Ashley83 Senior Member Joined: 8 Oct 2011 Posts: 12 Location: London, England Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Fri Mar 1, 2013, 2:56am Subject: Mahlkonig/Baratza Vario espresso problems- help!!
Ok so I just bought the mahlkonig vario grinder to go with my izzo vivi espresso machine (got fed up of my mini mazzer). So I've been trying to dial in the grind for some illy beans (whilst waiting for my weekly espresso subscription to turn up), and I wasted 500g of coffee between last night and this morning! I finally thought I found the perfect consistent 19g setting for my vst basket of 13.5 seconds on the setting f-1 last night. Perfect shot, but then this morning I pressed the preset I calibrated last night and it came out ridiculously slow! In the end after many more wasted shots I settled on 13.5 seconds on k-1. Is this much difference just due to the humidity and or temperature from 12pm last night and 7:30am this morning? Or is it because the grinder is new and the burrs are still settling in? Do they even need to settle in? I feel like I really should get the illy beans nailed down before I move on to dial in my regular espresso beans which will be coming tomorrow as I only get 250g a week and don't want to waste the lot!
AntWilliams90 Senior Member Joined: 4 Feb 2013 Posts: 43 Location: Warwickshire, UK Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Classic Grinder: Mahlkonig Vario Home Roaster: Dieckmann Rostmeister
Posted Fri Mar 1, 2013, 8:34am Subject: Re: Mahlkonig/Baratza Vario espresso problems- help!!
I'm not sure what the Izzo Vivi is like, but it looks a damn sight better than my Gaggia Classic.
However, in case it helps;
I grind somewhere in the region of 2-e, and I posted recently on CG that I had had MAJOR issues with the settings suddenly being way off! It had recently been a lot sunnier, and the humidity had changed quite substantially, and I ended up moving my grinder settings all the way to the 1-m area - a pretty big difference!
Anyway, weather has gone cold again, and I'm set at 2-g atm!
What size VST basket do you have? I have the 18g (17-19g) and I do try to dose a consistent 18g (which means 13 seconds for me!) and my Gaggia copes perfectly - I'm pulling the most consistent shots I've ever achieved.
Day to day, I rarely have to move the micro arm more than 3 letters in any given direction...
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
Ashley83 Senior Member Joined: 8 Oct 2011 Posts: 12 Location: London, England Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Fri Mar 1, 2013, 10:54am Subject: Re: Mahlkonig/Baratza Vario espresso problems- help!!
I have the 18g vst basket also. I'm curious now to see how the grinder behaves compared to the settings I set this morning. Overall I have definitely noticed a big improvement in the shot quality, my naked portafilter no longer sprays everywhere, it comes out so smooth.i just hope it settles and it only needs minimal adjusting or my coffee spending is gonna be even more expensive!
brianl Senior Member Joined: 1 Dec 2012 Posts: 152 Location: Chicago IL Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Classic (w/PID) Grinder: Baratza Vario Drip: chemex
Posted Fri Mar 1, 2013, 12:16pm Subject: Re: Mahlkonig/Baratza Vario espresso problems- help!!
I have that problem with old beans and new ones a day or two after roasting. I'm not familar with Illy beans except for mostly negative reviews on here.
I have the Vario and mine is also around 2G for 2 ozs in 27 seconds. You also might need to calibrate the grinder. Baratza says to turn it on and move both sliders to the bottom. then move the macros un to 1 and the macro slowly up. At about halfway you should hear a strain. If not, might need to adjust.
Also, make sure the machine is on whenever you adjust the grind (even if going coarser). I have heard issues of inconsistencies when not doing this.
AntWilliams90 Senior Member Joined: 4 Feb 2013 Posts: 43 Location: Warwickshire, UK Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Classic Grinder: Mahlkonig Vario Home Roaster: Dieckmann Rostmeister
Posted Sat Mar 2, 2013, 8:52am Subject: Re: Mahlkonig/Baratza Vario espresso problems- help!!
You also might need to calibrate the grinder. Baratza says to turn it on and move both sliders to the bottom. then move the macros un to 1 and the macro slowly up. At about halfway you should hear a strain. If not, might need to adjust.
Good point! I did do this, as part of my attempt to sort out the issues I was having - but found that mine didn't need adjusting... Just to clarify on that;
With an empty hopper, set both arms to the bottom. Set the grinder running, and move the Macro (Numbered) arm to the finest setting - you should NOT hear a change in the noise of the grinder. With the grinder still running, move the Micro (lettered) arm slowly towards the finest setting - about halfway up the noise of the grinder should start changing, as it takes the strain. If this change in noise happens much earlier or later than this, then you need to adjust the burrs - check out this HB article on how to do this.
Also, make sure the machine is on whenever you adjust the grind (even if going coarser). I have heard issues of inconsistencies when not doing this.
Yup!! I am sometimes a little naughty, and will move arms coarser without it running, but I have started avoiding this as I too have heard of issues with this... Running the grinder when moving finer is a MUST however...
