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Can conditioning your malt have an impact on your mill?


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#1 Big Nake

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 09:25 AM

My mill has been acting up over the past 6 months. I connect the drill but the rollers don't mill and pass the grain through. A little shaking, fidgeting of the mill usually works. Today I got about ¾ of the way through my grain and the rollers stopped milling and would not restart. I played with it for close to an hour. The swearing was the type where birds fly out of the nearby trees and mothers put their hands over their kids' ears. I ended up having to manually crush the remaining grain in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. Clearly my efficiency will suffer. I literally threw the mill across the backyard at one point. I don't expect it to make a comeback but I wonder if it was the mill going down naturally or if it was the slightly puffed-up grains because I conditioned them. This was (I use the word WAS) a Barley Crusher with a 15-lb hopper with the one working roller and one passive roller. Maybe I need the Crankenstein with the 2 or 3 active rollers?

#2 djinkc

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 09:42 AM

I haven't used a BC but some mills need to have the bearings cleaned occasionally or they gum up.



#3 Big Nake

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 09:45 AM

I haven't used a BC but some mills need to have the bearings cleaned occasionally or they gum up.

The roller was turning but it wouldn't pass anything. The mill has been very 'clean' all along (I occasionally take a leaf blower to it). I would assume that the damp grain could cause some issues so I have been more diligent about keeping it clean. But this issue was occurring before I started conditioning my malt too so I wonder if the 'knurls' are just not as sharp (or whatever) as they used to be. I think I need to look at a more robust milling option. The Barley Crusher has stopped crushing barley. <_<

#4 denny

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 09:52 AM

Have you found conditioning to make a difference?



#5 Jub

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 10:04 AM

I have a 3 roller MM and have had the same problems you did.  I figured out that pulling it apart once a year and scraping/blowing all the dust out from between the rollers makes a huge difference.  Immediately after cleaning I can get it to start milling in a couple seconds, rather than a couple minutes.  

I always condition before milling, but it still gums up - just the nature of the thing.  



#6 Big Nake

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 10:07 AM

Have you found conditioning to make a difference?

I don't know. I made all of the changes at once... very unscientific. I switched to the SS chiller, used brewtan, conditioned the malt and took secondary out of the equation all at once. I am continuing with my brewday and then I'm going to take the mill apart and clean it up. I'm going to build a better base for it (the old MDF base was cracking and my tantrum didn't help) and then put it all back together again and tighten everything up and see if it mills properly. I left this mill at the factory gap setting as was suggested by many. If it won't mill, I'm retiring it.

I have a 3 roller MM and have had the same problems you did. I figured out that pulling it apart once a year and scraping/blowing all the dust out from between the rollers makes a huge difference. Immediately after cleaning I can get it to start milling in a couple seconds, rather than a couple minutes.
I always condition before milling, but it still gums up - just the nature of the thing.

Many thanks for that... very good to know.

#7 denny

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 10:33 AM

I don't know. I made all of the changes at once... very unscientific. I switched to the SS chiller, used brewtan, conditioned the malt and took secondary out of the equation all at once. I am continuing with my brewday and then I'm going to take the mill apart and clean it up. I'm going to build a better base for it (the old MDF base was cracking and my tantrum didn't help) and then put it all back together again and tighten everything up and see if it mills properly. I left this mill at the factory gap setting as was suggested by many. If it won't mill, I'm retiring it.

 

Then stop doing it and see what happens.  Based on my experience, I'd say nothing.  But if you don't do it for a couple batches, you will have made only one change and you can assess it.



#8 Big Nake

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 11:06 AM

Then stop doing it and see what happens.  Based on my experience, I'd say nothing.  But if you don't do it for a couple batches, you will have made only one change and you can assess it.

:frantic:

 

Of course, we don't know if the conditioning is causing this problem with the mill either because the mill has done this in the past.  I did take the mill apart and I hit the rollers with a jet attachment on the hose. I'm going to use the power washer on the rollers (I do see a small amount of grain in the knurls which is probably the issue) and then put it all back together again.

 



#9 denny

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 11:30 AM

:frantic:

 

Of course, we don't know if the conditioning is causing this problem with the mill either because the mill has done this in the past.  I did take the mill apart and I hit the rollers with a jet attachment on the hose. I'm going to use the power washer on the rollers (I do see a small amount of grain in the knurls which is probably the issue) and then put it all back together again.

