Barley Crusher instructions?

Well,here's an odd one. I was assembling my new Barley Crusher Grain mill & looked at the instructions. Lubing the bushings with a couple drops of veggie oil twice a year sounds understandable. But why in the world would they say,the first time it's used,or after the mill has set for an extended period,to run a half pound of grain through it & discard,brush off rollers,& continue with your grain bill?? Isn't this something brushing the rollers clean should take care of?

For the first time it's supposed to help absorb and remove any oil left from machining. As for after it's sat a while, I'm not sure on that one other than maybe just aid in removing dust and dirt that could have collected.

I wonder if running grain through the mill doesn't create more forces on the rollers than brushing, meaning its better at knocking stuff off the rollers. But that seems to be an easy fix - cover it with a dust cloth when not in use...

Just a guess

B

Maybe knocks off some rust on the rollers? Mine is in my garage and I noticed a bit of discoloration on the rollers after it sat for a few months.

I wonder if cleaning the rollers with something that'd dissolve any oils present would do the same job? They don't really say why to do it?...I am planning on covering it with something.

after the mill has set for an extended period,

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The easy solution to that is to brew more often..............

I will be using it at least once a moth,sometimes twice. I just hate to waste a 1/2lb of grain for cleaning...

I usually use mine about that often and I never noticed any discoloration until it sat from Dec-Feb. I assume it was light rust. It came right off though. In general, I'm pretty happy with the Barley Crusher Mill.

I woder if folded paper towel would do any good without doing any harm? Maybe 1st one soaked in starsan,but not dripping wet. Then dry ones to dry it off again??

I've had mine 1.5 years and don't do anything other than knock the grain dust out before I put it away. No problems so far.

I was going to say,it doesn't look like there's anything on the rollers. Just want to be sure without wasting a half pound of grain. Need to get a trim brush to clean the rollers with too. All I got is the black foam ones.

Clean the rollers with some rubbing alcohol and a toothbrush then run a half pound through it the first time to make sure there is no residual cutting oil. Other than that no need to waste grain to clean the rollers unless the rollers become discolored due to surface rust or such.

Thanks toga,that sounds like a plan. I'll see if I have some rubbing alcohol.
Nick @ NB said in an e-mail thatsending a couple handfuls of waste grain(?) through the mill is a pretty good idea to get off oil or rust or even dust if the rollers have been sitting for a while. That way it does not go into your beer. For that purpose,I wouldn't reuse the grain. That said,you are right a brush can do a sufficient job of cleaning out the rollers too & really,anything that would be carried into your mash is going to go through the mashing & later boiling process,so it is unlikely to cause any problems at all.
Another idea: I have used some rice for the purpose as well. That is something you may have extra of Sitting around your pantry.
I wonder if rice would be too hard though,in regard to the rollers compared to malted grains??

mine had some surface rust after sitting the better part of the winter. I ran oatmeal through it to clean it off cuz it's cheap and I had a bunch. thought the same thing about the rice, but?

I would not put rice through my mill. Rice is very hard and would be tough on the rollers. Plus due to the hardness likely would not pick up most of what you would want to remove if using for cleaning.

yeah,I'm still very skeptical of the rice on my preciously costful grain mill. finally freed up tax money to order it. don't wanna ruin something that'll speed up my brewday quite a bit. I'll tell ya what though,the oatmeal bit sounds like it'd work pretty good,being flaked & a bit softer/thinner than dried rice grains. that'd be to me like tossing pea gravel in a blower...yikes!

I used a half pound of cheap base grain the first time I used mine. I don't do anything to clean it other than brush it off after use.

rust (iron oxide) isn't bad for you. in part of the world where there is chronic iron deficiency extensions workers have recommended putting a rusty nail in acidic foods (like tomato sauce). the amount of rust on the rollers is negligible, the amount that would actually make it into the beer would be even lower. your body simply eliminates whatever excess iron it ingests (assuming you don't eat a pound of rust...)