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  • #31
    I got it!! had to use some multi-grips and tea-towel so as not to scratch it, but once I'd finally worked it loose the first time it now spins/screws freely. I think there might have been a metal edge on the thread somehwere which was stopping it turning :-)

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    • #32
      I am having trouble with channelling at the moment . So I spent today practicing my routine and trying different things to try and sort the problem. I have also just recieved my naked portafilter which I am using to watch the extraction and try troubleshoot.

      I have checked the shower screen top and bottom and it is spotless. I have the pullman basket 17-19 grams and am dosing 18 grams which I always weigh every shot. My coffee is roasted by myself and is 10 days post roast so all should be good on that front.I also have the pullman distribution tool and the pullman palm tamp that I use. I do like to weigh out 18 grams into my tiamo cup then grind through my robur E back into the dosing cup weighing again to make sure I have 18 grams. Grinds look pretty good to me , I then give it a couple of swirls before placing my naked on top of the dosing cup then flipping upside down. Give it a shake to central the grinds then remove and tap on the benchtop once then use the distribution tool , give it 4 spins left then 4 spins right. I then use my palm tamp which gives me about 2-3 mm tamp as per the pullman recommendation before locking in and pull the shot. I am getting channelling probably 85% of the time and in the same place which is somewhat of a bonus as it must be my technique. I have loaded then turned the basket 90degrees to see if it was the shower screen but same outcome. I did get some what better than when I started and I did get 1 shot which was perfect to watch through the naked and boy oh boy what a taste difference. I would say I have improved to about 50 percent of the basket extracts now .

      This is frustrating but I'm going to keep working and trying methods to understand what is happening, I do shutter at the coffee waste though . Not cool at all!!!

      Does anyone have any tips at all which may help or ideas to try?? My only question in my mind is do I have the distribution tool set to low or to high ?? I have tried up and down through out my testing but am just guessing really.My extraction of the 1 good shot was timed pretty good to me 36 grams out in 40 seconds from 18 grams ground which seems a good area to be.

      Fire away with ideas or techniques to try or adjustments to my current.

      Thanks all.

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      • #33
        Honestly if your grinder is any good (sounds like it is) I'd ditch the distribution tool and do it by hand. By that I mean once the grounds are in the basket do your one tap on the bench to settle then tap the sides of the portafilter with your hand to move the coffee around until it is flat and even, then tamp. It may take a little time to adjust but you'll get a better result.

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        • #34
          Yeah I did try this but I also tried so many things I forget how they went . Will give it another go. Thanks for the advice

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          • #35
            Originally posted by level3ninja View Post
            Honestly if your grinder is any good (sounds like it is) I'd ditch the distribution tool and do it by hand. By that I mean once the grounds are in the basket do your one tap on the bench to settle then tap the sides of the portafilter with your hand to move the coffee around until it is flat and even, then tamp. It may take a little time to adjust but you'll get a better result.
            Plus one from me, sounds like quite a rigamarole you go through NJD.

            I dose, tap on bench a couple of times to settle grounds, tap the sides of the PF to evenly distribute the grounds then tamp, that's it, works every time.

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            • #36
              Rodger that. I guess the reason I got the chisel and palm tamp was to simplify the system as much as possible so my partner could use it when I'm working . Funny it was meant to make it simpler but its not that way at the moment.

              Cheers Yelta I will be trying this again and hopefully this works out well as yes it is much simpler .Thanks

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              • #37
                Originally posted by NJD View Post
                I am having trouble with channelling at the moment . So I spent today practicing my routine and trying different things to try and sort the problem. I have also just recieved my naked portafilter which I am using to watch the extraction and try troubleshoot.

                I have checked the shower screen top and bottom and it is spotless. I have the pullman basket 17-19 grams and am dosing 18 grams which I always weigh every shot. My coffee is roasted by myself and is 10 days post roast so all should be good on that front.I also have the pullman distribution tool and the pullman palm tamp that I use. I do like to weigh out 18 grams into my tiamo cup then grind through my robur E back into the dosing cup weighing again to make sure I have 18 grams. Grinds look pretty good to me , I then give it a couple of swirls before placing my naked on top of the dosing cup then flipping upside down. Give it a shake to central the grinds then remove and tap on the benchtop once then use the distribution tool , give it 4 spins left then 4 spins right. I then use my palm tamp which gives me about 2-3 mm tamp as per the pullman recommendation before locking in and pull the shot. I am getting channelling probably 85% of the time and in the same place which is somewhat of a bonus as it must be my technique. I have loaded then turned the basket 90degrees to see if it was the shower screen but same outcome. I did get some what better than when I started and I did get 1 shot which was perfect to watch through the naked and boy oh boy what a taste difference. I would say I have improved to about 50 percent of the basket extracts now .

                This is frustrating but I'm going to keep working and trying methods to understand what is happening, I do shutter at the coffee waste though . Not cool at all!!!

