Newbie Questions: Dialing in an Anita and Mazzer Mini

[HunkaBurninLove]

OK, let me say I'm a total newbie when it comes to espresso and have a few questions because I don't know what I'm doing . I've been trying to educate myself by reading here and CG but have encountered information overload

This weekend I've been browsing the old topics and playing with my recently received Anita and Mazzer and had a few questions.

Mini:
1. I was trying to find the "zero point" but wasn't sure if I really found it. Turned on the empty grinder and slowly adjusted the collar until I heard what appears to be the burrs touching. The sound reminds me when you get a key made, so I assume this is it? I didn't want to go any farther for fear of damaging the burrs.

Anita:
Initially the brew pressure was very low (4.5-5 bars) when brewing a shot so I tightened up the grind on the Mini to just above the zero point. I lowered the brew pressure from ~10.1 bar to 9.6 bar (measured with the blank). This seemed to improve the taste of the espresso. The puck is more damp compared to when the pressure was 10.1 bar.

2. When pulling the shot, the pressure went to about 8 bars during the pull then maxed out at 9 bars when I pushed the lever down (about 15 seconds for a 2 oz extraction). Is this normal? Is the pressure still too low? The grind is just above the zero point.

I've been doing the "water dance", and the coffee is a French Roast from Whole Earth foods.

TIA.

[HB]

No need to be hard on yourself, it sounds like you've done your homework!

Q1. Yes, the sound you describe is very apt. You can also clear the grinds from the chamber, turn the grinder OFF, and then turn the dial hard counter-clockwise to find the zero point. However, the factory setting is an accurate "start here for espresso" setting. I don't think that I've drifted more than 1/2" away from it in either direction (though to be honest I removed it long ago).

Q2. Judging from your description (fast pour despite super-fine grind, lack of resistance) I'm wondering if the coffee beans are stale. I've bought coffee from Whole Foods and it's a real crapshoot. The couple boutique coffee roasters that sell to them gritted their teeth when talking about the "Best By" date, which one negotiated down to 60 days from the usual 90 days. If it was truly a French Roast (= "charred"), it would require a very fine grind even if fresh as can be. Who knows what it would be like weeks or months down the road. Generally speaking, the lower the moisture content, the finer the grind...

My first recommendation is to start with a known reliable coffee that is marked with the roast date. Ideally pick one you know well (e.g., from a good nearby cafe). If that's not an option, there's lots of online coffee roasters. Of the HB sponsors, Intelligentsia Black Cat, Counter Culture Coffee Toscano or Caffe Fresco Ambrosia are frequently mentioned as forgiving blends to learn on. The Coffees forum has a number of threads offering other recommendations.

[HunkaBurninLove]

Thanks for the quick response, Dan.

Stupid me...in my excitement to try the grinder, I forgot where the initial setting was located . But the indicator arrow is now at the "6:30" position. Maybe I'll try turning it to the hard CCW position and go from there.

I know that getting coffee from the stores is not always a good idea. But I hate wasting coffee when trying to dial-in a machine. I'll check the local cafes for a recent roast, or maybe try some of the beans you mentioned. Black Cat seems to always come up so it might be worth it to invest in some reliable beans to take away that variable.

The lower the moisture content...the finer the grind. Gotta remember that tip.

[HB]

But I hate wasting coffee when trying to dial-in a machine.

By my calculation, you've spent over $1000 in equipment. Putting $50-$100 towards good coffee for training purposes is not a waste, it's an investment towards enjoying your future purchases of coffee. You've got a good setup, don't economize on the most critical element - the coffee. Good luck and re-post if you have questions or just want to give a progress report.

[kav]

I'd have to 2nd everything Dan has said; I too have the Anita/Mini combination, and I find that stale coffees just don't offer enough resistance (even at a ridiculously fine grind) to be of any use at all in dialing in the system.

It took me a couple months to settle in to some degree of consistency, but you should be getting incredible espresso pretty soon!

Cheers,
Mike

[HunkaBurninLove]

OK, I've got a pound of Ambrosia on its way to me.

I shot a small video of my second extraction (ever) using the naked portafilter, but Google is still "verifying" it. I don't know if I stopped the pull too soon, or if my tamping technique is off.

When I figure out how to get it uploaded, I'm always open for tips/critique.

[HB]

Sounds like a good idea. You should post a link to your uploaded video in Videos of espresso extractions (once I see your post, I'll "inline" it like the others in that thread).