22 replies to this topic

[ncbeerbrewer]

So I have been using the Barley Crusher for milling my grains for just over a year now and loved it. I have always hand cranked the mill and crushed my grains. I do 5 gallon batches 10-18lbs on average. I have never adjusted the gap from factory as well. The last three beers I have milled the grains first time by hand then followed that with crushing the grains in the mill with the cordless drill attached. Tonight I decided to just double crush the grains with the drill attached two times. Well when I went to a double crush (hand/drill) I did see about a 5% increase in efficiency too ~80%. I have come within 2 points of Beersmith suggested gravities as opposed to within 8 using the mill by hand. I will see how I far tomorrow in brewing a Tripel but my point is that I am thinking I can sell the hand crank on ebay now and just use the drill. The quality of the crush with this new way absolutely crushed the grains thoroughly. By hand I could find a kernel or two untouched. Anyways anyone that uses the BC just go to the drill. Tomorrow will tell the truth but so far this way seems the best crush yet.

[Slainte]

I just ordered a Barley Crusher and have no intention of doing it by hand. Screw that.

[djinkc]

I was one of the last to get the beefy bodine. Gotta say it is sweet just flipping a switch to start the roller. But, a drill beats hand cranking, at least with my arms....

[BarelyBrews]

I made a couple of batches this fall with the hand-crank on my Barley Crusher, it were a work-out. I tried the last two times with the drill and still achieved the great efficiencies, and was not tired at all . I can't see using my hand crank , i put that aside in a safe place.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Yes using the hand crank for myself too gave me a good feeling and it was or is a workout. Somehow that feeling has faded away now.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Yes using the hand crank for myself too gave me a good feeling and it was or is a workout. Somehow that feeling has faded away now.

I'll soon be using my BC for the first time - I was thinking I'd hand crank it at first but you guys have convinced me to use the cordless for the benefit of the crush.

[stangbat]

I use a BC and a drill and only one pass. I never used the hand crank. I slightly closed the gap from the factory setting, but not much. In summary, set it so that you get a good crush with one pass and be done with it. No reason to crush twice if the mill is set up right. FWIW, I also get over 80% efficiency into the boiler.

[chuck_d]

I've only hand cranked. I kind of like breaking a sweat to start the day, everything seems easier once I do. I did however buy a drill recently for just this and plan on using it in the coming weeks for the purposes of speed.

[MakeMeHoppy]

I guess I'm the only one the used to use the drill for this and went back to the hand crank. Most beers I use 10-12 lbs of grain and I can mill that in about 10 minutes. The key is just to keep a nice steady motion and let the tool do the work. I stopped using the drill because my cordless would occasionally slip and was messing up the flat edge on the axel.

[chuck_d]

I guess I'm the only one the used to use the drill for this and went back to the hand crank. Most beers I use 10-12 lbs of grain and I can mill that in about 10 minutes. The key is just to keep a nice steady motion and let the tool do the work. I stopped using the drill because my cordless would occasionally slip and was messing up the flat edge on the axel.

Yeah, I still plan on handcranking, but I've upgraded to 10 gallon batches, so it can be more like a half hour of mill work. On days I can swing the extra time I'll still hand crank for the sake of getting my heart rate up a little. But on days I need my time for other things, that's where my drill comes into play.

[Malzig]

I've only hand cranked. I kind of like breaking a sweat to start the day, everything seems easier once I do. I did however buy a drill recently for just this and plan on using it in the coming weeks for the purposes of speed.

Yeah, man. What a bunch of freakin' wimps.

[boo boo]

Yeah, man. What a bunch of freakin' wimps.

LOL, I agree.Now I have used a drill on my porkert a few times but found it to spray malt everywhere, and I was too much a lazy SOB toclose in my hopper to fix the problem. I hand crank up to 12 LBS of grain per brew and find it a pleasure to do while waitingfor my strike water to heat up.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Well I brewed a Tripel today to go with the grains that I crushed last night and Beersmith said I should have a SG of 1.082 and I ended up at 1.080. Thats the best I have done yet. While I can't argue with you guys that like to do the hand crank for exercise as I have too, I am more about getting the most from my grains in the long run. I am going to stick with the drill crush and see if this keeps up.

[gnef]

If you can swing it, find a motor that can drive it well, and make a whole new stand with the new motor. flipping a switch is really nice. You may also want to build a larger hopper.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

If you can swing it, find a motor that can drive it well, and make a whole new stand with the new motor. flipping a switch is really nice. You may also want to build a larger hopper.

That seems like would be a good deal of work/time/money for the actual payoff (at least for the amount of grain that I'll be crushing).

[gnef]

Haha. I suppose it is up to the individual. I know many brewers (and homebrew shops!) who are satisfied with running their mill with a drill.It actually wasn't that difficult. I think I spent a few hours one night constructing it from spare wood I had around. Once you have everything built, it's done, and you generally don't need to mess around with it again. Also, I just used a 5 gallon plastic water carboy with the bottom cut out and inverted for my hopper. The stand was easy, and I used a motor that ran at about the RPM I wanted, so I just used spider couplings, rather than any chain/sprocket or sheaves/pulley.I am actually very glad I did it, as it allows me to do other things while crushing the grain - I am usually setting up my brewstand and equipment, and flipping a switch to do all the crushing is nice.

[chuck_d]

If I could do a permanent setup with a motor I would for its ease of use, but I live in an apartment so I'm stuck with the small hopper and tucking my mill away in the closet when it's not in use.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Good suggestion Gnef on the set up, I have thought about it but I am happy with the set up I have going right now. I dont get into the tinkering of homebrewing much and the drill method works good for me. I know there are some good setups though going that route. I will keep on this trek though and see how it goes.

[Deerslyr]

... but I live in an apartment so I'm stuck with ...

Chuck, if I had a dime for every time I've heard that over the last couple years, I could brew a a really big hoppy beer! Just kidding... will you ever leave the City???

[chuck_d]

Chuck, if I had a dime for every time I've heard that over the last couple years, I could brew a a really big hoppy beer! Just kidding... will you ever leave the City???

Haha, I feel like I just got here. I've been in a bunch of different apartments in several cities, but I love NY now. I actually have a pretty sweet apartment for brewing. I've got a two tap kegerator I'm upgrading to 4, a chest freezer next to it that can hold 3 kegs and then I put those mini-kegs on the hump and do "cask" ales. I use a wine cooler for a fermentation chamber but then in my office/gym room I hve to two ice cube coolers I'm turning into fermentation buckets. Building a bench with a motor just for a grain mill is asking too much of this place though. I already have 20 kegs lining the hallway. Not many people in Manhattan have 4 fridges in their apartment.