Let's see if i can get some help here.
Machine: Bezzera DUO MN, IMS Baristapro 10-12g the single basket
Grinder: Eureka Mignon Zero (1 month old)
Beans: Medium-Dark roast, roasted 10 Days ago.
Workflow: Weighted dose of 10g -> RDT -> Grind -> WDT -> Tamp with leveled spring tamper.
Problem: Shot is set up at the sweet spot and actually delicious. 10g in, 18g out in about 28 sec.
The problem is tho, that sometimes the shot (every 3-4th shot) comes out in just about 17 seconds (for the 18g out) and tastes very sour. no changes to workflow, same beans, same grind settings, same temp, etc.
Does anyone have this problem?`my only guess would be the grinder being inconsistent? Dialing in i also had the problem that, changing the grind size over couple of shots didn't had any result and then i had sudden big changes so for example 15sec, grind finer, 16sec, grind finer, 19sec, grind finer 30sec, go back to 19sec setting on grinder, 28sec etc. Really don't like the adjustment, feels like it has allot of play and slack going back and forth.
Don't tell me to use a 22g basket, i'm no caffeine junkie and enjoy multiple shots a day (mostly only drink on the weekends)
All and all i'm really disappointed in the ZERO, i don't understand the hype on reddit… Since i got it i haven't been happy with the quality and think to myself, should have gotten something more expensive to complement the beautiful Bezzera.
Anyone else has this experience with the Zero ?
by scrtdpresd
19 Comments
Idk man I can’t read the post until you tell me what the view is. Lake? Mountains? Desert? Or is that fog? Please help.
Hey it’s just biology man, some people would actually want their shot to come out slow too ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My guess is channelling. Obvious with a bottomless portafilter, but you can see major channelling with a spouted.
Sometimes you shoot your shot, sometimes you don’t. It is what it is.
Are you using blend or single origin?
Also, try to flush the machine before extracting.
The only other thing that comes to mind is your distribution process differ slightly without you noticing (could be as simple as tamping pressure or how much pores you create with needles)
I prefer multiple single shots during the day as well, but I have to give up on it and choose 1-2 double shots daily because it s easier to have consistent results with the double basket (also the shots are tastier and creamier).
The conical form on the single basket makes it impossible to have consistent results shot after shot.
I would recommend:
– even if you don’t like it, change the single basket with the double basket and make less coffees during the day
– measure the output of the grinder not the input of the grinder. The grinded coffee should be exactly 10g. If there is some retention and you have only 9.7-9.9, add 1-2 more beans into the grinder to reach your 10g target.
Nice picture and view. 🙂 The Eureka grinder per se is fine. Not perfect shots are kind of normal. Significant changes in humidity do have effects on the coffee. Are you living by the sea?
What’s the timeframe between the first and the fourth shot? Are they back-to-back shots? There could be possibility that the water temp went down over the shots, and the boiler needs more time to recover and bring the temperature up.
IMHO you are never going to get any consistency with that size shot as any minimal differences in prep and tamp will have a massive effect compared to the same differences with a 18, 20g shot in a double basket
It would seem you have already worked that out or you would not have put the comment, Please do not tell me to use a bigger shot.
Feiw im on machine 5 (acs evo leva 2) but have never and will never use a single basket. Far too complicated 😎😘
Sorry its not what you wanted to hear and i guess by telling you this i will get downvoted but that’s how i see your situation.
Nearly didn’t comment due to fear of downvote!!
But its similar to saying “this formula 1 car doesn’t drive smoothly around town”
Fuck the coffee machine for a sec, LOOK AT THAT BACKGROUND HOLY CRAP
You will not make great espresso in a single shot basket. super dark roast is possible in the la marzocco single basket, but it still tastes worse than standard double shot basket.
you need to adjust something. either accept using more coffee and use double shot basket, or accept that you need to buy some step down basket of your preference. i suggest to watch lance hedricks video on various step down baskets. if you absolutely beed a small dose, maybe the 36mm step down is for you.
this is a good read https://rmckeon.medium.com/graph-coffee-step-down-espresso-baskets-15d0e7bc489c
Premature extraction
Use a double spout portafilter and toss one of the resulting espressos
Fluctuations in group temp, particularly a rise in temp will speed up shot times.
Do a quick 2 second flush to heat up the group before a shot. Let the temp restabilise. Baseline the time to pull a shot after doing this. This should become part of your routine while you grind your beans for consistency in temp.
Are you weighing after grinding? Sometimes I have some grind stuck in the chute and I have to push on the bellow hard a few times to get it out. Could be that this adds up and you’re getting 9g out then 11 or 12g out the shot after.
I also got a dial from aliexpress along with a tilt base, not sure how much it helps though.
I think the main issue with the single shot portafilter is the concave bottom, could be worth getting a small flat filter? Mine is the lelit 18g version but with dark roasts I only end up putting around 14-15g and get pretty consistent shots.
I would agree with most of the comments about the dose size but I will throw out one other thought. I ordered a Zerno Z2 and while waiting for it to be delivered this Spring, I did some more reading and watching on the topic of burr seasoning. I know this is a topic that generates polarizing opinions and I am not convinced of the need as it relates to any real taste difference in the shots. However, after watching Lance Hedrick’s video on it where he goes totally granular (pun intended) on how particle size and distribution changes with several kg of grinding on new burrs, it might be something to consider. The main point I got from the video had nothing to do with taste but everything to do with inconsistent shots on a new grinder. I think small dose sizes could compound the inconsistent shot times.
His comments were particularly focused on flat burrs which seem to get the most benefit from running a couple (or more) kilos of cheap coffee through the new burrs. If you are only making a couple of 10g shots per day over the last 30:days, you have only run about 600g through the grinder. I suspect it will get better over time, but with small shots it could take a while
Best of luck on your coffee journey.
Very close to my setup and, I i know you hate to hear it, but I have super consistent shots with the double basket. I think the suggestion to move to a different small basket as a compromise is a good one.
Also kind of random but is your pressure properly calibrated? My Bezzera arrived way over pressure and needed some tweaking, more than 9 bar at the grouphead could also be causing you issues if you didn’t notice.
Are you preheating your portafilter with the machine or does it live in your tamping station?
Try to keep the dose in the middle of the basket size range. In your case 11-11.5g. Staying at the lower end of the range will give you more variability in outcome due to more headspace. Try dialing in with the same ratio or maybe even 1:2 should give you the same result as your initial grind setting.