Methods and systems for controlling a cement finishing mill, and operating the mill at an optimal point, are disclosed. To determine an optimal point of operation, values of mill power and sound are collected and compared to values predicted by a model to determine if the mill is choking. This choking determination is used in one of two processes to determine an optimal point of operation for the mill. In the first process, as long as the mill is not choking, the amount of fresh feed input to the mill is incrementally increased; when choking occurs, the amount of fresh feed is decreased until choking ceases. In the second process, the amount of fresh feed input to the mill is increased and decreased in an oscillating manner over time, to find the amount of feed that results in the mill approaching, but never reaching, a choking state.