Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

[Zenyatta]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

My first grind with the breville so far has been with stale beans - so I think the first problem Ive identified is grinds not being fine enough. Im sure that using fresher beans will make a big difference too when I get those.

[dr.a.j.pickering]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

My first grind with the breville so far has been with stale beans - so I think the first problem Ive identified is grinds not being fine enough.

As beens stale they need a finer grind, but no grinder will grind fine enough to rescue Lavazza which can be many months from roast by the time it makes it on to the supermarket

[Zenyatta]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

I purchased a single walled basket from Breville yesterday and used it on my machine today (with the un-shimmed BCG800) and the coffee didnt want to come out, just spilt over the sides. Is there something wrong with my filter or is the grind not fine enough?

[Barry_Duncan]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

If it is blocking up, it could be that the grind is too fine.

Barry

[Rusty]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Is there something wrong with my filter or is the grind not fine enough?

Three things come to mind:

1. Dose - how much coffee are you putting into the basket?

2. Grind - how fine are you grinding?

3. How hard are you tamping?

Dont attempt to adjust more than one of the above variables at a time, otherwise you wont know which needed correcting  :

[Zenyatta]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

1. Dose - how much coffee are you putting into the basket?

Hmm, one large shot, but less than 2. So between 1 and 2 for a large cup.

2. Grind - how fine are you grinding?

Finest possible on the smart grinder - havent installed my shim kit yet.

3. How hard are you tamping?

Not very. I dont have a proper tamp, just the plastic spoon thing that comes with the CR.

The double-walled filter is still working just fine.

[tannyboy]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Hey all,

Just picked up a smart grinder today ( bit more than some of the bargains found by posters on here)

Wanting to get a nice grind going but it seems like nothing is going down the chute. Seems to grind, but nothing seems to go down, it remains in the area where the burrs are.

Any ideas, been craving an espresso for an hour now, and no joy.

First electric grinder, upgrade from my handy hand one.

Cheers

[Zenyatta]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Did you try putting beans in first? helps...

:P

[Zaneus]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Possibly grinding too fine. Not all of these grinders need shims to grind fine enough to choke an espresso machine. When i first got mine i had it close to the finest setting and it ground it to dust and clogged the machine. Had to take the burs out and clean inside. That could be your problem Tannyboy. Id avoid grinding more until you give it a clean, you could jam more coffee in there and make it worse.

Zenyatta - do you know how fine you are grinding? As in, are you sure it isnt too fine for espresso? Sounds like it is to me. Try backing it up to half way and see what happens. then adjust the grinder from there.

[Bames]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Dont really understand why a single wall basket would be choking when a double wall one does on the same grind size, should be the other way around if anything. If I grind, dose amd tamp the same for a double wall as I do for my single wall (I have the Breville baskets too) then the double wall chokes more.
Are you using the same grind size?

[tannyboy]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Did you try putting beans in first? helps...

:P

Yep .... Check

Possibly grinding too fine. Not all of these grinders need shims to grind fine enough to choke an espresso machine. When i first got mine i had it close to the finest setting and it ground it to dust and clogged the machine. Had to take the burs out and clean inside. That could be your problem Tannyboy. Id avoid grinding more until you give it a clean, you could jam more coffee in there and make it worse.

Cleared out, clean out the burrs (with combination of stiff brush and toothpick) - tried on the coarsest setting with no joy, any other ideas? Im going to try tomorrow (hell it might work with a nights rest)

[Tango]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

It happened to me one and all I did was take out the burr assembly, invert it, give the side a good slap allowing the grounds in the burr to come out and then reassembled. Worked straight away after that?

[pjchris]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

misunderstood scenario... removed
Peter

[dr.a.j.pickering]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Dont really understand why a single wall basket would be choking when a double wall one does on the same grind size, should be the other way around if anything. If I grind, dose amd tamp the same for a double wall as I do for my single wall (I have the Breville baskets too) then the double wall chokes more.
Are you using the same grind size?

First off Im using an E61 hx atm and I get the opposite.
For a double I grind to fill the basket, tap to settle, fill again and tamp. If I do the same with eth single basket the machine chokes. No adjustments made to the grinder.

Peter

I believe the double referee to double wall Ii.e pressurised not dosE

[tannyboy]

Re: Breville BCG800 Smart Grinder

Well i think i got a dud,

Cleaned out the machine where the burrs are; tried grinding again and nothing came out the shoot.

Disappointing, but i have faith, some ill grab a replacement from the store and give that a whirl - ill let you know how i go when i get that one in my hands.