CoffeeMac wrote:Denis custom-made the tamper for me; said it wasn't possible for the distributor as he buys those in lots of 200 and would never be able to sell that many in 53mm. Funnel is from Orphan.

I have the funnel; what's the thing with the unusual top next to the spray bottle

It's a distribution tool that Denis threw in with the recent order shipments as an apology for the delay. (as if he actually has anything to apologize about!)

I am loving my conical!!!

Unlike others, I did have to dial in my grinder after firing it up the first time which is odd since Denis tested on a Slayer like mine. I had to adjust it a full number finer using the Cafe Lusso. It might be a difference in pre-brew flow setting and/or pump setting.The shots I am getting are amazing. I have never been able to get the sweetness I am getting now. It really has elevated my results.

I also received an OCD-style grounds leveler in my shipment. I have used it, but can't find much of a difference in extraction evenness or taste with or without it as long as I am careful being even and consistent in the WDT. Also, as Denis mentioned in his manual, I did get a decent amount of static for the first few lbs. of coffee, but it has tamed down a lot. I haven't been using the spray bottle the last 2 days, and static really hasn't been an issue.

I had to raise the PF forks to the top position to keep grounds from spilling over the dosing cup. After raising the PF holder, I have no spilled grounds. However, the grounds do not fall in the center of the basket as mentioned and demonstrated above. I think a future mod to either extend the dosing nozzle or pull the PF holder closer to the grinder body would improve this.

I roasted 5 different coffees yesterday and am looking forward to exploring the possibilities.

Lastly, the grinder has received a glowing response from my wife who is thrilled at how much smaller it is compared to my past grinders. It is perfectly suited for home use.

Dave

michael wrote:I have the funnel; what's the thing with the unusual top next to the spray bottle

It's a hummingbird egg beater for extremely tiny omelettes.

CoffeeMac wrote:Also, I found that the "wings" on my portafilter holder are a bit thicker than the slots on the portafilter holder arms, making it a bit fussy to get inserted easily. I'm sure I'll figure out a smooth motion pretty quickly...

I have the opposite problem (not really a problem - ha), where my portafilter "wings" are somewhat thinner than the slots on the holder arms, and thus my PF handle hangs down a bit.

dynamiteid wrote:Unlike others, I did have to dial in my grinder after firing it up the first time which is odd since Denis tested on a Slayer like mine. I had to adjust it a full number finer using the Cafe Lusso. It might be a difference in pre-brew flow setting and/or pump setting.The shots I am getting are amazing.

Similar here - for my BDB, I had to go 2 full numbers finer than the as-shipped setting. I chatted with Denis about it - he said in his test shots, he had a 6s pre-brew on the Slayer, which he said is next to nothing in terms of water volume. And after that, the Slayer ramps pressure very quickly to the brew pressure. As opposed to my BDB, where I was running a 7s PI (likely with much more water volume than the 6s Slayer pre-brew), followed by what is likely a much slower ramp to full pressure. All of which points to needing a finer grind on my setup, compared to his testing.

dynamiteid wrote:I had to raise the PF forks to the top position to keep grounds from spilling over the dosing cup. After raising the PF holder, I have no spilled grounds. However, the grounds do not fall in the center of the basket as mentioned and demonstrated above. I think a future mod to either extend the dosing nozzle or pull the PF holder closer to the grinder body would improve this.

Same experience here - I have the forks raised almost as high as they go, and the grinds tend to pile up in the back of the basket. I've been grinding until the sound changes, then pulling the PF out and giving it a bit of a shake to level out the pile, then putting it back in and then tapping out the nozzle and pulsing a bit.

All in all - I'm quite happy! A decaf I'm using, I feel like I've never even tasted before now. And some other coffees are coming out much more balanced - I was planning to write more about that at some point.

dynamiteid wrote:I am loving my conical!!!

Lastly, the grinder has received a glowing response from my wife who is thrilled at how much smaller it is compared to my past grinders. It is perfectly suited for home use.

Dave

Yes, the smaller footprint and size is amazing! It sits next to my vario and it makes my vario look a lot bigger when it sat next to my kony!

spressomon wrote:FWIW/FYI just in case it wasn't previously posted: Denis' recommendation for a catch cup. I'm using it on my Flat and it works great. One of the less expensive things I've ever purchased for my all things espresso game

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0091 ... UTF8&psc=1

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I think with the angle of the flat, the portafilter holder stills allows the chute to sit in the center of the holder, where as the vertical conical needs to be tweaked so the chute will exit at the center again.

jhors2 wrote:Some people care about the refractometer results a bit more than others. It is meant to be a promise to those who care about the numbers that the grinder is capable of producing a high TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and ultimately Extraction Yield. However, Denis also of course tastes the shots produced by using the grinder and subjectively insures that the espresso is very good.

The numbers simply put are the amount of coffee "stuff" that makes it into the water vs the amount of water that is in the shot.

I should have framed my question properly, as I understand EY%. What I mean was.... what does an EY% matter without context of grams in / beverage weight / taste... etc. Can 21% not be extracted with a lesser grinder by messing with grind, temp, water volume, type of bean and roast....Albeit maybe wouldn't taste well.

I'm at work and don't have access to the paperwork Denis supplied with my "Flat", but I recall him saying "you could get a 21% extraction yield from a $20 hand grinder, but it would taste terrible." So by inference, I think that means a high yield number alone doesn't mean anything. In the end, you're shooting for great tasting espresso and a high extraction yield.

Denis' exact words" You can pull shots with high extraction yield from $20 hario skerton grinder but they will taste pretty bad, so... "

Why am I still smiling to see a 21.7 on my test report?

Denis makes great tampers!

BTW, Dan, that catch can looks like a nice one