I hadn't processed what you said at first. If zero has shifted from 0 to -1 (or "19") and your optimal grind has shifted from 7.0 to 8.5, your adjustment has gone from +7 to +9.5. That's the opposite of what I would have expected. I guess burr break-in does not exactly have a linear effect on the fineness adjustment. As you said, the actual number the scale is pointing to is just a guide and has no impact on the grinding performance. Still it is fascinating to think about, and I think I'll have a lot of fun with it in a couple weeks or so.

^ ditto. FWIW my Grist MG-1 didn't change much, if any at all, after grinding 20+lbs of beans through it the past 4-months. I did notice, compared especially to my former HG-One 2014 which took a copious amount of beans to lap in/flavor stabilize, the in the cup flavor using the Grist was wonderful almost from the first pound of beans. And puck prep has been a non-issue even when using VST baskets: No channeling, no spritzing, etc. And that was always a challenge for me using the HG-One...for whatever reason.

Yeah, I also figured any change would have been in the opposite direction - very odd.

I've also found I get great pours without WDT - in fact I get better pours without WDT than with. Maybe I'm doing WDT wrong! At any rate, I usually get great center pours with no channeling or spritzers if I just dose into the basket, do a quick level and tamp.

So this is odd. I'm back to zeroing at the factory zero. Didn't do anything with the grinder (as in, didn't tighten or loosen any bolts, didn't take it apart, etc.). Just wanted to change the grind setting for some new beans and now it zeros (burr lock) at the factory zero mark again. Hmmmm?

Overall loving the grinder. My only challenge at this point (beyond whatever weird thing I accomplished with the grind setting) is that I'm still getting used to it as a countertop grinder. I always used my Pharos as a knee mill, as I had only used vintage hand grinders for espresso prior to acquiring the Pharos - so the knee mill approach was all I knew. The Grist will bruise the crap out of your legs if you try to use it as a knee mill, since the plates are hexagonal rather than round. You also end up fighting the grinds drawer the whole time. So I'm learning new-to-me ergonomics using the Grist on a countertop.

How has static been for everybody? I've been dealing with more than I'd like, around .5g or more consistently, even with 2-3 spritz's of water. The grounds in the catch cup always have a splayed out look instead of a neat pile. Might be due to the lower humidity this time of year, but when I run some beans through the pharos it doesn't seem to have nearly as much static.

I have been using my MG-1 for about two week now. When using RDT (2-3 spritz's) I experience lesse than 0,1g retention. No problem at all. I do not have a pile in the cup either, but that is not relevant for my workflow.
By now I am really satisfied with my purchase.

When the MG-1 was fresh from the box, static was significantly worse than the Pharos. It took three spritzes vs. two for the Pharos. Somehow the extra spritz was all it took. After using it for a while now, it seems to have calmed down and I'm back to two.

My Grist MG-1 has, to date, always required less bean moistening to control static than my Pharos/modded or stock form. I've been consistently grinding at sea level where the humidity is high and at 4,500' in the high desert where its typically much lower ambient humidity and it always takes 1-3 spritzes from the little mister bottle to completely control the effects of static.

The darker the bean roast the more pumps from the sprayer but always, even when grinding a bigger shot, 22grams or so. Lighter roasts seem to require 50-75% water mist to completely negate static effect compared to darker roasts.

If you are not getting the typical donut shaped pile of grinds in your Grist MG-1 "drawer" you need to add more moisture to the beans.

Another FWIW: My Grist MG-1 required almost no break-in period. Static electricity effect and flavor in the cup have not changed since the first pound or so of beans I pushed through it.

I can't compare vs. Pharos because I never had a catch cup mod on the Pharos and didn't 'weigh out' to check retention, so I was flying blind. I do one spritz with the MG-1 and always get the perfect 'donut pile' in the drawer. We're having a dry (by Seattle standards) winter so there's more static than is typical locally. I'll reserve judgment until the spring and I'm operating in a familiar climactic environment.

I've been grinding two 16g shots daily for almost a month and there was a very noticeable burr break-in at the beginning of this week. Suddenly grinding is much easier. Then again, maybe I've just figured out my optimal use approach, as that's only about 1 kilo of beans, which doesn't seem enough to truly season the burrs.

In any case, loving the grinder and I've even come around to - gasp! - not using it as a knee mill.

I see Mahlgut is now experimenting and presumably will offer what appears to be a 1" thick slab of granite to afix the Grist to slippery counter tops. Hmmm...I've seen that before somewhere