Motor for barley crusher

[ihavenonickname]

I’ve looked around at some options for motorizing my mill, lots of expensive options out there. But one build seemed to be totally happy with a very easy to use cheap small motor from China. It’s only 30 bucks and available from Amazon. Already geared to run 160rpm and capable of a good amount of torque, apparently - 10 kg.cm

see any big problems with this am I missing something? It’s so much cheaper than the 200 dolllar options, and easier than figuring out gears and pullys with a refurbed motor.

BRINGSMART 12V 160rpm DC Worm Gear Motor 10kg.cm Self-locking Engine Reversed Mini Turbine Geared Motor for DIY Robot Rotating Table Door Lock Curtain Machine (12V 160rpm) Amazon.com: BRINGSMART 12V 160rpm DC Worm Gear Motor 10kg.cm Self-locking Engine Reversed Mini Turbine Geared Motor for DIY Robot Rotating Table Door Lock Curtain Machine (12V 160rpm) : Electronics

edit: follow up to the idea above - I got a response from a poster who got this little motor working great at first. He said after 5 brews the motors burnt out and he replaced it.
it seems the better (and still cheap) solution is to get a corded drill with a speed dial and lock, see my post on next page)

 

[Beerstein]

I have the $200 option and I'm not thrilled with it. It has a surprising lack of torque. It also gets hot pretty quickly (20 minutes).

If you have the time, diy.

 

[ihavenonickname]

Hmm that’s surprising.

 

[Tom R]

12V operation at the rated max current of 1.6A is 19.2 watts, or .03 hp.
Doesn't seem like much power compared to the other motors being used on mills.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, I used a surplus 48 pound-inch 180 rpm GE gear motor on my BC for many years. Same motor now turns my CK mill. Does quite well, actually.
If I have the conversion correct, 10 kg-cm torque is equal to approximately 8.7 pound-inch torque. I'd be surprised if that would even get the mill to turn against grain...

Cheers!

 

[ihavenonickname]

I was an engineer in school, but it’s been so long since I’ve used this stuff, so i can’t make sense of it. But I got the idea from a blog where he used a similar (maybe the same) motor with a 20A power supply and he says it would crush well, even starting after the grain was loaded. Does the big power supply make sense?
https://tomohulk.github.io/motorizing-your-grain-mill/

 

[day_trippr]

Well there's really no clue available on what motor was actually used - not on the web page with the dead links nor the video.
Did see someone picked up a motor similar to the one under discussion here - and it was a total fail. Huge red flag...

 

[ihavenonickname]

That’s not the whole story… the blogger and another poster seemed to be totally happy with it, see this Reddit thread.



so I’m trying toget theproducts that worked for them, but a better u derstanding of the power and motor size needed would help me

 

[ITV]

I'm calling out the blogger as a Bull Shi**er. The only way the larger power supply will make a difference is if the motor actually drew more than 10 amps. With a dead link to the motor makes this even more suspect to Bull Sh**.

I went all out (buy once, cry once) with my All-American Ale Works Link 1/2 HP motor which easily drives my 3 roller mill.

 

[DonT]

I've been looking at this motor. Not sure how it will work.... stated torque is 3.8nm which is 2.8 ft/lb... seems strong enough. Thoughts?

 

[faithie999]

I don't brew all that often, so I just attach a power drill to the shaft of my Barley Crusher.

 

[esdill]

I use a Dayton 2H598B gear reduction motor (63 RPM) with 90 in-lb torque direct coupled with Lovejoy shaft connectors to run my 3 roller mill and it works great. I found the motor on-line at a surplus motor depot for about $100. A new one runs between $410 and $500 retail ...

 

[govner1]

I'm calling out the blogger as a Bull Shi**er. The only way the larger power supply will make a difference is if the motor actually drew more than 10 amps. With a dead link to the motor makes this even more suspect to Bull Sh**.

I went all out (buy once, cry once) with my All-American Ale Works Link 1/2 HP motor which easily drives my 3 roller mill.

This^^^^^!!! I used an All American Ale Works on my MM3 for a number of years and it was very reliable and efficient. Several club members came by regularly to mill their grains as well.
I recently gave it to one of my club members since I was gifted a large, custom built mill with 3, 3” grooved rollers.

 

[jdunn]

I have been using my Rigid cordless drill which has plenty of torque to drive my MM3. It seems to do the trick.

 

[ITV]

I've been looking at this motor. Not sure how it will work.... stated torque is 3.8nm which is 2.8 ft/lb... seems strong enough. Thoughts?

That motor seems on the weak side but it all depends on the mill that you plan on driving. The max RPM's seems on the low side as well (135 RPM).

For comparison my mill motor is 180 RPM at 14.5 ft-lbs.

