What to look for in a grain mill?

I use a old Victoria or, corona sty which is not popular on this site, but it works well, adjustable and I have a drill on it.

Whatever you buy, after a while you will want the drill. Saves a lot of time.

 

“Any other features that are a "must have"?

I am uncertain whether it is an absolute “must have” but I would recommend that you buy a grain mill that is adjustable. There may be a time (e.g., differing grain types, efficiency optimization,…) when you would like to change up the gap settings.

Cheers!

 

Being adjustable and convertible to a drill would be my old concerns when searching for a mill. I have the cereal killer which only has a 7lb hopper. In hind sight I wish I got one with a larger hopper as I often make ten gallon batches that use 20-30 pounds of grain. But still happy with the 99.99 I spent.

 

FWIW, I always do a double-crush; one at 0.060”, the second at 0.025”. All grains sail right through the mill (both times), good efficiency, no stuck spares.

 

Sorry...no stuck sparges. Autocorrect (and a long week) got me.

 

My first mill was a concerted pasta mill I picked up at a garage sale for 5 bucks and took a dremel to. Got 75% efficiency, ha!

I’d say beyond adjustable gap, there are no ‘musts’.

 

Accessories: 1) plan on mounting the mill to something that can take a soaking (it'll be rinsed each brew day). My mill came on a fiber-board platform that is slowly delaminating (and stinks). Get a heavy piece of Marine-grade plywood and be set for life. 2) a good feeler-gauge and lubricant to keep it from rusting-out. 3) my area has a corrosion problem, so went with SS mill . . . YMMV

 

I would have never thought of rinsing my mill. I just occassionally brush mine off. Do you condition your grain before milling, or is the rinsing somehow related to living in a high humidity area? I'd be interested to hear if others rinse their mill. Cheers!

 

No grain conditioning, but after every use I have a very noticeable layer of grain caked on the rollers and dust on the hopper, more so than a brushing will correct. If I set the base down on a counter-top it leaves a nasty grain-dust imprint. So, it goes straight to sink for a thorough rinse (top and bottom). I have no other experience than high-humidity milling . . .

 

I don’t rinse, but I have the same dust / flour issue that #PortLargo mentioned. I brush it off, cover the hopper, and set it on a paper towel.

 

My mill has one “driven” roller, and one that free-wheels. I already had feeler gauges and a cordless drill, so no-brainer there. My mill’s adjusters have gap markings, but for the minuscule time it takes to use the feeler gauge...

I think that if you get your own mill, you’ll be happy that you did. For me, it was clearly a step that helped my efficiencies up to where they should be and repeatable.

 

No rinsing for me. I am able to 'clean it' via brushing.

Cheers!

 

I bought this one, regularly sold at $99, and remain pleased after about 4 years. More expensive ones are out there with a lifetime warranty, but I've checked the lifetables and figure I probably wont need one that lasts forever.

 

Ya this is a good cheap mill. May not last forever but it was a good entry point.

 

I brush off my mill and the same fiber board that @PortLargo mentioned. I oil it every so often and keep it inside so it doesn’t rust. I’ll change the rollers to SS when it is necessary but that’s an unneeded expense for now. The hopper is galvanized so I do spray that off and leave it in my garage.

 

What type of oil do you use and what specific parts are you applying the oil to?

Cheers!