Hi all,

I have had a Pharos for some time, and not always been sure what I'm doing. I never adjusted the burrs, but sometimes felt the grinds were uneven. I recently bought the Voodoo Daddy mod kit, and got my mate (who is really good and careful at such manual tasks) to install it for me. When he took my Pharos apart to install the mods, he noticed that the burrs were worn unevenly. To investigate, he put them on a lathe and measured four thousandths of an inch of difference between the widest and narrowest points.

When he reassembled my grinder, I asked him to do his utmost to ensure that the burrs were aligned well, and he used feeler gauges to try to get it as even as he possibly could. The grinds are slightly more even now, but I find myself uncertain about whether the burrs have been permanently damaged by previously being misaligned.

So, I've taken some photos of a grind I did today and would really welcome any opinions on the evenness of the grind. The photos are on FlickR, so you should be able to click through to get full size versions and examine the grinds up close.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wintoid/s ... 066922022/

Any help/advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Simon

Really difficult to tell, but the last image of the prepped basket seems to suggest uneven grind. I used to have trouble with this and you can search hb for some photos that look similar to yours but worse. Luckily, my Pharos just decided to realign itself and the grinds look great now. Maybe you can contact Doug and Barb and see if you can send the burrs in for inspection.

Yeah, the photo with just the basket shows a few big boulders. For that burr set the grind should be much more even. It's easier to see the boulders on spent pucks so take a few of those photos. This link shows the spent puck on my misaligned hand grinder. It is better now.

2014 HG one grinder

Thanks, I've sent Doug and Barb the link to this thread, and we'll see if they can give me any advice. I'm wondering whether I should just buy new burrs.

Hi let us know what you figure out, I'm experiencing the same issue with my brand new Pharos. I though it would be caused by the break in period but I am starting to think its a misalignment.

That doesn't really look too bad to me.

BTW, how is the espresso? That is really what is important.

Hi Scott,

Thanks for the feedback, that's useful.

As for the espresso, until recently I've been drinking milk drinks, and milk can hide a multitude of sins. As of a few days ago, I am trying to switch to espresso, but not being THAT familiar with espresso as a drink, I am still learning what it should taste like. I had an espresso today from a very competent barista near me, and it tasted completely different to anything I've ever got out of my Ponte Vecchio Export, or my Arrarex Caravel. Amazing, actually, and if I could get espresso that tasted like that, I'd probably give up the milk drinks immediately.

So to answer the question, I don't really know how good the espresso is, but the visual indicator grind regularity was something I hoped might lead me to a better taste...

I know I'm probably approaching this upside down.

Simon

Maybe bring your Pharos to the barista you mentioned and have them (or you) dial in the grinder to pull some shots with their beans and equipment (if they are receptive to such an arrangement). This would eliminate most variables and give you a decent indication of the grind quality coming out of your Pharos compared to the shot you seemed to enjoy.

+1. Mentioning how great the barista's shot was wouldn't hurt either.

I've been making great espresso for years with an Export, Caravel, and hand grinders that are certainly not aligned as well as your Pharos. I suggest that grinder alignment is the least of your concerns right now.

Grind fineness, dose, and temperature are the things to look at (and of course the coffee beans). How much coffee are you dosing, and what is the flow rate? With both those machines I'd dose 15g or more, and get about 30g or less of espresso in about 1 minute (two lever pulls). With the Caravel 90 C was my preferred temperature (others may like it warmer). With the Export I like to pull shots before the group gets too warm to leave my hand on.

A little patience is needed to master both of your lever machines. The Caravel is extremely capable and nice because of precise temperature control. The Export is very forgiving, but keep an eye on the temperature. With both I personally prefer very full baskets, ground accordingly. I would start with the Export which I think is easier to master. Fill the basket as full as will go, and grind so the first lever pull results in just a fast drip or slow stream. The second pull should be right on.

PC