This Link motor works with the Barley Crusher based on a member of the beer club. Unfortunately it does not give the torque or RPM values.

 

[cbier60]

I bought a used Bodine DC gearmotor and controller off eBay 5 years ago. The nice thing about the DC motor and controller is that it is variable speed, so you can adjust as necessary. At low speed, 1/4 HP is plenty to start up.

Bodine 42A5BEPM-E2 Steel 1/4HP DC Gearmotor (10:1 reducer)
Bodine WPM-2137E1 DC Motor Speed Control Filtered Output

These are old models, and the "list" price is high, but with some patience I was able to buy both for ~$125 total. There are many different models and options, including an AC motor. Search eBay or maybe FB Marketplace for "Bodine gearmotor. If you have any DIY capability, this is an excellent option. This motor is MUCH smaller than the enormous All American Ale Works option.

 

[ihavenonickname]

Well maybe I’m naive but I don’t think the two people that were happy with the small motor I posted in the OP are BS-ing us. Sure durability is unknown, maybe it burns out in a year.
but just intuitively,if just about any little hand drill can do the job why should we need these huge 1/3 HP motors designed for heavy machinery and washing machines! So I’m leaning towards trying out the little Chinese motor, hold my beer!

 

[ihavenonickname]

fwiw, I used a surplus 48 pound-inch 180 rpm GE gear motor on my BC for many years. Same motor now turns my CK mill. Does quite well, actually.
If I have the conversion correct, 10 kg-cm torque is equal to approximately 8.7 pound-inch torque. I'd be surprised if that would even get the mill to turn against grain...

Cheers!

Thanks for the comparison

 

[ihavenonickname]

12V operation at the rated max current of 1.6A is 19.2 watts, or .03 hp.
Doesn't seem like much power compared to the other motors being used on mills.

Thanks, do you think this means if I give it a 20A power source it’ll be capable of a lot of torque but likely burn out the motor or gears quickly?

 

[Tom R]

Exactly.
If you overload or stall the motor, the current drawn from the 20A power supply will be far greater than the 1.6A rated current. Then the motor's armature windings will overheat and it's game over.

 

[Dland]

A high torque drill such as Milwaukee hole shooter does the job very well. Not sure why most home brewers would get more complex unless one likes to build things and accumulate gadgets.

 

[fuzzybee]

I'm sure I'm jinxing myself, but I've used a low-speed Harbor Freight corded drill for years now.

 

[PCABrewing]

A high torque drill such as Milwaukee hole shooter does the job very well. Not sure why most home brewers would get more complex unless one likes to build things and accumulate gadgets.

I use a variable-speed 1/2" Ridgid corded drill.
Works well but I wish it had a throttle/trigger stop like one of my cordless had. It can be a challenge to not spin too-fast if you need to stop and restart under a load.
But for the last five years it has worked very well and definitely has enough power.

I won't buy a cordless anymore because I don't want to pay three-times for the drill because of high proprietary replacement/spare battery costs.
If I need to work in the field I have a generator or extension cords, or an older cordless in a pinch.

 

[ihavenonickname]

I think the big benefit for me is a dedicated setup that is hands free. I want to be able to walk away from it for those 5-10 minutes while it mills

 

[BFD_BrewGeek]

300 RPM 24 VDC geared bicycle motor, speed controlled to 150RPM. Motor was ~$50 on Ebay, 500W 24VDC power supply $38 and speed controller $17 on Amazon. Custom coupling.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133596475776https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IU8QBCO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081YYSYFQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[PCABrewing]

300 RPM 24 VDC geared bicycle motor, speed controlled to 150RPM. Motor was ~$50 on Ebay, 500W 24VDC power supply $38 and speed controller $17 on Amazon. Custom coupling.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133596475776https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IU8QBCO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081YYSYFQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
View attachment 749375
View attachment 749376

I like the hopper, kind of a twist on the old Phils Mill that used a 2 liter soda bottle.
I'm all for hands-on do it yourself. Does the output shaft have a chain sprocket on it?

 

[PCABrewing]

I think the big benefit for me is a dedicated setup that is hands free. I want to be able to walk away from it for those 5-10 minutes while it mills

Makes perfect sense.

 

[BFD_BrewGeek]

I like the hopper, kind of a twist on the old Phils Mill that used a 2 liter soda bottle.
I'm all for hands-on do it yourself. Does the output shaft have a chain sprocket on it?

Yes sir, a bike chain sprocket. You could set it up with a chain drive, but I went the easy route with a PVC plumbing fitting that I grooved with a Dremel tool to fit the sprocket teeth.

 

[Dland]

I think the big benefit for me is a dedicated setup that is hands free. I want to be able to walk away from it for those 5-10 minutes while it mills

I get it, but not sure what the benifit of very slow crushing is. It takes me a couple minutes to crush 20#, am I doing it wrong?

