# Hausgrind Owners Experience



## Mrboots2u

With batch 2 due to drop this week . I thought it would be a good time to start a thread so we can collate how we get on with them.

When you get them post up your pics and what your doing with them.........


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## fatboyslim

I wonder if there are any differences between batch 1 and 2. I fed back my comments to Peter before he started work on batch 2 but no idea if he changed anything. Post your unique ID codes also? I'm K008MON woooo!


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## jeebsy

Yeah the burr carrier or something got upgraded slightly, it was on fb I'm sure...


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## Geordie Boy

I'm sure as well that there was a mod for Batch #2. Think you're right about it jeebsy being hidden on the facebook page


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## Neill

It is a one piece machined mid section/burr carrier. I think it was more efficient for the construction but don't think it adds much in terms of grind. Here's the link to the pic-


__
http://instagr.am/p/lPeEKjAylp/


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## jeebsy

Was thinking today if i'll ever use a Hausgrind if there's a EK on the bench. Might be a short relationship this one.


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## Drc

jeebsy said:


> Was thinking today if i'll ever use a Hausgrind if there's a EK on the bench. Might be a short relationship this one.


Fits better in a suitcase?

While it's not entirely designed for portability I reckon it should prove a pretty handy backup when travelling etc if in the future I get a decent fixed grinder too.

that said maybe there's a market for bespoke "ek luggage" to assist with trips


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## AliC

I have just emailed Peter to go on the waiting list for batch 4.

I had a bit of a huff earlier regarding an earlier order for stuff from him, but that was gear I needed pronto. I'm now much more chilled about waiting for the hausgrind plus Peter is looking in better shape to handle the demand.

I look forward to reading everyone's experiences with their new gadgets. Not looking forward to TGLW finding out how much I'm spending on another piece of coffee kit.....


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## Mrboots2u

Anyone had conformation of batch 2 shipping yet?


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## The Systemic Kid

Mrboots2u said:


> Anyone had conformation of batch 2 shipping yet?


Well Boots, when I got back from Madchester this afternoon, postie had left a card saying there were two packages waiting for us next door. Been round but they're out. Don't get too excited - might be some non-caffeine related purchase made by Mrs Systemic. Will let you know later.


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## andyt23

Mrboots2u said:


> Anyone had conformation of batch 2 shipping yet?


Nothin here...

suspect dfk41 may be first to declare...


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## 4085

nothing here either........it is just like election night!


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## Geordie Boy

Yeah, didn't Peter mention that dfk's would be first out the door?


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## The Systemic Kid

dfk41 said:


> nothing here either........it is just like election night!


Damn site more interesting.


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## andyt23

dfk41 said:


> nothing here either........it is just like election night!


Do you live in Sunderland South..?


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## Charliej

I'm loving the Hausgrind Peter sent me to play with, I'm currently using it as a "guest" espresso grinder as I have 6 different coffees in at the moment although only 5 are ready to use and also for my mid afternoon brewed coffee, currently via FP until my Homeloo kettle arrives so I can get back to the V60 decanter, and hopefully by then my 3 lots of beans from Smoky Barn will be ready to go by then as well.


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## 4085

Just had an email saying mine is being sent our tracked, on Friday afternoon


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## andyt23

Aaaand we're off!


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## Mrboots2u

andyt23 said:


> Aaaand we're off!


Got shipping ? Great news Andy


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## andyt23

Mrboots2u said:


> Got shipping ? Great news Andy


Alas no... I'm not off, just getting excited about the impending possibility of a chance that it might happen soon, now that the ball seems to be rolling


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## lookseehear

Just think how worth it the waiting will be when you eventually get what you're waiting for! I really think Peter should get some admin help so he can concentrate on the products but I don't really know what his situation is so it's hard to speculate.

To kick off more actual discussion on the grinder I thought I'd share my ballpark settings. Mine 'zeroes' at between 0200 and 0300 - I could force it closer to 0 but I don't see any point. Espresso for my is around the 0500-0530 mark as a starting point and v60 is 1300 ish. I haven't made many cafetieres but I would say 1500 might be a good place to start.

I also found that grinding got easier as the burrs wore in a bit which I think grinding for espresso has helped with.


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## Charliej

Interesting re the settings Luke, the demo one I have choked the Sage totally set to around 0700 for espresso and I've been using at 1 full revolution and then 0300 for V60 and between 1 full revolution and 0600-0700 for FP. The zero on this one is about 0100 and I seen to recall Peter saying somewhere that as the burrs break in the zero point will gradually come to be at 0. The settings I'm using are as suggested by email from Peter with this particular grinder and how much use it has had.


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## Mrboots2u

While I have nothing but the upmost sympathy with the posts and feelings on how knock communicate and delivers it product , this is derailing the thread slighty from its original purpose .

Im going to move all the appropriate posts over to the made by knock thread , where previous comments on supply and service have gone .

If anyone has any thoughts or feelings re the service he provides that would be the ideal place to keep it all together

Cheers


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## Saftlad

Nothing received in Somerset. Thought they were due to be despatched on Monday/Tuesday just gone?


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## Neill

Saftlad said:


> Nothing received in Somerset. Thought they were due to be despatched on Monday/Tuesday just gone?


No, dispatches were due to start Tuesday and proceed throughout the week.


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## Geordie Boy

dfk41 said:


> Just had an email saying mine is being sent our tracked, on Friday afternoon


dfk, has it been sent yet?


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## 4085

Nope....as soon as I get an email I will report back


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## Mrboots2u

From Facebook

Batch 2 starting to leave now - the guy I use for the laser engraving has just had a ministroke / TIA so have had to shift kit to another engraver now that I've been able to get at it. The trickle will pick up speed as these come back over the next few days.


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## Neill

Mrboots2u said:


> From Facebook
> 
> Batch 2 starting to leave now - the guy I use for the laser engraving has just had a ministroke / TIA so have had to shift kit to another engraver now that I've been able to get at it. The trickle will pick up speed as these come back over the next few days.


I hate Facebook. Why's that not showing up in my feed?


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## Mrboots2u

Neill said:


> I hate Facebook. Why's that not showing up in my feed?


Coz its not in his timeline Neil, so won't be on your updates

I posted on his last timeline post and he replied , I copied it back here as he doesn't seem to post info on his timeline etc....


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## Neill

Mrboots2u said:


> Coz its not in his timeline Neil, so won't be on your updates
> 
> I posted on his last timeline post and he replied , I copied it back here as he doesn't seem to post info on his timeline etc....


That explains it!


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## Charliej

The Hausgrind I have at the moment is working well for brewed and an espresso or 2 during the day when I fancy something different from the beans in the RR55 hopper, grinding for V60 seems ridiculously easy, 30 grams of a fairly light roast was ground well before the kettle boiled and required no real effort. One of the things I'm loving about it is unlike my Zassenhaus I don't have to sit down to use it or hold it down on a worktop, the grind quality from both seems about the same to me, but the Zass requires substantially more effort than the Hausgrind particularly at espresso setting, I have thrown my Porlex Tall into the mix a couple of times but it comes as very distant 3rd in the race, so to speak. I'm pretty sure that when funds are available and supply I will be buying myself a Hausgrind, to use for brewed and "guest" espresso.


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## 4085

I have my dispatch email with tracking!


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## The Systemic Kid

dfk41 said:


> I have my dispatch email with tracking!


Grrrrrrrrrr!!


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## Drc

The Systemic Kid said:


> Grrrrrrrrrr!!


Double grrrr


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## andyt23

Drc said:


> Double grrrr


Okay I'm in - triple Grrrrrrrrrrrr!


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## fatboyslim

Moving away from all the despatch related posts and moving back to the owner experience related posts, I was having immense amounts of difficult with some Kenyan beans that must have been the densest beans in history. Usually 17.00 or 16.00 are my settings for v60 but even 14.00 was too coarse and ended up in a short brew time. Bloody difficult to grind too unless you go at it like a maniac and try to maintain quite a high rpm.

Anyone else tried grinding very dense beans?


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## Neill

Info on face book on comparing settings. They've changed the pitch on the thread to make it easier to adjust the grinder for espresso settings. It'll therefor take a few more turns to dial the whole range. Peter suggests using numbers with a decimalish place to compare grinder settings. 0.3 for example for under a full turn and 1.3 for a full turn plus 3. Here's a link to the original post



__ https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=592394937517178&id=195479550542054


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## fluffles

Anyone received theirs yet? I was pretty quick to buy after it went live and am yet to get a dispatch email...


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## kikapu

fluffles said:


> Anyone received theirs yet? I was pretty quick to buy after it went live and am yet to get a dispatch email...


see this thread

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?14178-Hausgrind/page35

In short no only the two that preordered before site crashed have theirs


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## kikapu

fluffles said:


> Anyone received theirs yet? I was pretty quick to buy after it went live and am yet to get a dispatch email...


see the hausgrind thread but basically no some going today

In short no only the two that preordered before site crashed have theirs


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## kikapu

Anybody got any ballpark settings for various brew methods? ?


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## jeebsy

kikapu said:


> Anybody got any ballpark settings for various brew methods? ?


Are the dial settings absolute or relative?


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## Mrboots2u

jeebsy said:


> Are the dial settings absolute or relative?


Relative to where yours has been delivered or not ,,,,,


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## Charliej

WEll I guess they should be relative to where your's locks rather than zero itself based on my experience so far with the demo one, I tried for espresso grind at the settings Peter suggested worked for his Cremina using zero as a reference and got some nice coffee fragranced talc which I pulled a 120 second ristretto with for shits and giggles, and it actually didn't taste that bad in milk, I've certainly drunk far worse in coffee shops, so I altered it using the locking point as my zero and Peter's setting have worked fine from there I.

Here's the main text of an email Peter sent me:

The burrs are still working their way to broken in so espresso on that unit for my Olympias is round 7:30-8 on the dial. I'd not get too ambitious about testing if it can choke your machines - it really can and it will just waste coffee unless you want to make a Turkish instead!

Instructions for assembly then:

ASSEMBLY:

1.	you will find a bag with a small rubber washer in the box. This is put over the threaded shaft, below the threads and BETWEEN the crank-arm and the dial nut, providing additional friction to ensure the grind setting remains as chosen. The grinder will work without this but the orientation of the dial has been set so that zeros match with the washer in place.

2.	It is recommend that you assemble the grinder and test it without the washer in place so that you get used to how it is set up - once you put the washer on it can be removed but it is a bit fiddley.

3.	to assemble the grinder you must push the shaft up from underneath so that the horizontal sweeper arm inside is resting on the lower bearing brace (the metal cross bars just above the burrs inside the upper section).

4.	once the sweeper arm is resting in place, unscrew the dial nut and place the crank-arm over the threaded shaft end so that it sits just below the threaded portion. You will see that the hole in the crank arm has a squared D shape and that the shaft below the threading is similarly flat on 3 sides and round on one - this needs to align with the crank-arm hole to fit and engage properly.

5.	as above, on first assembly screw on the dial nut WITHOUT the washer until it is firmly secured and the crank arm can barely be turned. That is now the zero lock where the burr set is closed at its tightest.

6.	Winding the dial out from there so that the clock face numbers increase will open the grinder out - the higher the number on the dial the larger the grind particle size / coarseness.

7.	With the washer in place, grind coarseness for turkish starts at about 2 or 3; for espresso at about 5 or 6; for aero press at about 10; and for other brew / steeping methods around 1 full turn plus 1, 2, or 3. These numbers are for approximate reference only and will vary depending on the coffee used: its composition, roast style, roast date/freshness etc.

ESPRESSO DRINKERS

1. DO NOT be tempted to test your domestic espresso machine in particular below 4.5 / 5 on the dial with the washer in place - the hausgrind has stalled commerical machines with far more powerful pumps than even the most expensive home machines and the consequences for you will potentially be a portafilter of highly pressurized, scalding hot sludge which may spurt out when unlocking it from your machine's grouphead. This is even more likely if you are using freshly roasted coffee (roasted within the last 2 weeks). You have been warned.

2.	Start with the dial at about 7 to test your espresso and very gradually reduce the grind size as you see fit for your coffee, machine and dosage combination.

MAINTAINANCE:

1.	there is a long handled brush supplied for occasional brushing of the burrs from the inside and out.

2.	the hausgrind can be disassembled for occasional thorough cleaning but it is not recommended that the outer burrset be removed from the metal midsection except to replace the burrset: the grubscrew holding it in place has been tightend without threadlock but careless removal will damage threads and potentially mean the screw will have to be drilled out. The burrsets are rated at 650kg in light commercial situations so should be good many years of domestic consumption.

3.	pay particular attention to the orientation of the lower bearing set (flange side down touching the spring) and to the spacer on the top of the grinder between the crank-arm and the top bearings. The spacer has a flat side which should be uppermosty against the crank-arm's underside, and a slightly ridged side which should be in contact with the bearings. This ridge ensures everything rides smoothly as you turn the crank-arm.

4.	NEVER attempt to tighten the grinder to a full lock beyond the dial zero such that the crank arm is unable to turn at all. Over time the burrs will bed in to each other and you will find that the 0 alignment of the dial and the crank arm is very slightly relaxed: this is entirely normal and will not affect the grinders performance - it will in fact ensure that you do not over tighten the burrs and crush the bearings.

5.	none of the parts require oiling or lubrication of any sort.

6.	If you decide to wash the grinder at all please use a barely damp and not soaking wet cloth to wipe clean and ensure it is wiped dry and then fully dried before re-assembly. The burrsets are tool steel and could rust if left damp.

7.	wood is a natural substance which does not respond well on over exposure to steam or significant heat changes. Do not regularly store the grinder in direct sunlight or in close proximity to a kettle or radiator or any other heat/steam source: for example pay particular attention to how close it is long term to any espresso machine - less than 6 inches / 15cm and you may feel the heat of the boiler on the side of the grinder - this will potentially warp the wood over time, potentially affecting alignment and function.

8.	if in doubt about how to dissassemble please contact the us at Knock (www.madebyknock.com)


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## Neill

By the sounds of the emails the idea should be that the 0 on the handle should match 0 on the dial at the zero point. Mine seems to be off by 180deg? Just gone loose at 6 but stiff/locked at 4.5.


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## Drc

Followed Peters suggestion for aeropress and had a lovely cup of the smokey barn yirgacheffe


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## Drc

Mine was offset by exactly 90% at what I felt was full lock, so the dot on the handle was spot on 3 0 clock for me.


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## jeebsy

Sounds awfully complicated


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## Neill

Drc said:


> Mine was offset by exactly 90% at what I felt was full lock, so the dot on the handle was spot on 3 0 clock for me.


Actually, checked again and fully locked at near enough 3. That's with the washer in. Maybe it'll bed in so locked is at 0.


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## Neill

Fluffy grinds.


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## kikapu

Mine with o ring was at about 1 o clock when zeroed. Have done some test grinding and the grinds are very fluffy and uniform. I think for v60 it might be one full rotation plus a little so is that called 13?


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## Charliej

As I understand it, the design is such that as the burrs wear in the adjustment will drift so that the zero will become zero if that makes any sense? The one I have zeros out just before 1 on the dial.

I've been getting good V60-02 results at 1 full turn plus 3-4 depending on the beans and for FP around 1 full turn out plus about 6.


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## Neill

Charliej said:


> As I understand it, the design is such that as the burrs wear in the adjustment will drift so that the zero will become zero if that makes any sense? The one I have zeros out just before 1 on the dial.


Just to be absolutely clear, zero is when the burrs almost stop turning? Mines definitely near 3 but understand that will shift.


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## Charliej

Neill said:


> Just to be absolutely clear, zero is when the burrs almost stop turning? Mines definitely near 3 but understand that will shift.


In a word, yes Neill.


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## Neill

Charliej said:


> In a word, yes Neill.


Ha, fairly obvious. Here's move tightened down. Can't see it making it to zero.


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## Neill

Just brewed a Kalita wave. 15g. Set at one revolution plus 5. Ran through in 3mins plus bloom time. Looked fine compared to grinds from the macap that ran through in the same time so assuming less fines in the hausgrind. Tasty cup.


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## Neill

Anyone notice a slight rub through 90 degrees do handle rotation near 0. Burr alignment must be slightly off. Not that it will mater much to me as I'll use it mainly for brewed.


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## coffeechops

Neill said:


> Anyone notice a slight rub through 90 degrees do handle rotation near 0. Burr alignment must be slightly off. Not that it will mater much to me as I'll use it mainly for brewed.


Yes, I have. If I spin it whilst holding the handle still, I see some runout on the burrs, too. Doesn't seem to affect the grind visually.

Colin


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## Neill

coffeechops said:


> Yes, I have. If I spin it whilst holding the handle still, I see some runout on the burrs, too. Doesn't seem to affect the grind visually.
> 
> Colin


Thanks, not just me. Don't think it will affect the grind much.


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## coffeechops

Just pulled it apart a bit more carefully, and the burrs definitely aren't concentric when there is no load on them and the handle is turned. Take the handle off and turn though, and there is no slight tight spot. Tighten it down and there is enough slack in the bearings that they line up perfectly. However, in all cases the wooden section is maybe +-1mm out of true to the burrs. No issue if the burrs run true I guess. I'm also guessing that the weight/torque on the handle is enough to cause the slight runout noise at close to zero, but with beans in they will centre well for espresso. For press/Aeropress/Chemex etc the grind is still streets ahead of a Porlex.

I'm noticing on Aeropress that there is no increasing pressure as I get towards the end stop; I'm putting that down to a lack of fines so no increasing blockage as they get filtered into the cake.

Taste wise it's weird, noticeably more clarity, and flavours much easier to discern. It's made me dislike the Rave El Bosque a bit though - some strange woody, peppery notes I'm not used to coming through! That said, it made a cracking syphon this morning, massive body.