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that feels that the 2d-i range is good for espresso - I was starting to think I'd got it all wrong when I heard talk of the lower 1 settings!! I plan to experiment with somewhere around 1-d for a turkish coffee, just to see what I get out of it - I know it won't be fine enough, but I am intrigued!!
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
IMAWriter Senior Member Joined: 4 Jul 2002 Posts: 5,464 Location: Brentwood, TN Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Nothing at the moment Grinder: Vario-W,Preciso-Esatto/KyM... Vac Pot: Adcraft SS, Yama 8 cup Drip: Brazen.Chemex, Hario, Clever... Roaster: Behmor 1600, CO/UFO combo
Posted Sat Mar 2, 2013, 12:55pm Subject: Re: Mahlkonig/Baratza Vario espresso problems- help!!
brianl Said:
I have the Vario and mine is also around 2G for 2 ozs in 27 seconds. You also might need to calibrate the grinder. Baratza says to turn it on and move both sliders to the bottom. then move the macros un to 1 and the macro slowly up. At about halfway you should hear a strain. If not, might need to adjust.
Also, make sure the machine is on whenever you adjust the grind (even if going coarser). I have heard issues of inconsistencies when not doing this.
First, calibrate with an EMPTY hopper. Also, I think you meant move the MICRO lever slowly up? I believe a way to assure friend adjustment flexibility it would be good to have the Macro 1 down from the top, then slide the Micro up from the bottom. If you DON'T hear some motor change of pitch, then I would insert the adjustment tool, and turn it till you do hear somer strain half-way top.
Just to be sure, I assume this is the Mahlkoenig vario with the CERAMIC burrs, not the newer metal burr set, which is meant for the coarser grinding chores?
AntWilliams90 Senior Member Joined: 4 Feb 2013 Posts: 43 Location: Warwickshire, UK Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Classic Grinder: Mahlkonig Vario Home Roaster: Dieckmann Rostmeister
Posted Sun Mar 3, 2013, 3:56pm Subject: Re: Mahlkonig/Baratza Vario espresso problems- help!!
Just to be sure, I assume this is the Mahlkoenig vario with the CERAMIC burrs, not the newer metal burr set, which is meant for the coarser grinding chores?
Ummmm...blimey...how would we know? I've just checked the box mine came in and there's no mention of Ceramic Burrs or Metal Burrs - I bought the grinder believing it would be Ceramic - however mine is a newer model?!
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
IMAWriter Senior Member Joined: 4 Jul 2002 Posts: 5,464 Location: Brentwood, TN Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Nothing at the moment Grinder: Vario-W,Preciso-Esatto/KyM... Vac Pot: Adcraft SS, Yama 8 cup Drip: Brazen.Chemex, Hario, Clever... Roaster: Behmor 1600, CO/UFO combo
Posted Sun Mar 3, 2013, 4:09pm Subject: Re: Mahlkonig/Baratza Vario espresso problems- help!!
AntWilliams90 Said:
Ummmm...blimey...how would we know? I've just checked the box mine came in and there's no mention of Ceramic Burrs or Metal Burrs - I bought the grinder believing it would be Ceramic - however mine is a newer model?!
Simply remove the hopper and the upper burr assembly the (hopefully) provided tool, then remove the bottom burr (3 little screws. Take a snapshot of the burrs and post here, but metal should appear to be metal. The ceramic are very light for their size...but last a LOT longer, and are meant for espresso AND coarser grinding.
greekespresso Senior Member Joined: 27 Jul 2011 Posts: 170 Location: Ptolemaida, Greece Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Rancilio Silvia V3, Gaggia... Grinder: Mahlkönig Vario Home, Anfim...
Posted Mon Mar 4, 2013, 1:30am Subject: Re: Mahlkonig/Baratza Vario espresso problems- help!!
AntWilliams90 Said:
Ummmm...blimey...how would we know? I've just checked the box mine came in and there's no mention of Ceramic Burrs or Metal Burrs - I bought the grinder believing it would be Ceramic - however mine is a newer model?!
There are two different models in Europe. The Mahlkönig Vario Home which I have not seen yet any report of being sold brand new with other burrs than ceramic and the Mahlkönig Vario-W (the newest model) which comes in Europe and possibly in Australia with steel burrs and it is not suitable for espresso. http://www.mahlkoenig.de/en_products/VARIO-W.html
If you want to check what burrs your grinder has you can remove the hopper and the upper burr carrier as per manual instructions regarding manual cleaning (no need to use screwdriver and remove the burrs from their carriers) and inspect visually the burrs. The ceramic have brown color whereas the steel ones the typical metallic. You cannot miss the difference but for your help watch the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofKeUylAOUw
PS At your profile here, I see that you have Mahlkönig K30 Vario which is a totally different grinder to Vario Home. PS2 As a note of caution, Baratza and Mahlkönig are different companies so different warranty terms and instructions may apply. PS3 At the side of my grinder's box is written that it has ceramic grinding disks but my grinder is one generation older than the newest.
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