# Has Anyone Had Success with a Graef CM800?



## jimbocz (Jun 5, 2015)

I'm having trouble getting it to grind fine enough so that the result is 36 grams out. I've taken the screws out and adjusted the upper burr about 4 steps to the "finer" direction. If I make it too fine, it will choke my Sage DTP, but I'm having trouble getting the adjustment just right to reduce the output to 36 g. It's like the step between choking and 80g out is very difficult to find.

I am able to successfully make shots from 18g in 30 seconds that are closer to 60-70 grams that taste fine to me. They taste very similar to what I get at my local coffee shop and they seem to do everything right. Also, when I start to tighten up the grind to try to reduce the output, the shot starts to get more and more bitter. If it weren't for going for this brew ratio, I'd be happy drawing a 70 g shot and think everything is great. Damn this forum!

Has anybody here actually been able to do get the recommended brew ratio using a Greaf CM 800? The general consensus on this forum is that it's a grinder that will work for espresso, but I'm starting to wonder.

Any tips or success stories from someone who has one and got it to work?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

If your shots at 30s & 60-70g taste OK, to get a good taste at a shorter ratio/finer may take more time. Also, if they are tasting good & strong enough, why beat yourself up? 

Maybe your problems stem from trying to tie up the brew ratio to an arbitrary shot time, focus on the ratio & taste, just note time.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

There was some discussion in another thread about this as the CM800 is stepped your kinda stuck with one grind or the other. You have a few options.

1. Over fill the basket a bit with the coarse grind and tamp hard to slow the flow.

2. Under fill with a fine grind and tamp light.

3. Try and find a way to mod the grinder to remove the steps. (this is possible on some, but not all grinders.)

4. Buy a different coffee bean and hope one of the steps are suitable for it.

Edit. MWJB makes a good point however, if it tastes good then don't worry!


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## yardbent (Aug 8, 2015)

HASBEAN Jabberwocky beans this morning

#8 on the CM800 gave ......18g > 48g > 25 secs

taste lovely chocolate, with a dash of milk


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## jimbocz (Jun 5, 2015)

yardbent said:


> HASBEAN Jabberwocky beans this morning
> 
> #8 on the CM800 gave ......18g > 48g > 25 secs
> 
> taste lovely chocolate, with a dash of milk


That's not so far off my results. Still, 48g is far away from 36. Have you tried to tighten it up?


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Id try tamping harder at the grind setting you have it on. Much harder if harder doesnt reduce the time.

i personally like a ratio of 1:3 myself and wouldnt get too hung up on the last second or gram either way


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## jimbocz (Jun 5, 2015)

Thanks for the replies and the specific suggestions. I'm going to take those into account.

As for the "If it tastes good, don't worry", that's pretty much been my attitude. My coffee is better than %95 of the places where I get coffee outside of the house. The wife is happy with the taste and so am I. We drink milky drinks and the Sage is great for steaming milk so they taste great.

I just can't help but think that if I got the brew ratio exactly right, then I could start tasting some of those tasting notes. As it, I am NOWHERE near tasting anything except coffee, and maybe some chocolate.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Jumbo Ratty said:


> Id try tamping harder at the grind setting you have it on. Much harder if harder doesnt reduce the time.
> 
> i personally like a ratio of 1:3 myself and wouldnt get too hung up on the last second or gram either way


And if that doesnt work then up the dose a bit, say half a gram see if that works, if not then add a gram.

What basket size are you using ? is it gram specific


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## yardbent (Aug 8, 2015)

jimbocz said:


> That's not so far off my results. Still, *48g is far away from 36*. Have you tried to tighten it up?


36g would indeed give a 1:2 ..but 25% less to enjoy....









tastes good to me - ''if it aint broke etc etc

BTW

Coffee Compass do an excellent ''Espresso Special''

3 x 500g packs less CFUK discount = £23 delivered........


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## yardbent (Aug 8, 2015)

Jumbo Ratty said:


> .....What basket size are you using ? is it gram specific


just an aside

will a *18g VST* basket hold more than my standard double Gaggia basket.?

'may' get a naked PF - so triple basket is then an option.?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

jimbocz said:


> I just can't help but think that if I got the brew ratio exactly right, then I could start tasting some of those tasting notes. As it, I am NOWHERE near tasting anything except coffee, and maybe some chocolate.


Brew ratio doesn't make coffee taste right or not in most cases (perhaps in extreme cases, very short shots are harder to fully extract). It more relates to target strength.

At the moment you're about 3.5:1, you're enjoying your coffee, so we know that you are not adverse to coffee around a strength range that relates to that ratio. Try grinding finer & see what happens, keeping the output the same (time may increase). If you find you are hitting more of the tasting notes, then try progressively finer & shorter ratios. I wouldn't fret specifically about "2:1" or "30seconds", be sure to maintain the ratio, taste, change grind to steer the flavour, then look at fine tuning to get the good flavour at a stronger shot.

Also try cupping the coffee or brewing in a French press, over a long steep at 52-57g/l to see what flavours are there, albeit in a weaker expression of the coffee.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

yardbent said:


> will a *18g VST* basket hold more than my standard double Gaggia basket.?
> 
> 'may' get a naked PF - so triple basket is then an option.?


I would say yes it will. A standard gaggia double should hold approx 14g

a single is 7g, a double is 14g so really a triple is 21g. the 18g is inbetween a double and a triple.


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