Colin


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## Neill

coffeechops said:


> Just pulled it apart a bit more carefully, and the burrs definitely aren't concentric when there is no load on them and the handle is turned. Take the handle off and turn though, and there is no slight tight spot. Tighten it down and there is enough slack in the bearings that they line up perfectly. However, in all cases the wooden section is maybe +-1mm out of true to the burrs. No issue if the burrs run true I guess. I'm also guessing that the weight/torque on the handle is enough to cause the slight runout noise at close to zero, but with beans in they will centre well for espresso. For press/Aeropress/Chemex etc the grind is still streets ahead of a Porlex.
> 
> I'm noticing on Aeropress that there is no increasing pressure as I get towards the end stop; I'm putting that down to a lack of fines so no increasing blockage as they get filtered into the cake.
> 
> Taste wise it's weird, noticeably more clarity, and flavours much easier to discern. It's made me dislike the Rave El Bosque a bit though - some strange woody, peppery notes I'm not used to coming through! That said, it made a cracking syphon this morning, massive body.
> 
> Colin


Thanks. Great feedback. I'll hAve a play tomorrow. U did try rotating the handle with the grinder held horizontally and the run still occurred. Not sure if that should have eliminated some of the torque. Can you tighten the burrs to near zero with the handle off?


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## coffeechops

Yes, you can if you replace the handle with a washer. You can get reasonably close without, and you can see no runout. With a washer above the spacer there is still some runout but it is much less.


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## grimpeur

coffeechops said:


> Just pulled it apart a bit more carefully, and the burrs definitely aren't concentric when there is no load on them and the handle is turned. Take the handle off and turn though, and there is no slight tight spot. Tighten it down and there is enough slack in the bearings that they line up perfectly. However, in all cases the wooden section is maybe +-1mm out of true to the burrs. No issue if the burrs run true I guess. I'm also guessing that the weight/torque on the handle is enough to cause the slight runout noise at close to zero, but with beans in they will centre well for espresso. For press/Aeropress/Chemex etc the grind is still streets ahead of a Porlex.
> 
> I'm noticing on Aeropress that there is no increasing pressure as I get towards the end stop; I'm putting that down to a lack of fines so no increasing blockage as they get filtered into the cake.
> 
> Taste wise it's weird, noticeably more clarity, and flavours much easier to discern. It's made me dislike the Rave El Bosque a bit though - some strange woody, peppery notes I'm not used to coming through! That said, it made a cracking syphon this morning, massive body.
> 
> Colin


Conical burr sets are NEVER perfectly concentric. It doesn't matter if they are from a Robur, an HG1, a LIDO2 or a hausgrind, they always display a slight deviation from perfect concentricity. Although conical burr sets are examples of some of the finest (reasonably priced) 5-axis milling available to consumers there is always a spot where they will rub. Bear in mind that this eccentricity is normally in the region of 0.05-0.08mm! The machining processes which would be required to achieve a concentricity of "perfect" or around 0.01mm or less would force the price of the burr sets beyond reasonable.

The better machined the burr set, the closer the positions on the clock (minutes of arc) where rub occurs and then doesn't. It may be 1/8th or so of a turn right now but that may change, with use, to 1/16th or better in some cases. My lido rubs at one point and, after an adjustment of 1/16th of a turn, it stops. That is well aligned enough for me. I know because the grinds are super-consistent, hardly any fines and my cups of coffee are awesome.

As you tighten down the adjustment you will get to a point where there will be an intermittent rubbing, this is commonly known as "zero". On a motorised grinder this is the point where you would back off the adjustment and make a not of your setting; any further and you will begin to stress your motor and damage the burrs.

For an example of the very careful location of "zero", courtesy of the Kid, refer to the excellent video of the EK43 being caressed at the start of this thread







:

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?14851-Goes-All-The-Way-Up-To-11

With the hausgrind, this point where rubbing is heard is currently your zero. As mentioned before, as the burred edges left from machining wear down and the burrs bed in, the zero position will move and the phenomenon I described above will occur. You'll be able to grind finer and your coarse grinds should, theoretically, be more consistent with less fines.

I find hand grinders fascinating. I can get closer to the mechanism than I can with a motorised grinder and they have helped me understand the mechanism of the grinding process (plus I'm a proper geek)


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## kikapu

Tried my first brew with it this morning much more clarity in the cup not fully happy with the brew as tasted a bit over extracted and time went over 3 mins will coarsen the grind and see what that does. Even given the slight negative above which is down to me not the grinder it was still the best brewed coffee I have done!! The doyo coffee have been drinking the last week tasted like something totally different


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## Neill

Kalita wave this morning. 15g of 3fe Colombian la pradera: washed caturra, Castillo and typica. 30s bloom and 3 minute brew with 250mls of water added in total. Again the grind looked much finer than what I would use from my macap to get the same brew time. Wondering are there less fines produced? Really tasty cup, much more caramel than I tasted before.

Edit: meant to add, it was at 1+8 from zero point.


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## coffeechops

grimpeur said:


> Conical burr sets are NEVER perfectly concentric. It doesn't matter if they are from a Robur, an HG1, a LIDO2 or a hausgrind, they always display a slight deviation from perfect concentricity. Although conical burr sets are examples of some of the finest (reasonably priced) 5-axis milling available to consumers there is always a spot where they will rub. Bear in mind that this eccentricity is normally in the region of 0.05-0.08mm! The machining processes which would be required to achieve a concentricity of "perfect" or around 0.01mm or less would force the price of the burr sets beyond reasonable.


Ah, I have mis-represented the loveliness of the Hausgrind then - didn't mean to do that!

I didn't mean to imply such rubbing was wrong (flat-burr grinders do it too), only that it can change depending on lateral force: there is some play in the bearings (lower of which is spring mounted) to the point where, with handle on and no load, you can see the runout - which is disconcerting but I don't believe is an error.

Interesting to get confirmation of 1/8th to 1/16th turn to clear it though - that is pretty much exactly the same here. Ought to measure the threads to find out what that equates to linearly for added geek.

It definitely does not affect the grind accuracy when beans get in there, which is fantastic...

Colin


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## Neill

grimpeur said:


> Conical burr sets are NEVER perfectly concentric. It doesn't matter if they are from a Robur, an HG1, a LIDO2 or a hausgrind, they always display a slight deviation from perfect concentricity. Although conical burr sets are examples of some of the finest (reasonably priced) 5-axis milling available to consumers there is always a spot where they will rub. Bear in mind that this eccentricity is normally in the region of 0.05-0.08mm! The machining processes which would be required to achieve a concentricity of "perfect" or around 0.01mm or less would force the price of the burr sets beyond reasonable.
> 
> The better machined the burr set, the closer the positions on the clock (minutes of arc) where rub occurs and then doesn't. It may be 1/8th or so of a turn right now but that may change, with use, to 1/16th or better in some cases. My lido rubs at one point and, after an adjustment of 1/16th of a turn, it stops. That is well aligned enough for me. I know because the grinds are super-consistent, hardly any fines and my cups of coffee are awesome.
> 
> As you tighten down the adjustment you will get to a point where there will be an intermittent rubbing, this is commonly known as "zero". On a motorised grinder this is the point where you would back off the adjustment and make a not of your setting; any further and you will begin to stress your motor and damage the burrs.
> 
> For an example of the very careful location of "zero", courtesy of the Kid, refer to the excellent video of the EK43 being caressed at the start of this thread
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> :
> 
> http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?14851-Goes-All-The-Way-Up-To-11
> 
> With the hausgrind, this point where rubbing is heard is currently your zero. As mentioned before, as the burred edges left from machining wear down and the burrs bed in, the zero position will move and the phenomenon I described above will occur. You'll be able to grind finer and your coarse grinds should, theoretically, be more consistent with less fines.
> 
> I find hand grinders fascinating. I can get closer to the mechanism than I can with a motorised grinder and they have helped me understand the mechanism of the grinding process (plus I'm a proper geek)


Thanks for that. Really wasn't criticising the grinder but it's good to know what is normal. This is just the point where burrs would chirp if it was motorised. Great explanation. It is a beautiful product and I'm really enjoying using it. Look forward to giving it a try for espresso once I get my machine out again.


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## kikapu

I have too say I am really enjoying everything so far from the Hausgrind. Currently using a v60 setting of 1 full turn plus 6, may tweak this but getting the tasting notes for beans so more likely to play with brew method/ratio or temp.


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## grimpeur

coffeechops said:


> Ah, I have mis-represented the loveliness of the Hausgrind then - didn't mean to do that!
> 
> I didn't mean to imply such rubbing was wrong (flat-burr grinders do it too), only that it can change depending on lateral force: there is some play in the bearings (lower of which is spring mounted) to the point where, with handle on and no load, you can see the runout - which is disconcerting but I don't believe is an error.
> 
> Interesting to get confirmation of 1/8th to 1/16th turn to clear it though - that is pretty much exactly the same here. Ought to measure the threads to find out what that equates to linearly for added geek.
> 
> It definitely does not affect the grind accuracy when beans get in there, which is fantastic...
> 
> Colin


You are right enough Colin and I hope I didn't come across as evangelical! I totally understood what you were saying and in my slightly formal manner was just trying to impart some information









The run out, when observed from the top with a strong light from the bottom can appear more than it actually is due to reflection on the surfaces. I'm not sure the exact process although it may be diffraction. The same thing you see when holding a precision straight edge to something with a tiny deviation form straight. The error is magnified.

As you say, the grind and the result in the cup are the only outcomes that actually matter!

enjoy!!


----------



## coffeechops

Actually I think there is more than that (runout) going on ... if you set it to, a full turn off zero, put the base flat on a table, and press the handle downward (rather than turning), then you'll see the handle lever the burrs upwards against the spring - thus reducing the gap. If you try doing that when at the zero point, the burrs touch for - as you'd expect - very little handle movement. I think that may be happening too, confusing the runout issue.

I think then that you need to be very careful to only impart rotational force when grinding. Any up/down force may change the grind. Not sure how I feel about that.

Just for avoidance of doubt, the Hausgrind is a GREAT grinder, and I'm enjoying another fantastic syphon brew as I type 

C


----------



## Drc

I'm really pleased with the hausgrind but one thing I am interested in is the view of how it does in the cup for espresso compared to electric / commercial grinders.

I'd always intended it to be a stopgap till a SJ / Major type when id use it for brewed or travel.

But given that I quite enjoy the hand grinding experience and tend not to make coffee in a rush, would I get benefit in the cup at that kind of level. Or am I nearing mythos / royal /k10 before the actual cup quality is noticeably better?


----------



## Charliej

I'll give the Hausgrind a whirl vs the Mythos, once I have that properly dialled in and report back, it didn't fare too badly vs the RR55 although some flavours were a little more muted, for comparison I took beans out of the RR55 hopper to grind in the Hausgrind for espresso.


----------



## kikapu

Certainly for brewed the hausgrind is a big success for the first time ever Mrs Kikapu is having a brewed coffee without milk and actually enjoying! !


----------



## Bob_McBob

coffeechops said:


> Actually I think there is more than that (runout) going on ... if you set it to, a full turn off zero, put the base flat on a table, and press the handle downward (rather than turning), then you'll see the handle lever the burrs upwards against the spring - thus reducing the gap. If you try doing that when at the zero point, the burrs touch for - as you'd expect - very little handle movement. I think that may be happening too, confusing the runout issue.


I'm having a hard time visualising how this happens. I understand the lower bearing is held in its seat by the spring rather than being permanently fixed, but how would there be any play unless it was loose in the seat? Does it really shift with a moment from the handle, or is the wooden body flexing slightly?


----------



## coffeechops

I'll see if I can get a video of it after work...


----------



## Charliej

OK I've tried to get this burr deflection happening at all sorts of vastly differing setting with this batch 1 demo unit and it's not behaving like your's is Colin.


----------



## coffeechops

Hi Charlie,

This should show it: 




Hopefully this works... excuse the crappy video!

Colin


----------



## Neill

coffeechops said:


> Hi Charlie,
> 
> This should show it:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hopefully this works... excuse the crappy video!
> 
> Colin


Surely while grinding beans though the burrs will be held at the correct distance though with having beans between the burrs.


----------



## Neill

coffeechops said:


> Hi Charlie,
> 
> This should show it:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hopefully this works... excuse the crappy video!
> 
> Colin


And how far out are your burrs wound. Mine ate currently 1+8 out from zero and it doesn't do this on mine.


----------



## coffeechops

Neill said:


> And how far out are your burrs wound. Mine ate currently 1+8 out from zero and it doesn't do this on mine.


Really? This is at 0.8 on mine. I don't have to press hard at all.


----------



## Neill

coffeechops said:


> Really? This is at 0.8 on mine. I don't have to press hard at all.


Yeah, I noticed that. How long have you had yours? Is the o ring in place?


----------



## kikapu

Doesn't do that on mine at 1 +7 out from zero on mine


----------



## coffeechops

Hmmm. Four days. Definitely not worn in yet. O-ring in place.

C


----------



## Neill

coffeechops said:


> Hmmm. Four days. Definitely not worn in yet. O-ring in place.
> 
> C


Could the spacer upside down? Is the bottom bearing definitely sloted in place? When wound to the zero point so the burrs sit completely flush?


----------



## coffeechops

Spacer can't be upside down (center raised portion must sit on the inner race or it will rub), bottom bearing looks well seated and the sweeper arm is where it should be.

To be honest, I can't see how there is not any play with this design; the lower burrs are spring mounted, and the shaft is free to rise and fall in the upper bearing as the knob is tightened or loosened against the spring. Unless the spring is particularly weak in mine.


----------



## Neill

coffeechops said:


> Spacer can't be upside down (center raised portion must sit on the inner race or it will rub), bottom bearing looks well seated and the sweeper arm is where it should be.
> 
> To be honest, I can't see how there is not any play with this design; the lower burrs are spring mounted, and the shaft is free to rise and fall in the upper bearing as the knob is tightened or loosened against the spring. Unless the spring is particularly weak in mine.


The fit between the hole in the handle and the shaft once it is on the section with one flat side and the rest curved is very snug, in fact when at zero and loosening I need to apply gentle pressure on the dial to push the shaft through it. There wouldn't be the play at this point to allow it to lever like yours. The only play is if I hold the handle near the adjustment knob and pull upwards, which would obviously be normal and not be a force applied during grinding.


----------



## rodabod

So, will this grinder blow Porlex and Zassenhaus grinders out the water?


----------



## Neill

rodabod said:


> So, will this grinder blow Porlex and Zassenhaus grinders out the water?


I've never used a zassenhaus. The porlex I've tried a few times and this is far better. It's stunning to look at. Feels lovely in your hands. The adjustment mechanism is very easy to use and a very clever setup that makes you wonder why it wasn't done before. It's more accurate to adjust than the porlex and repeatable. Because the shaft passes through a top bearing and one just above the burrs it doesn't wander about like on the porlex, particularly at coarse settings. It's also much easier to turn because of the size. So in short, yeah, it blows it out of the water.


----------



## Geordie Boy

rodabod said:


> So, will this grinder blow Porlex and Zassenhaus grinders out the water?


A Hausgrind is over 4 times the cost of a Porlex so I don't think it's fair to compare the 2 as they're really aiming at different markets.

At the end of the day you'd expect the Hausgrind to be a lot better than the Porlex due to the price


----------



## coffeechops

I have three more videos I took that I'd appreciate peoples thoughts on - originally taken so I could see the runout myself, as it's hard to spin the body and see clearly at the same time.

The first shows the runout at the burrs. It is larger than I'm comfortable with. The second shows the oscillation at the handle end (the wooden body); don't really mind this if the burrs and shaft bearing are aligned (but they're not). The final shows the knob, which is notchy to turn - if there are bearings inside (I think there are - can anyone confirm?) then it feels like the bearings are damaged.

Could someone see if theirs behaves the same? Combined with the handle lever I'm wondering I've got a bad one, or if the knock got knocked during transport...
















Still makes great coffee though - but could it be better? 

Colin


----------



## Neill

coffeechops said:


> I have three more videos I took that I'd appreciate peoples thoughts on - originally taken so I could see the runout myself, as it's hard to spin the body and see clearly at the same time.
> 
> The first shows the runout at the burrs. It is larger than I'm comfortable with. The second shows the oscillation at the handle end (the wooden body); don't really mind this if the burrs and shaft bearing are aligned (but they're not). The final shows the knob, which is notchy to turn - if there are bearings inside (I think there are - can anyone confirm?) then it feels like the bearings are damaged.
> 
> Could someone see if theirs behaves the same? Combined with the handle lever I'm wondering I've got a bad one, or if the knock got knocked during transport...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Still makes great coffee though - but could it be better?
> 
> Colin


How far out are you from zero for this test?


----------



## coffeechops

Just off zero - literally the sixteenth of a turn to stop the burrs rubbing.


----------



## Neill

I don't think that's just off zero? Here's a pic of mine with the burrs only slightly rubbing when turned.


----------



## coffeechops

You are right, they were at Aeropress setting, so about half a turn off zero. My apologies. Here's mine tightened (accurately, now!) just off zero:









That, I think, settles it though: I can get nowhere near as close as yours before they start rubbing. You can see the edge of the outer burr on yours all the way round at zero. Thanks for the photo Neill (does your handle/knob turn in notches like mine does?)

I guess I should (try and) get hold of Peter at Hausgrind to discuss...

Colin


----------



## Neill

Yeah, the knob does, I think that's normal. It's seems it's because part of the wood is in contact with the arm of the handle as it turns. It's fine.


----------



## Charliej

Roddy to answer your question about Hausgrind vs Zassenhaus vs Porlex. The Porlex comes in a very very distant 2rd to the other 2, my Zassenhaus is a 1947 496 model and produces a grind every bit as good as the Hausgrind all the way from espresso to fp grind levels, the Hausgrind is, however, better at making coffee scented talcum powder at extreme fine settings, the Zassenhaus requires substantially more effort than the Hausgrind to produce the same results and I also have to sit down in order to use it. The real answer between a Hausgrind and a Zassenhaus will depend on the individual model, but I would imagine it's way better than the new versions of the Zass, as I have read many threads on other forums about the new ones being a lot worse than the old vintage ones and even with a vintage one unless you know that particular grinder it may not be all that good.


----------



## coffeechops

Neill said:


> Yeah, the knob does, I think that's normal. It's seems it's because part of the wood is in contact with the arm of the handle as it turns. It's fine.


There's no wood-to-handle contact on mine - only the bushing/bearing.


----------



## coffeechops

So, I've just had lengthy and pleasant chat with Peter on the phone. Upshot is he can't tell from the videos whether there is an issue or not so he is very kindly sending out a new grinder and will take the current one back for investigation after it arrives (worry not batch 2 people, yours will go out first!







) .

Firstly, spinning the grinder with burrs upwards means weight rests on the spring, and there is possibly enough off-centre mass in the body (though not much) that it may be enough for it to spin off-centre - so that video is not really a reliable test (I have just repeated it with the grinder the right way up and I can see the same effect, though).

