Major issues with my Barley Crusher today - this common to single roller mills?

[Rev2010]

I've had my Barley Crusher for something like 2-3 years now, can't recall. Been working pretty darn great over that time but there was the occasional time where it would refuse to pull grain. One time it was because the second roller wasn't adjusted properly and woudn't roll smoothly, easy fix. But since then I've had the issue where it won't pull grain even though both rollers roll 360 degrees perfectly smooth. Last time it happened I took my mash spoon and just jabbed the grain down in the middle with the opposite end of the spoon and that got it going.

Today however, it just wouldn't pull grain and everything checked out. The rollers are free spinning, the gap size is the same I've been using for barley but I widened it to no avail, I literally had to crush one measuring cup (16fl oz) of grain at a time. Anything more and it seemed like the grain in the hopper creates a pressure bridge that keeps it from dropping. Either that or the main roller simply isn't grabbing the grain.

I wanted to toss the thing out the window it was so frustrating. Anyhow, posting this for two reasons. First, I think I'm ready to upgrade to something like the 3 roller Captain Crush. So question is, are all the rollers driven and does this sort of issue happen with those types of mills as well? Second question, is there a way to eliminate this issue with my single roller mill? Thanks in advance!


Rev.

 

[The_Bishop]

Yeah, that's pretty common on the BC. The knurling is worn out. You could try flipping the idle roller to expose a new set of 'sharp' edges on the knurling.

 

[Rev2010]

Yeah, that's pretty common on the BC. The knurling is worn out. You could try flipping the idle roller to expose a new set of 'sharp' edges on the knurling.

Would something like this also occur on the 3-roller flat lined rollers of the Captain Crush?


Rev.

 

[The_Bishop]

Not sure, never had one in my hands. Off the top of my head, I'd say probably not as you have a 'rib' gripping the grain, not knurling. It would take a *lot* longer for it to wear to the point that it wouldn't grip the grain any longer.

 

[tjpfeister]

I got a hand-me-down Barley Crusher from a (now) professional brewer who wore it out in his homebrewing days and I proceeded to thoroughly wear out over the last 3 years. My "solution" was to mill twice, once at .065" and then again at .035". This would make milling bearable as freewheeling wasn't too common and could quickly be remedied. But last November it free-wheeled the straw that broke the camel's back. I marched right over to the computer and ordered a MM3-2.0 with hardened rollers.

You could get the monster mill mm3 with the 1.5" rollers, CASE HARDENED, for less... Maybe $25 more than the Captain Crush if you get the hopper and base but atleast you are supporting American made. I've seen a lot of mixed reviews on the well-marketed china made CC... Not on NB's website of course, they don't post negative reviews. Lulz

 

[The_Bishop]

I've been milling away with my $99 cereal killer for a while now. Never an issue. One mill session actually consisted of 110 pounds of grain, all in one go. A friend's Barley Crusher just wouldn't mill any more, so I brought over my CK and we got the job done.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

don't barley crushers have a lifetime warranty? why not just box up the old BC and send it back for a free refresh? buying new doesn't make sense, to me anyway. my 2c

 

[SavoryChef]

Send it back and have him send you a new one

 

[Rev2010]

don't barley crushers have a lifetime warranty? why not just box up the old BC and send it back for a free refresh? buying new doesn't make sense, to me anyway. my 2c

I actually planned to, but I still want to go with a different mill due to some of the reasons already mentioned. Using the Captain Crush as an example (since I haven't decided fully yet), I like how it's more properly center balanced, easier to wash with the acrylic base, larger hopper, extra roller, slotted roller design, and probably most important for me... 3 flat sided drive shaft for drill attachment. My Barley Crusher has a rounded drive shaft and the drill sometimes slips, but even worse it's a pain to get it tightened to where there's no wobble in the drill spin. Major PITA.

The other thing is, I've read getting a response to emails from the makers of Barley Crusher is nearly non-existence and that it's best to just pack it up and send it in with a note and they'll repair and send it back. However, I recall reading some users saying it took nearly two months and well... I'm in the height of my brewing season so I'm constantly brewing and need a mill soon.


Rev.

 

[b-boy]

Yes - Barley Crusher support is hit-or-miss.

I had one and it took a few months to get the thing repaired. Mine started acting up after 2.5 years or so. It had the same symptoms that you're experiencing.

