Swapping beans in the grinder

[PapaWhisky]

Any tips for swapping beans in the grinder? I want to be drinking regular leaded in the morning and then switch to unleaded in the evening.

Is there an easy way to be doing this ... short of upending the grinder every evening into a container.

Don't suggest two grinders ... I'm not there (yet)

[HB]

I used to measure the coffee beans and grind until empty.

[PapaWhisky]

Doesn't the grinder need at least a half full hopper to gravity feed the cutters?

[HB]

No. It's true that most grinders will grind more consistently with the pressure of beans above (the effective grind setting becomes coarser as the weight drops off). But if you consistently dose and grind until empty, the grounds are consistent (or more accurately, they're predictable). Is single dose [without hopper] grinding inconsistent? debates this point.

[zin1953]

Method No. 1:

I used to measure the coffee beans and grind until empty.

Method No. 2: Get a second grinder.

[RegulatorJohnson]

...plan ahead?

i have a 1/4 cup measure that is about one double worth of beans.

i usually make about 5 shots a day.

so i dump in 5 1/2 scoops.

this is going to leave about 1/2 a shot of beans left. i can then happily just grind those away. and scoop in something different.

or you can just dump in the whole bag. make your shots. then you can empty the hopper back into the bag at the end of the day. or to switch beans.

whatever works best for you is usually the best solution.

jon

[Marshall]

There is no good single grinder solution, unless you can afford a Versalab (and some don't care for that machine). I suggest a cheaper burr grinder for brewed coffee.

[narc]

Over time I've convert over to the effects of popcorning is not a major factor side of the aisle. I just single dose every grind. When switching blends or SO just clean out the grinder & doser, sacrifice a few of new beans, hope your grind is on. If not repeat. Other option is as Marshall suggested. For low volume a Zass or equivalent hand grinder would work. Plus you have a travel grinder.

[cannonfodder]

You are going to blow a lot of coffee into the garbage changing every day like that. Figure at least one sink shot to adjust the grind every time you change the beans, twice a day. Half of your coffee will go in the garbage. A second grinder may pay for itself.

[another_jim]

Any tips for swapping beans in the grinder? I want to be drinking regular leaded in the morning and then switch to unleaded in the evening.

Is there an easy way to be doing this ... short of upending the grinder every evening into a container.

Don't suggest two grinders ... I'm not there (yet)

Some grinders are easier than others for either single dose use or switching hoppers. The Rocky is tough for both; but it's light enough so you can simply upend it when you need to switch beans. This may seem inelegant, but it is by far the simplest solution for this grinder.

[cgfan]

As described and pictured in my earlier post in another thread, I pre-dose and grind one shot at a time. I do not have an issue with popcorning reported by others. Popcorning is avoided by "capping" the "throat" of the grinder with a cheapie plastic tamper, applying subtle pressure on the beans trapped underneath as they feed into the grind chamber.

As can be seen in my post there are a couple of other complementary adaptations that I've made, all contributing to a smooth and efficient workflow that uses 100% of the beans and its grounds.

[JR_Germantown]

I used to measure the coffee beans and grind until empty.

Dan, just curious...why "used to"?

Jack

[zin1953]

I'm not Dan, but having two grinders solved my "switching" problems.

[HB]

Dan, just curious...why "used to"?

The grind setting drifts as the beans run out (see Is single dose [without hopper] grinding inconsistent? for discussion). I rarely pull less than 3 shots in a session, so keeping a half-pound of coffee in the hopper isn't an issue.

[RapidCoffee]

... most grinders will grind more consistently with the pressure of beans above (the effective grind setting becomes coarser as the weight drops off). But if you consistently dose and grind until empty, the grounds are consistent (or more accurately, they're predictable). Is single dose [without hopper] grinding inconsistent? debates this point.

Here's a simple test: without changing grinder settings, grind with a single dose of beans vs. several doses in the hopper. Pull a fixed shot volume (or better yet, weight) and compare the pour timings. I was surprised at the difference: 6-8 seconds faster for single shot grinding on my setup (documented on the thread linked above). This was enough to convince me that popcorning is a significant factor in grind coarseness, at least for single shot dosing. Since then I've shifted to grinding with several doses of beans in the hopper (and upending the 30# SJ when I want to change beans ).

[joshuak]

does the hopper on your grinder have a sliding tray to close the spout? if so you could just order a second hopper from the manufacturer

* edit: my bad, i'm new here and forgot to check your equipment in your profile

[k7qz]

His profile lists a Rocky otherwise joshuak post is right. I don't have a second hopper for my big Mazzer so I just close the throat slide, run the grinder until the chamber is empty, lift out the hopper, pour out the remaining beans and then pour in the new blend. Sure, I waste a couple of shots of beans this way but it's a minor waste IMO in the grand scheme of things considering what I've otherwise spent in my quest for espresso perfection...

I also have a Rocky and another-jim is right- the Rocky is light enough to upend it and "out with the old, in with the new".

[Eric]

I only load a single shots worth of beans in my MACAP M4 and place an old 53 mm basket on top of the beans. The basket prevents the beans from flying out and any residual popcorning effect is exactly the same for each shot. I use the same basket to measure the volume of beans.

eric

[cannonfodder]

I have a Cimbali grinder. They are not conducive to changing beans constantly but I love the grinder, so I got another.