He's also advised that this grinder had the last of the weaker springs in, which along with normal handle tolerances accounts for why the handle levers the burrs closed so easily when they aren't tight - but that they shouldn't need to be that far apart before touching in the first place (they should be flush, as in Neill's picture). The moving burr should not protrude at all at full tight. So, it could be that the fixed burr has shifted slightly and that is causing this.

Finally, the knob is bearing mounted, may need wearing in, but shouldn't really be notchy.

Transit damage is my guess, but I'll await the replacement with interest and report back on how it goes. All in all, very happy with the service from Peter/Knock so far...

Colin


----------



## Neill

coffeechops said:


> So, I've just had lengthy and pleasant chat with Peter on the phone. Upshot is he can't tell from the videos whether there is an issue or not so he is very kindly sending out a new grinder and will take the current one back for investigation after it arrives (worry not batch 2 people, yours will go out first!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ) .
> 
> Firstly, spinning the grinder with burrs upwards means weight rests on the spring, and there is possibly enough off-centre mass in the body (though not much) that it may be enough for it to spin off-centre - so that video is not really a reliable test (I have just repeated it with the grinder the right way up and I can see the same effect, though).
> 
> He's also advised that this grinder had the last of the weaker springs in, which along with normal handle tolerances accounts for why the handle levers the burrs closed so easily when they aren't tight - but that they shouldn't need to be that far apart before touching in the first place (they should be flush, as in Neill's picture). The moving burr should not protrude at all at full tight. So, it could be that the fixed burr has shifted slightly and that is causing this.
> 
> Finally, the knob is bearing mounted, may need wearing in, but shouldn't really be notchy.
> 
> Transit damage is my guess, but I'll await the replacement with interest and report back on how it goes. All in all, very happy with the service from Peter/Knock so far...
> 
> Colin


Glad you are getting it all sorted and look forward to hearing how it all works out. Out of interest, what number is yours?


----------



## coffeechops

Mine is K021.


----------



## Drc

I have 25 here


----------



## Neill

And k029 for me.


----------



## kikapu

coffeechops said:


> Mine is K021.


Er mine is k021!!


----------



## coffeechops

Umm...









Parallel universe? Maybe one of us has a Chinese knock-off Knock?


----------



## Mrboots2u

Oh yes it is

Oh no it isn't

Handmade Genius.....perhaps they are all no 21 like hausground day


----------



## rodabod

Charliej said:


> to answer your question about Hausgrind vs Zassenhaus vs Porlex.


Thanks, Charlie. I may need to give one a go. I have a Zassenhaus which has the original price in Deutschmarks on the base, so it's quite old, but the grind is a bit inconsistent at coarser settings. Ditto the Porlex.


----------



## kikapu

coffeechops said:


> Umm...
> 
> View attachment 6087
> 
> 
> Parallel universe? Maybe one of us has a Chinese knock-off Knock?


Your base plate material and text is different from mine. Maybe yours was a left over batch one one!! In Peter s email to me he said I was k023 which obviously is not the case


----------



## coffeechops

Yours is certainly better finished. I agree, likely that mine was done with the last of batch one materials. Either way I'm sure Peter will sort it out!

Colin


----------



## Neill

Yeah, I saw a pic of a batch one base plate and it looked the same as yours coffeechops.


----------



## Lewis

kikapu said:


> Your base plate material and text is different from mine. Maybe yours was a left over batch one one!! In Peter s email to me he said I was k023 which obviously is not the case


I've got k023


----------



## kikapu

Lewis said:


> I've got k023


Thief!!!!!!


----------



## Mrboots2u

Perhaps you should start an owners list , see who has what numbers etc


----------



## Neill

Mrboots2u said:


> Perhaps you should start an owners list , see who has what numbers etc


Did someone not start that thread somewhere else? I'll have a look. Mybe it was in an existing thread.


----------



## Neill

Nope, can't find it, must have been in the middle of a thread. I've just created one.


----------



## AliC

Lewis said:


> I've got k023


Let's play Snap by Knock


----------



## andyt23

So here's my new toy, and it's a beaut! First thing I did though, was put too big a cup retaining ring on and can't remove it, so the cup's a bit snug. Hopefully it will ease off, it's not too bad, just takes a bit of a wiggle. I tried a pointy implement, but got a wee scratch on the steel so I stopped immediately.

My initial zero seems to be at no.3.

I don't know if it's worth commenting this early, but - to make espresso (it will be this grinder's sole purpose for the forseeable future) I've run 6 lots of (17g into the grinder, ave 16.5g out) rave italian job through it, initially at one full turn on the dial, and I got 36g of coffee out in 25 seconds.

I took it back to effective 11 (so no.2 on my dial) and only got 7g! the dial didn't moved at all during grinding (on any of my attempts).

I repeated shifting between the two points a couple more times and the results were consistently different, so it appears that currently between the 11 and 12 o'clock settings, there is an average difference of 30g of coffee output.

Peter did say we should adjust "very gradually"...

It's a pleasure to use, reassuringly heavy, smooth action, perfect leverage and all in all - I think I'm in love.

I might take Peter's advice and run a bag of rice through it before I get back to trying to dial in for espresso.

I don't tend to drink (coffee) in the evenings, but I tasted a couple of them and I have to say it was so far and away better than my first efforts with my non-espresso capable grinder (obviously), I now realise how daft I was to try it.


----------



## coffeechops

To remove the cup ring, don't try to get underneath it. Instead, pinch it around the circumference of the grinder body, from about 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock: that'll raise the portion between your fingers and it'll come off easily.

Colin


----------



## andyt23

coffeechops said:


> To remove the cup ring, don't try to get underneath it. Instead, pinch it around the circumference of the grinder body, from about 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock: that'll raise the portion between your fingers and it'll come off easily.
> 
> Colin


Thanks Colin, with the help of a wooden toothpick and wet fingers, that's got it!


----------



## SamW

I'm already in love with mine - its a thing of beauty! Mine zeros at about 1ish and dials in espresso (albiet a very nice decaf) between 12 -1! Produced a cracking cup last night 16g in 27g out in about 25secs! All I need now is for Peter to send me my heft he forgot to send out then I'll be a very happy chappy!


----------



## kikapu

They are blooming lovely. Almost wish I had bought two cause I am not going to keep taking it from home to work as its too nice and carrying it around all the time and I know I would end up damaging it!!


----------



## fluffles

My batch 2 hausgrind arrived yesterday (on my birthday, how cool is that!) and would like to ask about assembly as I did not really understand the instructions. Specifically:



> 3. to assemble the grinder you must push the shaft up from underneath so that the horizontal sweeper arm inside is above the the lower bearing brace (the metal cross bars just above the burrs inside the upper section) and the spring pushes the bearings into place. the inner burr should be flush against the outer burr at this point and you should be able to rest the sweeper arm on one of the bearing arms.
> 
> 4. once the sweeper arm is resting in place, unscrew the dial nut and place the crank-arm over the threaded shaft end so that it sits just below the threaded portion. You will see that the hole in the crank arm has a squared D shape and that the shaft below the threading is similarly flat on 3 sides and round on one - this needs to align with the crank-arm hole to fit and engage properly.


1. When he says push the shaft up, does he mean push against the spring thereby fully compressing it? I assumed the answer to this was "yes"... (otherwise I figured it is simply inserting the shaft rather than pushing it)

2. My sweeper arm is above the brace without having to push the shaft up against the spring.

3. "And the spring pushes the bearings into place" - I don't understand this, can someone explain??

4. "the inner burr should be flush against the outer burr at this point and you should be able to rest the sweeper arm on one of the bearing arms" - The sweeper arm rests on the bearing arm without me pushing the shaft up... if I push it up then it is no longer resting on it. I'm confused!

5. When putting the crank arm on, I was having to maintain my pushing against the spring in order to keep the burrs touching. This was very hard to do as it requires a fair amount of force. This made me think I was doing it wrong.

Any help much appreciated.


----------



## kikapu

fluffles said:


> My batch 2 hausgrind arrived yesterday (on my birthday, how cool is that!) and would like to ask about assembly as I did not really understand the instructions. Specifically:
> 
> 1. When he says push the shaft up, does he mean push against the spring thereby fully compressing it? I assumed the answer to this was "yes"... (otherwise I figured it is simply inserting the shaft rather than pushing it)
> 
> 2. My sweeper arm is above the brace without having to push the shaft up against the spring.
> 
> 3. "And the spring pushes the bearings into place" - I don't understand this, can someone explain??
> 
> 4. "the inner burr should be flush against the outer burr at this point and you should be able to rest the sweeper arm on one of the bearing arms" - The sweeper arm rests on the bearing arm without me pushing the shaft up... if I push it up then it is no longer resting on it. I'm confused!
> 
> 5. When putting the crank arm on, I was having to maintain my pushing against the spring in order to keep the burrs touching. This was very hard to do as it requires a fair amount of force. This made me think I was doing it wrong.
> 
> Any help much appreciated.


to be honest I didnt under stand either. All I did was pull off the catch cup. Push up the grinder base till it locked in place then this enabled me to remove dial add handle and put dial back on


----------



## Neill

Yeah, it's all in place if the sweeper arm is above the brace. You can then let go of the burr and unscrew the knob to put the handle on.


----------



## Neill

The handle fit is initially very snug. You just need to get it on to the first shaped section of the shaft, screwing the know slowly down then pushes the handle on down the shaft. I tightened slowly and kept trying to turn the handle until the burrs were rubbing.


----------



## fluffles

OK, sounds like I was over complicating it! Thanks for the reassurance. Here are some more questions!

1. Where is the "0" point supposed to be? When the burrs are fully closed or when they are at the "just rubbing" stage that I keep hearing people talk about?

2. Do we have any idea how long it will take to "zero" out, i.e. for the zeros on the handle and the dial knob to line up? Everyone having different "0" points make it hard to compare settings.

3. Are we to interpret the settings as an absolute setting according to the "0" mark, or relative to where our "0" is (i.e. if we zero out at 0.3, then 1.3 is actually 1.6)? His recommended settings seem a fair way off to me. I used his suggested aeropress setting of 1.3 and it was way too fine. I ended up using 1.6 and this was also too fine. Seems strange that it would be so far out?

4. How are people dealing with getting out every last bit of ground coffee? I find that grounds get stuck in the "corners" (I know its a circle!) of the catch cup, where the base meets the wooden body. Presumably banging it on the side of something (as I do with my porlex) will spoil its good looks









5. Did anyone get a long handled brush with theirs? The old instructions said it came with one, but the new ones don't.


----------



## kikapu

fluffles said:


> OK, sounds like I was over complicating it! Thanks for the reassurance. Here are some more questions!
> 
> 5. Did anyone get a long handled brush with theirs? The old instructions said it came with one, but the new ones don't.


Mine did and I am batch two so think you should have!


----------



## Neill

I have a long handled brush too. I will only use it for cleaning. I find a tap of the base against the palm of my hand loosens the grinds enough to empty.


----------



## SamW

Nope - batch two, no brush either! Its probably with my Tamper haha!


----------



## kikapu

maybe hes run out of long handle brushes and only the low number batch two got them certainly would drop him an email although maybe wait till after LCF


----------



## andyt23

Batch 2, no brush here either.

I took 'zero' to be fully closed, which is 3 on the dial for me. If I was looking for zero to be around the '1' initially like I think was suggested, then it would have to be almost a full turn out and I'm currently getting 35g out of 17g in 25 secs with the dial at one full turn (1.0 ?), so clearly that's nowhere near my zero.

In practice I guess it's just a scale to work to for your own reference. Wherever you get results is where you'll want to be, and if those results are the same as someone else, then your burrs are probably in the same place, even if the dials aren't.

As long as we all know our own 'zero' we should still be able to relate settings to each other.


----------



## coffeechops

Brush was at the very bottom on mine, under all the wood shavings - I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't see it in the instructions.


----------



## andyt23

fluffles said:


> My batch 2 hausgrind arrived yesterday (on my birthday, how cool is that!) and would like to ask about assembly as I did not really understand the instructions. Specifically:
> 
> 1. When he says push the shaft up, does he mean push against the spring thereby fully compressing it? I assumed the answer to this was "yes"... (otherwise I figured it is simply inserting the shaft rather than pushing it)
> 
> 2. My sweeper arm is above the brace without having to push the shaft up against the spring.
> 
> 3. "And the spring pushes the bearings into place" - I don't understand this, can someone explain??
> 
> 4. "the inner burr should be flush against the outer burr at this point and you should be able to rest the sweeper arm on one of the bearing arms" - The sweeper arm rests on the bearing arm without me pushing the shaft up... if I push it up then it is no longer resting on it. I'm confused!
> 
> 5. When putting the crank arm on, I was having to maintain my pushing against the spring in order to keep the burrs touching. This was very hard to do as it requires a fair amount of force. This made me think I was doing it wrong.
> 
> Any help much appreciated.


I went through the exact same problems trying to read the destructions.

In the end I decided that the object was to close the burrs, so I pushed on the bottom to relieve the tension on the top section, whipped the knob off, put the handle on, put the washer on, tightened it down so the burrs stayed flush, let go of everything and backed off from there to find a grind setting.

Holding the burrs closed at one end whilst dealing with the knob was tricky, so I stood the unit on something that would fit up inside the outer steel ring and maintain pressure on the spring when I held the whole unit and pushed down, leaving me a hand free to fettle with the top bits.

really quite easy in practice. I then stood for 15 minutes looking at different kinds of rice in sainsbury's before deciding I'd better just use coffee instead :s


----------



## Charliej

The recommended grind settings are relative to your zero not to the marked 0 on the dial, until they both eventually line up, the demo unit I had , had quite a bit of coffee gone through it already and when I tried using espresso settings Peter suggested for that unit, but I used the zero on the dial as the reference it made some very nice coffee scented talcum powder,which would probably have been great for making Turkish coffee if I was that way inclined.


----------



## 4515

First impressions :

The instructions over-complicate the assembly of the grinder although I realise that they need to write them for a wide spectrum of owners

Finish is good - the wood is very nice and the grinder mech has an excellent finish. The sides of the arm of the handle could have been finished better - I'll remove mine and spend half an hour with a file to get a smoother finish at some point

I ground 24g of HB's Bolivia Finca Canton Uyunense Teodocio Mamani Honey Processed Typica and it ground with no effort so cant wait until the burrs bed in and it becomes even easier.

Made a V60 and need to make the grind a bit finer to hit 2:30s. I'm getting the fruitiness as described - a very clean drink and a nice change from the long blacks that I normally drink.

Will set the second one up for aeropress when it arrives in readiness for its trip to Bulgaria


----------



## jeebsy

These instructions scare me.


----------



## Drc

jeebsy said:


> These instructions scare me.


To be honest I didn't really get them either, there were elements I just didn't understand how to follow. So I went with the general gist of things and screwed it down till it seemed locked shut, then added the ring / arm etc and went from there.

I can't help but think the instructions while well meant were more confusing. What it really needs is someone to do a step by step guide with some pictures and a few pointy arrows


----------



## 4515

Drc said:


> To be honest I didn't really get them either, there were elements I just didn't understand how to follow. So I went with the general gist of things and screwed it down till it seemed locked shut, then added the ring / arm etc and went from there.
> 
> I can't help but think the instructions while well meant were more confusing. What it really needs is someone to do a step by step guide with some pictures and a few pointy arrows


Or even a video on the web site with instructions to watch the video before assembling


----------



## 4515

jeebsy said:


> These instructions scare me.


I think this is a case of an engineer writing instructions for Joe public. If it said to remove the adjusting knob, push up the bottom burr, fit the small O ring and handle and replace the adjusting knob it would make easier reading


----------



## Monkey_Devil

Got mine today, it's gorgeous









Only one thing which is a shame, in that once it's set up you don't really want to be removing the handle, which isn't so great for taking it places. Obviously I know this wasn't as much designed for being portable though. Just a shame I can't use the lovely presentation box to store it.

I'm off to play with it


----------



## Saftlad

I agree that it is a very nice bit of kit, though the instructions are over complicated. Finish-wise I have a knot just above the engraving which may prove to be a weak point in time.

No brush with mine either, but hardly a big deal.

More of a problem for me is the o-rings for the catch-cup. Although there were four included in a padded envelope, I seem to have two pairs. Two that are too small and don't give any friction, or two thick ones that don't sit in the groove and therefore stop the cup from being fitted at all. Has anyone else had this issue?


----------



## Monkey_Devil

My o rings are good, I have one that is about right. SLIGHTLY loose, but it's not going to accidentally come off.

Just made my first chemex. Took 5 minutes, so a bit long. That was at 2.6. Will try 3 next. That said, I was expecting bitterness for a brew that took too long, but it's not bitter. The brighter notes aren't shining through (should get a citrus overtone on this one) but rather than bitterness I'm just getting stronger notes of biscuity nuttiness. Still enjoyable. If I'd brewed that long with porlex, I'm fairly sure there would be an unpleasant bitterness, presumably because of the issue of fines and inconsistent particle size.


----------



## Mrboots2u

working dog said:


> Or even a video on the web site with instructions to watch the video before assembling


Someone should make one for the rest of us


----------



## 4515

Mrboots2u said:


> Someone should make one for the rest of us


Id offer but being Northern there are two issues :

1 - I'm too tight to buy a go pro or similar

2 - The Southern contingent wouldnt understand my dulcet tones


----------



## Mrboots2u

1. Use a phone camera

2. I'll put subtitles in it for you...


----------



## Charliej

Peter did tell me that he had to write the instructions in that way as a lot of the grinders were going to natives of a country where litigation for the smallest and most stupid thing is far too common and common sense seems totally lacking, so he had to cover every angle just to cover his arse, a country where food labels will say "warning product may be hot when heated" etc. So that unlike the infamous toothpaste dispenser that had the instructions of "take off top and push up bottom", no-one would actually follow through with the instructions literally and then having damaged themself say " I Was only following the instructions"


----------



## Daren

working dog said:


> Id offer but being Northern there are two issues :
> 
> 1 - I'm too tight to buy a go pro or similar
> 
> 2 - The Southern contingent wouldnt understand my dulcet tones


Can someone tell me what he said? Something about whippets?


----------



## Mrboots2u

Daren said:


> Can someone tell me what he said? Something about whippets?


