Can anyone out there recommend or post a link to a feeler gauge that would work well for adjusting the gap setting on a Barley Crusher? From reading elsewhere in the forum, I’ve gathered that the mill comes set at .039", and I’d like to adjust down to around .035". My efforts to secure a gauge locally have been unsuccessful.
Does anyone crush finer than .035"?
Sears or any auto supply store should have them.
I run my BC at 0.030", which is the thickness of a credit card.
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I do not know anything about this company, but this will give you an idea what to get.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Feeler- ... -pc-/G9616I just bought a feeler gauge on sunday at napa. blade/fan type. it was about $15, more than I expected, but it has everything you need. Just ask the guy behind the counter.
Thanks to all!
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Damn, .030?? That’s fakkin’ narrow. I ran mine at .032 for a couple batches, and even with conditioning my malt, I still got stuck/slow runoffs. I went back to .035 and no problem since.
Well, a Credit Card is .030. I measure to that and then back off a hair.
Why would you care what your gap measures? Adjust it for the best crush, not a measurement.
That’s a great point, Denny – as with most things in life, the numbers, themselves, are usually only a means to an end.
I guess the reason I am looking for a concrete number (or range of numbers) is that, at least in these early days of my AG brewing, I don’t really trust my judgement yet as to what a good crush looks like, or even what I should be looking for. At this point I’m acting mostly on info that I’ve read here on the forum, which has mostly dealt with the numbers (anywhere from .030 - .035" seems typical, from what I’ve seen). Do you (or anyone else out there) have a picture or description of what a good crush should look like?
Come to think of it, this might make a good topic for a BTV episode…
I am not so much worried about the gap itself. On the BC each end of the roller is adjusted seperatley. I am more worried about having each end of the roller set to the same gap, which requires a way to measure the gap.
I am not so much worried about the gap itself. On the BC each end of the roller is adjusted seperatley. I am more worried about having each end of the roller set to the same gap, which requires a way to measure the gap.[/quote]
I’m not even sure why that’s much of an issue. The JSP I use is made to have one end wider than the other. I’ve been using it with great results for 12 years.
…and once you find that best crush, measure the gap so that it’s easier to set the mill back to the same gap if you take it apart for cleaning or maintenance. 
…and once you find that best crush, measure the gap so that it’s easier to set the mill back to the same gap if you take it apart for cleaning or maintenance. [/quote]
Do you take yours apart? I’ve used mine for 12+ years and hundreds and hundreds of batches and never done that.
…and once you find that best crush, measure the gap so that it’s easier to set the mill back to the same gap if you take it apart for cleaning or maintenance. [/quote]
Do you take yours apart? I’ve used mine for 12+ years and hundreds and hundreds of batches and never done that.[/quote]
I’ve taken my Barley Crusher apart once in the three years I’ve had it. I got a little paranoid about grain flour causing the “free” roller to stick after reading some NB Forum posts which kinda sorta triggered my OC tendencies and, well, er…
I learned that I probably could have put that time to better use, but knowing the gap I had set made it easier to adjust when I put everything back together. I think it might also be useful to know if I ever get around to experimenting with grain conditioning if that leads to gap adjustments. It’s certainly not a critical thing to know, but it can be handy.
I think optimal gap is going to vary with the particular grain you’re crushing too. A plump kernel is going to get crushed better at 0.030 than a skinny kernel or something smaller like rye malt. I look at my grain and then play with the gap. I don’t have problems with fine crush causing stuck sparges, I figure flour mostly dissolves as its turned to sugar. I’d rather not have to large chunks that have to convert from the outside in.
Not just the grain, but your own system. Knowing what gap someone else sets their mill to may be of very little help if you use a different system.
