# Aergrind instructions thread?



## hotmetal

Okay all, I am not in a position to write such a guide as the amazing thread on the Feldgrind that exists here. If there was such a thing to help us new Aergrind users that would be cool though wouldn't it?

I hope I'm not doing anything wrong - if I am then it's unintentional and the thread can be edited/deleted. But I've just had an email via Kickstarter where Peter himself has provided the instructions that one might normally expect to receive with the grinder. So hopefully it's of some help to reproduce those here, as a pro-active start, and see what other tips can be added. (There may be some commonality with tips already shared on the original Aergrind thread, maybe they can also go here?)

************** From Peter: **************

..., below is a fulsome description of how to use your grinder. The "learning by doing" ethos seemed to have worked well but for those who want to know a bit more about the grinder this should cover most things.

As ever thanks for the support.

Peter and the Knock team.

Welcome to your Aergrind!

Fitting the crank/ handle arm

This is deceptively simple - grip it so that your thumb is on the crank arm behind the flat side of the D shaped hole.

Look at the shaft for the side with the machined black line and fit the crank arm over it so that your thumb is pointing at the black line - done!

The crank arm needs to be in place in order to adjust the dial, otherwise when you turn the dial you will only be rotating the burrs and not adjusting them. Dial adjustment The dial lid of your Aergrind is numbered to help you register and record what grind setting you are on.

When the crank/ handle arm is in place, the bottle-opener pointer will indicate the setting number. With the crank arm in place, turning the dial to the right (clockwise) will tighten the burrs, making the particles finer; turning to the left (anti-clockwise) will loosen the burrs grind, making the particles coarser. Turn the dial left until you can turn no more, and you have locked the burrs.

When the burrs are locked, the pointer will be at or very near 1 - this will vary slightly between users, depending on how hard the dial is tightened. No need to over-tighten the dial to prove this as we set them at a reasonable tightness when building and use small shims under the bearings to bring the numbers into line with the pointer.

We suggest you tighten the grinder to where you are comfortable and then rotate the grinder lid dial by 1 full turn - with the crank arm in place otherwise you are merely rotating the burr not adjusting it.

Grind a little coffee and see how fine it is compared to your normal grind for your preferred brew method - it is extremely doubtful that anyone even an ibriik / cevze brewer would want to go any finer than this for the first grind. Certainly do not use this for espresso!

**********

Everyone's method and kit will vary, so for grind settings the following are really only guides to where you should start. You can expect espresso grinds to be around one full turn from locked plus another 3/4s of a turn - or as we put in Knock grinder referencing 1:10.

We would encourage you to refer to the settings using this formula - 1[turn]:10 [dial number]. It helps everyone comparing grinds to get in roughly the same position.

Bialetti/ Stovetop and Aeropress are c 2:4;

Kalita Wave/ V60s around 2:10;

French press etc 3:0-4:0. Grind a little and compare with what you know works for you.

**********

Over the first week or so, depending on use, the burrs will wear in comparatively quickly and you may need to tighten your grind a little to achieve the same grind size. You can grind a few grams of (uncooked!) rice through the burrs to aid this but it is generally better to do this with coffee and learn as you go along.

Cleaning

1. Don't put it in the dishwasher (=death by chemical reactions with the cleaning products) and don't run it under the tap- it isn't going to rust (anodized aluminium and stainless steel or black steel parts) but it's not guaranteed against fire or flood. Manual cleaning, brush dry or lightly wipe with damp cloth only.

2. First remove the crank arm but leave the dial lid in place. Use this to unscrew the metal part that it grips, the dial nut. Doing this lowers the inner burr for access. Eventually the dial nut and lid will lift off and the shaft will remain with a small black o-ring preventing it from dropping out completely through the bearings.

3. We solidly recommend that you DO NOT REMOVE THE SHAFT O-RING!

4. Why? well it is very small and tricky to remove without damaging - also once out, it will require a rebuild of the bearings and shims (see above) which whilst not that difficult could potentially leave your grinder with the zero point out of sync with the dial ( not the end of the world but an annoyance).

