Barley Crusher stopped Feeding Grain

[CBelli]

So... I have had a barley chrusher for about 3-4 years now and use it around twice a month...

Lately it stops feeding grain about 3 times every brew day... I end up poking the rollers through the grain in the hopper to get the grain to feed again...

Yesterday it got to the point that it would not feed any grain at all!!!
I ended up running to a buddy's house to mill it for me...

I have taken it apart and checked it for issues..
opened the gap... nothing....
closed the gap.... nothing
I do not see any issues?

Anyone have any suggestions?
Is it possible that I wore the damn thing out?

 

[unionrdr]

Check the bushings on the roller shafts for grain bits. They can get stuck with all that stuff packing in there. I keep mine set on the notches for the factory setting of .039".

 

[Mellman]

mine had that happen; i had to blow it out with compressed air, take it completely apart and 'lube' it with a little vegetable oil, i mean little...don't over lube!

 

[Dolomieu]

Had this happen recently too. Took the plat off the side with the passive roller. Blow it out with compressed air. Works like a camp again.

 

[CBelli]

Thanks for the input.... I will give it a try tonight!!!

 

[Braufessor]

I had the same thing happen.... seemed to be particularly with pilsner malt (smaller??). I would back spin the roller a half turn or so and bring it back forward and it would eventually grab. Adjusted, readjusted the gap....Kind of just kept getting worse and worse. Mine was old and I had run 1000's of pounds of grain through it. Finally "fixed it" by buying a Monster Mill 2 roller...... It now works way better than it ever did

But, I would try the above suggestions first....

 

[masonsjax]

Mine did the same thing. I took it apart and found the brass bushings were loaded with gunk. Scraped it all clean and it's been working great ever since.

 

[SavoryChef]

Send it back for a replacement. Search for "barley crusher customer service"

 

[augiedoggy]

Send it back for a replacement. Search for "barley crusher customer service"

But its not defective? It needs to be cleaned.

Thats just the nature of this piece of machinery and the responsibility for maintenance it needs to keep operating correctly... its a lower cost unit and the trade off is it might need more maintenance to keep it functioning correctly... that should be the choice the buyer made when he opted for the economy route... Most grain mills need to be cleaned and maintained to work...
if your lazy and dont want to do maintenance then take it upon yourself to pay for that by buying another one dont pass the buck to others.
and its not a question of "being handy" as most use for an excuse... theres no rocket science involved here if you can make beer or clean your blender after using it you can handle cleaning the mill.

Just my 2 cents but This kind of attitude kinda rubs me the wrong way because its like insurance fraud, We all end up stuck paying for the ones that do it as its a main cause for inflated prices....

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Yeah, it's a common problem with barley crushers. Mine does it too. I have mine motorized. If it acts up on me while I'm crushing (which it almost always does) I just turn off my motor and run the mill backwards and forwards a little bit until it catches some grain and then turn it back on. It's a good quick fix if you're at a point where you don't want to take it apart and clean it.

 

[unionrdr]

I've also been using a hog bristle basting brush I got from the grocery store to brush mine clean. It looks like a 1" trim brush. I find hog bristle brushes work better.

 

[CBelli]

It is all fixed now... It just needed a good cleaning with a wire brush...
The ends of the non powered roller were all gunked up with years of grain dust...

I'm sure it will continue to provide years of service

 

[chemman14]

I've also been using a hog bristle basting brush I got from the grocery store to brush mine clean. It looks like a 1" trim brush. I find hog bristle brushes work better.

I do this after every time I use it, as per the instructions. I am guessing the people that are having problems have never done this.

 

[insanim8er]

I'm sure it will continue to provide years of service

You better hope since his customer service SUCKS. As a matter of fact, you should try to get in touch with him now, so when it does fail again in the "years" to come, you'll be ready to send it in for repair.

 

[CBelli]

It is all fixed now... It just needed a good cleaning with a wire brush...
The ends of the non powered roller were all gunked up with years of grain dust...

I'm sure it will continue to provide years of service

I spoke too soon....
Damn thing worked for a test 1/2 pound....
when I tried to mill 12 pounds it failed...
personally I think I have worn the knurls down...
Found the receipt, I have had it exactly 3 years and do about 20-25 batches a year.

