Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Grind mystery

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Grind mystery

    Good morning CSs
    Yesterday I invested in an M4 Micrometric and Silvia combination.

    Firstly, thanks to Michael and Hugh at Cosmorex for there patience and clear advice!

    I know there is a massive amount of info on both these machines here and elsewhere but hoping for a response about a particular issue.

    Last night after about 750 grams of beans (thanks Hugh you were right) I felt I had the grind in the sweet spot i.e. 25-27 sec/ 30ml/ good colour (my first tiger mottle!) and crema/ sweet ,rich,smoky taste. So about 3 am I am trying to sleep feeling pretty pleased with myself.

    This morning (with no grind adjustment) 4 choked shots in a row followed by an over extracted set of drips!

    After making the grind more coarse I was back to being close to last nights quality, not quite though.

    Would over dosing cause this as it is the only variable I can think of apart from the Silvia being cooler than last night although I did give it a good warm up? Temperature surfing the Silvia on both occasions as well. (or maybe a spy from Mazzer broke in and adjusted my grind)

    Thanks

  • #2
    Re: Grind mystery

    Originally posted by 606170040 link=1285375107/0#0 date=1285375107
    Last night after about 750 grams of beans (thanks Hugh you were right) I felt I had the grind in the sweet spot i.e. 25-27 sec/ 30ml/ good colour (my first tiger mottle!) and crema/ sweet ,rich,smoky taste. So about 3 am I am trying to sleep feeling pretty pleased with myself.

    This morning (with no grind adjustment) 4 choked shots in a row followed by an over extracted set of drips!
    Your grind is the same but you are now overdosing and/or tamping harder. You need to ensure that you are feeding the grinder the identical amount of beans each time by measuring or weighing the beans and then following a consistent tamping routine. Once you achieve a consistent grind/dose/tamp you should see the benefits.

    As the beans age and ambient temperature and humidity vary you may need to make small adjustments to the grind.

    Enjoy the journey!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Grind mystery

      Originally posted by 404150240 link=1285375107/0#0 date=1285375107
      Good morning CSs
      Yesterday I invested in an M4 Micrometric and Silvia combination.

      Firstly, thanks to Michael and Hugh at Cosmorex for there patience and clear advice!

      I know there is a massive amount of info on both these machines here and elsewhere but hoping for a response about a particular issue.

      Last night after about 750 grams of beans (thanks Hugh you were right) I felt I had the grind in the sweet spot i.e. 25-27 sec/ 30ml/ good colour (my first tiger mottle!) and crema/ sweet ,rich,smoky taste. So about 3 am I am trying to sleep feeling pretty pleased with myself.

      This morning (with no grind adjustment) 4 choked shots in a row followed by an over extracted set of drips!

      After making the grind more coarse I was back to being close to last nights quality, not quite though.

      Would over dosing cause this as it is the only variable I can think of apart from the Silvia being cooler than last night although I did give it a good warm up? Temperature surfing the Silvia on both occasions as well. (or maybe a spy from Mazzer broke in and adjusted my grind)

      Thanks
      Did you grind fresh beans this AM? ground coffee absorbs moisture/humidity quite quickly and this will result in the condition you describe.
      You will also find over the first few weeks the burrs of the grinder will settle in and need frequent tweeking/adjustment.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Grind mystery

        Originally posted by 704C455D48290 link=1285375107/2#2 date=1285375987
        Did you grind fresh beans this AM? ground coffee absorbs moisture/humidity quite quickly and this will result in the condition you describe.
        You will also find over the first few weeks the burrs of the grinder will settle in and need frequent tweeking/adjustment.
        OH so true and in addition;

        * Did you use fresh beans into the hopper

        OR

        * were they still from last night...

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Grind mystery

          Originally posted by 404150240 link=1285375107/0#0 date=1285375107
          Would over dosing cause this as it is the only variable I can think of
          Yes.

          You spent all that time getting the grind right then you changed something... the amount of coffee. Why?

          Remember this:
          - to slow down a pour you can either make the grind finer or pack in more coffee.
          - to speed up a pour grind courser or dose less coffee into the basket.


          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Grind mystery

            Thank you gentlemen I have taken all that on board.

