# Mignon - Grind Mess



## Spy (May 12, 2016)

Hi all,

Recently bought a great Eureka Mignon from Pete and got my DTP today (see here: Spy's Home Cafe

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcoffeeforums%2Eco%2Euk%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D32155&share_tid=32155&share_fid=6813&share_type=t)

One thing I am finding is that I am losing about a quarter of the grinds to my worktop instead of the portafilter basket !

I am using the Mignon Portafilter ledge on the top slot so that my basket is as close to the exit funnel as possible but this still isn't helping.

Any tips or advice ?


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Put a couple of drops of water in with the beans, this will dramatically decrease static. That's a couple of drops per 18 or so grams of beans.

There should also be a little metal clip in the exit chute of the Mignon which basically blocks off one side of the chute, without it the grinds are a little free to get flung out and static is high.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

I grind into a ramekin first as I find this easier to weigh than the protafilter and then transfer the grinds. Guaranty no mess, none.

Also, I use the timer set for a 7.5 g deposit, requiring 2 presses of the timer plate for a 15g total.

When I have put the portafilter straight under I found the double press meant that I could distribute the grinds from the first press over to the left hand side of the basket to accommodate the second press as they seem to come out predominantly from the right hand side of the chute.

Not sure I would even contemplate adding water to the beans. I dont think this is static related, but wouldnt add water either way


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## Spy (May 12, 2016)

Thanks Ratty. I agree, I am a loathe to add water.

I have pushed the metal clip half way into the hopper and that has definitely improved things, but not perfect.

Weighing the portafilter has not been a problem but I think the ramekin approach might be the only solution that eliminates the problem.

I also want to setup the timer but I can't calibrate it until I know that I will not be losing any grinds to the worktop.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Interesting all of this. I had a Mignon for three years, and as far as I recall never really had a problem with static. Clumping, yes, but no static. My Mignon was mess-free.


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## StuartS (Jan 2, 2015)

The metal clip isn't in the hopper. You are referring to the metal slidy thing that you use to block off the hopper bottom before removing it.

the clip (plastic on mine) is in the exit chute. If you want to check it is there (and it probably is) remove the front plate (screw behind the eureka badge).

i think you need a cut down yoghurt pot to use as a dosing funnel. The grinds do come out a bit randomly and clumpy so dosing into the portafilter could be messy.

i don't use the portafilter rest either. Just hold the filter in place and you can move it around a bit if needed.


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## PeteHr (Nov 18, 2015)

Interesting. As the previous owner of this Mignon I didn't find it particularly messy. Basically I think some stray grinds will happen with just about any grinder, although some are worse than others for sure. The only time I had a lot of mess with the mignon was when it was fairly new, and was clumping quite badly, if I overdosed the basket a little some of the clumps would sort of bounce off the top of the pile in the basket.

Are you getting large clumps ? If so it could be you are grinding a bit too fine ?? Also, I found some beans did clump a bit more than others. As a general rule/starting point when dialing in the grinder for a new bean I would tighten up the grind until the grinds were just starting to clump a little. From here usually only a very small adjustment was needed.

I'm not familiar with the Sage and how full the basket gets with the correct dose. If it's very full then I would probably stop the dose when half full, do a shake/tap distribution, then finish the dose off. Of course you can't do this if you use the timer...

Or as others have suggested grind into a small cup or whatever and then into the basket from that (after a quick stir to break up any clumps if you have them, should you wish).


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## UncleJake (Mar 20, 2016)

Yup. Never found my Mignon messy. I didn't use the portafilter basket holder, partly because I mostly use a naked portafilter and partly because I like to move it around to help distribution.

I also didn't use the timer because I found it altered for each bean & it would be one more thing to dial in - and with some I liked to add a little more or a little less than standard doses would allow.


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## Spy (May 12, 2016)

Thanks guys.

I used a little dish earlier and collected all the grinds !

With the portafilter, the challenge maybe compared to when you had it @PeteHr is that mine is a 54mm instead of the standard 58mm

Also, yes, I was moving the metal clip for removing the hopper. It did help though.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Adding water to the beans is a very common technique to reduce static and it has little to no effect on the extraction. If I had a problem with static it would be one of the first things I would try.

It's strange that pushing the metal bean stopper in helped, but you actually dont really want to reduce the ability of the rest of the hopper to push the beans into the burrs. If the coffee is allowed to jump around too much this can cause a significant change in the grind profile and give you a really bad shot.

For example, I use a small aluminium weight on the beans of my SJ which aids consistency. If I grind the last few beans on the throat which the weight cant get to so they jump around a lot then the shot will be a gusher. You can add a weight to the top of the beans in the mignon hopper as well as this might in fact help.


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## Spy (May 12, 2016)

Thx. Now I am using a little bowl instead of the portafilter, I will pull the clip out


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## Spy (May 12, 2016)

A quick update. Using a little bowl to catch the coffee grinds is working well.

Without some sort of fnnel, I doubt I will be able to catch all the grounds in my 54mm portafiler.