 

[ihavenonickname]

Exactly.
If you overload or stall the motor, the current drawn from the 20A power supply will be far greater than the 1.6A rated current. Then the motor's armature windings will overheat and it's game over.

Thanks, this makes sense. I see why these little motors could pretty easily fail

 

[ITV]

Thanks, this makes sense. I see why these little motors could pretty easily fail

What doesn't make sense it that the Blogger claimed that the 7A power supply wouldn't turn the motor but the 20A power supply did.
That statement discredits the blogger for me regardless of what other reviewers say.

 

[bracconiere]

little late to the party, but i think what you want is something like this "a speed dial lock drill" what i got from harbor freight wroks great for $40.....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2551881812...HZtqFcTp2WoCLGRDxjN71mbbvGvvVgJYaAj9IEALw_wcB

just get it rolling and dial the speed lock thingy to what speed you want....pour the grain in with it mounted somehow.....

(but i'm just throwing some search words out for you, you'd want a low speed one. just look for the dial on the trigger....)

 

[bracconiere]

i think this would work?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Meterk-H...rPz08WCL8ycsQpIU870aAmLFEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Brewer_Dad]

I have a cordless drill that has regulated torque. I thought about an engine or a stand but I brew 5gal batches and the time it takes to mill that amount of grain is pretty much insignificant.

 

[Gozie Boy]

Many like to over complicate simple processes, but if that's what they really want I'll never say not to go for it. But in my 10-12 gallons batches (up to c.42# grain), my Milwaukee cordless is a simple solution, works like a champ and has never even breathed hard. Given that the bucket fills up relatively quickly, I don't need/want to be away from the milling process. The actual milling is a rather small piece of the brew day, so I don't see much benefit.

 

[Homergah]

I've been using a very old, cheap 18v Ryobi drill. I can't walk away from it, but it only takes a few minutes to mill. Walking away from a mill in progress is cause for dismissal at many breweries. Mills can and do get hung up. Grain will occasionally have a pebble or two in it.
I didn't read the article that was attached about the motor for the mill. Maybe the guy got his words wrong. Did he run 20 VOLTS to a 12v motor? That would make much more sense. And probably would work fine for the limited short run of a mill. Saying that he ran 20A to a 1.6A motor makes no sense whatsoever. You don't run Amps TO a motor. The motor draws the amperage it needs depending on load.

If you really want to motorize on the cheap, keep an eye out for someone throwing away an old electric ride-on toy car. These things usually strip out the gears before the motor dies. That, or the batteries are toast and they cost too much to replace. You would need some way to power it. You can use the old "go pedal" from the car for a speed controller.

 

[PCABrewing]

I get it, but not sure what the benifit of very slow crushing is. It takes me a couple minutes to crush 20#, am I doing it wrong?

I think if I spin my mill too fast it has a tendency to make more flour.
I believe that is because some kernels that the rollers don't get a good grip on tend to me Ground rather than Crushed because the roller spins against them rather than pulling them in and crushing.
Better mills probably don't do that.

 

[ihavenonickname]

I went to the habitat store looking for bigger motor and they had several 1/6 - 3/4 HP motors, machine shop style for cheap. This would look really cool but I would have to find a couple of pulleys to drop the speed down 1:10, pulleys seem kind of expensive.

But I also found a rad little hand drill with a speed control dial and trigger lock. I’ll be able to set the speed nice and low, flip it on and let it do the work hand free. I just need a few straps and lock it down to the base.

So just as suggested by @bracconiere above this is a great cheap solution for a dedicated, hand free mill cabinet.
thanks for everyone’s help.

 

[Dland]

I think if I spin my mill too fast it has a tendency to make more flour.
I believe that is because some kernels that the rollers don't get a good grip on tend to me Ground rather than Crushed because the roller spins against them rather than pulling them in and crushing.
Better mills probably don't do that.

I had a BC mill, actually still have, but am now using a 3 roller mill, since BC kind of wore out, soft rollers, same old story. Anyway, the drill I use is vairable speed, high torque, I probably spin it at around 1/4 of drill's max RPM. No appreaciable flour, good crush w intact hulls, with BC too. Though I do admit 3 roller mill does a better job. Gap setting is important, of course.

 

[IslandLizard]

For inspiration:

That's using an older model, Harbor Freight "Heavy Duty Low Speed" drill, 110V, 7.5 Amps. Max speed is 550 rpm.

I run it at about half power ~120-150 rpm under load on my Monster Mill 2 (MM2) with 1.5" rollers, to get a "linear speed" of ~12" per second, the optimal speed for milling grain.


They now have a newer model with similar specs, it's red spade-handle kinda drill now.