can imagine a single gear corded drill doing a lot more damage though.

p.d.

 

[BeerPressure]

Why does the drill speed make a difference? The gap is still the same size regardless of speed.

 

[Amiaji]

Why does the drill speed make a difference? The gap is still the same size regardless of speed.

You want to crush the grain, not shred it. At too high a speed it tears the husk apart to much.
I run my 18 volt cordless dril on low speed while my wife slowly pours the grain into the hopper, making sure there is always some grain in the hopper but its not full. I have been getting 80% efficiency with this method so it works for me.

 

[BeerPressure]

You want to crush the grain, not shred it. At too high a speed it tears the husk apart to much.
I run my 18 volt cordless dril on low speed while my wife slowly pours the grain into the hopper, making sure there is always some grain in the hopper but its not full. I have been getting 80% efficiency with this method so it works for me.

Makes sense. I will find out tomorrow if I've overdone it. Problem is that it is a golden strong ale that I'm brewing and i really want it to be done perfectly. I've sifted through the crushed grain and it seems the husks are pretty well in tact.

 

[Catt22]

You want to crush the grain, not shred it. At too high a speed it tears the husk apart to much.
I run my 18 volt cordless dril on low speed while my wife slowly pours the grain into the hopper, making sure there is always some grain in the hopper but its not full. I have been getting 80% efficiency with this method so it works for me.

I agree, but you can compensate for running at higher speeds by enlarging the gap. High speed alone is not a problem so long as you make accomodations for it. I run slow at 115 rpm, so I can't speak from direct experience on this, but I got this from people who were involved in mill designs. Pretty much the same for the other variables. You can adjust out the differences and produce any grist you want with most mills. That's why any single gap setting such as .039 will not necessarily be optimum for all mills. There are other considrations.