I am sending it back to BC per his request to fix or replace...
I'll post my results when I get them

 

[zman]

I spoke too soon....
Damn thing worked for a test 1/2 pound....
when I tried to mill 12 pounds it failed...
personally I think I have worn the knurls down...
Found the receipt, I have had it exactly 3 years and do about 20-25 batches a year.

I am sending it back to BC per his request to fix or replace...
I'll post my results when I get them

Were you able to get his contact info? The email address on the website is no longer any good. I had to go to the MI Companies list in order to get his snail mail address. It is really telling about his "customer service" if you have multiple ways to pay but no real easy way to contact him.

 

[CBelli]

Were you able to get his contact info? The email address on the website is no longer any good. I had to go to the MI Companies list in order to get his snail mail address. It is really telling about his "customer service" if you have multiple ways to pay but no real easy way to contact him.

Yes I did... he was a big help and send me what appears to be a new unit.

Unlike other posters, I have had fantastic customer support.

I PM'd you his details including his email

 

[grathan]

Congratulations. I hope the new one works out for you.

Mine acts up, but mainly I have a technique that has worked for going on 2 years now So I'll just keep plugging along. I wonder if they still even offer lifetime replacement..

 

[masonsjax]

Might be helpful to others here if you would post his info, or at least encourage him to fix the outdated info that's posted.

 

[Hello]

Yes I did... he was a big help and send me what appears to be a new unit.

Unlike other posters, I have had fantastic customer support.

I PM'd you his details including his email

Can you post it for all? Many people have issues with this product and there is no reason to let this dude hide. He offers a warranty and he needs to honor it.

 

[unionrdr]

I'll third that! Post up the info so we can save for when it's needed.

 

[SavoryChef]

Randall L. Justice
430 Capac Road
Allenton, MI 48002

From another thread

Hope it goes well.

 

[insanim8er]

It is really telling about his "customer service" if you have multiple ways to pay but no real easy way to contact him.

Yup... I had horrific customer service with the guy, but I can say it's Absolutely pointless emailing him anyway. Just mail the unit off with a note (and keep receipts). You'll get it a lot sooner. Mine came back in absolute horrific condition. It was black with grime and full of metal shards. I had to clean the living crap out of it be before use.

After the experience I had with him, I'll never speak a good word of the guy... period. He's a royal piece of [censored] in my eyes and I hope he reads these posts.

My grave stone will say, "here lays jake... Don't buy a barley crusher"

Once I get a deal on a monster mill 3, I'll have the barley crusher up for sale.

 

[DanH]

My grave stone will say, "here lays jake... Don't buy a barley crusher"

Although... If I put Blichmann stickers on them you'd buy 'em all.


Sent from my iPhone using the sweet Home Brew app, cuz I'm a ****** and I need everyone to know that I have an iPhone as if everyone else in the world doesn't have one.

 

[insanim8er]

Although... If I put Blichmann stickers on them you'd buy 'em all.


Sent from my iPhone using the sweet Home Brew app, cuz I'm a ****** and I need everyone to know that I have an iPhone as if everyone else in the world doesn't have one.

Don't be a hater Danny boy.... I'll let you brew on my system.

But I can say Blichmann has always had the BEST customer service for me. They've gone above and beyond the call of duty in my opinion. Barley crusher can learn a thing or two from a company like Blichmann.

 

[N3Bruce]

I have a problem just about every time I use it. The passive roller will jam, due to some crud that gets carried into a dead space behind it. I run it a little fast (about 400 RPM) and set the gap at about .035. I find you need to be very careful when setting up the gap that the rollers are the same distance apart from one side of the mill to the other. If you don't, the passive roller will rub against the frame and cause problems. I have a lot of trouble getting the mill to work at less than about .032, but I am getting about 85% mash efficiency at .035.

