Milling: Drill or Hand Crank?

In the process of going all-grain, looking at buying a mill and was wondering if folks have a preference for using a drill or crushing it the old fashioned way with a crank. I kind of like the idea of hand cranking, but then I haven't had the experience of milling 14 pounds of two-row.

I suspect you will use a drill the second time, like just about everyone I know. I've used one once & do not intend to go back to that store, even though it is the closest one.

I ran my mill for a few years with hand power. When I converted it so I could use my cordless DeWalt I wondered why I didn't do it sooner.
I thought the same thing- Kinda cool to hand crank the mill the old fashion way. I now prefer the drill.

I enjoy grinding by hand. It warms up my drinking arm which gets quite a good workout on brew days. But if I had to mill 14# grain. I think I'd go for the drill.

-a.

I was doing the cordless drill thing also but my drill would get real hot. I really didn't want to smoke it or the batteries, so I went motorized.


The motor, pulley's and other hardware was less than $80 and the wood was about $15. I crushed 31lbs the other day in less than 10 minutes.

I like milling by hand, it's kind of a calm befor the storm on brew-day. The forced monotony prepares me for the upcoming torrent. And it does a great job of warming up the drinking arm.

The LHBSs I go to have a motorized mill that you can ajust. I dont have the expereince to know exactly how to adjust it for the best results, but judging from the propper cursh picture that Brewpaster put up I think it's pretty good. Couldn't see hand cranking it all.... I do have other more important things to do outside of exerting that kind of energy on something that can be done quicky and efficiently another way.

I mill by hand while watching tv. I would consider using a cheap corded drill for it, but I'm not about to risk burning out my cordless Makita. All in all most of us could use more exercise, so I don't see it as a negative.