I have also calibrated teh timer and it is now dispensing 9 grams of coffee for each press;

one press = 9g - single

two presses = 18g - double


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Spy said:


> A quick update. Using a little bowl to catch the coffee grinds is working well.
> 
> Without some sort of fnnel, I doubt I will be able to catch all the grounds in my 54mm portafiler.


Try this http://www.lakeland.co.uk/18901/2-in-1-Prep-Funnel?gclid=Cj0KEQjwvtS6BRC8pcKn8OXIg_wBEiQAqtpiz9BygJOBNRLo67gIm5M8-fur2vswCGw3frCKVfXw5qEaAlj38P8HAQ&src=gfeed&s_kwcid=AL!49!3!105381739829!!!g!42886393824!&ef_id=VYQGPAAAAR-qqgDY:20160606101129:s


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Jumbo Ratty said:


> I grind into a ramekin first as I find this easier to weigh than the protafilter and then transfer the grinds. Guaranty no mess, none.
> 
> Not sure I would even contemplate adding water to the beans. I dont think this is static related, but wouldnt add water either way





Dylan said:


> Adding water to the beans is a very common technique to reduce static and it has little to no effect on the extraction. If I had a problem with static it would be one of the first things I would try.


This isn't static related. Its just the grinds missing Spys smaller portafilter.



Spy said:


> A quick update. Using a little bowl to catch the coffee grinds is working well.
> 
> Without some sort of fnnel, I doubt I will be able to catch all the grounds in my 54mm portafiler.
> 
> ...


Glad youve found a work around.

I did start using a plastic lid to catch the grinds with but found this did create static. My Mignon was \ is static free untill I dosed into a plastic container, the grinds would dance around.

Using a ceramic ramekin there is NO static whatsoever, and no mess either.

Love my Mignon


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Jumbo Ratty said:


> This isn't static related. Its just the grinds missing Spys smaller portafilter.


Which is usually static related as the static causes the grinds to go out sideways as they are lifted by the static. A larger container/PF can catch these grinds but none the less the spread out of a grinders exit chute is very much affected by static.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Unless im mistaken the beans are ground by spinning burrs and a piece of metal with 4 prongs go around the outside of the burrs and make the grinds exit via the chute.

It seems to me to be impossible for the grinds to have lost the momentum of that process during their journey down the 2cm chute, therefor they tend to come out the right side of the chute. They do not spread out once they have left the chute in my experience.


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## Spy (May 12, 2016)

Yes, teh grinds are coming out the right side of the chute.

I have to admit, I am not 10% certain what people mean by static other than what I imagine standard static is.

The grinds do not appear to be 'attracted' to the Mignon body or worktop, it is more that as they come out, they pile up in the Portafilter and then the rest roll off the top of the other grinds onto the worktop as well as some missing the Portafilter and rolling down the side of the filter..

I have stopped the grind half way through and tamped the Portafilter to level them but some still seem to miss the portafilter.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

A bit like kids falling off a merry go round if a over enthusiastic dad has spun it too fast. They will all carry on the momentum, not just fly out at a 90 degree angle.

I just did a grind and held my ramekin on the base of the Mignon. The grinds stayed in formation once out of the chute and the cluster of grinds didnt expand outwards, they stayed pretty much in formation because the chute had served its purpose


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

JR-

Bare in mind I am talking about a principle here, you could well be right in this case but to discount static outright without seeing what is happening is a mistake.

The burrs spinning is what creates the static, like rubbing a balloon on your head. This happens in every grinder. You then need to disperse this static. The most effective way of doing this is to prevent the grinds moving too quickly away from the burrs, this causes them to bunch up, as they make contact with one another and then the body of the grinder the static quickly dissipates.

Within the exit chute of the Mignon (by memory) is a 2x2 grid, on the left of this grid is a metal clip which forces all the grinds out the right side and in doing so slows them down enough to remove a significant proportion of the static. The rest of this static is easily lost as the grinds land in the PF.

However as the grinds exit the chute they may well still be affected by static, this can cause them to repel from each other and be attracted to the metal of the grinder exit chute. This does not always mean they will stick to the exit chute, but on their downward path they can be pulled a little to one side widening the spread they take as they exit the chute.

Again, it would well be that in the Mignon all appreciable static is dissipated before the grinds exit the chute, but even if a little remains it could still be affecting the spread.

Edit: On my SJ I have a large metal funnel, much much longer than the chute on a Mignon. If I catch the grinds too close to the exit hole of this funnel the grinds can be seen coming out and then flying upward and away from the bed of coffee. Static can still be a problem after a chute.


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## Markk (Apr 8, 2016)

I can't say that I have had a particular mess problem when grinding, from my Mignon, directly in to the portafilter. Maybe just a little bit of 'escaping' grinds.

However that is not my preferred method. Most of the time I grind in to an American style stainless steel cook's measuring cup (the sort available as a set at most supermarkets), the one half cup size. It has a little handle so is easy to hold, sits snugly on the grinder's filter holder for hands free use and, because it's steel, absolutely no static. It's very easy to weigh on a small scale and I normally get zero spillage (even when using it hands free) because of the relatively deep profile of the cup.