 

[Redlantern]

OK - running a MM3, but I have found that
1) Some malts are slippery - Brown malt for example. Mix it with 2-row and it gets chewed. by itself, it can just dance on the rollers
2) Conditioning the grain helps enormously - it is easier for the mill to pull it in. Softer husks or something
3) If not conditioning, spray a tiny bit of water n the grain as you add it - not enough for anything to be wet, but it will completely change how the grain runs through the mill.

 

[augiedoggy]

I have a problem just about every time I use it. The passive roller will jam, due to some crud that gets carried into a dead space behind it. I run it a little fast (about 400 RPM) and set the gap at about .035. I find you need to be very careful when setting up the gap that the rollers are the same distance apart from one side of the mill to the other. If you don't, the passive roller will rub against the frame and cause problems. I have a lot of trouble getting the mill to work at less than about .032, but I am getting about 85% mash efficiency at .035.

Its not just the roller binding though.
The rollers in the barley crusher are not hardened like most grain mills so unfortunately the mill is short lived.. the Chinese clones like the cereal killer/kegco and non branded ones work the same way but are actually much better build and are cheaper too boot... This is just one case where you dont exact get what you pay for. If you do a search here on these you'll see a dozen or so barely crusher threads all about this same problem. supposedly this mill has a lifetime warranty although from other posts Ive read theres about a 25% chance they will just keep your mill if you send it in for a very long time or indefinitely according to a couple people.. some have had their rollers replaced twice already though...

 

[N3Bruce]

When I get tired of unjamming it, I will look for a better mill. I used to work with equipment that would have made great designs for a grain mill. It was designed for continuous use, so it was built to last. While I run my grain mill about only 5 or 10 minutes once or twice a month, the cost of making a decent mill over the cost of a Barley Crusher couldn't be more than a few bucks.

 

[augiedoggy]

When I get tired of unjamming it, I will look for a better mill. I used to work with equipment that would have made great designs for a grain mill. It was designed for continuous use, so it was built to last. While I run my grain mill about only 5 or 10 minutes once or twice a month, the cost of making a decent mill over the cost of a Barley Crusher couldn't be more than a few bucks.

well thats what im trying to say... there are better mills that are cheaper... I have the ceareal kiler which Ive had for over 3 years the, It still works great and if you do a search on it here youll find it has a very good rap sheet... the cereal killer is the same mill thats also sold as the kegco or even this https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fac...lt&btsid=634c138d-f155-429b-a4ec-aad10a93b5e7 it has hardened steel rollers.



Now they even make 3 roller mills for less than the barely crushing.. I mean barley crusher..http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kegco-Homeb...790958?hash=item1ea36c1f2e:g:d9oAAOSw6n5XuyiB
Ive seen hardened roller 2 mills for as little as $70 shipped from time to time. they use a lot of the same chinese components as the barley crusher but unlike the BC which has soft american made rollers that wear out fast CK and clone rollers are hardened or available with softer stainless rollers for those who like to crush wet.

 

[Braufessor]

I also had a Barley Crusher that worked fine.... for a while. Eventually, exact same thing as described in this thread. It is a door stop now.

I have a 2 roller Monster Mill..... I could not recommend it more highly. It is a great mill.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Now they even make 3 roller mills for under $100 shipped. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Homebrew-Gr...lt&btsid=634c138d-f155-429b-a4ec-aad10a93b5e7 Ive seen them for as little as $70 shipped from time to time.

Wow, that is cheap! However a close look at the listing reveals the title claims 3 roller, yet the pictures and detailed description indicate 2 roller.

eBay has a pretty liberal dispute policy, so it may be worth a shot?

Chinese marketing not always as accurate as one would hope, but I agree these mills are likely a good value.

I have the Kegco 3 roller and it appears to be a decent unit at a low price.

 

[augiedoggy]

Wow, that is cheap! However a close look at the listing reveals the title claims 3 roller, yet the pictures and detailed description indicate 2 roller.

eBay has a pretty liberal dispute policy, so it may be worth a shot?

Chinese marketing not always as accurate as one would hope, but I agree these mills are likely a good value.