 

 

Nope, but I'm talking about your beer.  Don't condition for a few batches and asses whether or not it's a worthwhile procedure for you.



#10 Steve Urquell

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 11:45 AM

This is common for the Barley crushers. Do a search and you'll find a bunch of threads on it. I think the short roller mills are more prone to this problem. No issues with my JSP maltmill after 8yrs. May be that dust gums up the bushings on the slave.

#11 denny

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 12:37 PM

This is common for the Barley crushers. Do a search and you'll find a bunch of threads on it. I think the short roller mills are more prone to this problem. No issues with my JSP maltmill after 8yrs. May be that dust gums up the bushings on the slave.

 

I've used a JSP adjustable for over 15 years and thousands of lb. of grain.  Still works like new.



#12 ChicagoWaterGuy

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 02:57 PM

My malt mill started acting the way yours did, Ken. Spinning but not catching or binding up. I now double crush my grains. Once wide open then again on the tightest setting. Great efficiency and intact husks.

#13 Big Nake

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 04:07 PM

I took everything apart and cleaned it and I made a new "deck" for it.  When I had the mill part by itself, I took the power washer to it.  You should have heard the WHIRRING sound when I hit the passive roller with the power washer.  I thought it might shake loose and end up in the Klopek's yard.  I put everything back together but I'm not ready for any more frustration today so I did not test it.  I have some older honey malt and acid malt that I don't use anymore so maybe tomorrow I'll try it out and see what happens.  CWG:  Do you condition your malt?  When you say that you double crush... do you set the gap wider on the first run and then do it again with a more narrow gap?



#14 ChicagoWaterGuy

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 05:10 PM

I don't condition my malt. I don't believe my mill is stainless so I probably wouldn't try conditionings. Also my mill is motorized and has a schute. I'd worry about it getting gummed up in there.

Yes, wide open crush then fine crush.

#15 Bklmt2000

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 07:06 PM

Yes, wide open crush then fine crush.

 

This is my usual M.O.; I use a Barley Crusher, and for those times when I run the grain through, and they don't appear to be crushed well enough, I tighten the gap and run through again.

 

Kind of a hassle, but I'm also frugal and don't see the need (read: too cheap to buy) a new mill.  Yet.



#16 Big Nake

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 07:23 PM

This is my usual M.O.; I use a Barley Crusher, and for those times when I run the grain through, and they don't appear to be crushed well enough, I tighten the gap and run through again.
 
Kind of a hassle, but I'm also frugal and don't see the need (read: too cheap to buy) a new mill.  Yet.

I hear that. Mills are EXPENSIVE! A three-roller monster mill with a hopper is $274 at MoreBeer. WTF. I actually have no idea how to even adjust the gap on my BC... I have never looked into it. Maybe tomorrow I'll run something through it to see if the cleanup job I did today will work.

#17 Bklmt2000

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 07:26 PM

I hear that. Mills are EXPENSIVE! A three-roller monster mill with a hopper is $274 at MoreBeer. WTF. I actually have no idea how to even adjust the gap on my BC... I have never looked into it. Maybe tomorrow I'll run something through it to see if the cleanup job I did today will work.

 

Adjusting the roller (in this case, the passive roller) is easy. 

 

Do a quick google search for "adjusting barley crusher" and you'll see how easy it is in no time flat.



#18 Big Nake

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 07:28 PM

Do you use a tool to determine the gap (what is it called... a feeler or something? Gauge feeler?) or do you just eyeball it?

#19 Bklmt2000

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 07:34 PM

Ken, here's my MO:

 

For the first run of grain through the mill,  i use 2 old credit cards together as the thickness, and set the rollers to that.

 

Run grain through.

 

Adjust rollers to thickness of 1 credit card.

 

Run grain through again.

 

A bit of a pain, but I've got it down pat, so it's not a big deal anymore, and ensures I have a good crush for brewday.



#20 ChicagoWaterGuy

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Posted 27 August 2016 - 07:47 PM

Mine adjusts a bit differently. I eyeball it bit it isn't difficult to see tightest and loosest.


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