Hi guys, just thought I'd report my findings after upgrading from my much loathed EM440 grinder (that comes with the em6910 box package) to Breville's Smart Grinder Pro 820. This is my first time making espresso at home for a while since the EM440 blades wore out within months to the point where espresso was not an option - one plus side was it gave me some much needed aeropress experience to satisfy my caffeine needs.
After about 300g of beans, I manage to get a tasty pour on:
I did some reading and there seemed to be a lot of recommendations regarding VST dosage to stay close to the recommended dose within 1g. However, I found on the em6910 it just was not having it and I needed to updose to 18g so as to not produce a watery shot (and it was nearly gushing at nearly the finest setting). I didn't take note of the output in mls or grams, but on my em6910, longer extraction times (about 40 secs) seem to favour the desirable thick honey/syrupy pours with great taste. I did read somewhere that the vst filters take much longer to blonde than to traditional filters, I moved the cup away at around 30secs for a double ristretto and it was delicious. It's also a relief to know that burrs have room for adjustment on the BCG820 since I needed to go all the way to grind setting 2, though I was using fairly fresh beans <7days.
I hope this serves as a reference point to helps others on their coffee journey who took a similar path. The forums have certainly helped me a lot.
After about 300g of beans, I manage to get a tasty pour on:
- VST 15g filter, dosed at 18g
- BCG820 19.2secs, fine espresso setting on 2.
I did some reading and there seemed to be a lot of recommendations regarding VST dosage to stay close to the recommended dose within 1g. However, I found on the em6910 it just was not having it and I needed to updose to 18g so as to not produce a watery shot (and it was nearly gushing at nearly the finest setting). I didn't take note of the output in mls or grams, but on my em6910, longer extraction times (about 40 secs) seem to favour the desirable thick honey/syrupy pours with great taste. I did read somewhere that the vst filters take much longer to blonde than to traditional filters, I moved the cup away at around 30secs for a double ristretto and it was delicious. It's also a relief to know that burrs have room for adjustment on the BCG820 since I needed to go all the way to grind setting 2, though I was using fairly fresh beans <7days.
I hope this serves as a reference point to helps others on their coffee journey who took a similar path. The forums have certainly helped me a lot.
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