Daren

go get a fluffy sheep and stick it up your fluffy sheep , Til your fluffy sheep pops outta e other end of your fully sheep

ecky thump


----------



## Daren

No mentions of unicorns?


----------



## Mrboots2u

Daren said:


> No mentions of unicorns?


They have spiky bit , I was being kind

you utter unicorn ....


----------



## Geordie Boy

kikapu said:


> to be honest I didnt under stand either. All I did was pull off the catch cup. Push up the grinder base till it locked in place then this enabled me to remove dial add handle and put dial back on


Thank you, this is exactly what I needed!


----------



## kikapu

Geordie Boy said:


> Thank you, this is exactly what I needed!


No problem I had no idea what Peter meant from his instructions!! Bit simple me! Just glad I didn't break it with all the twisting pulling etc I was doing before I worked it out


----------



## Geordie Boy

Mine seems to be settling in nicely, and it's already making friends


----------



## Charliej

I'm hoping to be able to buy myself one once he's got all you lot sorted out, although I'm first in the queue for any that cosmetically speaking are "seconds". I'm really missing have the demo unit, far more than I thought I would, although the Zassenhaus even at 67 years old still provides a grind quality that is damn close to that of the Hausgrind I have to come back into the living room and sit down to use it and it needs more effort for the same amount of beans, and also has no reference point for where your grind is at.


----------



## 4515

Are we all now part of ....






I'll get me coat !


----------



## nvj

Saftlad said:


> More of a problem for me is the o-rings for the catch-cup. Although there were four included in a padded envelope, I seem to have two pairs. Two that are too small and don't give any friction, or two thick ones that don't sit in the groove and therefore stop the cup from being fitted at all. Has anyone else had this issue?


great to receive the grinder, but exactly the same issue here - I wonder if others received four different thicknesses of o-rings or if the issue is with the tolerances on our catch cups? Anyone able to confirm what they received o-ring wise?


----------



## 4515

I received two sizes rather than 4 different sizes


----------



## andyt23

I got four different sizes of cup ring, and a spare small one for the adjuster thread

thin one too thin, 2nd one is stiff but getting there


----------



## Geordie Boy

andyt23 said:


> I got four different sizes of cup ring, and a spare small one for the adjuster thread
> 
> thin one too thin, 2nd one is stiff but getting there


Same for me. (13)


----------



## jeebsy

I'm struggling a bit to get this set up as mine didn't come with instructions.

Is this right? Pushed the bottom burr up til it was touching the upper, handle on, washer on, dial on? (burr popped down in pic though)

View attachment 6158


Could someone take a pic of their instructions and send them on please? Also is there a proper direction to grind it? Mine makes different noises depending what way it goes.


----------



## Neill

jeebsy said:


> I'm struggling a bit to get this set up as mine didn't come with instructions.
> 
> Is this right? Pushed the bottom burr up til it was touching the upper, handle on, washer on, dial on? (burr popped down in pic though)
> 
> View attachment 6158
> 
> 
> Could someone take a pic of their instructions and send them on please? Also is there a proper direction to grind it? Mine makes different noises depending what way it goes.


Yeah, that looks right. Here's the email- Hello

you should recieve your grinder this morning sometime before 13:00.

Before you open the box please be aware that the grinder is packed in 2 parts (main body crank arm) inside the wooden box and that when you open the main body package you will find that the lower cup is very loose. be careful opening it so that there is no chance of it falling out!

The reason for this is that the selection of o-rings included allows you to choose the best fit for your local ambient humidity conditions - the o-rings fit into the lower groove on the big steel midsection and provide the friction required to retain the lower cup. The rings are different thicknesses and can accommodate the natural changes that may occur in the wood as it responds to it's environment.

Choose a moderately loose-ish fit for the first couple of days so that your grinder can get used to its new home and then once it has settled you can go tighter if you wish.

As for the rest of the assembly, apologies for some of the blazingly obvious below but I can't guarantee that all my customers will believe the bit about choking their very expensive E61s or Speedsters so I have taken a somewhat hardcore "told you so" line. That and the fact that anyone coming to this from a porlex might get a bit of a shock on their Gaggia.

so:

ASSEMBLY:

In the bag of o-rings you will find 2x small rubber o-rings, one for use and one for spare. This is put over the threaded shaft, below the threads and BETWEEN the crank-arm and the dial nut, providing additional friction to ensure the grind setting remains as chosen. The grinder will work without this but the orientation of the dial has been set so that zeros match with the o-ring in place.

It is recommend that you assemble the grinder and test it without the o-ring in place so that you get used to how it is set up - once you put the o-ring on it can be removed but it is a bit fiddley.

to assemble the grinder you must push the shaft up from underneath so that the horizontal sweeper arm inside is above the the lower bearing brace (the metal cross bars just above the burrs inside the upper section) and the spring pushes the bearings into place. the inner burr should be flush against the outer burr at this point and you should be able to rest the sweeper arm on one of the bearing arms.

once the sweeper arm is resting in place, unscrew the dial nut and place the crank-arm over the threaded shaft end so that it sits just below the threaded portion. You will see that the hole in the crank arm has a squared D shape and that the shaft below the threading is similarly flat on 3 sides and round on one - this needs to align with the crank-arm hole to fit and engage properly.

as above, on first assembly screw on the dial nut WITHOUT the o-ring until it is firmly secured and the crank arm can barely be turned. That is now the zero lock where the burr set is closed at its tightest.

Winding the dial out from there so that the clock face numbers increase will open the grinder out - the higher the number on the dial the larger the grind particle size / coarseness.

With the o-ring in place, grind coarseness for turkish starts at about 3; for espresso at about 7-9; for aero press at about 1turn plus 3; and for other brew / steeping methods around 1 full turn plus 6, 7 or 8. These numbers are for approximate reference only and will vary depending on the coffee used: its composition, roast style, roast date/freshness etc.

Lastly, your burrs will wear in over time but grinding 500g of uncooked minute/parboiled rice through it at your preferred setting will speed this up somewhat. The benefit is purely that the grind settings will notionally "stabilise" more quickly, as opposed to noticabley moving down the numbers in ever decreasing increments in the first week or two (depending on the volume of grinding you do). The dial zeros have been slightly offset to allow the grinder to bed in and the zero to gradually ease into alignment at locked zero ESPRESSO DRINKERS

DO NOT be tempted to test your domestic espresso machine in particular below 5-7 on the dial with or without the washer in place - the hausgrind has stalled commerical machines with far more powerful pumps than even the most expensive home machines and the consequences for you will potentially be a portafilter of highly pressurized, scalding hot sludge which may spurt out when unlocking it from your machine's grouphead. This is even more likely if you are using very freshly roasted coffee (roasted within the last 2 weeks). You have been warned!

Start with the dial at about 9 to test your espresso and very gradually increase or reduce the grind size as you see fit for your coffee, machine and dosage combination.

MAINTAINANCE:

A long handled brush can be used for occasional brushing of the burrs from the inside and out.

the hausgrind can be disassembled for occasional thorough cleaning but it is not recommended that the outer burrset be removed from the metal midsection except to replace the burrset: the grubscrew holding it in place has been tightend without threadlock but careless removal will damage threads and potentially mean the screw will have to be drilled out. The burrsets are rated at 650kg in light commercial situations so should be good many years of domestic consumption.

pay particular attention to the orientation of the lower bearing set (flange side down touching the spring) and to the spacer on the top of the grinder between the crank-arm and the top bearings. The spacer has a flat side which should be uppermost against the crank-arm's underside, and a slightly ridged side which should be in contact with the bearings. This ridge ensures everything rides smoothly as you turn the crank-arm.

NEVER attempt to tighten the grinder to a full lock beyond the dial zero such that the crank arm is unable to turn at all. Over time the burrs will bed in to each other and you will find that the 0 alignment of the dial and the crank arm is very slightly relaxed: this is entirely normal and will not affect the grinders performance - it will in fact ensure that you do not over tighten the burrs and crush the bearings.

none of the parts should require oiling or lubrication of any sort.

If you decide to wash the grinder at all please use a barely damp and not soaking wet cloth to wipe clean and ensure it is wiped dry and then fully dried before re-assembly. The burrsets are tool steel and could rust if left damp.

wood is a natural substance which does not respond well on over exposure to steam or significant heat changes. Do not regularly store the grinder in direct sunlight or in close proximity to a kettle or radiator or any other heat/steam source: for example pay particular attention to how close it is long term to any espresso machine - less than 6 inches / 15cm and you may feel the heat of the boiler on the side of the grinder - this will potentially warp the wood over time, potentially affecting alignment and function.

if in doubt about how to dissassemble please contact the us at Knock (http://www.madebyknock.com)

Enjoy!

P


----------



## jeebsy

Cheers - dunno why either a)I didn't get that or b)deleted it.

Just ran some beans through so forget the stupid question about what way to crank.

Totally different beast from the Hario Slim I had. So much more solid. Had the grind fairly tight and it still chomped through the beans mega quick.

Only complaint is my dial fell off. No biggy, can glue it back on but a bit shit. Means I can properly align 0 though.


----------



## Neill

jeebsy said:


> Cheers - dunno why either a)I didn't get that or b)deleted it.
> 
> Just ran some beans through so forget the stupid question about what way to crank.
> 
> Totally different beast from the Hario Slim I had. So much more solid. Had the grind fairly tight and it still chomped through the beans mega quick.
> 
> Only complaint is my dial fell off. No biggy, can glue it back on but a bit shit. Means I can properly align 0 though.


Wonder is there a way to remove the dial. Mines at a slight angle, not a big issue but if I could lever it off without damaging it and reset it at zero it would be a plus. Wouldn't want to do it until the grind settles.


----------



## Monkey_Devil

Made a fantastic chemex this afternoon. Set grinder to 3 full turns for a brew in 3 minutes. Very well balanced with zero bitterness. I'm very impressed with this. Pretty sure this produces a better quality grind at coarse than my vario. Very pleased I have a more viable brew grinder now, since my vario is set to not go that coarse any more..


----------



## fluffles

Monkey_Devil said:


> Made a fantastic chemex this afternoon. Set grinder to 3 full turns for a brew in 3 minutes. Very well balanced with zero bitterness. I'm very impressed with this. Pretty sure this produces a better quality grind at coarse than my vario. Very pleased I have a more viable brew grinder now, since my vario is set to not go that coarse any more..


That's interesting - 3 turns is considerably more than in Peter's recommendations (less than 2 turns). This also matches what I've been finding with my aeropress brews... needs far more turns than the recommendations.


----------



## Saftlad

Jeebsy, I'm not sure if that is a stupid question or not (which way to grind).

I can imagine the burrs are set to be ground by a right-handed person, who would in all likelyhood turn the crank clockwise, but what if you are left handed? Do any cack-handers turn the cranks anti-clockwise?


----------



## coffeechops

Saftlad said:


> Do any cack-handers turn the cranks anti-clockwise?


Nope. Grinder in right hand, grind with left, turning clockwise, is the most natural for this particular cack-hander. Didn't even cross my mind it might be otherwise.

Colin


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Parcel for Mr Boots

View attachment 6201
View attachment 6202


Good news - it's here and it's worth the wait.

Bad news - I'm hanging on to it


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Anyone received their Hausgrind with the stainless steel lower yet?


----------



## Mrboots2u

The Systemic Kid said:


> Parcel for Mr Boots
> 
> View attachment 6201
> View attachment 6202
> 
> 
> Good news - it's here and it's worth the wait.
> 
> Bad news - I'm hanging on to it


Lol not paid for it yet......

Well only a third of it ...

Im keeping your tins then


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Mrboots2u said:


> Lol not paid for it yet......
> 
> Well only a third of it ...
> 
> Im keeping your tins then


Damn! Can we go to arbitration??


----------



## Neill

So, just over 2 weeks in and my grinder seems to be settling in nicely. Use it once or twice a day at the minute. The burrs are getting easier to turn. No more stalling while grinding the last few times and feels easier to turn. Seems to rub through less of the rotation when tightened down now too.


----------



## jeebsy

Mine doesn't seem to need that many turns to go between espresso and very coarse. Waiting until the burrs are worn in to stick the dial back on but getting the right grind is a bit of a lottery at the moment


----------



## Neill

jeebsy said:


> Mine doesn't seem to need that many turns to go between espresso and very coarse. Waiting until the burrs are worn in to stick the dial back on but getting the right grind is a bit of a lottery at the moment


I've only been using mine for pour over. Actually I think I've only gone for Kalita wave pours. I leave it on the same setting and getting consistent times, but that my be more due to the Kalita which is more forgiving.


----------



## jeebsy

I don't intentionality take mine as fine as espresso, just lose track of where it is occasionally. Should really pay more attention.


----------



## Neill

jeebsy said:


> I don't intentionality take mine as fine as espresso, just lose track of where it is occasionally. Should really pay more attention.


What did it look like the dial was stuck down with? Still fancy removing mine to flatten/zero it.


----------



## Geordie Boy

I'm using mine for pour overs and it's getting easier every time I use it (2-3 times a day). Been getting consistent times too though I have been tightening the grind slightly as it beds in


----------



## Neill

Geordie Boy said:


> I'm using mine for pour overs and it's getting easier every time I use it (2-3 times a day). Been getting consistent times too though I have been tightening the grind slightly as it beds in


Did notice it ran marginally faster tonight despite not changing the grind. Don't think my zero has shifted much tho.


----------



## jeebsy

View attachment 6241


Not sure if you unscrewed the knob completely if you'd be able to poke the dial off with a knitting needle or something


----------



## Neill

jeebsy said:


> View attachment 6241
> 
> 
> Not sure if you unscrewed the knob completely if you'd be able to poke the dial off with a knitting needle or something


Thanks. Didn't realise it was a hole right through. I'll wait till it seasons fully.


----------



## jeebsy

How far from zero are you at the moment for the kalita?


----------



## Neill

jeebsy said:


> How far from zero are you at the moment for the kalita?


1.10 gets me a total time of 3 mins (including 30s bloom) for a 250ml of added water.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Close enough to me, I'm at 1.15 using 300ml of water for the same timing's


----------



## Neill

Geordie Boy said:


> Close enough to me, I'm at 1.15 using 300ml of water for the same timing's


I'm confused, what's 1.15? Is that not 2.3?


----------



## Geordie Boy

Neill said:


> I'm confused, what's 1.15? Is that not 2.3?


1 full turn round and then half way between 0 and 3. I can see peoples terminology for reading back number settings being different


----------



## Neill

Geordie Boy said:


> 1 full turn round and then half way between 0 and 3. I can see peoples terminology for reading back number settings being different


I would have called that 1.1.2 using peters proposed system. Mines a good bit coarser then.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Neill said:


> I would have called that 1.1.2 using peters proposed system. Mines a good bit coarser then.


Yeah, that's massively different, almost a full turn apart! Our zero points could be different? Brew style could affect timings, I always keep the filter fully topped (155 size) which could affect timings if you do it different


----------



## Neill

Geordie Boy said:


> Yeah, that's massively different, almost a full turn apart! Our zero points could be different? Brew style could affect timings, I always keep the filter fully topped (155 size) which could affect timings if you do it different


I've given my grind adjusted for my zero rather than the number zero on the dial. My zero point is currently at 4. Different brew technique, bloom then 2-3pulsed pours for me.


----------



## Neill

I was working of Peters suggested settings of 1.6 1.7 or 1.8 for brewed. Then went a bit coarser as Kalita seems to like a pretty coarse grind.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Yeah I started with 1.6 then went the other way. I'll see what the other grinder setting ends up being


----------



## Neill

Geordie Boy said:


> Yeah I started with 1.6 then went the other way. I'll see what the other grinder setting ends up being


So after te bloom do you just do a continuous slow pour until the 300mls is added?


----------



## Geordie Boy

Neill said:


> So after te bloom do you just do a continuous slow pour until the 300mls is added?


Yeah, though I'm not very scientific with it as it's at work so guess the water amount in a 12oz milk jug, with the water from a boiler (with a little cold added) and pour using that. I do measure the 18g of coffee though


----------



## Neill

Geordie Boy said:


> Yeah, though I'm not very scientific with it as it's at work so guess the water amount in a 12oz milk jug, with the water from a boiler (with a little cold added) and pour using that. I do measure the 18g of coffee though


That's maybe the other factor for why mine takes longer, I'm using a pouring kettle with a flow restrictor so slower to add the water potentially with maybe less agitation of the coffee bed.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Neill said:


> That's maybe the other factor for why mine takes longer, I'm using a pouring kettle with a flow restrictor so slower to add the water potentially with maybe less agitation of the coffee bed.


Just done a brew at home on the 2nd grinder and using a pouring kettle with scales. For a setting of 1.6, ignoring the bloom, draw down is 3min exactly (I.e. plus 30s bloom). I do stir when adding the initial water after the bloom. At first I didn't stir, but I found that the distribution of the grinds at the end didn't look even across the bottom of the filter so added the stir which helped. Stirring i find does speed up the extraction so another reason why I'll also have a finer grind


----------



## Neill

Geordie Boy said:


> Just done a brew at home on the 2nd grinder and using a pouring kettle with scales. For a setting of 1.6, ignoring the bloom, draw down is 3min exactly (I.e. plus 30s bloom). I do stir when adding the initial water after the bloom. At first I didn't stir, but I found that the distribution of the grinds at the end didn't look even across the bottom of the filter so added the stir which helped. Stirring i find does speed up the extraction so another reason why I'll also have a finer grind


Ah, that's another difference. I was including the 30s in my time, ie 2.30 draw down. Might try tightening down a bit and see how the results taste.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Neill said:


> Ah, that's another difference. I was including the 30s in my time, ie 2.30 draw down. Might try tightening down a bit and see how the results taste.


That's what I normally aim for, 2.5min draw down. I got 3 min on this occasion because it's the first time I've used my 2nd grinder for a Kalita so had to guess the setting. Next time I'll go finer


----------



## Neill

Geordie Boy said:


> That's what I normally aim for, 2.5min draw down. I got 3 min on this occasion because it's the first time I've used my 2nd grinder for a Kalita so had to guess the setting. Next time I'll go finer


You mean coarser?


----------



## Geordie Boy

Neill said:


> You mean coarser?