            Regulated the dose this morning (18g double basket) and yes although I only ever use freshly ground beans I had left freshly opened, recently roasted beans in the hopper overnight.

            Results much better this morning.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Grind mystery

              Still tweaking grind settings constantly and getting inconsistent results.

              When I get the grind setting right and then change beans i.e. type,age etc. it is back to square one! As well as wasting a whole lot of beans there is a time factor as well...sometimes I just want a coffee!

              When changing to fresh beans from storage jar (same variety and roast) from those left in the hopper say over night is there a guidline for grind adjustment? Or just trial and error? Also then when changing variety i.e. grind is set and good then changing variety and different roast throws out the setting, requiring readjustment.

              I am conscious of consistency in the dose and continuing to work on that so the dose/settle/level/tamp process is varied minimally, I am not spot on every time though. Will small variations in this preparation process,excluding grind, make the difference between a choked pour and a good pour?

              Incidentally the process includes a cooling flush on the Silvia until the boiler light comes on then lock and load and hitting brew as soon as the boiler light goes off.

              Any comments much appreciated, thanks.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Grind mystery

                Originally posted by 3B3A2B5F0 link=1285375107/6#6 date=1285715358
                When I get the grind setting right and then change beans i.e. type,age etc. it is back to square one!
                Yep.
                I limit this by only changing when opening a new bag.
                i.e. I dont have several different beans in use at one time.

                Originally posted by 3B3A2B5F0 link=1285375107/6#6 date=1285715358
                When changing to fresh beans from storage jar (same variety and roast) from those left in the hopper say over night is there a guidline for grind adjustment? Or just trial and error?
                Get to know your beans.

                I buy occasionally from the same trusted roasters, so know their product fairly well.

                For my home roasted beans my staple is PNG Kimel of which Ive roasted over 70kg; I know that one fairly well too.

                I know a lot of CSers like variety, and I try something different every week or two, but limiting variables is the only way to learn.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Grind mystery

                  I find I have less trouble with grind variations if I dont leave beans in the hopper.  Yes Rocky will grind better if the hopper has more beans in it than you need, and yes it is a bit of a pain to upend Rocky to empty out the beans after each session, BUT I dont have much trouble with variations in grinding over the time it takes to use a bag of beans.

                  Even with this method, the relative humidity in the house can change due to weather and still require the occasional change of grind, typically early in the morning you might need a courser grind and later in the day a finer grind, but usually only one position.

                  So yes adding fresher beans from the bag will very likely require a grind adjustment compared to beans that have been left overnight in the hopper.

                  If you bought from a sponsor, I would be surprised if they wouldnt be able to help you improve your dosing method, which should help your consistency, (if you dont have electronic scales, like me, the method is important for consistency).
                  Dose consistency (or variation) can certainly make significant differences in the pour time.

                  Dont forget, it is a journey...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Grind mystery

                    Originally posted by 757465110 link=1285375107/6#6 date=1285715358
                    Still tweaking grind settings constantly and getting inconsistent results.

                    When I get the grind setting right and then change beans i.e. type,age etc. it is back to square one! As well as wasting a whole lot of beans there is a time factor as well...sometimes I just want a coffee!

                    When changing to fresh beans from storage jar (same variety and roast) from those left in the hopper say over night is there a guidline for grind adjustment? Or just trial and error? Also then when changing variety i.e. grind is set and good then changing variety and different roast throws out the setting, requiring readjustment.

                    I am conscious of consistency in the dose and continuing to work on that so the dose/settle/level/tamp process is varied minimally, I am not spot on every time though. Will small variations in this preparation process,excluding grind, make the difference between a choked pour and a good pour?

                    Incidentally the process includes a cooling flush on the Silvia until the boiler light comes on then lock and load and hitting brew as soon as the boiler light goes off.

                    Any comments much appreciated, thanks.
                    Originally posted by 48747D6570110 link=1285375107/2#2 date=1285375987
                    You will also find over the first few weeks the burrs of the grinder will settle in and need frequent tweeking/adjustment.
                    Early days yet, keep my comment (above) in mind.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Grind mystery

                      Thanks again your feedback is appreciated. A little more quality control on dosing and tamping plus consistency in bean selection seems to be paying off.

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X