Hi all,
So today I received this espresso grinder. Previously, I was using the Hario Mini Mill for espresso. The mini mill was able to make a 39g shot in about 32s,18g dose with 7 bar pressure on the gauge.

Currently I'm dialing in the new grinder and I'm getting very weird results. 39g shot from an 18g dose in about 45s (first drip on 16s), with 7 bars pressure on the gauge. The pressure decreases as the time goes. I also noticed that the puck from this shot is a lot more mushy than the pucks that I would get from the mini mill.

What are your thoughts? Should I go finer?
(P.S. I'm a newbie and this is my first time dialing in an electric grinder.)

A slow extraction time and a mushy puck is generally indicative of a fine grind. I would not worry much about the pressure gauge on your machine and instead focus on the total shot time and flavor of the espresso.

I can't find much technical information on the Ferratti Ferro FCM3605, but I assume it has a typical vibe pump. The declining pressure suggests that the puck is breaking up with your new grinder, which is something that can happen quite easily when you grind too fine, so I would loosen the grind until you have a shot time that is in the 28-36s range and then adjust from there based on taste. Chances are that this will stabilize the brew pressure a bit, as you will have flow earlier in the shot and more consistent flow throughout the shot, without the increase in flow/decrease in pressure at the tail end of the shot that you are seeing now.

Cheers!

- Jake

Hi Jake, thanks for the quick reply!

My machine has an Ulka EAX5 vibe pump. I'm not familiar with pumps so I don't really know if its a good brand but so far it seems pretty decent.

As for the brew pressure, what is the acceptable range for espresso? Or should I just ignore it and only focus on shot time and flavor? I'm currently using a lighter roast and I'm pretty new to espresso tasting and the shots I've been getting are pretty bright, light, and acidic. However, the 45s shot was the most balanced shot I've ever tasted out of this bag of coffee. It wasn't acidic and was actually decent, but I know it could be improved.

Thanks!

Just tried loosening up the grind. Got a 36g shot in about 30s with 7 bars on the brew gauge. The shot tasted about the same as the shots I'd get with the mini mill. However, the puck is still quite a bit soft/mushy compared tho the pucks that I'd get from the mini mill. Though I suppose that is not a problem?

Also, it's taking my grinder 25s to grind 18g of coffee with the current setting. Is this a normal grind rate? Just curious.

Thanks!

very strange color of your beans

Arialflash wrote:Just tried loosening up the grind. Got a 36g shot in about 30s with 7 bars on the brew gauge. The shot tasted about the same as the shots I'd get with the mini mill. However, the puck is still quite a bit soft/mushy compared tho the pucks that I'd get from the mini mill. Though I suppose that is not a problem?

Also, it's taking my grinder 25s to grind 18g of coffee with the current setting. Is this a normal grind rate? Just curious.

Thanks!

I would basically ignore the quality of the spent puck and focus 100% on the taste of the shot. If you prefer the slower, finer grind shot, then that is all that matters!

As far as grind time goes, that seems like a long time (very long time) to grind with a hopper full of beans. It would perhaps be a reasonable time if you were single-dosing, but I know literally nothing about your grinder, so I really can't say whether that is normal or not. Normal output for 64mm burrs is 3-4g/s when grinding on demand with a hopper. Do you know your burr size? It looks like a Super Jolly clone. But you never know from the outside.

ado wrote:very strange color of your beans

Eh? They look fine to me.

Cheers!

- Jake

ado wrote:very strange color of your beans

It's a medium light roast lol

Jake_G wrote:Eh? They look fine to me.

Cheers!

- Jake

My grinder has a 60mm burr. And guess what, the hopper chute was closed when I was grinding, so thats probably why. I'll try again tonight.

Suggestions:
1, try commercial beans: illy, Lavazza,CBTL dark roasted beans.
2, use Mazzer SJ and above.