Cleaning A Grain Mill

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Goyagon

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How do you guys clean your Grain mills? I have a Monstermill, and after using it i realized that the flour and all the other junk sticks to the rollers even after wiping and washing them. I have the regular steel rollers not the SS ones so i dont want to soak them for fear of rust.
 
I shake it a bit and put it away slightly dusty. I can't see any harm in a small amount of dust.
 
I just brush it off with a cheap paint brush. Some people on here use an air compreser.
 
Ditto on the small brush/broom. I've got a thin but stiff nylon brush intended to clean grout. Just give it a quick rub down as I spin the three rollers to get the majority of the dust off.

My 3-roller was previously used and I made the mistake when I first got it of trying to clean it with water, but I ran some uncooked rice through it once I realized it was going to rust up on me and that knocked all the rust out.
 
Umm you are supposed to clean it. Bugger I never have cleaned mine just dropped the lid on the bucket and put it away.
 
I've got about 1,000lbs cracked and it's a little dusty. If it were wet or starting to have problems, I'll break it down and clean it. When I worked in HVAC we had a saying "don't break it" those are words to live by.
 
I use a chip brush on mine after use most times. I might use the compressor to blow it off/out when it needs it. It has yet to need it though.
 
I only "clean" mine to get the majority of the sweet dust off. I figure some enterprising ant could find my mill some day and invite all his friends over... otherwise I probably wouldn't bother cleaning it at all.

Running grain through it is just about the best cleaning it gets either way.
 
No need to clean. However, a good tip I picked up somewhere was to crush pale malts last. That way, there are no dark grains left on the mill that could impact color of the light lager you brew next.
 
No need to clean. However, a good tip I picked up somewhere was to crush pale malts last. That way, there are no dark grains left on the mill that could impact color of the light lager you brew next.

You shouldn't have anything left on the rollers anyway. I usually just mix my grain up either in the bucket, or into the hopper. No issues, at all, with batches this way, after using the chip brush on the rollers. I would also brush the underside of the mill, to get every last bit of crushed grain into the bucket. I want it all for the beer, not left over for the next batch.

If you're concerned, you could just use a can of air (sold for clearing out the dust in computers and such) to blow the mill clean. If you don't have a compressor that is. :D
 
I condition my malt with a little bit of water to soften the husks a bit and keep them in large pieces. As a result I do get a little build up in the knurling of my mill. Hence the small brass brush. Nylon would be good too, but not a steel wire brush - unless stainless - to avoid any rust issues
 
Thanks for all the replys. I'll use a compressor and a wire brush if anything is stuck on
 
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