5. That aside, access should be enough to dry brush clean the burrs - use an old tooth brush or a small stiff artist's paint brush to get in and around the burrs. 6. If you wish to take things further than a brush clean, use Urnex Grindz / Puly Verde so the wear on the burrs is minimized. You could grind a small amount of dry rice through the system occasionally as an emergency / cheaper alternative but long term the rice is harder on the burrs than either Grindz / Puly Verde (or beans!).

Servicing

Unlike the Hausgrind and the Feldgrind, the Aergrind uses a press fit for the outer burr, so it is not easily user removable / servicable. Burrs can be replaced by us but the rated life expectancy is such that you'd need to grind 500g - 1000g of coffee a week for 5- 10 years or more before they should need replacing.

Burrs will wear in very slowly over time so do expect to be at a slightly different grind for a given draw down time on identical roasts by next year.

For those who have experience with Feld- or Hausgrinds, please note that adjusting / aligning an Aer's burrs is more difficult, not least due to the slimmer shaft - we take time to have the burrs aligned before the Aergrind leaves the Shed, and as such attempting to remove either burr from their setting (eg unscrewing the silver, hex-headed bolt from the inner burr) will leave the grinder potentially unaligned and void your warranty in that regard.

Replacing bearings shouldn't need to be done for quite some time - as yet it is hard to say how long as none of our grinders that we have in daily use have needed it. If you suspect this is needed contact us first. They are commercially available bearings of a standard size so there are plenty of sources aside from us.

A few words about shims There are between 0-3 (but most commonly 0 or 2) very thin metal shims under the top bearing. These adjust the distance between the inner burr and the dial nut to allow the dial pointer to show 1 when the burrs are closed. . Without these the grinder functions perfectly well but the dial will simply be a couple of number places out of sync when 'zero'ed - ie it will read +/- 2 or 3 numbers from 1.

The shims are very slim (0.1mm in some cases) and the bearing protects them from getting bent. Their placement and flatness need to be protected (to ensure that the dial zeros correctly) - 95% of the time you won't even see them but it could be that when cleaning they slip out of the bearing recess with the bearing - nothing to panic about here, just ensure that you jiggle them back in and that bearing is seated in the recess fully before dialling down the dial nut. Then forget about them until the next brush clean.

************** End of official instructions **************


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## DavidBondy

Very useful stuff - especially for a newbie such as myself! I am test driving my new Aergrind for the next two weeks whilst way on a business trip. I will be trying it with my Flair espresso machine and will report back upon my return!

David


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## AlexX

Thank you - I found this very helpful but I am still unsuccessful in adjusting the Aergrind for espresso.

If anyone would upload a video to Youtube I would be so grateful. I haven't had any previous grinders from Knock so completely unfamiliar with this and it didn't come with instructions.


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## hotmetal

Well, apparently it will go down to Turkish according to the instructions above, and I think you'll just have to make sure you're filling your basket with the appropriate amount for the basket and keep trying with different grind settings until you get it right. I'm not 100% sure what you will see on a video that you're unsure about, but if you have something in particular feel free to post it and one of us will try to help. Give us info such as what machine, basket, beans, weight in/out and time and we can try to guide you. It's pretty impossible to just tell by looking at grinds for espresso and know (unless they're way too coarse)


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## spion

What setting are you using for espresso? I know every machine is different, just want to have some data points for comparison. I find that after a week of use 1:7 seems to be the minimum "comfortable" setting (on my Flair) for most beans.


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## Stanic

spion said:


> What setting are you using for espresso? I know every machine is different, just want to have some data points for comparison. I find that after a week of use 1:7 seems to be the minimum "comfortable" setting (on my Flair) for most beans.


