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  • Rocky grinder stuck?

    Hi,

    New to the scene - got a Rocky. Been topping up beans every time I make a coffee. Last couple of runs - when I start grinding, the machined chug a bit.. like, rather than making the regular buzzing sound - itd just STOP. So I open the top and stir the beans around. Shake the grinder a bit - a few times.. then finally itd chug back to normal again.

    Whats going on?? Beans getting stuck - thats what it sounds like.

    Tips?

    Lucy :-/

  • #2
    Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

    Originally posted by 070908150E04600 link=1276081413/0#0 date=1276081413
    Hi,

    New to the scene - got a Rocky. Been topping up beans every time I make a coffee. Last couple of runs - when I start grinding, the machined chug a bit.. like, rather than making the regular buzzing sound - itd just STOP. So I open the top and stir the beans around. Shake the grinder a bit - a few times.. then finally itd chug back to normal again.

    Whats going on?? Beans getting stuck - thats what it sounds like.

    Tips?

    Lucy  :-/
    It could also be a small stone

    Now what I do is I turn the grinder on first and as its spinning I add the beans

    My reasoning is that a bean could act as a wedge if it lodges itself in between the burrs and prevent the motor from spinning if beans are added first

    KK

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

      Lucy - Ive now upgraded my Rocky, but I cant believe a stone or beans would jam the burrs. The motor has plenty of grunt and the spacing between the burrs is pretty small, so itd have to be a tiny rock. All possible, of course, but Id doubt those as the problem.

      The first thing Id do is to remove the hopper (and clean) and check. Hopper removal is (slightly) painful if you havent modified the Rocky. You need to remove the finger guard - those 3 pesky screws hidden under the jammed in beans.... The hopper then just lifts off and youll see a stainless self tapping screw, screwed into the bottom of the hopper. The modification to make (feel free not to) is to remove this. Store it in your bin : This screw stops you from adjusting past zero. True Zero on my Rocky was about -10 and I needed to get to -6 or so to get proper grinds - so this was a no-big-deal thing.

      The top burr now just unscrews. If you have removed the annoying self tapper, you can re-attach the brass carrier to the bottom of the hopper - which will now just screw onto the grinder. You now have total oversight of the gubbins and can clean etc. The only thing I can imagine stopping the grinder turning is either a fault in the motor or something catching on the exit hole from the grind chamber and the four (? cant remember how many!!) fingers on the bottom carrier that push the ground coffee out.

      Again, if youve removed the stop screw, assembling it is just a matter of screwing the hopper+burr assembly back on. Wind it down till it bottoms out then back it off a bit. The whole process takes less than 20 mins...

      /Kevin

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

        Originally posted by 6D4940404343796D49554B49260 link=1276081413/1#1 date=1276084422
        It could also be a small stone
        AND

        Originally posted by 6D6C6B260 link=1276081413/2#2 date=1276085819
        Lucy - Ive now upgraded my Rocky, but I cant believe a stone or beans would jam the burrs.  The motor has plenty of grunt and the spacing between the burrs is pretty small, so itd have to be a tiny rock.  All possible, of course, but Id doubt those as the problem.
        Ask any experienced person... STONE....Or foreign object...  Jam / Destroyed Burrs / Blow motor.. Happens..

        Not as much these days... With Roasters having better de stoners and magnetic  catchers..  

        Even my grinder has a magnets around the finger guard... After last weekend and all the home roasting TWO non forgiving objects caught....

        Opps KK.. What would us old hands know any way  

        PS. Follow the rocky posts and instructions as to how to clean correctly.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

          Stones in coffee is not that rare - just try the green bean Yemen Bani Ismail. For those who are virgin to the Yemen and bought some this beanbay - be warned, look and look again for stones!

          I do a sift for stones before I roast and then again before I grind.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

            Originally posted by 6A5B4C5554535855433A0 link=1276081413/4#4 date=1276130583
            Stones in coffee is not that rare - just try the green bean Yemen Bani Ismail. For those who are virgin to the Yemen and bought some this beanbay - be warned, look and look again for stones!

            I do a sift for stones before I roast and then again before I grind.
            Ahh the perils of not making myself clear! I too roast Yemeni and deal with the gravel...

            I was trying to get over the point that a hard obstruction is normally pretty spectacular, not just a bit of a lug and then stoppage. You hear the awful grinding sound :-?.

