Hi.

I just received from my wife as a gift the MACAP M4 Stepless / Doser purchased from Chris Coffee.
My initial reaction was - "what an awesome machine."

Problem is - after 2 days and 2 lbs of coffee, I have yet to pull a good shot.

I dialed in zero per instructions. I've done everything per instructions.

I dose the same amt, I tamp the same amt, I do everything consistently but it seems that I cant dial in a good shot - I'll have a shot that is too fast - say 15 second pour, make a few turns and then the pour takes 45 seconds. By turns I mean - minor adjustments - adjustments that should add a 2-4 seconds to the pour.

I swear I can pull a better shot with a Krups 20 dollar grinder - I'm good at eyeballing and feeling the grind - than I can with the Macap. Hell, with my Krups, I've pulled terrific ristrettos - but using Blue Bottle and Ritual beans does help.

I spoke to Chris - he asked if I was dosing the same amt on every shot - I said I was - but I double checked to make sure and still I havent gotten a good shot. Im so frustrated, I'm almost ready to return it.

Im open to thoughts, ideas, suggestions. thanks... matt

When I read pour time variations that wide, I look to technique, not equipment. But just to be certain we've covered all the bases, remove the top burr and confirm it isn't fouled. One time I saw "coffee tar" buildup on a new grinder and it screwed up shot timings like you describe.

PS: Please fill out the rest of your equipment profile and let us know what coffee you're using. Thanks.

Hi vitomatt,

I have the Macap MC4 and also use Blue Bottle beans. Try 4 Barrel too, especially when they start roasting.

In the last year, with similar beans you are using my experience has been that the Macap sometimes needs a very slight turn of the knob to achieve a minute adjustment. Seemingly small turns of the knob may be larger than you think. Very fine resolution is possible, but even a quarter turn can be a big difference with some beans. Have you tried adjusting a shot coarser by just a whisper? I mean, by ever so slightly coarser...barely able to notice the collar rotating?

I recently received a Le'lit PL53 and my initial impressions are that it takes more dial turns on the Le'lit to make an adjustment compared with the Macap. The Macap can really benefit from very slight turns of the nob.

Also, things other than grind can account for the large difference in shot timing. What is your machine? Not to patronize if you are already doing these things, but do you have a consistent flushing routine down between shots? Also, on my PID Silvia, I find that if I pull a shot while the PID is still recovering at a high temperature, the shot is slower, or if it has dipped towards a lower temperature, the shot comes out quicker....even if I adjusted the Macap to grind finer. It really helps me to pay attention to where the actual boiler temp is before I pull the shot, and to try to make that as consistent as possible.

Well, I have been using a stepless/doser MACAP 4 model (a black one, purchased at 1st-line) for over 2 1/2 years now - every day. It is exclusively an espresso grinder for me - and works very well at its task. I get consistent pours. Others will confirm. The people from Chris coffee must be scratching there heads wondering what is going wrong.

Unless there is something defective in the screw mechanism on yours - such as the stepless gear being off track, or a stuck bean in the burrs, (or whatever?) you should be able to dial in your desired time. Perhaps your minor adjustments are not minor enough - try 1/4 turns - not full turns. It's a fairly sensitve grinder - after all it's stepless.

Not to worry, though - you will get it working right - or they will take it back, if its defective unit. Good luck.

Howard

If you are getting a 15 sec pour try a 1/4 turn or less instead of a couple turns. A complete revolution of the worm adj knob equals one tooth on the ring & that is a big change when dialing in your grind.

Hi:

I have the same exact grinder also purchased from Chris coffee and I have been using it for 2 years. My espresso machine is the Quickmill Alexia and I have gotten good results with this combo. I agree with the other replies that 1/4 turn with this grinder is a big adjustment so you need to go easy with the adjustments.

I suggest that you get a small scale and weigh your coffee before and after grinding. I have found that the grinder tends to retain at least 2 grams in the doser and unless you sweep it out by using a long thin paint brush or similar object, you will be left with old coffee in the doser the next time you grind. You would be surprised how much this can contribute to the variability in your espresso making.

I also recommend you read Ken Fox's thread on underdosing. Before I started using a scale, I was overfilling and sweeping, etc and using about 20 G for a double. After I read Ken's thread and started weighing and using 15g for a double, I get great results every time.

One last suggestion is that you probably would be better off making doubles rather than singles until you get used to your new grinder. I have found that the double basket (through a naked portafilter) is much more forgiving of grind and tamping variability.

Hope this helps. Good luck,

Steve

Wanna thank those for their help/reply. Things are a better now.

I would like to know what is the best scale for the price - that measures in 1/10 grams and doesnt turn off after 30 seconds....

I've tried "underdosing" at less than full 20 grams for a double --- I like it if not for the less caffeine.

Odd, though. Two things keep happening:
1. I get a good shot. great creme. 25 second pour etc but the puck will not be solid, still wet like mud after rain... any ideas...

2. I'll be pouring a shot getting a nice striped single funnel and then all of sudden, a single thin tiny spray of water will shoot out... Channeling I suppose? and for the life of me I cant seem to stop it...

I got my scale from http://www.dealextreme.com and am happy with it. They have a large selection.

Read carefully, some of the scales on extremedeals shutoff after 30 seconds (makes it hard to measure for brewing ratios).

vitomatt wrote:I would like to know what is the best scale for the price - that measures in 1/10 grams and doesnt turn off after 30 seconds...

Searching eBay using 500g digital scale will find lots of options, including some with 1 and 3 minute automatic shutoff times. Recommended inexpensive scale for weighing coffee? offers more suggestions.

Hi Matt,

Most mainstream places like Sur la Table, Williams-Sonoma, BB&B, etc, have some pretty bad scales. Their Escali scales are decent, but not fine enough resolution for what you're looking for. Get a lab scale, or I have heard great things about the one sweaner mentions from dealextreme, but what Dan just mentions says otherwise. Mine is an Ohaus and still isn't perfect about dynamic weighing grounds as they fall from my grinder, but I am happy with it's reliability when re-weighing the same coffee. I think this is mine, but dang, then it went down in price - I paid $70ish from this same company. Looks like a much better deal now:
http://www.affordablescales.com/s...ecs.asp?specs=2858

To help you with your other issues:
What's your machine?
From my experience, a double is more like 14-16 grams, not 20. We are just led to believe the 20 grams as standard because we live in SF - where all these places construct massive pucks and can milk them because they are working on the best machines, most resilient to channeling.

Yeah, the thin spray of water you are referring to sounds like channeling. On a lot of machines, channeling is much more likely to result with larger doses. My current understanding is that it has something to do with the puck not being able to swell at these doses. Also, probably something to do with how the baskets were designed within the limits of a certain number of grams. And, on my machine, PID Silvia, the hex nut that holds the dispersion screen in the group is often blamed for causing channeling because it sticks out and may disturb the puck at higher doses. I removed that screw and have a screw that is flush with the screen.

So, if you are dosing upwards towards 20 grams, this might indeed be the culprit for what you're experiencing. Lately, I dose at 16 grams on my Silvia. Try dosing lower and thus also making the grind finer.