Rony Senior Member Joined: 22 Mar 2012 Posts: 2 Location: Tel Aviv Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Mon Apr 16, 2012, 4:06pm Subject: How do I dose when I am doserless?
I have an Ascaso Arc Fun and an Ascaso Imini grinder which grinds right into the portofilter. I am new to espresso making. What is the best and most practical way to get proper doesing? Thank you in advance for any advice on how to improve my home esspresso making.
Posted Mon Apr 16, 2012, 4:44pm Subject: Re: How do I dose when I am doserless?
I don't know your particular grinder ... but with commercial type grinders, even with a doser, I like to weigh the beans and only put one dose worth of beans in the hopper --- then I sweep the chute clean after grinding so I get the full dose back out of the grinder (and so I don't leave old grinds to stale in the chute and to end up in a future shot).
However with spouted grinder, it can be more difficult to sweep the chute and different grinders retain more grinds in the chamber. I like grinders that I can sweep the chute clean (lift of the lid of the doser and with any finger guards removed I can easily sweep the chute) ... and I like grinders that don't pack a lot of old grounds around the burrs. My big, dosered grinder (Mazzer Major) sweeps very clean and I can get the full dose back out each time (as long as I sweep the chute).
I also have an inexpensive conical burr (the Krups Die Cast conical) I got just out of curiosity (the quality of grinds is very good) ... it is spouted and difficult to sweep. I have to really thump the thing (slap it hard on the back) to get the last of the grounds out of the grinder. I'm able to get nearly the full dose back out - but only by poking a long brush up through the spout and by whacking the grinder pretty hard to shake the grinds loose. Really not very elegant. And if I don't go through all those contortions to get every last grind out - I might weigh in 18 grams and get anywhere from 15-21 grams back out as it will retain some and then randomly dump it all at once.
I just posted elsewhere about a very small pocket scale I bought for $7 ... it's small enough to sit under the spout. You could put a glass under the spout on the scale (glass is great for no-static - where plastic containers seem to have the fines sticking to the sides and jumping right out of the container) and grind to weight and then transfer from the glass into your basket. Or you could pull the basket from the PF and set it right on the scale.
This is a website from one of the expert users here (frcn). The article is awesome and very helpful. I go back to it from time to time to re-evaluate my process.
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,679 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Tue Apr 17, 2012, 6:30am Subject: Re: How do I dose when I am doserless?
Rony Said:
I have an Ascaso Arc Fun and an Ascaso Imini grinder which grinds right into the portofilter. I am new to espresso making. What is the best and most practical way to get proper doesing? Thank you in advance for any advice on how to improve my home esspresso making.
Well, the easiest way I know of, esp if you want to keep beans in the hopper for ease of use is to buy a timer that uses 1/10 second units, such as a dark room timer and a scale that reads to 1/10g.
Use the timer to run your grinder and weigh the results on the scale, adjust the time on the timer until you get your desired dose on the scale. You will need to check the time / weight when you change your grind but you will soon learn your equipment and will be able to "guess" the time adjustment by the grind adjustment and still be pretty darn close when checked on the scale. Then adjust to the desired dose.
This is the method I used for years and it works very well.
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
Posted Tue Apr 17, 2012, 6:40am Subject: Re: How do I dose when I am doserless?
Rony Said:
I have an Ascaso Arc Fun and an Ascaso Imini grinder which grinds right into the portofilter. I am new to espresso making. What is the best and most practical way to get proper doesing? Thank you in advance for any advice on how to improve my home esspresso making.
Use a cut-off yogurt cup as a funnel or purchase a permanent funnel from Orphan Espresso. I use one from OE as my wife kept tossing the yogurt cup when I wasn't looking: OE funnel
NobbyR Senior Member Joined: 10 Jul 2011 Posts: 1,611 Location: Germany Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Poccino Opus One, Ariete Grinder: Eureka Mignon Istantaneo,... Vac Pot: N/A Drip: Melitta Linea Unica de Luxe Roaster: N/A
Posted Tue Apr 17, 2012, 7:10am Subject: Re: How do I dose when I am doserless?
Using a digital scale is the best way to dose consistently. I strongly advise doing that, at least when you start out.
However, as a rule of thumb estimate that works fairly accurate you can fill the basket until there's a small heap of ground coffee, so that after levelling the basket is full to the rim, then you tamp. Ready to brew...
*** "This drink of the Satan is so delicious that it would be a shame to leave it to the infidels." (Pope Clement VIII on coffee)
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,679 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Wed Apr 18, 2012, 6:45am Subject: Re: How do I dose when I am doserless?
More than from time to time, after every adjustment. I did not intend to say you do not need a scale, after all a scale is the truth - O - meter to what is really going on!
I was just giving you a poke in the ribs, so to speak :D
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
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