Burr Wear
There has been a lot of threads about problem shots recently and burr wear has been coming up over and over. It raised a couple of questions in my head:
1) How often should you replace your burrs. I have always been told 800 lbs or when you start noticing quality decline. I have always noticed quality decline almost exactly at 800 lbs, although I normally don't figure it out until 850/900. I normally just think it's something I'm doing wrong. Anyway... what about you? How often? We're right around 8lbs of espresso/day, so for us this means replacing the burrs every 3-4 months depending on fluctuations.
2) Do conical burrs wear differently than flat? It seems like they would probably wear slower, but I can't really think of a reason why they would, just seems like they would. Maybe because there is more surface area? They turn slower? Any ideas?
3) How do you figure out how much coffee you run through? I blend all of our coffee on site and have a spreadsheet set up for how much of which ingredient went into each batch, and then the total amount for the batch and what the date is. Someone come up with an easier solution? Just guess?
-bry
1) How often should you replace your burrs. I have always been told 800 lbs or when you start noticing quality decline. I have always noticed quality decline almost exactly at 800 lbs, although I normally don't figure it out until 850/900. I normally just think it's something I'm doing wrong. Anyway... what about you? How often? We're right around 8lbs of espresso/day, so for us this means replacing the burrs every 3-4 months depending on fluctuations.
2) Do conical burrs wear differently than flat? It seems like they would probably wear slower, but I can't really think of a reason why they would, just seems like they would. Maybe because there is more surface area? They turn slower? Any ideas?
3) How do you figure out how much coffee you run through? I blend all of our coffee on site and have a spreadsheet set up for how much of which ingredient went into each batch, and then the total amount for the batch and what the date is. Someone come up with an easier solution? Just guess?
-bry
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bryan Wray on
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Oh, I never did give the details on our setup...
We are running a Nuova Simonelli MDX, which is pretty old school, when it comes to grinder technology. The burrs aren't really that big or anything, that could be why my numbers are lower that so many others.
-bry
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I'm curious to know people's findings with 64mm flat burr grinders, now that I've had some time to think about it and because of other replies and new info.
The NS MDX has 64mm flat burrs and I find they last in the (as previously stated) 700-800 range. I've actually never worked on a SJ before (horrors!), but Mike mentioned he finds them in the 400 range. I know this could be a difference of opinion on "respectable," but I think Mike and I are in the same ballpark on when shot quality starts to decline.
Anyone else have other findings with 64mm flat burr grinders?
Just curious,
-bry
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Oh!... and where do you feel for sharpness? That occurred to me tonight as I was cleaning the burrs. Outside? Inside? Middle? Never thought about that before tonight. I've always done the "finger-nail test" (although, admittedly never smart enough to do the fingernail, I normally just run my actual finger and hope I don't get sliced) in the middle, but towards the outside. If we're talking 64mm burrs, just to the outside of the outside of (repetitive I know) the screw hole, but not where the screw hole is, just that far out on the burr. Make sense?
Where do you measure sharpness? Am I wrong?
-bry
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Permalink Reply by Denise Smith on
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Thanks for the info... we have two and I haven't had a chance to read that part of the manual. We have been almost non-stop from day 1 on March 27th. I enjoy the K10s we have. The funniest thing is when unknown to the barista in training someone has bumped the hopper gate and they can't figure out why it's not working. Then the more sr guy goes over and pulls the gate and the beans flow and all is well except a bruised ego; but hey, it teaches them to know their equipment and to check all options before calling for help.
N. Freeman said:Using a K10 WBC the Compak manual recommends replacing their conical models at 1500Kg or 3300 Lb of coffee. Their K-6 and K-8 models they recommend 300 Kg or 660 Lb of coffee grinding.
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