With the portaspresso and IMS baskets

1.7-1.8 for light roasts, 1.9 -1.10 decaf and dark roasts


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## MalcolmH

I assume there is a tiny error in the instructions from Peter. To lock the burs the numbered disk should be rotated to the right (clockwise) not left as stated, then unwind for the desired coarseness.


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## Colin Davila

Hi. Thanks for the informative guide. I have just received the Aregrind for my Birthday. It sits along side my Feldgrind and will take its place when travelling. I do have one small question.

How do I separate the upper part from the lower part to empty the ground coffee into the Aeropress. I have tried twisting like the feldgrind but its fixed securely


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## DavidBondy

Colin Davila said:


> Hi. Thanks for the informative guide. I have just received the Aregrind for my Birthday. It sits along side my Feldgrind and will take its place when travelling. I do have one small question.
> 
> How do I separate the upper part from the lower part to empty the ground coffee into the Aeropress. I have tried twisting like the feldgrind but its fixed securely


It just pulls off. Mine is firm in that it wouldn't fall off but a little twist should do it. I wonder if the rubber seal has gone 'sticky'.


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## Nopapercup

Colin Davila said:


> Hi. Thanks for the informative guide. I have just received the Aregrind for my Birthday. It sits along side my Feldgrind and will take its place when travelling. I do have one small question.
> 
> How do I separate the upper part from the lower part to empty the ground coffee into the Aeropress. I have tried twisting like the feldgrind but its fixed securely


Mine was like this when it turned up. It was stiff and when I got it off the rubber band inside was broken. I replaced it with the spare and now comes off easily. I've also emailed them to try and get a replacement band but they haven't come back to me.


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## hotmetal

My o-ring is intact but the bottom is still stiff and requires a firm grip to pull it off (oo-er!) Viz comic aside, I now just push the catch cup on just far enough that it stays put when grinding without coming away as I crank the handle.


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## Colin Davila

Got it; Thanks. Having broken the seal metaphorically speaking the bottom comes on and off easily now. Where are we meant to put the shock robber band that holds the crank arm. Does that go on the Areopress?


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## DavidBondy

Colin Davila said:


> Where are we meant to put the shock robber band that holds the crank arm. Does that go on the Areopress?


Yes. That's where mine is and also on the photos on Kickstarter!

David


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## hotmetal

It will go on both. But once you stretch it round the Aeropress, it will be a bit loose on the grinder thereafter. But that doesn't matter much i suppose, as the grinder will probably live inside the Aeropress anyway. I actually use a Speedi-wrap to hold the handle to the AP but it is a bit like shutting the stable door after the horse had bolted. My Aeropress and grinder plus all the other shizzle lives in the tote bag that came with the AP anyway.


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## Colin Davila

Never got a tote bag with mine


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## ashcroc

Colin Davila said:


> Never got a tote bag with mine


Think it's an optional extra & didn't exist back when I got my mk1. Thankfully they're available separately.


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## kennyboy993

Anyone know of a vid showing how to clean the burrs?

I read the comments on HB and here and can't see how a toothbrush could get past the 3-hole bracket in the bean chamber


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## solarfringe

@kennyboy993 did you ever figure out how to clean one of these things? I spent a reasonable amount of time trying to brush off the old coffee remains, but the grind chamber obviously could not be cleaned with one! How did you get around that?


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## solarfringe

In the last one week my grind consistency has dropped quite drastically and I'm wondering if I have somehow messed up something insde the grinder. Any ideas?


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## MWJB

solarfringe said:


> In the last one week my grind consistency has dropped quite drastically and I'm wondering if I have somehow messed up something insde the grinder. Any ideas?


 How have you determined the consistency has changed(rather than the setting)?

Can you post a video/photo of the burr gap and/or runout?


