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TGP II: Brainstorming Session - Page 2

Postby bgn on Wed Dec 29, 2010 2:02 am

jbell wrote: percentage of total grinds vs particle size.


would this quote also function as a definition of the phrase "particle distribution' that is used in this thread? The different threads here discussing the intentional use of "fines" in espresso grinding (as opposed to grinding for drip) is very interesting but a simple definition of "particle distribution" would be helpful for me.
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Postby another_jim on Wed Dec 29, 2010 2:09 am

How many times do I need to say this: The size of a typical fine particle remains much the same regardless of grinder or grind fineness (although it could vary by coffee), it is a fragment that gets thrown off whenever a bean is broken. The coarse particles change in size depending how often they are broken. Since more fines are generated each time a bean is broken, the finer the coarse particles, the more fine particles, and the higher their proportion by weight.

This is a completely predictable relation, since it depends only on the fact that something brittle is being broken; we knew about it before we started, and it is unfortunately the only regular relation we found.
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Postby RapidCoffee on Wed Dec 29, 2010 1:05 pm

another_jim wrote:The size of a typical fine particle remains much the same regardless of grinder or grind fineness (although it could vary by coffee), it is a fragment that gets thrown off whenever a bean is broken. The coarse particles change in size depending how often they are broken. Since more fines are generated each time a bean is broken, the finer the coarse particles, the more fine particles, and the higher their proportion by weight.

+1 for an excellent summary of how coffee grinders operate.
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Postby cafeIKE on Wed Dec 29, 2010 1:18 pm

An interesting test might be to use an arbor press to fracture beans and measure the particle sizes.
Put a dozen or so beans under the piston and crush them in .5mm steps from 2mm to .5mm
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