Mahlkonig EK43: Standard vs. SSP burrs for brewing - Page 4

Grinders are one of the keys to exceptional espresso. Discuss them here.
bytheway (original poster)
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#31: Post by bytheway (original poster) »

SpecC wrote:Are you getting over 4 min brew time?
With Ethiopians yes but otherwise no...usually around 3.30...it's amazing how much higher ext % I'm getting. Got a 24% the other day and it was a bit over, but the grind was actually really coarse (La Cabra Ethiopia Kochere washed). The low agitation doesn't seem to preclude high extractions, in fact you can go higher with Melodrip without bitterness/astringency.

SpecC
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#32: Post by SpecC replying to bytheway »

Thanks!

I just started playing with the Melodrip myself. I've had some decent cups but definitely still dialing it in. I tried moving finer to increase brew time but it resulted in a less desirable cup. I'm going to try moving in the other direction.

You're using a kalita?

bytheway (original poster)
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#33: Post by bytheway (original poster) replying to SpecC »

Yes, Kalita, that's what Ray recommends for vertical rather than lateral flow (in a cone shaped brewer)

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dergitarrist
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#34: Post by dergitarrist »

namelessone wrote:To resurrect this topic.. For those who have experience with both SSP and non-SSP burrs in the EK43, do you notice any difference in cup clarity? Talking mostly about undissolved solids/silt in the cup.
Yes. I have an EKK43 and I've extensively compared old coffee burrs, new coffee burrs and SSP Red Speed burrs.

For brewed coffee I prefer the old coffee burrs over the SSP burrs over the new coffee burrs. There's a clear decrease in clarity along that line.

For espresso, I use the SSP burrs for the most consistent results. I have to grind with the burrs touching with the old MK burrs to get to 21 seconds with 18 g in 36 g out with my GS/3. With the SSP burrs, I grind somewhere around "2" on the old dial with most coffees for 28 s+ extractions.
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namelessone
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#35: Post by namelessone replying to dergitarrist »

I would guess the difference is mostly due to how many fines are produced? I have the SSP and it produces a fair bit of fines and very little number of large particles. So the grind is fairly even but you have a lot of small particles too. Depending on your brew method it can result in silt getting in the cup which makes it more cloudy looking and a little grainy tasting.

Do you have a pic of the old vs new coffee burrs to compare?

cebseb
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#36: Post by cebseb »

dergitarrist wrote:Yes. I have an EKK43 and I've extensively compared old coffee burrs, new coffee burrs and SSP Red Speed burrs.

For brewed coffee I prefer the old coffee burrs over the SSP burrs over the new coffee burrs. There's a clear decrease in clarity along that line.

For espresso, I use the SSP burrs for the most consistent results. I have to grind with the burrs touching with the old MK burrs to get to 21 seconds with 18 g in 36 g out with my GS/3. With the SSP burrs, I grind somewhere around "2" on the old dial with most coffees for 28 s+ extractions.
These are my findings with my setup as well. I'm assuming you keep a set of MK burrs on one side and the ssp burrs in the other?

bytheway (original poster)
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#37: Post by bytheway (original poster) »

dergitarrist wrote:Yes. I have an EKK43 and I've extensively compared old coffee burrs, new coffee burrs and SSP Red Speed burrs.

For brewed coffee I prefer the old coffee burrs over the SSP burrs over the new coffee burrs. There's a clear decrease in clarity along that line.

For espresso, I use the SSP burrs for the most consistent results. I have to grind with the burrs touching with the old MK burrs to get to 21 seconds with 18 g in 36 g out with my GS/3. With the SSP burrs, I grind somewhere around "2" on the old dial with most coffees for 28 s+ extractions.
Wonder what it is about the old vs new coffee burrs? Anyone have either a theory or objective evidence?

Also interested when the SSP "brew" burr comes out to compare...

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NoStream
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#38: Post by NoStream replying to bytheway »

If it's useful, you can look at comparative pics: http://grindscience.com/2015/02/just-testing-ftw/

One thing I did notice is that the tolerances on my SSP burrs seemed much tighter than on my Mk1 EK burrs. The screw holes were closely fitted and forced me to mount with correct radial alignment.

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dergitarrist
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#39: Post by dergitarrist »

cebseb wrote:These are my findings with my setup as well. I'm assuming you keep a set of MK burrs on one side and the ssp burrs in the other?
yes... I did switch sides during my comparison to account for potential alignment issues as well, though.
bytheway wrote:Wonder what it is about the old vs new coffee burrs? Anyone have either a theory or objective evidence?
I don't have the link on hand but IIRC, the turkish burrs were just the coffee burrs with 0,3 mm machined off on the outside to create more flat surface so you could grind finer. The new coffee burrs mostly look like a hybrid between the old coffee burrs and the old turkish burrs, i. e. the flat surface on the outside is wider than on the original coffee burrs. You can see that in the link posed above by @NoStream.

I remember stumbling upon a comparison where with matched parameters for espresso (dose, yield, extraction time), the old coffee burrs would result in 21+% and the turkish in the 18-19% EY range. I imagine the new coffee burrs negate some of the advantages of the old ones when it comes to chasing higher extraction yields.
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SpecC
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#40: Post by SpecC »

Is there anyway to buy the old coffee burrs? I only make pourovers with my ek and would prefer the best performance for brewed coffee.