Bunnzilla w/ SSP mod notes - Page 2

Grinders are one of the keys to exceptional espresso. Discuss them here.
whatpraytell
Posts: 4
Joined: 6 years ago

#11: Post by whatpraytell »

I would say that the overwhelming flavour is unpleasant bitter roast note. Lacks any sweetness. This flavour seems to prevail despite using third wave water and trying coarse grinder setting (2:30 drawn down with 20 g dry dose V60) or fine setting (4:00 draw down with 20 g dry dose V60).

flix67
Posts: 35
Joined: 5 years ago

#12: Post by flix67 »

Undoubtedly, you will find tons of great brewing suggestions from seasoned veterans if you do a search through the forums!

However, I will do my best to help you troubleshoot. What kind of beans (and roast) are you using? Have you tried grinding with your stock Bunn burrs to compare? Can you describe your brewing technique? I found that James Hoffman's technique worked well for me -- I underestimated the impact of agitation in getting a more flavorful cup until I used the swirling technique he described (see same video linked below). I have also tried a flow restrictor in my Hario kettle to get a more constant flow of water as suggested by Jonathan at coffeeadastra.com, but I found that the lack of turbulence and agitation of the bed actually resulted in duller cup of coffee.

My suggestion is to keep going coarser if you are looking for more sweetness. If you are brewing light roasted coffee, use water just off boil too. I personally have found that James Hoffman's suggestion (at about 5:10) to use hot water -- as hot as you can get off boil-- works well for light roasts. Staying within the 195-205F range may be better for darker roasts, but not for light (go hotter).

Do you have the standard detent plate on your grinder? I recently got a used Bunn G3 for my parents and added SSP silver burrs. I zeroed out the burrs so that they touch just beyond the turkish setting. I found that Cartel Coffee's Esperanza Natural (a light roasted coffee), was fantastic at the "Elec Perk" notch on the G3. Strong fruit flavors and minimal astringency. However, Cortez Coffee's Costa Rica was unbearably astringent at the same setting (a medium roast). In fact, even at coarser settings the bitter flavors were too apparent for my taste -- point being that it could be the beans too.

whatpraytell
Posts: 4
Joined: 6 years ago

#13: Post by whatpraytell »

I have tried brewing with the stock burrs, and now that you mention it - they tasted better at more coarse settings. I think I forgot about that because i changed the decal and detent to the higher resolution plate and decal.

I usually brew pre 2nd crack coffees that are more in the city realm. I have also tried different coffees to see if it was the particular bean/roast I was using.

I will try brewing more coarse and see what happens.

Thanks!

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panhouse-alex (original poster)
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Joined: 4 years ago

#14: Post by panhouse-alex (original poster) replying to whatpraytell »

Being a roaster I've access to lots of beans. So I basically have it well seasoned on my first cup, couldn't share the differences on the before/after....sorry.

Yes, go coarser is my advice too. I'm now using the dial at ~10 o'clock for V60 brew. Which gives the same EY as my previous "ghost teeth" . The current grinds are just much coarser.

whatpraytell
Posts: 4
Joined: 6 years ago

#15: Post by whatpraytell »

Thank so much for the help and great advice. Going coarser is resulting in much sweeter brews. I like your clock decal proof way of explaining grind setting. I am at around 10:30 with burrs touching at 3:00.

Two confounding issues:
1) The new SSP burrs produce results that can still draw down a lot more quickly than the conical burr grinders that I have previously used when grinding at overly fine settings. I think this is because this new burrset produces a relatively smaller amount of fines that aren't impeding draw down times in the slurry.
2) The brews with these super fine grinds (although they tasted bitter and lack sweetnesss) they weren't as obviously astringent and bitter as a correspondingly overly fine grind setting with others conical burr grinders.

stangah
Posts: 10
Joined: 6 years ago

#16: Post by stangah replying to whatpraytell »

I don't really have anything to add except that this completely mirrors my experience and it's sent me down weird rabbit holes and multiple sandpaper alignments for the better part of a year. I've brewed some of my favorite cups this week since dialing it back near 10 o'clock because of the other post, which I would have dismissed as too coarse otherwise. So thanks for this thread!

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panhouse-alex (original poster)
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Joined: 4 years ago

#17: Post by panhouse-alex (original poster) »

Indeed, the lacks of fines which makes the v60 draw down much faster. I addressed it with a slower water pouring, basically 3 stages, for my usual 12g>180ml brew, it's 30 sec bloom, 00:31-01:10 first 150ml, 01:31-02:15 final 70ml. complete btw 02:30-03:00.

for espresso (grind setting close to the 3 o'clock zero). I find it taste better with a shorter pull, comparing to the Sette 270. My current recipe is 18g, 36ml, light tamp, 21-25 seconds. (seems closer to 20 is better). Still playing around with it. But the lacks of astringent is so obvious that I've to sell my Sette quick lol.

autechpan
Posts: 7
Joined: 7 years ago

#18: Post by autechpan »

whatpraytell wrote:Don't mean to highjack the thread:

Also recently built a Bunnzilla from G3 using redspeed coated SSP burrs.

Spent some time shimming with tinfoil and dry erase marker. I think I am close, but after aligning and re-calibrating (barely rubbing right at 1): V60s don't taste good at all. However, I haven't seasoned.

Did you guys find that seasoning made a difference?
yes, absolutely. I ended up running about 120 lbs of rice through my bunnzilla when the burrs were new. somewhere around 80 lbs, the brews started to get much more favorable, and after 120 lbs, I was getting what I expected, which was something consistently better in side by side tests with a Lido 2 and a Vario with steel burrs. Only brewed coffee though. haven't used for espresso.

mtbizzle
Posts: 246
Joined: 4 years ago

#19: Post by mtbizzle »

I recently got a G3 and am hoping to do many of these mods. Thanks for sharing the grind settings.!
"All people by nature desire to know" -Aristotle

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