I have the Kegco 3 roller and it appears to be a decent unit at a low price.

yeah I already messaged them about it... its a scam being that they havent corrected it although they clearly told me its only a 2 roll mill..EDIT they are a chinese seller that ships from California.
Its a 2 roll mill and they likely advertise it as a 3 roll because a lot of newbies may not even truely know the difference other than they heard a 3 roll is better... if you question it they will send you a return shipping label and eventually refund you but they still get your money for a limited time to use for whatever they want in the mean time... plus a good portion of buyers are lazy and say "nevermind I'll keep the 2 roller mill"..

regardless Ive seen the 3 roll mills for around $100 from a few places now including the kegco mills from the beverage factory on sale.

 

[wilserbrewer]

yeah its a scam .....
Its a 2 roll mill and they likely advertise it as a 3 .....

Please edit your post above promoting this as a 3 roller mill to eliminate readers of this thread from being scammed.

Thanks

 

[eastoak]

when my barley crusher (purchased in 2012) stops feeding grain i dump the grain out and adjust the gap which always gets it going again.

 

[augiedoggy]

when my barley crusher (purchased in 2012) stops feeding grain i dump the grain out and adjust the gap which always gets it going again.

Well can be a sign of a problem too... The adjustment shouldnt move thats why the locking screws are there. I dont have this issue with the CK which is practically the same mill only hardened rollers.

How many times does your barley crusher get used? Thats really the important thing since you could have used it as little as a few times a year for all we know.

I have 16 50-55# sacks of grain plus specialty grains through my CK mill and havent needed to take it apart, clean it or readjust the gap.. The only time Ive touched the gap settings was for efficiency reasons. If your Barley crusher is still working with regular use Id consider yourself lucky. If you dont believe me just go to the main equipment search section and search "stuck mill" or "stuck rollers" and you'll see 99% of the comments are about this mill. and the knurling wearing down causing the mill to stick more and more. We arent making it up.

 

[eastoak]

Well can be a sign of a problem too... The adjustment shouldnt move thats why the locking screws are there. I dont have this issue with the CK which is practically the same mill only hardened rollers.

How many times does your barley crusher get used? Thats really the important thing since you could have used it as little as a few times a year for all we know.

I have 16 50-55# sacks of grain plus specialty grains through my CK mill and havent needed to take it apart, clean it or readjust the gap.. The only time Ive touched the gap settings was for efficiency reasons. If your Barley crusher is still working with regular use Id consider yourself lucky. If you dont believe me just go to the main equipment search section and search "stuck mill" or "stuck rollers" and you'll see 99% of the comments are about this mill. and the knurling wearing down causing the mill to stick more and more. We arent making it up.

i agree that the rollers eventually stop working right. mine was grinding for a bit then not grinding at all, when i adjusted the rollers it would work for a bit then stop. i just recently took the mill apart and found the edges of the rollers were caked in grain dust. after cleaning the rollers thoroughly and putting the mill back together, it worked like new.

 

[augiedoggy]

i agree that the rollers eventually stop working right. mine was grinding for a bit then not grinding at all, when i adjusted the rollers it would work for a bit then stop. i just recently took the mill apart and found the edges of the rollers were caked in grain dust. after cleaning the rollers thoroughly and putting the mill back together, it worked like new.

It will work better after cleaning since everythings rolling with less drag but as the knurling wears on the rollers and they become less and less sharp the mill will become more and more finicky requiring cleaning more and more often until eventually it wont grab well even after the cleaning unless you open the gap up more. This is what many people here report with thier barley crusher and its not an issue on the cheaper chinese mills with hardened steel rollers that dont wear out as easily. In comparison Ive had my mill over three years and never had to "clean" it yet to keep it rolling...

 

[eastoak]

It will work better after cleaning since everythings rolling with less drag but as the knurling wears on the rollers and they become less and less sharp the mill will become more and more finicky requiring cleaning more and more often until eventually it wont grab well even after the cleaning unless you open the gap up more. This is what many people here report with thier barley crusher and its not an issue on the cheaper chinese mills with hardened steel rollers that dont wear out as easily. In comparison Ive had my mill over three years and never had to "clean" it yet to keep it rolling...

i went ahead and got a 3 roller mill, just milled my first grain bill with it today love it.