What do I need to know about changing grind settings

[SJM]

Here's the set up.

Because I roast using an IR2, there are never more than 120 gm of any one roast at any one time. That means that after every 120 gm, I am using different beans. This morning I found myself with nothing yet ready to use and pulled out the last 15 gm of some Sumatran I had bought already roasted. I dumped it into the MD-50 and tried to pull the shot.....completely choked. And no more of those beans either.

So, what I'm wondering is what should I know about the beans and their level of roast, etc., that would make it more likely that I would know to set the grinder coarser for those beans I tried this morning than for the ones I had been using for a couple of days?

Any suggestions? I find it frustrating to be tossing away multiple 15 gm baskets of grounds, particularly when there aren't but 7 baskets full per roast.

Thanks
Susan

[RapidCoffee]

Hi Susan. Aside from actually pulling a shot, I don't know of any magic recipe for dialing in the grind. But a reasonable general guideline is, all other things being equal, darker and older roasts require a finer grind than lighter and fresher roasts.

[cafeIKE]

ROT: When changing beans, plan on 3 shots to get dialed in.

For the Sumatran to have worked, shear luck. Doubly so since the Sumatran was a pro roast. Also if the first Sumatran worked, like as not, subsequent would not. The first grind of a new roast is always a hybrid of the last roast.

Try roasting twice and mixing. 240g is well within the lifespan. You 'average' out the variablility and should easily get a dozen or more shots.

[SJM]

Try roasting twice and mixing. 240g is well within the lifespan. You 'average' out the variablility and should easily get a dozen or more shots.

Excellent suggestion. Although the IR2 directions say not to roast consecutively, I'm sure I can get away with two in the same day as long as I let the roaster cool down between the two. That way I won't mind so much losing those 45 gm to dialing in.

all other things being equal, darker and older roasts require a finer grind than lighter and fresher roasts.

You know, that's what I had thought, and in this case it was the other way around: The Nicaraguan Matapalca Pacamara Peaberry was lighter and fresher....surprised me ...

Thanks all
Susan

[RapidCoffee]

You know, that's what I had thought, and in this case it was the other way around: The Nicaraguan Matapalca Pacamara Peaberry was lighter and fresher....surprised me ...

Different beans, different roasters, but yeah, that surprises me too. Still, that's part of the joy of espresso, isn't it? Just when you think you're starting to get a handle on it...

Another suggestion: you may be ready for a larger capacity roaster.

[SJM]

you may be ready for a larger capacity roaster.

Wash your mouth out with soap !
Wink

I am doing my very best to ignore such suggestions and reminding myself that there are miles to go on the IR2 learning curve before that is really warranted.

Susan

[RapidCoffee]

Wash your mouth out with soap !

Sorry, didn't realize Behmor was a four-letter word (unless you're channeling some grumpy guy in pajamas ).

OK, how about this: the heck with the warranty on your iRoast. Roast as often as you want. When it breaks, treat yourself to a larger capacity roaster. You deserve it.

[SJM]

Sorry, didn't realize Behmor was a four-letter word (unless you're channeling some grumpy guy in pajamas ).

Nah, it's the other b-word: bank account.

OK, how about this: the heck with the warranty on your iRoast. Roast as often as you want. When it breaks, treat yourself to a larger capacity roaster. You deserve it.

And THAT'S an idea I can live with !!!!! I like it !!!

Thanks

Susan

[cafeIKE]

...reminding myself that there are miles to go on the IR2 learning curve before that is really warranted.

OTOH, the iRoar makes that curve much more vertical than some of the competition.

[SJM]

OTOH, the iRoar makes that curve much more vertical than some of the competition.

Izzat so? Do you mean that you think it's harder to get a good grip on how to roast well using the IRoar than some other (ahem, affordable) method? It certainly is true that I can't hear cracks and I do have to rely on the thermocouple I added to tell me what the temp is in the bean mass....but...

Could you elaborate? I'm really not interested in torturing myself. I'd like to be able to roast well for my own use (one double-a-day), and I've been thinking that I very well should be able to get the IR2 to perform that function for me. I have actually had pretty decent luck with it getting me a roast I have been enjoying, but I have no problem calling it luck, and I don't know how widely the particular profile is applicable -- yet....

Susan

[cafeIKE]

Since you've added a TC, you've mitigated a large part of the problem with the iRoar.

If you're logging the roasts and the profiles are the same, you should be good to go. If not...

[SJM]

If you're logging the roasts and the profiles are the same, you should be good to go. If not...

Yeah, I've been using the same profile for a while now and just stopping it a bit short if/as/when necessary, but I haven't been keeping a log, and I guess it's time. Unfortunately, consistency is not one of my better attributes, so keeping up with the roasts in a log fell by the wayside early on. Guess it's time to get back on that wagon.

Thanks for the encouragement.
I'm gonna work this IR2 harder.

Susan

[cafeIKE]

Some days I long for when I dumped a measure of beans in the Fresh Roast...
No scales.
No thermocouples.
No meters.
...it was the best coffee.

[SJM]

I know exactly what you mean !
Occasionally it occurs to me to wonder why the more I know the worse my coffee gets....

[cafeIKE]

Another RoT : Single origins usually require a slightly coarser grind than a blend.

On Max / MC4 about two complete revolutions of the micrometer adjuster. ~1 notch on the Gran Macinino. Probably about the same for a Rocky

[SJM]

I've mostly been roasting a Nicaraguan Matapalca Pacamara Peaberry of late. I got a small sample back when I bought the IR2 from Sweet Marias and found it quite delicious. Before that I had been going through a batch of Greenline.

Today I'll roast two batches of the Nicaraguan per an earlier suggestion, so that the dial-in shouldn't have to change so often.

Actually I'm running the Rancilio MD-50 a notch or two too tight, because I keep forgetting to reset it before I grind again.

Really, part of the problem is that I need coffee before I can make coffee....

Susan