I have a Profitec Pro 500 and Sette 270 grinder. Both have worked super since I got them in June; and both seem to be working fine now.

I have a new package of beans, dark roast, espresso blend. I've used this brand a few times before and is from a local roaster. It is about 2 weeks off roast. For some strange reason, this bag is now pulling much too fast and I need some suggestions as to what to do next.

First, I've been using these exact same beans before (but different lot) and never had to dial the Sette lower than 3 on the large ring (finest setting is 1). I use 16.5g in .. (odd-ball weight, but it is what I first experimented with, so I know its characteristics); 32g out.

I'm using the normal Profitec double basket. I used to be able to choke the machine when I ground too fine, but now, at the finest setting I get 32g out in about 19 seconds from when I turn the lever on. I can see the output coming too fast. I have a bottomless portafilter and I've seen channeling and spurting when I first started learning about espresso, but I don't think I have those issues now. The flow looks normal but fast.

I took the grinder apart looking for a flaw, but didn't see one. I don't think I have ground a stone without noticing, and the grinds sure seem pretty fine when I put them between my finger and thumb.. sort of like flour..

The distribution and tamping is okay.. I have a bottomless portafilter and there is no channeling that I can tell.. no spurting.. Water temp has not changed. (I have PID control; and

I know I have a shim I can install in the Sette, but this is something that just happened all at once and it is such a change I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this before and can offer some insight on what I am seeing and what I might do to correct.. I can add more info and pictures if that will help. Sure going through this coffee quick.. but I've got at least 10-15 doses to experiment to see if I can correct.

Now I did updose one to 18g and it did pull slower.. about 32g in about 30 seconds.. but I like about 35 to 40 seconds and I found that shot still sour. And my grinder should be able to handle the 16.5g dose.

dave

How many lbs do you have through the 270?
I noticed pretty sudden changes when the burrs were seasoning in. I even inspected the burrs to make sure a rock didn't chip up the edges, but everything looked fine.

Hard to say.. maybe 30 lbs.. This is what I've noticed a sudden change and wondering if something could be causing it that I can't think of..

I may try installing the shim they sent with the unit to see if that helps.

I'm fairly sure that all of a sudden I couldn't grind fine enough too. The shim is probably in order.

SOLVED:

Thanks for the replies.. You are right.. the shim.

I installed a 2nd shim (1 was already installed on delivery and I got 2 spare) and it went from 1A to 5E and this new pull took about 50 seconds.. Good thing I was making a latte

The change was so dramatic I thought something else was wrong.. I literally went from 3 to the finest setting all at once. Took the burrs out to inspect, hoping I didn't miss a stone in the coffee. But everything checked okay.. (and I clean it thoroughly every month)

Back in business!

BTW, I love the Sette 270 for single dosing.. Bought a bunch of flat bottom amber test tubes that hold up to about 20 g and made a very inexpensive single dose array. Works well..

dave

So when you were pulling too fast before putting in second shim, the taste of coffee turned sour? Now that you're pulling normally, the sour taste disappears?

I have the Sette 270 as well at finest setting. I can pull normally at 25-35sec. using a triple basket (23g in, 40g out). The coffee often tastes bitter.

You can try improving distribution to avoid channeling, and reducing your dose, and or reduc8ng your heat

Bluenoser wrote:SOLVED:

Thanks for the replies.. You are right.. the shim.

I installed a 2nd shim (1 was already installed on delivery and I got 2 spare) and it went from 1A to 5E and this new pull took about 50 seconds.. Good thing I was making a latte

The change was so dramatic I thought something else was wrong.. I literally went from 3 to the finest setting all at once. Took the burrs out to inspect, hoping I didn't miss a stone in the coffee. But everything checked okay.. (and I clean it thoroughly every month)

Back in business!

BTW, I love the Sette 270 for single dosing.. Bought a bunch of flat bottom amber test tubes that hold up to about 20 g and made a very inexpensive single dose array. Works well..

dave

I'm still looking for a good option for bean cellars. May do mini mason jars but amber tubes sound interesting. Can you share details of what you got and the stand as well? Thanks!

I've attached 3 pics.. hopefully they upload.

In one you can see 3 different vessels I looked at. I finally settled on the amber tube because it was made of borosilicate and the amber is supposed to be UV protective from what I read. The graduated tube was okay.. but the round bottom makes it a bit cumbersome at times and its cover had a paper liner. The cork bottle was good, but I was worried the cork (which is thin) might crumble over time. Who knows if the UV of amber is really necessary, but it was available so that's what I went with.



I had to buy separate tops with plastic liners. The holder is temporary and out of LEGO. I have a 2 x 6 hole test tube holder on order from eBay.. China.. takes up to 2 months to come, so it will arrive some day.



The amber bottle is 27.4mm wide and so any TTholder that handles 30mm will work. The neck has a slight constriction so that the beans won't pour out directly, you need a gentle shake, but it is not inconvenient.



The amber tube holds up to 20g approx. I dose with 17 and there is lots of room. Some of the expensive bean cellars have a one way CO2 valve on top. My gut tells me there is no way that 17g of beans, 5 days off roast will generate enough CO2 pressure to make such a valve actually release. That's just intuition. The covers seem pretty air-tight.

I weight 17g for each dose on small scale and pour into each tube with a homemade funnel. The tube will stand on a small scale so it is pretty quick. I could just fill each to same level and would be within 1/2 gram I think.

I had to buy a lot of 100 tubes.. (I was bored last summer, and the bean cellar consumed some restless time) and would be happy to sell 20 tubes with tops for about $30 but I think the shipping from Canada would be prohibitive. If you want to inquire you are welcome; I live in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The amber tubes aren't super thick and would break if dropped on a hard surface, but I've had no issue with them in a month. I wanted glass as it is so inert and easier to clean although you'd need to find the right brush. I only plan to clean them about once every 3 months or so. Really nice because I can "dose up" and go a week by just selecting a tube, grinding (Sette 270 is great for single dosing) and pulling shot. I freeze the rest of the bag; then after a week, measure out 175g, let it thaw and then pour into tubes. (thaw to remove condensation from air from being trapped in tubes).

If you are a wood worker, you could make a hard wood holder for the tubes. I actually liked the LEGO as a temp solution. Maybe someday I'll go with a nice wood.. Need to find a nice blank and someone with a drill press.

I can't remember where I got the tubes from.. amazon, I think.

robertw wrote:So when you were pulling too fast before putting in second shim, the taste of coffee turned sour? Now that you're pulling normally, the sour taste disappears?

I have the Sette 270 as well at finest setting. I can pull normally at 25-35sec. using a triple basket (23g in, 40g out). The coffee often tastes bitter.

Yes.. it definitely tasted sour. You definitely need to put in a shim if you are at the finest setting. 23 g is a big dose. And if the beans are dark, and have robusta, you just might be tasting a bit of 'really strong dose' of espresso. Think I'd only be allowed one of those doses a day.

Now you may be using that big a dose because you can't grind 18g fine enough.. again.. you need a shim. I just installed my 2nd shim in my Sette 270 and have one more I could add. I went from 1A to about 6 after adding.

I have found that I prefer the following timings.. Turn vibe pump full on (Profitec 500 HX-PID), first drop in 6 seconds.. (3 is too fast). Then 30-35 seconds for 32-34g. If you are using 40g out, I might expect closer to 35-40 seconds overall.

So I'd recommend the shim and grinding finer and seeing how it tastes..