            I hasten to add, I never got a single rock into my Rocky, but my BIL has had a few. He has also had almost the exact same problem - strange vibration and stoppage with shaking etc to get it to go again. In that case, it turned out to be a piece of cotton - wrapped around the spindle and kind of flapping a bit. It would get caught on the exit...

            The give away that it wasnt a stone or a hard obstruction being ground away is that the problem recurred quite a few times. Disassembly of the hopper/burr assembly revealed all. A dirty little "lasso" which would snag the burr and the exit cute - it had a bean fragment in it which very effectively wedged the corner of the exit....

            /Kevin

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

              Originally posted by 676968756E64000 link=1276081413/0#0 date=1276081413
              Been topping up beans every time I make a coffee.
              Are you adding more beans to an already fullish hopper, or are you single dosing the grinder?

              If it is the former, Ill bet the oldest beans have absorbed enough water or got oily enough to glug the outlet, and the mass of ground coffee is jamming the burrs. Never have more beans in the hopper than will be used in one day. I prefer to measure my beans before grinding and add the requisite amount to the empty grinder.

              Stones, or grinds, or whatever--your first step is to disassemble and clean, while watching out for the cause.

              Let us know how you go--new knowledge is always welcome.

              Greg

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

                Thanks guys.

                Looks like I will have to brave it and disassemble the monster.

                Its still stop and starting and I keep having to stir the beans.

                "Are you adding more beans to an already fullish hopper, or are you single dosing the grinder?"

                >> Im single dosing the grinder.

                Lucy

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

                  Originally posted by 7F71706D767C180 link=1276081413/7#7 date=1276173831
                  Thanks guys.

                  Looks like I will have to brave it and disassemble the monster.

                  Its still stop and starting and I keep having to stir the beans.

                  "Are you adding more beans to an already fullish hopper, or are you single dosing the grinder?"

                  >> Im single dosing the grinder.

                  Lucy
                  What is ya 10. 4 ?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

                    Originally posted by 4E61686A7D426E616E686A626A617B0F0 link=1276081413/8#8 date=1276174556
                    What is ya 10. 4?
                    IIRC AM that should be 10-20.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

                      Originally posted by 1A263B202A2B3C29212A4E0 link=1276081413/9#9 date=1276178558
                      IIRC AM that should be 10-20.
                      Yep TG...

                      Sometimes shortened to "Whats your 20?"....

                      Mal.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

                        Originally posted by 1D213C272D2C3B2E262D490 link=1276081413/9#9 date=1276178558
                        Originally posted by 4E61686A7D426E616E686A626A617B0F0 link=1276081413/8#8 date=1276174556
                        What is ya 10. 4?  
                        IIRC AM that should be 10-20.
                        Thats a big 10-4.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

                          Originally posted by 7A465B404A4B5C49414A2E0 link=1276081413/9#9 date=1276178558
                          Originally posted by 4E61686A7D426E616E686A626A617B0F0 link=1276081413/8#8 date=1276174556
                          What is ya 10. 4?  
                          IIRC AM that should be 10-20.
                          IIRC your Correct....

                          So tired... Need good sleep... Not sure if its the meds or teh lack of Nicotine... But the vivid dreams mean I wake feeling utterly exhausted...

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

                            Lucy

                            I have been following the topic.
                            I still have a retired rocky .

                            From you original question It sounds more like a motor/electrical fault. Its the chugging to a stop that make me suspicious.
                            The rocky motor is very strong.  As it keeps stops and restarts after you sir the beans - it suggests the motor has cooled a bit - enough to work again.

                            You dont say if it continues to stop during the rest of the grind or whether it is once every grind or intermittent.  And will it restart only if the beans are stirred?  Will it restart if left for a moment without stirring the beans?. Does it stop if you run the motor with an empty hopper?

                            Cleaning is not so  hard and should be done. Unscrewing the top burr can be difficult - watch for shape edges.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Rocky grinder stuck?

                              Originally posted by 666869746F65010 link=1276081413/7#7 date=1276173831
                              Thanks guys.

                              Looks like I will have to brave it and disassemble the monster.

                              Its still stop and starting and I keep having to stir the beans.

                              "Are you adding more beans to an already fullish hopper, or are you single dosing the grinder?"

                              >> Im single dosing the grinder.

                              Lucy

                              Any Update Lucy ??


                              PS. Great mod for stones / metal bits etc...

                              Get some of the magnets strip stuff and get a long enough piece to place inside and around teh neck of teh hopper.

                              Hot glue or some other quality adhesive to hold it in place....


                              Not 100% but better than nothing...

                              Comment

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