Sorry yes I should have said courser! I haven't drunk the coffee yet so still need caffeine to wake up


----------



## Neill

Geordie Boy said:


> Sorry yes I should have said courser! I haven't drunk the coffee yet so still need caffeine to wake up


I might just start making a second. Last setting was at 1.9 for a 2.30 draw down.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Neill said:


> I might just start making a second. Last setting was at 1.9 for a 2.30 draw down.


So looks like they just about tie up. Zero point for this one is 0.3


----------



## Neill

Looks like it. Are you giving your settings counted out from 0 on your dial or from 0.3. I'm giving mine counted out from 0.4.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Neill said:


> Looks like it. Are you giving your settings counted out from 0 on your dial or from 0.3. I'm giving mine counted out from 0.4.


Just what's on the dial (i.e. not factoring in the zero point)


----------



## Neill

And they're further apart again! Mines at 2.1 on the actual dial!


----------



## Geordie Boy

Neill said:


> And they're further apart again! Mines at 2.1 on the actual dial!


Have checked the zero point again (making sure there's no coffee stuck in the burrs) and it's now more in the 0.15 region. They still seem to be in the same ball park to me considering the burrs won't be bed in yet


----------



## Neill

Geordie Boy said:


> Have checked the zero point again (making sure there's no coffee stuck in the burrs) and it's now more in the 0.15 region. They still seem to be in the same ball park to me considering the burrs won't be bed in yet


Aye, you're right.


----------



## Neill

Ok, tried again with your technique Geordie. Ground at 1.6 from my grinders zero point. Stirred during the bloom and added the remaining water in a continuous pour. Took 2.40 for draw down so very similar results.


----------



## jeebsy

Is that 1.6 full turns?


----------



## Neill

1 full turn then 6 out of of the 12 numbered markings (but counted out from my zero rather than what lines up with the handle). I'm expressing my setting as number of full turns.number out of 12 in between.number of small markings between each number setting.


----------



## Neill

For example, if mine zeroed at zero on the dial I would call the setting on the pic 0.9.2


----------



## jeebsy

Cheers. Going to make a chemex in a bit so will try that rather than completely guessing.


----------



## Neill

jeebsy said:


> Cheers. Going to make a chemex in a bit so will try that rather than completely guessing.


Great, must try a chemex with it soon. Let me know how you get on.


----------



## DavidBondy

Got mine yesterday (it has been at the sorting office for a few days). Assembled it today - the instructions confused me so I just followed my instincts. I made an Aeropress using it and I have to say that it is TONS better than the Porlex Mini I had been using (at the price I'd expect that!).

My "zero" seems to be six on the dial lined up with the "0" on the handle. First impressions are that it is a bugger to fill compared with the Porlex. It is loads faster and grinds evenly. Not much retained in the burrs.

I wish the handle was removable for storage and travelling but the fact that it is a "haus" product is probably why not. I do not want to wreck the rubber ring. I thought they shipped with a cleaning brush (I am not sure why I thought that!) but I will have to buy one as my usual grinder brush is too large.

Finally, what to do with the bloody great wooden box? Can store it in there, must add to costs of product and delivery. Nice idea but utterly useless to me!

David


----------



## Neill

Here's my tip for filling. I weigh my beans in the catch cup then put one hand around the top of the grinder to form a funnel then tip with the other hand. No problems.









I saw someone on hb had made a small funnel device that doubled up as a stand for the grinder. Peter showed some interest in creating something similar.


----------



## jeebsy

Neill said:


> Great, must try a chemex with it soon. Let me know how you get on.


Went with 1.6 i think (dial flew off halfway through grinding), 12g coffee (Smokey Barn's Kenyan Ndimaini), 220ml water, pulse pouring about 50g at a time took 3m45s and left me with 175g after the filter and grounds were pulled. Bit bland, not getting much of the sweetness or sharpness. Might loosen the grind slightly and try it out.


----------



## Geordie Boy

My 2nd one came in a different box with a slider lid and a rope handle


----------



## fatboyslim

jeebsy said:


> Went with 1.6 i think (dial flew off halfway through grinding), 12g coffee (Smokey Barn's Kenyan Ndimaini), 220ml water, pulse pouring about 50g at a time took 3m45s and left me with 175g after the filter and grounds were pulled. Bit bland, not getting much of the sweetness or sharpness. Might loosen the grind slightly and try it out.


I think a few people have noticed brews getting a bit tastier after you grind plenty o' beans through it. If you have any older beans try grinding some at espresso size then make another brew.


----------



## Neill

jeebsy said:


> Went with 1.6 i think (dial flew off halfway through grinding), 12g coffee (Smokey Barn's Kenyan Ndimaini), 220ml water, pulse pouring about 50g at a time took 3m45s and left me with 175g after the filter and grounds were pulled. Bit bland, not getting much of the sweetness or sharpness. Might loosen the grind slightly and try it out.


Aye, I was using 1.9 for the Kalita with pulsed pours.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Neill said:


> Here's my tip for filling. I weigh my beans in the catch cup then put one hand around the top of the grinder to form a funnel then tip with the other hand. No problems.
> 
> I saw someone on hb had made a small funnel device that doubled up as a stand for the grinder. Peter showed some interest in creating something similar.


Those single dosing tins that Callum got on the group buy are a perfect fit as well for dosing. With a little care all the beans go straight in


----------



## Charliej

While I had the demo unit I used a similar method to neil to load the beans, I weighed the beans out into one of the small none stick sainsburys pudding basins I use for weighing ground coffee out from the Mythos when dialling in and did the same thing with my hand around the grinder to load the beans it worked a treat. I'm really missing the Hausgrind, as although my Zassenhaus will deliver almost the same grind quality there is no point of reference so swapping between the Kalita and V60 will be a pain unless I use the Porlex for V60 and grind a bit on the finer side, but not looking forward to grinding 30g for the V60 02 on a Porlex.


----------



## andyt23

If you have an Aeropress, you already have a hausgrind funnel too, with a little adjustment.

Stands nicely on the internal metal ring on the top bearing mount.

Still works perfectly for Aeropress as it sits well inside the cylinder, so no holes.


----------



## fluffles

Is anyone yet to notice their "0" starting to shift? Just wondering how long we can expect to wait until the zeros actually line up.


----------



## lookseehear

I've had mine since early Jan and haven't noticed 0 shifting yet so I think its a long term process.


----------



## coffeechops

No, my zero point still as it was when received too.

I am noticing a large amount of static at finer grinds - some at Aeropress grind, much more at espresso grind. Anyone else noticing this?

Adding a few drops of water to the beans (RDT) does help, though I haven't found a convenient way to do that yet - dripping in with fingers doesn't feel repeatable and often leaves the upper chamber with slightly damp, partially-ground beans adhering to the frame just above the burrs...

Colin


----------



## Daren

I've noticed the grind sticking to the bottom cup when on Aeropress setting - I assume this is down to static. Quite annoying having to use a brush each time to minimise retention.

Also found this morning that the inner assembly was rotating inside the the outer casing (does that make sense?) So when I grind the whole burr assembly chassis moves. Is this usual?


----------



## coffeechops

You mean the outer burr, or the carrier for the outer burr? Can't imagine either of those are supposed to move!


----------



## jeebsy

Daren said:


> I've noticed the grind sticking to the bottom cup when on Aeropress setting - I assume this is down to static. Quite annoying having to use a brush each time to minimise retention.


I get some sticking to the bottoms of the burrs but literally two drops of water sorts this out - might help with your issue too?


----------



## coffeechops

It definitely does work for me, but the process off adding the water is a bit clunky - find a tap, scoop up beans, wet fingers, drip two drips into scoop, get scoop contents (now wet) into grinder, dry hands, grind...

Is there a better way of getting the two drops into the beans? Pipette? Spray of some kind? And does your top chamber not get damp (ooh-err) and leave bits of beans stuck in it?


----------



## jeebsy

Have seen pipettes used on here before


----------



## El carajillo

I have a small pump up spray for oil on salads/cooking. It gives a very fine mist spray, plastic internals in a S/S case, possibly suitable??


----------



## andyt23

My zero (total lockdown) is still exactly where it was after 1kg of beans through - at 3.

I found espresso grind at 0.11 (from my zero) and that hasn't shifted either.

I get a lot of retention too - more with fresher beans. To help wear it in, I put a bag of old supermarket beans through that I had lying around from before I saw the light, with no retention at all, so maybe that's a solution...









Otherwise, totally rectified by using a couple of drops of water, administered by dipping my finger in a nearby cup of water. I don't find it too much of a chore.

At the setting above, I am getting a rub on the burrs for about 30 degrees of the rotation, then its clear for the rest of the spin. It's working great though, so it doesn't feel like anything to worry about... unless it is?


----------



## Daren

Tonight my Hausgrind fell apart









https://plus.google.com/115744798661688889110/posts/YixHqyW57aN

Luckily Peter from Knock PM'd me earlier so I'm hopeful he can sort it out for me. I'll keep you posted


----------



## fatboyslim

Oh no! So the mid section wasn't bonded strong enough?


----------



## Daren

Yep - looks that way. I think I've only put about 10 shots though it as well.


----------



## coffeechops

Oh no! Sorry to hear that Daren, hope it gets sorted soon...


----------



## andyt23

Yikes! fingers crossed for a speedy replacement.


----------



## CallumT

Epoxy resin will sort it and some irwin quick grips to keep it all in alignment. Disappointing but I guess the aluminium ones just haven't had the time test yet, hopefully this is a one off case.


----------



## kikapu

Daren said:


> Tonight my Hausgrind fell apart
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://plus.google.com/115744798661688889110/posts/YixHqyW57aN
> 
> Luckily Peter from Knock PM'd me earlier so I'm hopeful he can sort it out for me. I'll keep you posted


Oh no!

Did he message cause he knew this might happen? Or cause you had already messaged him?

I think he needs to slow down his production and stop rushing these things out so fast!







)


----------



## Daren

kikapu said:


> Oh no!
> 
> Did he message cause he knew this might happen? Or cause you had already messaged him?
> 
> I think he needs to slow down his production and stop rushing these things out so fast!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> )


He messaged me because I made a mention in the thread that my Hausgrind had some movement when grinding. He offered some advice on how to tighten up the burr carrier using an allen key. By the time I read his message the whole thing had fallen apart.

As mentioned - it looks like it wasn't bonded together well enough, I think I was just unlucky.

The good news is Peter emailed me this morning (whilst on his holiday) to say he'll get a replacement sent out in the next couple of days. I'll keep you all updated when it arrives, but I'm really pleased with how he's handling this so far.


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Beech/steel combo arrived today. Think the wood/steel looks great. Definitely worth the wait.

View attachment 6306
View attachment 6307


Steel 'cup' is very substantial - weighs a ton. Downside, less attractive for inclusion in cabin luggage. Upside, makes the grinder much more stable stood up.


----------



## Milanski

Looks realy nice!

How long was the wait?


----------



## Milanski

Daren said:


> Tonight my Hausgrind fell apart
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://plus.google.com/115744798661688889110/posts/YixHqyW57aN
> 
> Luckily Peter from Knock PM'd me earlier so I'm hopeful he can sort it out for me. I'll keep you posted


Oh no! That's unlucky... I wonder if he literally knock-ed a handfull out in time for the LCF??


----------



## coffeechap

Daren said:


> He messaged me because I made a mention in the thread that my Hausgrind had some movement when grinding. He offered some advice on how to tighten up the burr carrier using an allen key. By the time I read his message the whole thing had fallen apart.
> 
> As mentioned - it looks like it wasn't bonded together well enough, I think I was just unlucky.
> 
> The good news is Peter emailed me this morning (whilst on his holiday) to say he'll get a replacement sent out in the next couple of days. I'll keep you all updated when it arrives, but I'm really pleased with how he's handling this so far.


Really interesting that he watches the threads here but doesn't respond to emails, and only deals with faulty items!


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Milanski said:


> Looks realy nice!
> 
> How long was the wait?


So long ago, Milan - forgotten. Only joking - was back in February - when Peter opened his website shop for batch 2 orders.


----------



## Milanski

The Systemic Kid said:


> So long ago, Milan - forgotten. Only joking - was back in February - when Peter opened his website shop for batch 2 orders.










ok, so not too painful. Doesn't look like your one is going to fall apart anytime soon!


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Just weighed the beech/steel combo - 1.34kg!! Tumbler weighs 600grms - not to be trifled with!


----------



## Mrboots2u

I'm sure there will be a collective sigh of relief , as people think , my god at least he will shut up now.

Collected from Patrick yesterday ....

View attachment 6312


----------



## Charliej

coffeechap said:


> Really interesting that he watches the threads here but doesn't respond to emails, and only deals with faulty items!


I did drop him an email the other day suggesting he took a look at the recent threads on here so maybe it was due to that?


----------



## Mrboots2u

Bit slower than I'm used too....


----------



## Milanski

Haha, nice!

Maybe this is why the grinders are falling apart though...

At the LCF Peter told me to relax my arms (so hold lower) and most imprtantly hold the grinder on the top half, right under the swivel arm. That way your arms don't get tired and the grinder is less wobbly in your hands. This technique also puts less pressure on the part holding the two sections together.


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Mrboots2u said:


>


Aw - sweet.......


----------



## coffeechops

Love it! 

13 char


----------



## Daren

Milanski said:


> Haha, nice!
> 
> Maybe this is why the grinders are falling apart though...
> 
> At the LCF Peter told me to relax my arms (so hold lower) and most imprtantly hold the grinder on the top half, right under the swivel arm. That way your arms don't get tired and the grinder is less wobbly in your hands. This technique also puts less pressure on the part holding the two sections together.


I had the same lesson from Peter, but also lower it down to your hip as it makes it easier.


----------



## Mrboots2u

Will do !!!! Thanks guys


----------



## Charliej

Just be very careful when grinding at hip level that you don't slip and whack yourself in the nuts, I had a near miss which taught me a lesson lol.


----------



## Neill

Mrboots2u said:


>


Great vid. Love it. How'd the shot taste? Can't wait to give espresso a go.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Daren said:


> I had the same lesson from Peter, but also lower it down to your hip as it makes it easier.


Yep, much easier and better if you just grip the top half. Also, when putting the 2 sections back together, you want to bring them close then wrist action should be a twist so you don't bash the parts together (I.e. bring them together carefully)


----------



## Daren

Geordie Boy said:


> Yep, much easier and better if you just grip the top half. Also, when putting the 2 sections back together, you want to bring them close then wrist action should be a twist so you don't bash the parts together (I.e. bring them together carefully)


It sounds like we need a short instructional video... Any volunteers?


----------



## Mrboots2u

Neill said:


> Great vid. Love it. How'd the shot taste? Can't wait to give espresso a go.


pretty good Neil , it was a medium to darker roast so easier to grind .

gave the grinds a bit of a stir in my little patent pot before Putting into the pf and the extractions are coming out pretty even and central on the naked pf.

Shot was pretty gloppy and balanced , impressed .


----------



## Neill

Daren said:


> It sounds like we need a short instructional video... Any volunteers?


I'm not demonstrating my wrist action online! Besides, I think my technique is poor. I had been holding it around the metal bit, always worry my wedding ring is gonna scratch that beautiful wood.


----------



## Neill

Mrboots2u said:


> pretty good Neil , it was a medium to darker roast so easier to grind .
> 
> gave the grinds a bit of a stir in my little patent pot before Putting into the pf and the extractions are coming out pretty even and central on the naked pf.
> 
> Shot was pretty gloppy and balanced , impressed .


That is impressive. It looks thick in the pic. Could eat that with a spoon!


----------



## Mrboots2u

Neill said:


> That is impressive. It looks thick in the pic. Could eat that with a spoon!


16g in 25 g out in 27 a classic londinium extraction ( espresso was small batch throwback blend )


----------



## Neill

Mrboots2u said:


> 16g in 25 g out in 27 a classic londinium extraction ( espresso was small batch throwback blend )


Where does yours zero out?


----------



## Mrboots2u

Err I'll have a look in the morning . Patrick marked my "zero" on the ring for me before I collected it.

espresso was 0.9 from that zero for me .


----------



## Neill

Mrboots2u said:


> Err I'll have a look in the morning . Patrick marked my "zero" on the ring for me before I collected it.
> 
> espresso was 0.9 from that zero for me .


That was the suggested setting for espresso I think.


----------



## Daren

Daren said:


> Tonight my Hausgrind fell apart
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://plus.google.com/115744798661688889110/posts/YixHqyW57aN
> 
> Luckily Peter from Knock PM'd me earlier so I'm hopeful he can sort it out for me. I'll keep you posted


Just to follow up on this - a couple of days after Peter contacted me a replacement upper section arrived by next day delivery. I'm a happy bunny - top service from Madebyknock, they know how to rectify problems promptly.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Daren said:


> Just to follow up on this - a couple of days after Peter contacted me a replacement upper section arrived by next day delivery. I'm a happy bunny - top service from Madebyknock, they know how to rectify problems promptly.


Just to add that I've had no problems with my Black Metal Hausgrind, so hopefully your problems were just a one off


----------



## Daren

I hope so Geordie, the replacement looks rock solid


----------



## Saftlad

Milanski said:


> Haha, nice!
> 
> Maybe this is why the grinders are falling apart though...
> 
> At the LCF Peter told me to relax my arms (so hold lower) and most imprtantly hold the grinder on the top half, right under the swivel arm. That way your arms don't get tired and the grinder is less wobbly in your hands. This technique also puts less pressure on the part holding the two sections together.


I suspect that if I did that, the cup would fall off and resultant grinds distribute themselves over the floor. The friction between top and bottom halfs isn't great on mine despite trying all the o-rings supplied and their replacements that Peter kindly sent out.


----------



## andyt23

Me dial's fallen off.

And the grinder has developed a click once every revolution. it's not the burrs because i opened it right up and it still does it. not much, but I can't work out what it could be, there doesn't seem to be anything to click...

I have been using a chaffy bean, so I guess a good clean out might be the answer. Is it easy to do ?

If I take the top bits off, would it loosen everything enough to clear it out?


----------



## Geordie Boy

andyt23 said:


> And the grinder has developed a click once every revolution. it's not the burrs because i opened it right up and it still does it. not much, but I can't work out what it could be, there doesn't seem to be anything to click...


Is it the sweeper above the burrs? I feel it in the handle faintly once per revolution but it doesn't hit enough to click


----------



## andyt23

Geordie Boy said:


> Is it the sweeper above the burrs? I feel it in the handle faintly once per revolution but it doesn't hit enough to click


Feels like its in there somewhere, definitely not the top assembly, definitely internal.

