I have ground less than 10 kg of beans using brew burr on P100. I have noticed that clogging has become very prevalent. Previously I was able to get to 3.5-4.0 grind range, 1:17 ratio, with little to no clogging and tds was around 1.5% => 22-23% extraction.

Now I am using 5.0 grind, same 1:17 ratio, but brew starts to clog around 1:15, and tds is around 1.4% => 20-21% extraction. I am always using the same water, same filter (hario v1 40paper box). I suppose it was because I touched the burr previously but it shouldn't damage the interior crushing section i suppose.

I don't know how can those people get to 26-27% extraction using V60, or maybe 1.7-1.8% tds. I often doubt if it is feasible, even using brew burr. Any suggestions?

Moderator note: split from SSP 98mm "Brewing" Burrs

I've had the red speed SSp brews for a few months now. I keep oscillating on a conclusion, which means I really don't have one, but at the moment, I don't think I'd pay the premium for the brew burrs over the stock ek burrs. I enjoy the coffee from both sets very much and prob could tell the difference in a/b testing but I'm pretty sure that difference wouldn't be worth $600 to me.

frankqxq wrote:I have ground less than 10 kg of beans using brew burr on P100. I have noticed that clogging has become very prevalent. Previously I was able to get to 3.5-4.0 grind range, 1:17 ratio, with little to no clogging and tds was around 1.5% => 22-23% extraction.

Now I am using 5.0 grind, same 1:17 ratio, but brew starts to clog around 1:15, and tds is around 1.4% => 20-21% extraction. I am always using the same water, same filter (hario v1 40paper box). I suppose it was because I touched the burr previously but it shouldn't damage the interior crushing section i suppose.

I don't know how can those people get to 26-27% extraction using V60, or maybe 1.7-1.8% tds. I often doubt if it is feasible, even using brew burr. Any suggestions?

I've only started using my Brew burrs after 4 kg at turkish grinds, but I have noticed no such things.

Excluding some weird burr behavior, the other possibilities are

1. Different beans
2. Different pouring technique (height, circles vs centre, flowrate)
3. Different recipe (number of pours, dose!)
4. I'd be very careful about refractometer readings, those devices are very finicky. Having said that 20% ey at 5.0 seems low, unless it's a Brazil. Also coffees can have a 5% ey variance depending on origin.
5. 26-27% happens in the 2.5-3.0 range, but it's harder with a V60 than with a flat bottom.

frankqxq wrote:I have ground less than 10 kg of beans using brew burr on P100. I have noticed that clogging has become very prevalent. Previously I was able to get to 3.5-4.0 grind range, 1:17 ratio, with little to no clogging and tds was around 1.5% => 22-23% extraction.

Now I am using 5.0 grind, same 1:17 ratio, but brew starts to clog around 1:15, and tds is around 1.4% => 20-21% extraction. I am always using the same water, same filter (hario v1 40paper box). I suppose it was because I touched the burr previously but it shouldn't damage the interior crushing section i suppose.

I don't know how can those people get to 26-27% extraction using V60, or maybe 1.7-1.8% tds. I often doubt if it is feasible, even using brew burr. Any suggestions?

What do you mean you touched the burr? What happened? It REALLY depends on the bean and the amount of rest it has gotten, but currently while brewing Manhattan Pepe Jijon (roasted 3/25) I am getting extractions around 1.6tds (12g/200ml) with my grind size at 6.4 using Timemore B75 and 155 filter. Using the April brewer I get similar TDS but slightly lower depending on how many pours I do. Are you sure you are not channeling?

frankqxq wrote:I have ground less than 10 kg of beans using brew burr on P100. I have noticed that clogging has become very prevalent. Previously I was able to get to 3.5-4.0 grind range, 1:17 ratio, with little to no clogging and tds was around 1.5% => 22-23% extraction.

Now I am using 5.0 grind, same 1:17 ratio, but brew starts to clog around 1:15, and tds is around 1.4% => 20-21% extraction. I am always using the same water, same filter (hario v1 40paper box). I suppose it was because I touched the burr previously but it shouldn't damage the interior crushing section i suppose.

I don't know how can those people get to 26-27% extraction using V60, or maybe 1.7-1.8% tds. I often doubt if it is feasible, even using brew burr. Any suggestions?

Hey Frank,

I'm using HU in p100 and brew burrs in EK so here's my insight. For reference on my p100 I can easily hit 23% at 6. That's a burr gap of ~450um from chirp for reference. On my Ek with brew burrs, I often brew ~21-22% extractions at a 450um burr gap from chirp. I get excellent results in this range. If you're brewing on 3.5-4 from burr touch on the p100, that's ~260-300um burr gap which seems very fine.

My point is, I would wager that you're setting yourself up for channeling and uneven extraction with such a fine grind for pour overs. Look into how your brewing and try coarsening the grind a bit. At the same time, maybe try a multi stage pour. I don't know how you're brewing but in my experience I've never had a brew start clogging so early in a brew. You must be getting your water in very quickly.

Maybe give us some more detail on how you're brewing, your water, and your refractometer and we can chime in further.

Oh also this may be silly but did you reset your 0 point since switching to brew burrs?

Thanks for the feedback. I just tried to increase the grind setting to 6-6.5. Still kind of clogging the brew but less severe. Tds is around 1.3-1.4% (they installed shims for me in factory when swapped the burr to brew burr, maybe that caused some difference in range?). My technique is pretty standard and never changed. Bloom and 2 subsequent pours. I think the issue may really be 1) high altitude bean that are 1-2 month old (slightly stale), and 2) I played around with zero point too much and damaged the burr set when finding the zero point (touched the burr multiple times). P100 zero point really bothers me because it is floating (it changes when you play with the upper carrier), and I kept trying to find the zero point.

Yeah but I think I definitely damaged it. There is significant amount of fines that are clogging the brew when using hario filter. I can only drink it with fast filter.

For anyone looking for high EY coffee, above 24%, your best bet is to grind fine(assuming you have a good grinder), excavate your grinds on both your bloom and first pour with a stick of some sort, and use much more water then you are used to. 1:19 or 1:20, but even 1:18 is much preferred for high EY coffee then anything lower.