                Does anyone have any tips at all which may help or ideas to try?? My only question in my mind is do I have the distribution tool set to low or to high ?? I have tried up and down through out my testing but am just guessing really.My extraction of the 1 good shot was timed pretty good to me 36 grams out in 40 seconds from 18 grams ground which seems a good area to be.

                Fire away with ideas or techniques to try or adjustments to my current.

                Thanks all.
                Definitely a good idea trying some things and seeing what changes. But for sure only change one thing at a time, so you know what might have affected what.

                I personally wouldn't recommend single dosing using a Robur, but that being said I have known some to do it successfully. Single dosing isn't always a guarantee, as something definitely changes in grind when single dosing compared to dosing with a weight of beans in the hopper. Again, people have done it fine with certain grinders, but only with some. Alot are designed to have a weight of beans on them. So whether that's a factor here I'm not sure, it may very well be.

                My distribution tool I think I have found that when it has a slight tamping effect, and the tamper tamp is about 2-3mm of compression or so works best. If it was too shallow it doesn't really work as well, but again experiment and see what works.

                Simplifying a routine is always a good idea like the guys above said, so try a routine without the tool (slight palm tapping to level), try it with the tool, but it's best not to have too many variables to have to focus on.

                My grinder makes really fluffy, easier-to-distribute grounds so I can simplify it a little, whereas prior grinders it was a reeeal workshop in finding the ultimate distribution technique for each bean haha. Now I just dose, collapse once, distribution tool and tamp. But it really is dependent on your grinder, beans etc.

                Let us know how you go though! I love talking distribution techniques haha

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                • #38
                  Nothing wrong with single dosing using a large commercial grinder.
                  Not as convenient as a dedicated single dosing grinder but it certainly isn't a chore to do or achieve consistency. Sure, if you have a mob coming over and all want a coffee or three, then the large commercial grinder really shines when using it as intended with the bean hopper fitted. A very minor grind adjustment and then you're on your way again... Simple as could be.

                  Mal.

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                  • #39
                    Tried again this morning and even though it was 3:30 am I didi have better results. Dosing straight into the basket and not into the dosing cup then into portafilter I think will make a difference. So I will give it a go for a while. It;s a start . Take any small wins I say.

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                    • #40
                      Originally posted by Dimal View Post
                      Nothing wrong with single dosing using a large commercial grinder.
                      Not as convenient as a dedicated single dosing grinder but it certainly isn't a chore to do or achieve consistency. Sure, if you have a mob coming over and all want a coffee or three, then the large commercial grinder really shines when using it as intended with the bean hopper fitted. A very minor grind adjustment and then you're on your way again... Simple as could be.

                      Mal.
                      On reading the remarks I had similar thoughts Mal, though hesitated to express them having never used anything larger than the Mini, which I might add I have successfully single dosed for many years, second nature now, don't even think about it.

                      Digressing slightly,have often wondered about the term Mini, at just over 10kg/22lb its a fair lump of a thing, guess it's comparatively small when compared to the rest of the Mazzer range.

                      Before the naysayers chime in have to say have never regretted buying the grinder for a moment, cant see any possible reason to upgrade, except perhaps motor failure, think it will see me out.
                      PS Cant resist the opportunity to beat the Mazzer drum

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                      • #41
                        Originally posted by Dimal View Post
                        Nothing wrong with single dosing using a large commercial grinder.
                        Not as convenient as a dedicated single dosing grinder but it certainly isn't a chore to do or achieve consistency. Sure, if you have a mob coming over and all want a coffee or three, then the large commercial grinder really shines when using it as intended with the bean hopper fitted. A very minor grind adjustment and then you're on your way again... Simple as could be.

                        Mal.
                        Fair enough Mal. I guess I was referring to consistency. I've known many people to single dose using certain grinders, weighing everything and doing everything very consistently, only to have very inconsistent yields due to the last dregs of their dose being ground very unevenly (which reflects in having to use a different grind setting for that purpose).

                        Then when they switched to hopper dosing it solved everything, really consistent extractions and yields. Some grinders seem to do it better than others, just offering a possible avenue of a solution for NJD

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                        • #42
                          Consistency has never been an issue mate, so not sure what's happening there...

                          Mal.

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                          • #43
                            Originally posted by Dimal View Post
                            Consistency has never been an issue mate, so not sure what's happening there...

                            Mal.
                            I'm referring to other people, not yourself

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                            • #44
                              As an experiment I just half filled the Mini hopper with beans, ground 18 grams into a container, then carried out my usual tap and tamp procedure, as usual the result was very good, no different to single dose.

                              Perhaps its down to close encounters, though somehow I don't think so, I suspect its more to do with operator error.
                              Click image for larger version

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                              • #45
                                I have changed to dosing directly into the portafilter and have had nothing but success . Beautiful shots of espresso from my freshly roasted Yirg!!! Still using the distribution chisel so I'll keep playing but now the coffee tastes great whilst fine tune and improve .

                                Thanks all for offering advice its a great network of knowledge here.

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