Rust on my Monster Mill Rollers

[brewkinger]

I was cleaning all of my equipment last weekend and I stuck my new MM2 up on a shelf temporarily to keep it out of the way while cleaning.
I forgot it there and with a week of humid and hot weather, I discovered yesterday that a small amount of surface rust has formed on and in the knurling on the rollers. (hardened steel)
My gut instinct it to use a "forgiving" wire wheel to just remove it, but I just had to ask if this is advised or not.
Is there a different way that I am not thinking of?

In the future, is there something that I could "treat" the rollers with to prevent the rust? (besides storing it inside in a non-oxidizing environment)

 

[Jaybird]

The hardened rollers are still just steel they will rust just like any other steel. If you have to store it outside you can go to the hardware store and get a bag of the dry air granules (cant remember exactly what they are called but a 2# BAG IS LIKE $5 but its the same stuff in that small plastic pack you find in a bag of jerky) and just put your MM2 in a box and put a small plate of those granules in the box too. It will totally keep it from rusting! That stuff is CHEEP and works like a champ.

Cheers
Jay

 

[brewkinger]

So am I ok to lightly wire wheel the rust off otherwise?

Or will my next grind pretty much wear it off?

 

[wilserbrewer]

I have heard of people running a pound or so of rice through the mill to clean the rollers a bit.

 

[Jaybird]

Yeah I am not sure that is necessary at all. Maybe run a pound of grain through it a few times and chuck it out, then crush your grain and brew like a mad man!

Cheers
Jay

 

[mikescooling]

If it were me I'd run some grain through it. It could be a good time to do a wheat beer. Rust would not bother me in my brew. For goodness sake Man, keep your mill inside where it's nice and dry. Love your mill!!!

 

[LBussy]

It's just punishment for not using it more.

 

[brewkinger]

Ok I have learned 2 things from this thread:
1) rust is OK
2) do not tell others that I slightly mistreated my mill

 

[jmcquesten]

You could brush it with a very small amount of vegetable oil, then wipe off the excess til it's almost dry.

 

[mikescooling]

You could brush it with a very small amount of vegetable oil, then wipe off the excess til it's almost dry.

Just something to consider, any oil will soon be filled with grain dust. I don't know if that's good or bad.

 

[brewkinger]

Just something to consider, any oil will soon be filled with grain dust. I don't know if that's good or bad.

I did think that might be a problem.
I saw a picture on google that showed a mill that someone had used vegetable oil on the bearings and they used too much and the grain dust got smoked into the bearings from friction.