Best way to deal with it is to skip the emails. Just send the mill back to the manufacturer with a note. He'll fix it and return it within 2-3 weeks. If you try to contact him first, it can take weeks to get a reply.

He did fix my mill, so I can't complain too much. I ended up selling it for a MM3. I'm pretty happy with that so far.

 

[Flboy]

Repair it, and buy your new mill. When the BC returns, sell it!

 

[Jayhem]

I've had a Barley Crusher for 3 years now. I've milled over 1,000 lbs of malt through it . The only time it fails to pull the grain is if a small pebble was int he grain and lodges between the rollers. Sometimes when a pebble does that the drive roller spins freely but the slave roller will not spin. This is not the fault of the mill.

Unless your milling thousands of pounds a year it's highly unlikely you have worn out the knurling edges unless you have sand in your grain!

 

[Rev2010]

Sometimes when a pebble does that the drive roller spins freely but the slave roller will not spin. This is not the fault of the mill.

I emptied out the hopper and refilled it several times. I think it's quite safe to say there wasn't a pebble causing this. I've also had mine for 3 years and one month and have also put about 700-900 pounds of grain through it. I do a lot of wheat beers however and as most are aware the kernels are much harder than barley and I use a tighter gap setting. I wonder if that could've increased wear. I'll have to examine the rollers and report back. After managing to get through the crush that day and later having posted the thread I haven't yet went back and examined the knurls on the rollers.


Rev.

 

[b-boy]

I've had a Barley Crusher for 3 years now. I've milled over 1,000 lbs of malt through it . The only time it fails to pull the grain is if a small pebble was int he grain and lodges between the rollers. Sometimes when a pebble does that the drive roller spins freely but the slave roller will not spin. This is not the fault of the mill.

Unless your milling thousands of pounds a year it's highly unlikely you have worn out the knurling edges unless you have sand in your grain!

Mine wore out in about 2.5 years. I used it about once a month. I probably ran about 75 lbs through it per batch.

 

[The_Bishop]

A LHBS bought a new BC last year to replace the old one that wouldn't pull the grain in any more, despite cleaning and adjustment. The knurling was visibly worn out.

The new mill had a noticeable dulling of the knurling and would get stuck freewheeling after only 2-3 months of milling. The secondary roller wasn't binding, it rolls smoothly. The knurling just doesn't grip the grain enough to draw it in. The older BC was a few years old and worked well until one day it just wouldn't draw the grain through any longer.

The older units seem to have had a better build quality. The new ones, sadly, are nowhere near as robust. There are better mills available now.

 

[attyindaburgh]

Still saving up the necessary funds to get a mill. I sent the dude from monster mill a question as to if I needed a spider coupling if using a drill. He responded right away. So far, I have not seen a single negative post regarding mm mills. Please correct me if I am wrong since I am still in the market.

 

[MaxStout]

Still saving up the necessary funds to get a mill. I sent the dude from monster mill a question as to if I needed a spider coupling if using a drill. He responded right away. So far, I have not seen a single negative post regarding mm mills. Please correct me if I am wrong since I am still in the market.

Go with the MM. You won't regret it. I bought the basic 1.5" 2-roller mill with 1/2" shaft (to attach a pulley wheel). Damn thing's built like a tank and it chews through everything like the woodchipper in Fargo.

And if you're considering the Barley Crusher, you might want to have a look at this thread.

 

[attyindaburgh]

I was thinking about the same rig but with the ss upgrade. I was going to share it with some friends so I was thinking that the ss would be less likely to rust.

 

[The_Bishop]

Rust isn't an issue with a mill as long as you don't store it in a damp area.

 

[govner1]

Still saving up the necessary funds to get a mill. I sent the dude from monster mill a question as to if I needed a spider coupling if using a drill. He responded right away. So far, I have not seen a single negative post regarding mm mills. Please correct me if I am wrong since I am still in the market.

I have a 3 roller Monster Mill that I motorized. The owner/manufacturer of the MM was very helpful w/ suggestions re my setup.
All is working we so far. I've milled approximately 500 lbs.

 

[SavoryChef]

Another happy owner of the MM3

 

[goaticus]

I actually planned to, but I still want to go with a different mill due to some of the reasons already mentioned. Using the Captain Crush as an example (since I haven't decided fully yet), I like how it's more properly center balanced, easier to wash with the acrylic base, larger hopper, extra roller, slotted roller design, and probably most important for me... 3 flat sided drive shaft for drill attachment. My Barley Crusher has a rounded drive shaft and the drill sometimes slips, but even worse it's a pain to get it tightened to where there's no wobble in the drill spin. Major PITA.

