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Grinding a single dose Vs using a full hopper

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  • Grinding a single dose Vs using a full hopper

    Since buying my Mazzer doserless I have mostly been adding just enough beans to grind for a single shot. This is quote involved and I spend a lot of time getting as much of the grind out as I can with a skewer. I don't mind the ritual but it doesn't allow anyone to come along and use the grinder without understanding the process. The main reason for doing this is to have the freshest beans in use only (from a sealed container) with a little bit of tight-arseness as well.
    My father is coming to stay soon and loves to drink espresso so he'll want access to the silver corner without waiting for me to make them for him. I decided to do a quarter filled hopper as the two of us will get through that in 3 - 4 days at most. I found the resulting grind to look more consistent in size and the flavour to be more complex and the shots much easier to get right.
    I imagine that this is how the manufacturer designs their grinders to be used; with the added weight of beans above those being grinder helping them to be pushed into the burrs.
    Is this right?

  • #2
    Sure is....They are commercial grinders

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    • #3
      Thanks Chris. So is there a recommend minimum amount to keep in the hopper - I couldn't find anything specific about this in the manual.

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      • #4
        Enough to at least stop 'pop - corning', where the beans jump about in the hopper.

        There are some DIY mods you can do with a short tube of perspex for a mini hopper and a tamper for weight (and an old credit card to keep the microswitch on :-D)

        I just fill the (normal) hopper by about a third, more or less........ but it doesn't last long.

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        • #5
          There are some mods here, from about post #16 onwards.

          http://coffeesnobs.com.au/grinders/3...tml#post465029

          Coffee Machinist now sits a tamper on his beans while grinding. ;-D
          Last edited by chokkidog; 10 January 2014, 01:20 PM.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by chokkidog View Post
            I just fill the (normal) hopper by about a third, more or less........ but it doesn't last long.
            Any issues with beans going stale? Say if beans are in the hopper for 2 days?

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            • #7
              2 days......I don't have the same beans in the hopper that long. :-D

              Oxidation accelerates of course and the ageing process follows suit ...... but by how much??
              I don't know.

              Whether or not beans are 'stale' in two days is unlikely but if you can minimise the amount
              of exposure to air and light then that would be a good course of action.

              My home grinder sees about 3 kgs a week, so it's not something I get concerned about.

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              • #8
                And their lies the conundrum for low volume (home users).

                We need the weight of the beans for consistent grind. But if one leaves beans in the hopper. They go stale...

                What's the answer....I don't know

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                • #9
                  Drink more coffee...
                  The small tube mod with a tamper on top is an excellent idea to get around beans going stale in a hopper.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by thebookfreak58 View Post
                    And their lies the conundrum for low volume (home users).

                    We need the weight of the beans for consistent grind. But if one leaves beans in the hopper. They go stale...

                    What's the answer....I don't know
                    Morning Bookfreak, the answer is pretty straight forward, grind a shot at a time.
                    I have a Mazzer Mini with std hopper.

                    My method is,

                    1. Start with hopper, delivery chute and doser clean.
                    2. Weigh out 18 grams of beans.
                    3. Start grinder and dump beans into hopper.
                    4. When finished grinding with machine still running, lift hopper and brush any stray beans or fragments into burrs.
                    5. Turn off grinder and brush out delivery chute, then turn the grinder on briefly to clear any loose grounds.
                    6. Dose, sweeping all loose grounds out of the doser into the basket.
                    7. Jobs done, grinder and doser clear of most loose grounds ready for next shot.


                    Sounds like a bit of messing around, however once you get used to the method it really is quick and straight forward, the only additional equipment you will need is a cheap set of scales and a small stiff bristle artists brush from Cheap as Chips.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by astr0b0y View Post
                      Drink more coffee...
                      The small tube mod with a tamper on top is an excellent idea to get around beans going stale in a hopper.
                      And a great method if you've got 2 or 3 roasts on the go, or if you want a bigger grinder without the added height.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Yelta View Post
                        Morning Bookfreak, the answer is pretty straight forward, grind a shot at a time.
                        I have a Mazzer Mini with std hopper.

                        My method is,

                        1. Start with hopper, delivery chute and doser clean.
                        2. Weigh out 18 grams of beans.
                        3. Start grinder and dump beans into hopper.
                        4. When finished grinding with machine still running, lift hopper and brush any stray beans or fragments into burrs.
                        5. Turn off grinder and brush out delivery chute, then turn the grinder on briefly to clear any loose grounds.
                        6. Dose, sweeping all loose grounds out of the doser into the basket.
                        7. Jobs done, grinder and doser clear of most loose grounds ready for next shot.


                        Sounds like a bit of messing around, however once you get used to the method it really is quick and straight forward, the only additional equipment you will need is a cheap set of scales and a small stiff bristle artists brush from Cheap as Chips.
                        This is my current method with my Macap M4. However, I am finding as the above, the beans are popcorning and causing inconsistent particle sizes...

                        I will look into the tube mod

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                        • #13
                          How do you know you're getting inconsistent particle sizes?

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                          • #14
                            I'm not sure that popcorning is the problem its made out to be, I have in the past used a drinking glass in the hopper recess, the weight certainly prevents the beans jumping around, however I cant taste any difference in the cup between using the glass and just dumping em into the hopper, maybe its just my palate.

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                            • #15
                              Just about all grinders give a spread of particle size in the grind.

                              http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rc...59026428,d.dGI

                              Grinding Fundamentals.

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