Greetings All,

I tried searching the forum and did a bit of googling but didn't come up with anything. I recently acquired a user Mazzer Super Jolly. I disassembled and cleaned the machine thoroughly and then attempted to use it. The first thing I noticed was the zero point is at around 3 on the scale. I didn't take note of the zero point before I disassembled but I believe this is a minor issue and not related to my problems. I am curious though if others have a non-zero zero point.

My main issue is the adjustment range. One tick on the scale takes me from a completely stalled shot to a 10 second gusher. I moved the adjustment collar an almost imperceptibly small amount finer from the gusher to get a "normal" shot. Is this grind range normal? I would have expected a lot more fine grained control. I have not replaced the burrs and they do look worn but the grind appears to be consistent and on par with my Baratza Vario. The "normal" shot tasted ok too, btw.

Just to be clear I wasn't mixing old grinds with new - I vacuumed the doser and grind path, adjusted finer with the grinder running and vacuumed again before filling my portafilter and pulling my shot. I also stirred the grinds and leveled each time since the grinds were rather clumpy (and to improve consistency). I could also see a visible difference in grind size between the settings.

Thoughts? Thanks a bunch for your input?

aaespresso wrote:Greetings All,

I am curious though if others have a non-zero zero point.

Is this grind range normal?

A1: Yes this is common
A2: No it isn't

Did you install new burrs? If you did not I suggest that you do so.

I bought a used Super Jolly and got a new burr set even though it was close to new. My zero point is almost one notch off from the "zero point". Maybe your true zero point will change with a new set of burrs?

Thank you for the links. I have read each of those threads. Worn burrs were my guess but I was still shocked by the lack or adjustability. Looks like a new set is in order. May I inquire if anyone has a rough illustration of the typical scale range? Should I be able use the range of an entire number? Two or three ticks on the scale? etc.

I do wish I'd have taken a look at the zero point before giddily tearing in to the grinder. I find it strange that worn burrs would move the zero point upwards on the scale. I would think worn burrs = less burr material = screw carrier further in to keep burr distance the same. However, I'm not very concerned about this and can happily live with a non-zero zero point.

Thanks

aaespresso wrote:One tick on the scale takes me from a completely stalled shot to a 10 second gusher.

Definitely not normal behavior. You should have several ticks in the espresso grind range (but not a full digit).

Pardon the basic questions, but:
1) Are you using freshly roasted coffee beans?
2) Are you weighing the doses or just eyeballing them?
3) Are you bean dosing per shot, or using enough beans to prevent popcorning?
Any of these factors could contribute to the observed variation in your pours.

Replacing the burrs on a used SJ - especially if it came from a commercial establishment - is a no-brainer. Don't spend too much time thinking about it, just do it.

My 06 SJ has only seen light home use since new so the original burrs are still in excellent condition. Zero point is a few notches south of #8. Normal espresso range is 8-10 notches up from the zero point right where the factory espresso decal is located which is well before the #0. With new burrs the zero point on my reburbished Major is on the #4. Typical regular espresso settings fall within a 2-3 notch range with decaf maybe 3-4 notches finer.

RapidCoffee wrote:Definitely not normal behavior. You should have several ticks in the espresso grind range (but not a full digit).

Pardon the basic questions, but:
1) Are you using freshly roasted coffee beans?
2) Are you weighing the doses or just eyeballing them?
3) Are you bean dosing per shot, or using enough beans to prevent popcorning?
Any of these factors could contribute to the observed variation in your pours.

Replacing the burrs on a used SJ - especially if it came from a commercial establishment - is a no-brainer. Don't spend too much time thinking about it, just do it.

Several ticks on the scale is the information I was looking for - thank you very much! In reply to your ?'s:

1) Yes - current beans were < 2 weeks old from 49th Parallel
2) No - stirring and leveling with a knife in a stock 14 g double basket
3) Hopper was full

Thank you again everyone for your input.

If you have not already done so, I recommend that you invest in an inexpensive 0.1g precision digital scale and start weighing your doses. At least until you achieve consistency with your new gear. Even relatively minor variations in dose can have a profound effect on the pour.