The other thing is, I've read getting a response to emails from the makers of Barley Crusher is nearly non-existence and that it's best to just pack it up and send it in with a note and they'll repair and send it back. However, I recall reading some users saying it took nearly two months and well... I'm in the height of my brewing season so I'm constantly brewing and need a mill soon.


Rev.

DON'T go with the Captain. It constantly refuses to pull grain right out of the box.

 

[Rev2010]

DON'T go with the Captain. It constantly refuses to pull grain right out of the box.

Damn, that sucks to hear... but thanks for the warning! I'm totally cool with going with the Monster Mill, or Crankandstein but I haven't yet looked at them, but I really wish they'd flatten the edges on the drive arm. Smooth round metal tends to slip occasionally with drills that only hand tighten (ie. no chuck). *EDIT - just noticed the Crankandstein has flatten edges for the drive arm. Interesting. Not a fan of the 3rd roller being smoother though. Have to read more.


Rev.

 

[goaticus]

Since my last post the Captain stopped pulling grain completely. Left me dead in the water. So, I contacted NB to send the Captain back. The guy told me the MM3 would likely do the same thing (while implying that I just couldn't adjust my gaps right). So, I have decided to try the Millars Mill. I wanted to try the one out of Aus that has the geared rollers, but they don't produce a hopper for it. I like that it has actual bearings instead of bushings. Will report on the Millars.

 

[Rev2010]

Since my last post the Captain stopped pulling grain completely. Left me dead in the water. So, I contacted NB to send the Captain back.

Yeah I read too many complaints with the captain crush and got too many warnings on here to take the chance getting it. Are you getting refunded or a replacement? I've read many favorable reviews on the Millars, about the only thing I really saw that agreed with a suspicion of mine is grain dust getting out when milling since there's no cover over the bucket, it has the two metal bars for feet. Someone had reviewed it somewhere online and said he had to build a wooden base as it was getting too messy. Should be simple enough though. I do also like the bearings, though I'll admit in 3 years of use with my barley crusher I've had no problems with the smoothness of the rollers motion. My MM2 arrives tomorrow and I'll be using it for the first time this weekend so long as the weather forecast holds. Best of luck with your new mill!


Rev.

 

[Yooper]

I've posted way too much about my dissatisfaction with my barley crusher. It's been sent back twice, and their customer service is greatly lacking.

I brew fairly often, but when I got my barley crusher I was doing 5 gallon batches twice a month. It worked great for about 6 months, maybe less. I had so many problems after that and I would never recommend a barley crusher to anyone else. I probably put a total of 75 pounds of grain through it before it failed. Via email they told me to take it apart and turn over the rollers, which I did. I went 'round and 'round with them, and send it back two times.

Right now, it works "ok". I have it at the factory default at .039" (any tighter and it clogs up) and I can get it to work, most of the time. sometimes it requires hand turning, or spinning underneath to get it to 'catch'.

I think there must better mills out there, but I decided to just be satisfied with a coarser crush and less efficiency, at least for now.

 

[Rev2010]

I think there must better mills out there, but I decided to just be satisfied with a coarser crush and less efficiency, at least for now.

I was surprised when I went to order the MM2, cost less than I'd expected. With the hopper and base subtotal was $190.00 and with shipping $209.70. I went with the default setup so the benefits over a Barley Crusher are better steel rollers, one inch longer rollers, .25" larger diameter rollers, and 11lb hopper vs. 7lb. The BC sells direct for $120 and through NB sells for $150. So for just $70 more I think the price difference is definitely made up for. Heck, for the longevity alone it will be way worth it.


Rev.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Buy a new mill. Send the old in for repair. Sell the old for a bargain to pay-it-forward and get a new brewer into all-grain.

 

[grathan]

Congrats on the new mill. Keep us posted on how you like it vs. barley crusher.

 

[Owly055]

I began building MilZilla before buying my BC, and haven't gotten back to it. It consists of 2, rollers 6" diameter, both driven as well as being knurled. Ultimately, it will be pedal powered..........but It got moved to the "back burner" for the time being.

Meanwhile, the BC has served me well for about 150 lbs of malt with two disassemblies for cleaning........ a very easy and quick chore.

H.W.