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## solarfringe

I am not sure if this is what you are referring to (apologies in advance) but have a look : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14fmbrHSxYmVT53NzMwRr3FdCPbbCzX0M?usp=sharing

After cleaning/ trying to reset my grinder and begin again for a new batch of coffee, the consistency of the grind (at any particular setting) seems to have changed: big chunks and medium fine grind is what i get in the bin (I think) and thought I should ask before I mess up with my grinder anymore. [ Also as the photo indicates, its not the aergrind actually, but the aerspeed]

Thank you for your help @MWJB


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## MWJB

solarfringe said:


> I am not sure if this is what you are referring to (apologies in advance) but have a look : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14fmbrHSxYmVT53NzMwRr3FdCPbbCzX0M?usp=sharing
> 
> After cleaning/ trying to reset my grinder and begin again for a new batch of coffee, the consistency of the grind (at any particular setting) seems to have changed: big chunks and medium fine grind is what i get in the bin (I think) and thought I should ask before I mess up with my grinder anymore. [ Also as the photo indicates, its not the aergrind actually, but the aerspeed]
> 
> Thank you for your help @MWJB


 Will the grinder not go any finer than the setting shown (looks like a couple of mm, at least, gap)?


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## solarfringe

@MWJBIt does go finer than that, I've just added two more pictures in there:

1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cbiMNKPuNHKCaq6GLCYKA79iMOYFyyuW/view?usp=sharing
2. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SHzhXYmYCWl_0gyTWyHeY5w7LDvmW0UL/view?usp=sharing

I'm assuming it could be tightened a bit more (as I just did) but while rotating to make it coarser you can hear the click sound as if the burrs are rubbing against each other, so I would say this is the max. Also, at this point, the crank up gets lifted up from the base where it otherwise normally sits. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1repKvWzPWUpfEDm03E3MUEKAIHrX_yc1/view?usp=sharing


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## MWJB

solarfringe said:


> @MWJBIt does go finer than that, I've just added two more pictures in there:
> 
> 1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cbiMNKPuNHKCaq6GLCYKA79iMOYFyyuW/view?usp=sharing
> 2. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SHzhXYmYCWl_0gyTWyHeY5w7LDvmW0UL/view?usp=sharing
> 
> I'm assuming it could be tightened a bit more (as I just did) but while rotating to make it coarser you can hear the click sound as if the burrs are rubbing against each other, so I would say this is the max. Also, at this point, the crank up gets lifted up from the base where it otherwise normally sits. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1repKvWzPWUpfEDm03E3MUEKAIHrX_yc1/view?usp=sharing


 OK, so set it to the finest setting where the burrs spin freely without clicking/binding.

It's my understanding that the Aerspeed uses a Zassenhaus style burr with no fine finshing area (like an espresso burr might have), so the finest free turning setting will be coarser than Aergrind/Feldgrind/Lido/Kinu etc.


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## solarfringe

MWJB said:


> K, so set it to the finest setting where the burrs spin freely without clicking/binding.


 That is the setting I clicked the last pictures on: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cbiMNKPuNHKCaq6GLCYKA79iMOYFyyuW/view?usp=sharing

The issue has been to do with how the grinds are quite uneven at whatever setting I may set the grinder to. I am wondering if its possible to have tilted these burrs somehow?

Can't thank you enough!


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## MWJB

solarfringe said:


> That is the setting I clicked the last pictures on: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cbiMNKPuNHKCaq6GLCYKA79iMOYFyyuW/view?usp=sharing
> 
> The issue has been to do with how the grinds are quite uneven at whatever setting I may set the grinder to. I am wondering if its possible to have tilted these burrs somehow?
> 
> Can't thank you enough!


 Evenness of grind is not as intuative as the concept might imply. For a typical grind, averaging say 750um, 16% will be under ~500um 2.5% under ~330um (and go all the way down to dust. 16% over ~1125um, 2.5% over ~1700um (some chunks over 2mm). So it's hard to establish consistency (as opposed to relative fineness/coarseness) just by eye.

I'm not ruling out that you have caused a malfunction, but without something more tangible it might be more useful to try establish the best setting for your brew parameters/pour regime. This may be easier to troubleshoot, maybe start a thread in the brewed coffee forum, outlining you brew and issues?


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