I wondered if it was the sweeper catching something but I can't see in there properly. I need to get a stiff paintbrush or something to poke around with and see if it helps


----------



## coffeechops

andyt23 said:


> Is it easy to do ? If I take the top bits off, would it loosen everything enough to clear it out?


Oh dear. Yes, very easy, and once you've taken the top bits off there is nothing holding the lower bits in, so they just slide out with no effort. Definitely worth dropping the lower burr out and trying to clean out to see if it's a jammed-in piece of bean somewhere.

C


----------



## jeebsy

andyt23 said:


> Me dial's fallen off.


My dial came off too.


----------



## Daren

jeebsy said:


> My dial came off too.


Just the sticker thing on top? Can it be stuck back on?


----------



## jeebsy

Yeah but i'm going to wait until i've put a quantity of beans through before sticking it back on.

That 'sticker thing' is enamel made on the thighs of Cuban virgins or something!


----------



## andyt23

jeebsy said:


> My dial came off too.


Figure I may as well leave it off until it's worn in a bit, then stick it back on at zero.


----------



## Daren

jeebsy said:


> That 'sticker thing' is enamel made on the thighs of Cuban virgins or something!


That's doing it for me !


----------



## andyt23

jeebsy said:


> That 'sticker thing' is enamel made on the thighs of Cuban virgins or something!


I shall keep it in a very safe place.


----------



## Coastal coffee

Hi andy

I have a hausgrind ,aeropress and s filter I'm interested in your grind setting and recipe if you could spare the time cheers


----------



## Bob_McBob

Has there been any news about batch 3? All I see on the Facebook page is people complaining about enormous delays with their tamper orders


----------



## Geordie Boy

When I was at the LCF, I'm sure Peter pointed to the boxes to his left and said the Batch 3 parts were mostly there. Have you paid the deposit or full amount, assuming you're in batch 3?


----------



## taxiboy

I'm in batch 3 have heard nothing about deposit or even paying for it yet. Hopefully soon now


----------



## andyt23

Coastal coffee said:


> Hi andy
> 
> I have a hausgrind ,aeropress and s filter I'm interested in your grind setting and recipe if you could spare the time cheers


I'm afraid I'm not going to be much use to you at the minute. My hausgrind is my only espresso capable grinder for now, so as my dial is currently off I'm leaving it set where it is.

I thought I'd put it back on (more firmly) once I've run a good bit more coffee through it, but I'll be experimenting more once I have a setting I can return to for espresso and look forward to using it more widely.

good luck, and if you do experiment do share.


----------



## fluffles

I've been getting strangely inconsistent performance in terms of fines with my batch 2 hausgrind. I've been brewing for Aeropress using the fine metal filter disk. I'm grinding at more or less the same setting and sometimes I'm getting noticeable fines at the bottom of the cup (comparable to my porlex) and other times like today it is squeaky clean. Anyone else noticed this?


----------



## coffeechops

No, just the reverse, the Hausgrind is the most consistent grinder I've used, even with the *possible* issues mine has. Could the handle flex issue I mentioned earlier in this thread (where pressing downwards on the handle against the spring raises and closes the burrs) be affecting you and causing a change in grind?


----------



## jeebsy

Mine does the spring thing - thought that was just a hazard of having a coarse grind though?


----------



## coffeechops

Very probably! Just wondering if grinding and pressing down at the same time might cause the grind to change in an inconsistent fashion per grind.


----------



## jeebsy

My catch cup flew off this morning. The instructions said the wood might take a while to settle it to your particular environment/conditions so might have expanded slightly. Need to try the larger O ring w


----------



## Daren

jeebsy said:


> My catch cup flew off this morning. The instructions said the wood might take a while to settle it to your particular environment/conditions so might have expanded slightly. Need to try the larger O ring w


Wood expands in the damp*

* Glasgow


----------



## jeebsy

It's all the deep fried pizza I keep in it


----------



## Mrboots2u

Anyone used this for syphon and got a rough number from zero... Total syphon / brew noob so looking for some idea of grind size to start., sugar size .

Bigger . Smaller


----------



## jeebsy

Twelvty

Twelvty chars


----------



## Mrboots2u

jeebsy said:


> Twelvty
> 
> Twelvty chars


Helpful.........

( where are the precious things......)


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Mrboots2u said:


> Anyone used this for syphon and got a rough number from zero... Total syphon / brew noob so looking for some idea of grind size to start., sugar size .
> 
> Bigger . Smaller


Go for fine sand texture as a starter.


----------



## Charliej

My Hausgrind, all black alu with red and black dial







. is now on it's way to me finally. I've really missed the one I had for a while.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Just my observations, but having played with both the Aluminium and Walnut for a few weeks now I'm finding a lot more of the grinds stick to the Aluminium cup than to the Walnut one due to static. With the Walnut one a few taps and the majority come out, with the Aluminium one, the side always seems to have a film of grinds on it which you need to brush out (haven't played with water drops though).

Out of the 2, I prefer the feel of the Walnut in the hand. The Aluminium one just feels more smooth, cold, hard and heavy, whereas the Walnut one gives a bit more of a grip and a nicer, softer, warm feel from the wooden graining. The extra weight of the metal isn't an issue but the Walnut being lighter helps.

If the 2 were side-by-side on the bench and I was to pick-up one to grind with, I'd be picking the Walnut every time. The main advantage of the Aluminium one is that it's much more solid and was exactly what I wanted from it (i.e. something to take away with me where-as the Walnut stays at work) and thus still very happy with both


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Same with the stainless steel cup. On the brighter side, figure the static is retaining a proportion of fines - no bad thing


----------



## Charliej

Geordie Boy said:


> Just my observations, but having played with both the Aluminium and Walnut for a few weeks now I'm finding a lot more of the grinds stick to the Aluminium cup than to the Walnut one due to static. With the Walnut one a few taps and the majority come out, with the Aluminium one, the side always seems to have a film of grinds on it which you need to brush out (haven't played with water drops though).
> 
> Out of the 2, I prefer the feel of the Walnut in the hand. The Aluminium one just feels more smooth, cold, hard and heavy, whereas the Walnut one gives a bit more of a grip and a nicer, softer, warm feel from the wooden graining. The extra weight of the metal isn't an issue but the Walnut being lighter helps.
> 
> If the 2 were side-by-side on the bench and I was to pick-up one to grind with, I'd be picking the Walnut every time. The main advantage of the Aluminium one is that it's much more solid and was exactly what I wanted from it (i.e. something to take away with me where-as the Walnut stays at work) and thus still very happy with both


Beggars can't be choosers about some things lol. Peter offered me the black alu one so I said yes, I have paid for it it's not a cheapie or anything, I figure I'll work something out about the static.


----------



## Geordie Boy

Charliej said:


> Beggars can't be choosers about some things lol. Peter offered me the black alu one so I said yes, I have paid for it it's not a cheapie or anything, I figure I'll work something out about the static.


Be interested in how you compare them having used a wood one for a while. If you have 2 of something it's only natural they'll get compared, and tbh it's only my personal preference that favours the Walnut, the Aluminium one is still excellent


----------



## Daren

I emailed Peter about the static as I also have this problem. An extract from his reply is below:

"Re Static - I give the whole unit a sharp tap on my tamping mat before taking the base off and have not too much / if any* issue.

Two other ways: one use RDT which basically translates as some moisture contact with the beans - the mearest dampness of a hand is enough to do this apparently, rather than "wetting" the beans. I usually warm the cups using a little warm water in them before tipping that out* - I guess if I were to spin the beans in the cup after having done that it would also work.

lastly I found having a bamboo barbecue skewer to hand is really helpful to stir up the grinds of super fresh beans, which just want to cleave to each other not with static but with freshness of their grind - it's this freshness that makes them stick together when you tamp them and means you don't need the "famed" 30lb of pressure etc."


----------



## fatboyslim

I also have static issues but I use a chopstick to scoop grounds from burr area. I've seen how hard Peter taps his hausgrind on a mat and I wouldn't feel comfortable doing similarly.


----------



## jeebsy

Two drops of water totally gets rid of the static on the burrs


----------



## jeebsy

Peter is at the aeropress thing, he reckons three weeks and he'll be through batch 3.


----------



## Charliej

I'm not sure what batch that makes mine from 2.5 maybe lol and I'm thinking the red and black dial will set the all black off nicely, should be with me on Monday morning fingers crossed, I guess I'll be putting my Porlex tall and just maybe my 1947 Zassenhaus up for sale. The Hausgrind will be doing double duty on brewed and "guest" espresso.


----------



## fluffles

Here's a picture of my grind from this morning. I ground 17g coffee for Aeropress, this is around 1.8 on the dial. The pile on the right is what I consider the actual ground coffee. The pile on the left is what gets stuck to the sides of the catch cup and gets released by turning the cup over and giving it a tap. The teaspoon is there to give a sense of scale.

I think you can see that the pile on the left is basically a pile of fines - very powder-like. I weighed it on my precision scales and it kept changing its mind between 0.3g and 0.4g. Does this strike anyone as rather a lot from 17g of beans? (Bearing in mind there is likely to be more of it mixed in with the rest of the grind that was not caught against the catch cup).


----------



## Charliej

Hmm maybe we're all over thinking regarding the static and it's a good way of separating the fines for using for brewed rather than sieving them ?









Parcelfarce still haven't shown up with my Hausgrind yet grrrrrrrrr.


----------



## Daren

Charliej said:


> Parcelfarce still haven't shown up with my Hausgrind yet grrrrrrrrr.


Have you got any tracking details? I think my replacement parts were sent Royal mail?


----------



## Charliej

It's arrived now as sods law would dictate moan about it not arriving and then suddenly it does (well unless you are Bootsy that is







)

KO44 in black alu with red dial:

  SAM_0264 by charliejeal, on Flickr

  SAM_0263 by charliejeal, on Flickr

Kalita here I come!!


----------



## Neill

Charliej said:


> It's arrived now as sods law would dictate moan about it not arriving and then suddenly it does (well unless you are Bootsy that is
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> )
> 
> KO44 in black alu with red dial:
> 
> SAM_0264 by charliejeal, on Flickr
> 
> SAM_0263 by charliejeal, on Flickr
> 
> Kalita here I come!!


Really nice. Like the Leica look to it!


----------



## jbviau

Is there a Knock logo somewhere on the body? Thanks for the pics.


----------



## Geordie Boy

jbviau said:


> Is there a Knock logo somewhere on the body?


Not on the all metal one. It's just smooth black (I'm assuming you mean as per the indented logo on the wood ones)


----------



## jeebsy

It says Knock on the side of the wooden ones


----------



## fluffles

Charliej said:


> Hmm maybe we're all over thinking regarding the static and it's a good way of separating the fines for using for brewed rather than sieving them ?


But doesn't this seem like a lot of fines from a grinder that is meant to be good at not producing them?


----------



## coffeechops

How did you separate them into fines/non-fines - just by static? If so, and from the photos, I'm not sure that all those on the left are 'fine' and all those on the right are 'coarse'. I think you need a sieve to correctly determine the amount of fines.

(Incidentally, I don't think I get anywhere near that much stuck to the cup, depending on bean/humidity)


----------



## Charliej

fluffles said:


> But doesn't this seem like a lot of fines from a grinder that is meant to be good at not producing them?


That comment wasn't meant to be taken seriously, but just in a lighthearted manner.


----------



## fluffles

Charliej said:


> That comment wasn't meant to be taken seriously, but just in a lighthearted manner.


I guess I'm just trying to determine whether my experience is consistent with that of others, or if there may be a problem with my model


----------



## jeebsy

I get hardly anything sticking to the catch cup


----------



## Geordie Boy

fluffles said:


> I guess I'm just trying to determine whether my experience is consistent with that of others, or if there may be a problem with my model


What model have you got? Is it an all-metal/metal-base or all wood?


----------



## jbviau

Geordie Boy said:


> Not on the all metal one. It's just smooth black (I'm assuming you mean as per the indented logo on the wood ones)


Thanks. Right, my only experience with the hausgrind has been with an all-beech model. Any more pics/thoughts? Hope you're enjoying the grinder.


----------



## fluffles

Geordie Boy said:


> What model have you got? Is it an all-metal/metal-base or all wood?


It's an all-walnut model, batch 2. Perhaps I should get in touch with Peter at Knock


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Tip for easy handle removal.

Once O ring is in place isn't really possible to remove the handle easily without wrecking it. Wanted to be able to remove handle when travelling to avoid damage. Solution - use some dental floss to loop through the O ring before fitting the O ring. So far so good on two trips where I've been able to remove and refit the O ring without any hassle or damage.

View attachment 7036


----------



## fatboyslim

Genius. Buy the man a pint.


----------



## Geordie Boy

fluffles said:


> It's an all-walnut model, batch 2. Perhaps I should get in touch with Peter at Knock


Sorry, I just re-read your original post with the photo. Considering you've got the grinder quite course, the amount of fines sticking to the side of the wood grinder (

Also, you have to remember that the grinder is superb for the price point but it's not perfect (is any grinder though?) so you need to expect a bit of non-unifirmity in the grinds.


----------



## Geordie Boy

jbviau said:


> Thanks. Right, my only experience with the hausgrind has been with an all-beech model. Any more pics/thoughts? Hope you're enjoying the grinder.


Is there anything in particular you'd like to know/photo of? At the end of the day, the grind mechanism and dimensions of the grinder are the same between the metal and the wood, so the quality of the end result is the same, therefore the differences are all about aesthetics (colour, feel, weight) and a few more grinds sticking to the side on the metal than the wood


----------



## jbviau

^^^ Sure, I suppose I'd be most interested in (a) the fit of the catch cup (stability, ease of removal) since that was an issue with some early wood models and (b) how the new shaft design (with finer-pitched threads) is working out for you. Otherwise, pics would just be for "grinder eye candy" purposes. Thanks much!


----------



## Geordie Boy

jbviau said:


> ^^^ Sure, I suppose I'd be most interested in (a) the fit of the catch cup (stability, ease of removal) since that was an issue with some early wood models and (b) how the new shaft design (with finer-pitched threads) is working out for you. Otherwise, pics would just be for "grinder eye candy" purposes. Thanks much!


Hi, find attached a few photos of the Black Aluminium model.

View attachment 7076
View attachment 7077
View attachment 7078
View attachment 7079
View attachment 7080


In terms of the fit of the catch cup, I've not experienced any problems with either the wood or Aluminium models and they stay in place perfectly during grinding (I only hold the top half during grinding so the cup only stays in place with the gasket). If anything, the Aluminium model feels like it takes more force to remove (which may make sense as the inside of the cup is as smooth as anything on the Aluminium model whereas the Walnut naturally isn't perfectly smooth). Of course this difference could also be due to gasket size and any tolerances in the cup diameter.

As for the finer pitched threads, it's really not a problem at all. I never used a batch 1 Hausgrind, however I would expect a user to consider it an improvement as it's going to give better control over getting to a previous grind setting. Yes, I guess the settings go past 0 on the grind (I'm at about 1.4 for a Kalita brew) but at the end of the day it's a reference.


----------



## Charliej

Having used a batch 1 Hausgrind, I'm finding the finer pitched thread a lot better after some initial confusion when I forgot about it and tried using the same settings I used with the demo one, now I'm used to it it's great and offers far more adjustment of grind size.

The only difference between the one I have and the one Geordie has is I have the red enamel "friends and family" dial rather than standard black. I'm glad I bought it as I had really missed having the demo one around.


----------



## Caol ila

My batch 2 walnut/metal hausgrind arrived today can someone please help with assembly, what do I do with the 2 small and 2 large o rings ? (No instructions included) many thanks


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Caol ila said:


> My batch 2 walnut/metal hausgrind arrived today can someone please help with assembly, what do I do with the 2 small and 2 large o rings ? (No instructions included) many thanks


See post 321 above for where the small O ring is located. The small O ring goes over the handle. Once in place, it is nigh on impossible to remove the handle without wrecking the O ring. If you want to be able to regularly remove the handle, insert a loop of dental floss through the O ring. You can then insert the locking nut and tighten. See post 326 above for location of the large O ring - picture lower left.


----------



## Geordie Boy

The 2 larger O-rings are also probably different thickness's. You want the one fitted that fixes the lower cup such that it's not loose (you want to be able to grind only holding the top half without the bottom falling off).


----------



## Bob_McBob

jeebsy said:


> Peter is at the aeropress thing, he reckons three weeks and he'll be through batch 3.


I hope he is getting ready for the big announcement. The latest Facebook wall post is asking if the company is still in business!


----------



## Haji

Does anyone have a solution/technique for the crank arm's movement which causes the inner burr to move up and down?


----------



## jeebsy

Don't apply vertical pressure


----------



## Bob_McBob

jeebsy said:


> Peter is at the aeropress thing, he reckons three weeks and he'll be through batch 3.


And, three weeks later...


----------



## jbviau

Geordie Boy said:


> Hi, find attached a few photos of the Black Aluminium model.
> 
> View attachment 7076
> View attachment 7077
> View attachment 7078
> View attachment 7079
> View attachment 7080
> 
> 
> In terms of the fit of the catch cup, I've not experienced any problems with either the wood or Aluminium models and they stay in place perfectly during grinding (I only hold the top half during grinding so the cup only stays in place with the gasket). If anything, the Aluminium model feels like it takes more force to remove (which may make sense as the inside of the cup is as smooth as anything on the Aluminium model whereas the Walnut naturally isn't perfectly smooth). Of course this difference could also be due to gasket size and any tolerances in the cup diameter.
> 
> As for the finer pitched threads, it's really not a problem at all. I never used a batch 1 Hausgrind, however I would expect a user to consider it an improvement as it's going to give better control over getting to a previous grind setting. Yes, I guess the settings go past 0 on the grind (I'm at about 1.4 for a Kalita brew) but at the end of the day it's a reference.


A belated thanks for the pictures! Still enjoying the aluminum hausgrind, I take it? It's definitely a looker.


----------



## simonm23

Delivery update

Just got my Batch 3 notice

Hope it's worth the wait










simonm


----------



## Mrboots2u

simonm23 said:


> Delivery update
> 
> Just got my Batch 3 notice
> 
> Hope it's worth the wait
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> simonm


Glad its on its way


----------



## The Systemic Kid

simonm23 said:


> Hope it's worth the wait
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> simonm


Definitely, using mine whilst away for pour over and espresso - joy to use. Results are excellent.


