Grind, Tamp, Screen bolt question

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troysyx

Grind, Tamp, Screen bolt question

Post by troysyx »

Hey everyone!

Just got my dream espresso machine when i purchased the Mini Vivaldi II last weekend. Could not be happier. I have a couple questions for you all since i am far away from being great at using this machine yet. I'm coming from a Silvia V3 and was curious if the Mini prefers a finer grind/softer tamp, coarser grind/harder tamp, and if i should be seeing the screen bolt in my puck? Sadly, i do not have a bottomless portafilter yet (working on that).

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

-Troy
expy98

Re: Grind, Tamp, Screen bolt question

Post by expy98 »

You've touched on a much debated topic. IME, it totally depends on your grinder and the mantra is true: grinder, grinder, grinder.

To avoid the screen bolt touching the puck, you can swap the hex bolt for a button head bolt to gain a little head space.
jfrescki
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Re: Grind, Tamp, Screen bolt question

Post by jfrescki »

The grind really depends on the coffee and your typical roast level. My medium to darker roasts max out about 16g, and my preferred dose is 14.5 - 15g. However, I've easily fit 18g+ with lighter roasts. (I think) many users feel that slightly longer shots (30-35s) can yield good results with this group, but specific flow rate and yield is really up to your palate.
John

Mini Vivaldi, EPC-8, SJ, Steel Burr Vario
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troysyx

Re: Grind, Tamp, Screen bolt question

Post by troysyx »

Thank you for your replies! I bought a bottomless portafilter to better dial in my grind, and i'm still searching for that great shot. I can get close, but just not there yet despite grind size. Its either too fast, or just a bit fast than a ristretto. It seems for a 20g dose, it takes 30s for me to get a little over 1.5oz (and thats on a good day). I have a Eureka Mignon and i'm currently doing a coarser grind with a hard tamp. Perhaps since i've changed beans i'll try a finer grind with a slightly lighter tamp.
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chas
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Re: Grind, Tamp, Screen bolt question

Post by chas »

What are you shooting for? 1.5oz in 30s sounds pretty good to me.
Chas
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jfrescki
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Re: Grind, Tamp, Screen bolt question

Post by jfrescki »

Ideally, weigh your output espresso so you know what your extraction ratio is. 20g espresso (1:1 or 100%) is going to taste very different from 40g (2:1 or 50%) espresso extracted in the same amount of time. Both (or anywhere in between) are fine depending on your taste.
John

Mini Vivaldi, EPC-8, SJ, Steel Burr Vario
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richardcoffee
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Re: Grind, Tamp, Screen bolt question

Post by richardcoffee »

I prefer 14 to 14.5 grams and a 40 second shot. So, I'm grinding pretty fine. 30# tamp.
troysyx

Re: Grind, Tamp, Screen bolt question

Post by troysyx »

I think i will definitely have to weigh it. Visually, it looks thin the entire shot. I've tried coarser and finer grinds, and hard/lighter tamps with the same results.

*also, where do you guys like your OPV at? right now, i'm at ~9-9.5 bars. Are you finding better results with more or less pressure?
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