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

I made this for use when I had a mignon.



















It's the sawn off top of a kiddy cup (Tommy Tiptree I think). Crucially I sanded the bottom rim so that it is paper thin and a tight fit for the PF. I used a Dremel cutting disk to cut the cup then a Dremel barrel sander to chamfer the lower rim.

It is very close to the spout when in place, nothing escapes over the sides. It also worked brilliantly to allow use of the WDT method in the PF which greatly improved distribution.

Because the rim is so thin it doesn't disturb the coffee when you take it out either.


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## Spy (May 12, 2016)

Nice creative engineering


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## Markk (Apr 8, 2016)

Just taken a couple of photos with regard to my previous post


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## AL1968 (May 3, 2015)

If you look on items for sale you'll see 3D printed items for sale. I had a clip on funnel made for the portafilter works really well and now zero mess.

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?22400-FOR-SALE-3D-Printed-Parts


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## Spy (May 12, 2016)

Yes, I looked at those but my Portafilter is 54mm and there isn't a design for it.

I don't have a spare so will need to get accurate measurements made up.

On your one, what is the height of the funnel from the top of the portafilter ?


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## AL1968 (May 3, 2015)

About 11/2" if you ask the guy that 3D prints, within reason he can make anything to fit. Really pleased with mine think it's neat how it clips on over the lugs. You can then tap the portafilter on the side to settle the grains, twist the filter off tamp then pour.


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## caramel (Jun 22, 2016)

My grinds come out of the mignon like little pellets:










I can't really grind direct in to the portafilter with it as they just stack up and topple out of it so I have been grinding in to a container and breaking them up. I think a new grinder is on the cards at some stage, maybe the Sette 270w.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

That isn't particularly unusual for the Mignon. It tends to settle down as the burrs become seasoned but is always a problem.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

caramel said:


> My grinds come out of the mignon like little pellets:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thats pretty much what mine look like.

Depending on the bean it can be less clumpy than that.

My burrs have maybe had 5 kg through them by now.

I dont really see it as a problem as such seeing as i always grind straight into a ramekin for weighing purposes, then it just a case of a quick stir and into the protafilter,, job done


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## Markk (Apr 8, 2016)

Strange, I've never had anything even approaching that. Is it one particular coffee or do you get that with all types of bean ?


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Markk said:


> Strange, I've never had anything even approaching that. Is it one particular coffee or do you get that with all types of bean ?


Roughly how many kilos of beans do you think have been through your burrs?

Maybe your not grinding as fine as I am. If I dont grind as fine I dont get the clumps. I do prefer grinding really fine and giving a very light tamp.

If I ground courser and tamped harder I wouldnt have the clumps, but as ive said, i dont see them as a problem.

Raves Monsooned Malabar AA are the beans which I get the most clumps from.


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## caramel (Jun 22, 2016)

Markk said:


> Strange, I've never had anything even approaching that. Is it one particular coffee or do you get that with all types of bean ?


So far I have put the two free bags from BB through it, Gaslight and Milkbuster, then 500g of Sweet Bourbon Espresso Blend from coffee compass and the coffee in the picture is Rancheros Mahogany Roast.

Maybe it's got something to do with how fine it is, but it's a good way from choking the grinder or vst baskets.


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## The resurrection (Mar 9, 2015)

I found my mignon to be the same with certain beans but I definatly got better as the burrs seasoned. However I ground into a tub and a quick mix before dispensing to porterfilter and it was sorted. Dosered mignon would deffo be better to remove the clumping issues but don't see them much.


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## Markk (Apr 8, 2016)

My Mignon is coming up to three years old so I'm guessing its had about 50 Kgs through it so far. I can't remember it ever clumping like that but it might have been a little 'clumpier' to start with. It does sound like I might not be grinding quite as fine as you and tamping a little more firmly. Until recently I was grinding for an 18 gram Synesso basket but have recently been using an 18 gram VST for which I had to increase the fineness by about 0.3 (against previous settings for the various beans) on the grinder dial, but still no significant clumping.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

caramel said:


> So far I have put the two free bags from BB through it, Gaslight and Milkbuster, then 500g of Sweet Bourbon Espresso Blend from coffee compass and the coffee in the picture is Rancheros Mahogany Roast.
> 
> Maybe it's got something to do with how fine it is, but it's a good way from choking the grinder or vst baskets.


Those coffees would be on the coarser end of the spectrum for Espresso spectrum given their roast levels . Of course that is presuming you are using a nominal dose for your basket


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## nicholasj (Nov 11, 2013)

caramel said:


> So far I have put the two free bags from BB through it, Gaslight and Milkbuster, then 500g of Sweet Bourbon Espresso Blend from coffee compass and the coffee in the picture is Rancheros Mahogany Roast.
> 
> Maybe it's got something to do with how fine it is, but it's a good way from choking the grinder or vst baskets.


I had to adjust my grind a couple of times, to courser, when using Milk Buster.


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