----------



## Charliej

Just as a quick check, how are people with the later finer pitched adjuster finding this for setting espresso grind levels and roughly how far out from your zero point? I've only really played with mine for brewed so far as I've had quite a lot of coffee to get through in the Mythos and the Hausgrind adjustment is so much different from the batch 1 demo unit I had for a while.


----------



## Coastal coffee

I'm finding 8 pretty good for my lever. only been experimenting for a week though .

Have you taken taken either grinders apart to clean yet ? I keep thinking about it then chickening out .


----------



## Charliej

Coastal coffee said:


> I'm finding 8 pretty good for my lever. only been experimenting for a week though .
> 
> Have you taken taken either grinders apart to clean yet ? I keep thinking about it then chickening out .


I've both of them in pieces all the way down to having the outer burr out (with Peter's blessing I must add) on both the demo unit I had and my own all black one, I am an inveterate tinkerer with far too much time on my hands though.

All that said it's really really easy to drop everything bar the outer burr out and then either brush, hoover (a micro tools kit from fleabay is ideal for this as it turns your normal hoover into one suitable for delicate cleaning work) or use an "air duster" to blow the debris out. All you do is remove the O ring above the knob and then remove the handle and rotate the screw so that the inner burr just drops into your hand or onto a suitably soft surface.


----------



## andyt23

This morning when grinding out a couple of shots, my index finger strayed a little too close to the base of the wooden grinding knob (where I find it is actually most comfortable to hold) and the top edge of the steel grinding arm sliced half of my fingernail off!

It isn't a razor sharp edge or anything, but it doesn't need to be if its rotating steel vs finger nail.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem, if I should mention it to Peter via Facebook message or something, suggesting either a taller knob that lifts the fingers further from the rotating arm, or maybe that the arm moves from a flat profile (which I guess it needs to be at the grinder end) to a more rounded profile at the knob end so there's no guillotine action as the arm passes the knob/fingers every revolution.

I'm going to try a couple of things myself:

Switching the stock knob out for a longer tamper handle

Adding a flat disc between the knob and the rotating arm to act as a guard for the fingers, probably just needs to give 10mm of protection all round.

The latter won't be the most attractive option, but I'll make it as small as possible


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Ouch - sounds painful. I hold the grinder body against my hip at approx 45 degrees to get decent purchase - making sure I'm not standing anywhere near the window in case my action(s) get misconstrued Grip the Hausgrind around half way up - making sure I keep well away from the rotating arm. Find grinding!!?? in this way is damn near effortless.


----------



## Charliej

I've not had any problems like that with mine, have you got the batch one version with the lower knob on the handle? I'me finding it no hassle to use just holding on to the upper half of the grinder body at around sternum height and just rotating the handle like, I haven't found the need to brace it against my hip yet, but may give that a go.


----------



## andyt23

Charliej said:


> I've not had any problems like that with mine, have you got the batch one version with the lower knob on the handle? I'me finding it no hassle to use just holding on to the upper half of the grinder body at around sternum height and just rotating the handle like, I haven't found the need to brace it against my hip yet, but may give that a go.


Mine's a batch 2. I've not had any problem before, just a one-off accident, but I'm keen not to do it again!

It sounds like I hold it the same way you do Charlie and I've had no bother, it grinds very easily - not sure about bracing, I've tried it but I'm aware that the cup could flick off if I get it wrong and it feels a bit risky.


----------



## Charliej

I hold it above the cup so no danger of it being dislodged by my hand.


----------



## peacecup

I noticed early on with my first-edition hausgrind that the edges of the metal arm were not polished silky-smooth (i.e., they are a little sharp!). I think I instinctively modified my technique to avoid the nail-cutting experience, but the thing to do would be to take some emery cloth and wet-sand down those edges. Been meaning to do that myself, so maybe this will be the impetus.

Otherwise I must say the hausgrind is treating me (and my espresso) very well. Peter has hit upon a modern classic in every respect. Kudos!

peacecup (my first post here)


----------



## taxiboy

Glad to say lads finally joining you's my Hausgrind arrived today


----------



## Neill

taxiboy said:


> Glad to say lads finally joining you's my Hausgrind arrived today


Excellent. Let us know how you get on.


----------



## simonm23

Mines arrived too.

A very lovely thing.

Looks like numbering has bitten the dust unless I've missed it - where were the early ones inscribed?


----------



## Neill

simonm23 said:


> Mines arrived too.
> 
> A very lovely thing.
> 
> Looks like numbering has bitten the dust unless I've missed it - where were the early ones inscribed?


On the base.

13char


----------



## shaunlawler

Just recieved mine today (walnut).

Fitted the small 'o' ring and it seems to be zeroing in exactly at 0...anyone else finding the same or am I doing this wrong?

Also there is no numbering on the bottom so this must have been stopped - just need to get some beans to test it now and work out the best settings for v60 and aeropress.....any recommendations?

Shaun


----------



## Neill

shaunlawler said:


> Just recieved mine today (walnut).
> 
> Fitted the small 'o' ring and it seems to be zeroing in exactly at 0...anyone else finding the same or am I doing this wrong?
> 
> Also there is no numbering on the bottom so this must have been stopped - just need to get some beans to test it now and work out the best settings for v60 and aeropress.....any recommendations?
> 
> Shaun


Mine zeroes at 4 but it has never really changed from this so maybe they gave up on the offset and went with zero.


----------



## Geordie Boy

For V60 i'm at around 0.8 from zero. However note i think I do have it fine compared to others!

Edit, sorry mean 0.10, I forgot it's a clock scale!


----------



## shaunlawler

Sorry for the ignorance but how would I determine 0.10 on the scale given? Is it to number 10 from 'your zero' I.e. What 10 would be on a clock face?


----------



## Geordie Boy

Yeah that's right. Mine zeros at 0.3 (3 o'clock position) and my V60 setting is at 5 past the next hour (1.1) so 0.10 from zero


----------



## shaunlawler

Used the Hausgrind for the first time today.

Great grinder and very consistent however the only issues is:

1. Bottom falling off when held in mid air - I changed the large o ring but this didn't help it still fell off twice mid grind resulting in grinds all over the floor! Any advice with this would be great!

2. Getting the beans in - it should have come with a funnel really. The cupped hands works in a fashion but is a bit fiddly.

Overall it is very impressive but could do with alight improvement to perfect....


----------



## Neill

shaunlawler said:


> Used the Hausgrind for the first time today.
> 
> Great grinder and very consistent however the only issues is:
> 
> 1. Bottom falling off when held in mid air - I changed the large o ring but this didn't help it still fell off twice mid grind resulting in grinds all over the floor! Any advice with this would be great!
> 
> 2. Getting the beans in - it should have come with a funnel really. The cupped hands works in a fashion but is a bit fiddly.
> 
> Overall it is very impressive but could do with alight improvement to perfect....


Strange about the bottom falling off. I had mine on one size up from the smallest 0 ring for months but it got loose recently so I went one down from the largest and it's so tight now it is difficult to slide it off. I think I posted a pic further back in the thread of my hand cupping technique (one hand) and it's very easy to pour from the catch cup into the top section using this technique.


----------



## jeebsy

Peppercorn funnel works well for filling it


----------



## shaunlawler

Anyone's bottom half flown off mid grind? Maybe mine is a loose fit? Dont know how to prevent it unless I hold it on the bottom while grinding but does not seem very easy......


----------



## Daren

shaunlawler said:


> Anyone's bottom half flown off mid grind? Maybe mine is a loose fit? Dont know how to prevent it unless I hold it on the bottom while grinding but does not seem very easy......


Mine falls off - I find if I grip the grinder in the middle so my hands holds the top and bottom then it stays together


----------



## shaunlawler

The 2 large o rings I was sent are the same thickness so maybe I was not sent the right ones? Are they supposed to be different thicknesses and if so anyone know where I can get one?


----------



## Neill

shaunlawler said:


> The 2 large o rings I was sent are the same thickness so maybe I was not sent the right ones? Are they supposed to be different thicknesses and if so anyone know where I can get one?


I couldn't really tell. I thought one was slight larger than the other. Could be wrong tho.


----------



## shaunlawler

Can you buy bigger rubber o rings?


----------



## shaunlawler

Just an update with this:

I emailed Peter and he is going to send me a black aluminium Base to prevent any loose fitting - great guy and quick response under the circumstances! Will await receipt and share some pics.....


----------



## Daren

I got it helps - I've got the black aluminium base and it still falls off very easily.


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Daren said:


> I got it helps - I've got the black aluminium base and it still falls off very easily.


Got the stainless steel base - was incredibly tight but getting a bit easier to remove after some use.


----------



## Daren

The Systemic Kid said:


> Got the stainless steel base - was incredibly tight but getting a bit easier to remove after some use.


Yep - started off the same. Slightly disappointed how easy it falls off now but I have adjusted my grinding technique to hold the top and bottom together with one hand while cranking with the other.

Lucky I don't have Charlie size hands


----------



## shaunlawler

Well I will see how it is when it arrives - hopefully it will do the job!


----------



## mtcamacho

Hello: I have one of the second batch hausgrinds. I use it mostly for v60 pour overs, and it was a step up for me from a Capresso Infinity burr grinder. That said, I don't have a lot of experience in evaluating grind consistency. It seems a little off to me, i.e. too many small particles. Below are some pictures. I know it may be a little hard to tell, but for those of you who have a hausgrind and are really happy with its consistency, would you say this is normal/the same as your experience, or not?

(I have tried emailing Peter about it, but without response. He did respond regarding some minor pitting on my burrs.)

At 1 turn out from zero:









At 1.5 turns out from zero:









Thanks!


----------



## Neill

It's very difficult to tell much from photos. What setting are you using for v60 and are you happy with the taste?


----------



## Mrboots2u

As Neil says You can't tell from that if your burrs are acting in " normal way or not " .

Are you happy with the taste of the drinks it it making ?

What is this pitting in the burrs that you and Peter refer to ?

If you spent him a pic of this perhaps that would be a better pic the show on here rather than some ground coffee ..

IF there is pitting in the burrs this would in theory effect grind consistency and taste ...


----------



## The Systemic Kid

mtcamacho said:


> Hello: I have one of the second batch hausgrinds. I use it mostly for v60 pour overs, and it was a step up for me from a Capresso Infinity burr grinder. That said, I don't have a lot of experience in evaluating grind consistency. It seems a little off to me, i.e. too many small particles. Below are some pictures. I know it may be a little hard to tell, but for those of you who have a hausgrind and are really happy with its consistency, would you say this is normal/the same as your experience, or not? !


Have a look at some V60 clips on Youtube and Vimeo. Using around 24grms of coffee to between 350-400grms of water should run through in around 3 minutes. If it goes longer and tastes over-extracted, coarsen up your grind. Hausgrind produces a very decent grind - particularly for pour over.


----------



## Charliej

It seems like he's complaining about the amount of fines to me, that said from my 1st glance at his photos I didn't think it was coffee he'd been grinding in them as there is a strange almost greenish cast to them.


----------



## froggystyle

The green looks like chaff to me!


----------



## jeebsy

Charliej said:


> It seems like he's complaining about the amount of fines to me, that said from my 1st glance at his photos I didn't think it was coffee he'd been grinding in them as there is a strange almost greenish cast to them.


Arbitrary bits seem slightly out of focus, there might be a daft filter on ( or the op is grinding kryptonite)


----------



## Charliej

Well you would certainly hope he isn't grinding green beans, although I have heard that allegedly some people do grind green stuff though.


----------



## mtcamacho

Thanks for the responses. No kryptonite, and no filter, just an ordinary handheld camera and my less than ordinary camera skills.

Usually I make a large v60 into a carafe and pour it into two mugs for my wife and I. I do 28-29 grams of coffee and 500-510 grams of water at 205 degrees F (96 C). I use a Bonavita electric kettle with temperature setting and gooseneck. In terms of grind size, with the hausgrind, I've been doing 1 full turn from zero + between 6 and 9 o'clock (so 1.5 - 1.75 full turns). 30 second bloom and then 2 minutes total of pour, with about a 30 second drawdown. If I make the grind any finer, the drawndown starts taking much too long.

Do I like the result? Yes, I like it, but I'm not sure it's that great. It seems to me a little bitter. I guess I thought graduating to the hausgrind would make a bigger difference in the final cup than it has. It looks to me like there are a lot of fines/small particles, in addition to the otherwise consistent grounds. It's hard to tell from a picture, of course.

The problem is that I don't know if I'm off base on my expectations, either or both in terms of grind consistency or taste, because this is the best grinder I've had to date. (Also, just to note in regard to taste, perhaps my coffee/water ratio seems rather weak, but I've tried the standard v60 recipe and its always much too strong for me.)

With regard to pitting, Peter was responsive when I first learned about the problem, and suggested I run some dry rice through and then a lot of coffee to "season" the burrs. After having the grinder for five months, it hasn't spread, and I'm fairly satisfied that its just a cosmetic issue. Here's a couple pics of what the burrs look like now:


----------



## Mrboots2u

OK where are you based BTW


----------



## The Systemic Kid

What coffee are you using and what level of roast?


----------



## The Systemic Kid

mtcamacho said:


> The problem is that I don't know if I'm off base on my expectations, either or both in terms of grind consistency or taste, because this is the best grinder I've had to date. (Also, just to note in regard to taste, perhaps my coffee/water ratio seems rather weak, but I've tried the standard v60 recipe and its always much too strong for me.) ]


Brew ratio of 1:17 is a good place to start - you are 2-3grms under that. Might be an idea to up the dose a little and see what that does for taste and adjust the grind if total time for extraction gets outside recommended time parameter. Access to a refractometer would answer the question on extraction strength - as Boots asks, where are you based?


----------



## mtcamacho

I live in Washington, D.C.

I don't remember what the coffee I had was when I took the pictures. Right now I'm drinking Counter Culture Concepcion Huista. This is a good example: I don't think the coffee is bad, but I can't taste anything like "caramel" or "plum." I can tell the difference between more fruity coffees, more floral coffees, and more chocolate and nutty coffees, and I prefer the latter. But it doesn't seem to me that my current setup is really bringing out the flavors that are supposed to be there.


----------



## MWJB

mtcamacho said:


> If I make the grind any finer, the drawndown starts taking much too long.
> 
> The problem is that I don't know if I'm off base on my expectations, either or both in terms of grind consistency or taste, because this is the best grinder I've had to date. (Also, just to note in regard to taste, perhaps my coffee/water ratio seems rather weak, but I've tried the standard v60 recipe and its always much too strong for me.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You say the draw down takes too long if you grind finer, too long for what? Going over 3min in itself doesn't mean disaster. Is the bitterness pithy/roasty/carbony/smoky?
> 
> V60 doesn't really have a standard ratio, well other than that in the enclosed instructions that everyone ignores. Your ratios are at the lower end of ball-park, but broadly within SCAA/SCAE guidelines.
> 
> Try doing everything the same, after blooming break the pour into 2 equal stages...is that better or worse?
> 
> I would imagine that there would be quite a difference in particle distribution between 1 turn & 1.75 turns out, I'd be inclined to err towards the finer end with your pour style. What do Knock recommend for typical drip settings?
Click to expand...


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Just checked the bean reference - Guatemalan Huehuetenango? Checking my notes, (sad, I know but I keep records of all beans and tasting notes) - had some in February - mild acidity with velvety malty chocolate. To get the best out of the bean I check virtually all my pour overs with a refractometer and find that the beans' flavour profile is best around 19% or very slightly under. Above that figure, subtle flavour profile notes disappears alarmingly quickly within the body/mouthfeel. So, I am wondering if your brews are around 20% or even higher.

Without access to a refractometer, make a brew and divide measured amounts into each cups. Add 5% warm water to the total weight of one and 10% to the other. Then taste test each beginning with the more diluted one first and see if the flavour profile is more accessible.


----------



## MWJB

The Systemic Kid said:


> sad, I know but I keep records of all beans and tasting notes).


Sad? Normal I say...

Joking apart, it can be a useful way to back-track & find a sweet spot when things go awry.


----------



## mtcamacho

Thanks for the suggestion, The Systemic Kid. When you say make a brew and then divide it, do you mean at the 1:17 ratio you suggested above? Also, not sure if you have a hausgrind or not, but if you do, how many turns out would you recommend for the right grind size?


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Have a Hausgrind and use it for Chemex and V60 when I'm away. Grind is pretty coarse for Chemex as filters are much thicker than V60s. My setting, for Chemex, is one and three quarters from zero. I use a VST refractometer to check extraction yields and fine tune the grind for different beans. Refractometer takes out all the guesswork - if you haven't got access to one, try this.

Use the ratio of 1:17. Rather than just grind a bit coarser - try this experiment. Use 25grms of beans with 425grms of water - should give you approx 360grms of brewed coffee. Decant exactly equal amounts into three cups. Add 5% warm water to one cup and 10% to the second and leave the third as it is. Then taste test the three repeatedly as the brewed coffees cool. The flavour profile changes as coffee cools and is often most pronounced when lukewarm. See if the flavour profile is present and/or more pronounced in any of the three cups. If you find the either of the diluted cups taste better, your grind is too fine and you're over extracting which is very easy to do. Bringing down the coffee's extraction yield to a level where you can get the flavour profile whilst retaining decent body/mouthfeel often requires fine tuning.

An example from this morning's Chemex brew: I brewed around 450grms. Took 30grms out (6.6%) of the volume and replaced it with warm water. Brought the TDS score down from 1.29% to 1.23% - a drop in extraction yield of 1.0% at 18.88%. Doesn't sound a lot but it unlocked the delicate flavour in the Columbian I'd been struggling to get right.


----------



## The Systemic Kid

jeebsy said:


> If you've over extracted, can you 'fix' it simply by watering down a bit?


Short answer - yes. Sounds too good to be true but works.


----------



## mtcamacho

Ok, I did the test with 0%, 5% and 10% dilution, at the 1/17 ratio. Concepion Huista at 1 and 1/2 turns out from zero on the hausgrind. 3 minutes total brew time with a 40 second drawdown.

My wife and I both thought the 5% tasted best: the 10% we set aside right away after tasting it, and then blind tasted between the 0% and 5%. The 5% was slightly smoother, more enjoyable, and I guess I would say a little less sharp.

So, I should try the same ratio with a slightly coarser grind?

Also, just to throw a curve-ball into the mix, we both enjoy coffee best with milk. I know, it can mask the flavors, etc. but I like the mouthfeel more, plus like I said I tend away from the fruity and floral coffees and toward the chocolatey and nutty. How should I account for brewing parameters if I know I'll be adding a splash of whole milk in? (Note: for the test above, we drank the coffee black.)


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Excellent! Did the 5% dilution bring out the flavour profile? On the basis of your feedback, coarsen up the grind a bit and see if the taste matches the 5% dilution. You can always fine tune from there by adding small amounts of warm water in the way suggested above.

Adding milk is a whole new ball game - never tried it in pour over. My hunch would be a higher extraction ratio would work best with milk but this is only an untested hunch.


----------



## Mrboots2u

jeebsy said:


> If your dial was a clock what time would you be grinding at? I use ek for everything too


OK this is the hausgrind thread.....


----------



## jeebsy

I know, but we started talking about brew ratios and dilution. Split it off if you want


----------



## mtcamacho

Yeah, I'm sorry for getting things off topic talking about brew ratios, etc. But it seems that the general conclusion of the community is that my hausgrind isn't misaligned, i.e., that the amount of fines/small particles it produces is perfectly reasonable? Are there other procedures or pictures I could take to try to verify that? I have a fine mesh kitchen sieve that I could use and weigh what falls through vs. what doesn't, but I don't know exactly how fine it is, so I'm not sure whether that would be helpful or not.


----------



## Plevis

Not sure if it's the right thread, but has anyone had a hausgrind delivered in the last few months?

Any idea on what's happening in portobello? Has Peter moved into the new workshop?


----------



## Aaron

Waiting for delivery in batch 4. No response from Peter for a while though. He implied that grinders are built and ready for despatch about 3 weeks ago.

Others in same situation?


----------



## fluffles

Has anyone taken their hausgrind in hand luggage through airport security? Off to France at the weekend and will not be without good coffee (my experience of French coffee last year... yuck!). Obviously I don't want to risk having it taken off me!


----------



## jeebsy

A couple of folk have without any real issues. Be prepared to explain what it is though


----------



## fatboyslim

fluffles said:


> Has anyone taken their hausgrind in hand luggage through airport security? Off to France at the weekend and will not be without good coffee (my experience of French coffee last year... yuck!). Obviously I don't want to risk having it taken off me!


See my thread here http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?16052-Help!-Taking-Hausgrind-on-a-plane-to-Spain&highlight=hausgrind

I've plenty of experience of taking Hausgrind as hand luggage and at UK side tell the person giving out trays at security that you have a metal coffee grinder, so they can tell the person operating the x-ray machine.

It'll save you so much time. Coming back from France, learn the french for coffee grinder as I've been asked every single time what it is and had to reply in Spanish!

Should be fine though.


----------



## Drewster

moulin à café ?


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Been using my Hausgrind paired with an Areopress whilst away and getting excellent results. That was until the wood barrel parted company with the metal body to which it's attached. Now, when I try to grind the barrel rotates making the process virtually impossible. Anyone else experienced this problem? Until I strip it down, am assuming the glue used to secure the wood barrel has given way.


----------



## Neill

This did happen to someone else, maybe one of the metal ones though.


----------



## Daren

The Systemic Kid said:


> Anyone else experienced this problem?


Yep - I had the same (but with the all metal version).... Details are on this thread somewhere. It eventually separated completely as you'll see in the picture. Peter made contact with me and replaced it.

(I agree about the Aeropress/Hausgrind pairing - knockout combination)


----------



## Aaron

Have been achieving very tasty brews with the Hausgrind and Kalita Wave 155 combo. Grind adjustments [1, 5] and [1,6].

Approx. 12 grams of coffee to 200 ml of water. Total brew times have varied between 2,5 to 3 minutes.


----------



## Daren

The Systemic Kid said:


> Been using my Hausgrind paired with an Areopress whilst away and getting excellent results. That was until the wood barrel parted company with the metal body to which it's attached. Now, when I try to grind the barrel rotates making the process virtually impossible. Anyone else experienced this problem? Until I strip it down, am assuming the glue used to secure the wood barrel has given way.


Did you get this sorted out TSK?


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Taken Peter's offer of an all alu replacement. Just waiting for it to arrive. Really missing it - used it for cupping.


----------



## Neill

The Systemic Kid said:


> Taken Peter's offer of an all alu replacement. Just waiting for it to arrive. Really missing it - used it for cupping.


Glad to hear it's getting sorted. I use mine as my brew grinder. Love using it.


----------



## fatboyslim

Using mine as my owner grinder here in Spain. Making exceptionally good brews with some brilliant low bicarb mineral water.

Perhaps el mejor cafe en todo Madrid?


----------



## Daren

The Systemic Kid said:


> Taken Peter's offer of an all alu replacement. Just waiting for it to arrive. Really missing it - used it for cupping.


Good news


----------



## Charliej

If it takes a long time to get the replacement to you, I can spare you my Hausgrind for a few days Patrick- in exchange for some pourover tips maybe as I seem to have reached a point where I'm convinced I can achieve better results, just not sure how.


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Peter's sorting it but thanks for the offer Charlie. You're welcome to come over for some pour over tips if you like.


----------



## Charliej

The Systemic Kid said:


> Peter's sorting it but thanks for the offer Charlie. You're welcome to come over for some pour over tips if you like.


Thanks Patrick, the folks fly home tomorrow night, going to be an odd day they have to have their rental car back at Manchester airport at 10am, but can't get drop their bags off until 5pm and then fly at 9pm so going to let the dust settle from the last fortnight as I'm shattered, I don't seem to have stopped and had much time to relax other than a couple of hours on Saturday after the Has Bean day out. I'll phone you about arranging something after that.


----------



## Mike mc

Does anyone happen to know the sizes of the o rings.peter mentioned them and talked me through them but forgot to put the bag in the box

Ive emailed him but not holding hope of a reply

Pretty sure they will be standard o rings


----------



## Neill

Mike mc said:


> Does anyone happen to know the sizes of the o rings.peter mentioned them and talked me through them but forgot to put the bag in the box
> 
> Ive emailed him but not holding hope of a reply
> 
> Pretty sure they will be standard o rings


Are you talking about the ones for the catch cup? Are there not a few member there today. Perhaps they could pass on a message?


----------



## Mike mc

Neill said:


> Are you talking about the ones for the catch cup? Are there not a few member there today. Perhaps they could pass on a message?


There were some bigger ones im guessing for the catch cup and then some smaller ones for over the handle assembly


----------



## Neill

Ah, all of them. The small one goes under the adjustment knob and the big ones to keep the catch cup on. He does seem to reply about problems. Others have had replacement grinders due to faults.


----------



## Mike mc

Neill said:


> Ah, all of them. The small one goes under the adjustment knob and the big ones to keep the catch cup on. He does seem to reply about problems. Others have had replacement grinders due to faults.


Ok cheers.emailed him last night so hopefully hear something soon


----------



## Mike mc

Neill said:


> Ah, all of them. The small one goes under the adjustment knob and the big ones to keep the catch cup on. He does seem to reply about problems. Others have had replacement grinders due to faults.


Hi Neill does the smaller o ring go on after the handle then the adjustment dial on top of the o ring ?.Picked up some various size o rings from the builders merchants this morning to see if any will fit


----------



## jeebsy

Mine came with o rings in the box


----------



## Mike mc

jeebsy said:


> Mine came with o rings in the box


Peter forgot to put the bag in the box


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Hausgrind should come with a handle 'o' ring and a spare 'o' ring for the barrel.


----------



## Mike mc

The Systemic Kid said:


> Hausgrind should come with a handle 'o' ring and a spare 'o' ring for the barrel.


Don't suppose you know the size of the handle one?


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Mike mc said:


> Don't suppose you know the size of the handle one?


Handle 'O' ring is 10mm diameter external and 6mm internal.


----------



## Mike mc

The Systemic Kid said:


> Handle 'O' ring is 10mm diameter external and 6mm internal.


Thanks for that will order some online now incase i didn't pick that size up earlier at the merchants


----------



## The Systemic Kid

I've got a couple of packs of assorted 'O' rings and sods law prevails - none are 10mm


----------



## Mike mc

The Systemic Kid said:


> I've got a couple of packs of assorted 'O' rings and sods law prevails - none are 10mm


Lol always the way.i chose some random ones this morning and I can guarantee I won't have the correct size later

Really impressed with the build quality of the grinder thou.cant wait to start using it for brewed


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Which one did you go for?


----------



## Mike mc

The Systemic Kid said:


> Which one did you go for?


Black hausgrind.peter hadnt dispatched mine so let me take one at the show


----------



## The Systemic Kid

The all alu Hausgrind then - also got one - replacement for a beech H that developed a problem - glue failed so wood barrel came away from the burr carrier. Think the alu H has more structural integrity - love it.


----------



## Neill

Mike mc said:


> Hi Neill does the smaller o ring go on after the handle then the adjustment dial on top of the o ring ?.Picked up some various size o rings from the builders merchants this morning to see if any will fit
> 
> Not had a reply from Peter yet and cup Norths facebook page wouldn't ask Peter what size I need to buy


Goes on after the handle. It provides some friction to help reduce the chance of the adjustment knob slipping. It seems to slide inside the knob.


----------



## Mike mc

Neill said:


> Goes on after the handle. It provides some friction to help reduce the chance of the adjustment knob slipping. It seems to slide inside the knob.


Cheers mate


----------



## Mike mc

Just had some o rings delivered today from Peter.looks like he did see the email.good service from Peter and can't wait to start using the hausgrind later


----------



## edpirie

A question to those with the black alu models: do you rest it on something while grinding or hold it in the non-grinding hand? Mine weighs in at a hefty 2.5 lbs which doesn't make for as enjoyable a grinding experience as I was hoping (held), although maybe that is partly the burrs needing breaking in. By comparison, my Rhino is much lighter and slimmer in the hand, but tiring because of the number of revolutions.


----------



## Daren

My one must of come with a can of man-up.... I just hold it in my left hand and grind with my right - no bother, it's quick and easy. You might find some beans easier than others though. Light roasts are harder to grind


----------



## The Systemic Kid

edpirie said:


> A question to those with the black alu models: do you rest it on something while grinding or hold it in the non-grinding hand? Mine weighs in at a hefty 2.5 lbs which doesn't make for as enjoyable a grinding experience as I was hoping (held), although maybe that is partly the burrs needing breaking in. By comparison, my Rhino is much lighter and slimmer in the hand, but tiring because of the number of revolutions.


Peter recommends you hold the grinder away from your body - almost arms length and slightly lower than hip height and at a slight angle. Works


----------



## The Systemic Kid

edpirie said:


> A question to those with the black alu models: do you rest it on something while grinding or hold it in the non-grinding hand? Mine weighs in at a hefty 2.5 lbs which doesn't make for as enjoyable a grinding experience as I was hoping (held), although maybe that is partly the burrs needing breaking in. By comparison, my Rhino is much lighter and slimmer in the hand, but tiring because of the number of revolutions.


Peter recommends you hold the grinder away from your body - almost arms length and slightly lower than hip height and at a slight angle. Works


----------



## Neill

edpirie said:


> A question to those with the black alu models: do you rest it on something while grinding or hold it in the non-grinding hand? Mine weighs in at a hefty 2.5 lbs which doesn't make for as enjoyable a grinding experience as I was hoping (held), although maybe that is partly the burrs needing breaking in. By comparison, my Rhino is much lighter and slimmer in the hand, but tiring because of the number of revolutions.


Mines a wood one so a bit lighter. Still turns much easier than a porlex. Make sure the hand you hold the grinder with is near the top of the grinder. Not on the centre.


----------



## edpirie

Thanks for the recommendations. Systemic's tip has done the trick for holding it with no strain, and seasoning the burrs will no doubt smooth the grinding action over time. Radically different flavours even through a stovetop, much more separation, and the grinds are much fluffier than the Rhino.


----------



## Step21

My wife just bought me a black anodised hausgrind today from Machino Expresso in Edinburgh. It's really an early Xmas present as i thought there'd be none left by then! She insists that i try it out to make sure it's in working order...

So, arm twisted, i opened the box to find that there are no instructions of any kind. There is a wee plastic bag containing 2 identical small rubber rings and one larger one.

I have fitted one of the smaller rings between the handle and the knob as described in above posts.

Sorry to be a bit dense but can someone please clarify for me if the other small ring is supposed to go under the handle or is it a spare? Does the bigger ring go on top of the pull/push fit bottom? Or is this a spare for something else?

Is it good to go once this is done? Perhaps grind some old beans first?


----------



## Neill

Step21 said:


> My wife just bought me a black anodised hausgrind today from Machino Expresso in Edinburgh. It's really an early Xmas present as i thought there'd be none left by then! She insists that i try it out to make sure it's in working order...
> 
> So, arm twisted, i opened the box to find that there are no instructions of any kind. There is a wee plastic bag containing 2 identical small rubber rings and one larger one.
> 
> I have fitted one of the smaller rings between the handle and the knob as described in above posts.
> 
> Sorry to be a bit dense but can someone please clarify for me if the other small ring is supposed to go under the handle or is it a spare? Does the bigger ring go on top of the pull/push fit bottom? Or is this a spare for something else?
> 
> Is it good to go once this is done? Perhaps grind some old beans first?


The other small I ring is a spare. The larger one is to keep the catch cup in place. It maybe a spare if there is already one fitted. If you pull the catch cup off there should be an o ring in a groove around the polished centre section of the grinder. If there's just a groove that's where this should go. The wooden ones came with multiple different sizes as wood cam expand or contract in different temps and it compresses slightly with use. I presume with the alu ones this is less of an issue.


----------



## edpirie

I also had a black alu Hausgrind this week with no instructions. I only needed to fit one small o-ring where you described. The other small one and the large one are both spares.


----------



## Step21

Thanks for the confirmation. There's definitely an o ring embedded in the groove around the centre section, so it's a spare.


----------



## Step21

edpirie said:


> I also had a black alu Hausgrind this week with no instructions. I only needed to fit one small o-ring where you described. The other small one and the large one are both spares.


I wonder why there are no instructions? There are some on the website, though none about the o rings. Wouldn't take much to put something helpful in the box pointing the buyer at least to their website (especially if it's a walk in shop sale). Is this to keep up the mystique that seems to surround made by knock? (that's the impression i get from the threads about them on here). Thank goodness for this forum!


----------



## jeebsy

Peter emailed instructions with the first batches. A print out in the box would bee handy though, agreed


----------



## Step21

There seems to be no process of registering your ownership of the grinder with them. No serial number that i can see.

I attached the handle then put the o ring on and screwed the dial until it's tight (where the zero on the dial aligns with a wee marker on the handle). But the web instructions would indicate that this is the zero (closed burrs) mark and to set the grind from here you turn the dial clockwise to open the burrs - but it seems very tight going clockwise from this position? I think something is not right - don't want to break anything...

Having had a chance to grind some old beans, it is as i thought, hand "tight" zero is closed burrs and turning the dial knob *ANTI *Clockwise (i.e. left) from there coarsens the grind. I now note some posted instructions on p.17 of this thread which are helpful - especially the bit about not overtightening the dial knob past the zero as it can damage the grinder oops... On describing the dial movement it uses the phrase "Winding it out" (whatever that means) and on the website it defo says clockwise. Maybe i'm just dumb or my clock goes the wrong way as no-one else seems to have had a problem with this!

The test grinds look good. My current Hario Skerton aeropress grind looks to be roughly 2.0 on the Hausgrind. The aeropress funnel is now useful again for loading the beans. I think it could do with an anti slip base like the skerton.


----------



## Neill

Step21 said:


> There seems to be no process of registering your ownership of the grinder with them. No serial number that i can see.
> 
> I attached the handle then put the o ring on and screwed the dial until it's tight (where the zero on the dial aligns with a wee marker on the handle). But the web instructions would indicate that this is the zero (closed burrs) mark and to set the grind from here you turn the dial clockwise to open the burrs - but it seems very tight going clockwise from this position? I think something is not right - don't want to break anything...


No, you turn the dial anti clockwise from the zero point. Do not tighten it beyond zero. Lefty loosey and all that


----------



## Neill

There's an extract from the instructions email early in this thread.


----------



## Step21

Thanks, just figured this out.


----------



## mark165

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for a little advise on the Hausgrind, I ordered one from the first online batch - has anyone received theirs yet? Reading the last page or two suggests people have received them. I've had no updates (which I read is quite normal!) since ordering. I tried emailing a couple of times too. I was also on the Batch 5 lists, but I never had any updates about that either. I've been patiently waiting, but after parting the money, it'd be nice to have an indication of delivery times, and if anyone else it still awaiting from the first online order.

Thanks!


----------



## jeebsy

Batch one? As in January or whatever?


----------



## Mrboots2u

That's got to be a record


----------



## mark165

jeebsy said:


> Batch one? As in January or whatever?


Oops, bad choice of wording! I mean the first online shop batch, dispatch week of 20th-24th October. I knew I should have picked one up at the London coffee festival when I had the chance.


----------



## BenW

mark165 said:


> Oops, bad choice of wording! I mean the first online shop batch, dispatch week of 20th-24th October. I knew I should have picked one up at the London coffee festival when I had the chance.


I was part of the first online batch and got mine delivered yesterday - really pleased with it. Hopefully your's has been delivered by now!


----------



## BenW

Mine seems to zero in around 5 on the dial but from 6-9 the burrs seem to catch at a certain point as i'm turning the grinder. Is it possible that the inner or outer burr is not perfectly circular or aligned slightly wrong?

Hopefully the catching of the burrs will diminish as I break the grinder in some more, but it's not really an issue at the moment as 1.4 is about the finest i'm currently going to for my aeropress and I got great results and grind consistency from that this morning.


----------



## The Systemic Kid

Not sure what you mean about zeroing around 5. Tightened mine until burrs were locked and made a mark on handle arm against zero. From there, my range is from 4-5 to one and three quarters rotation from zero for a coarser grind for Chemex.


----------



## BenW

Apologies, description was a bit a vague. I meant that my burrs lock at 5 and from there up until around 9 I'm able to turn the arm but there's a point when turning where my burrs make contact - if that makes sense?


----------



## MWJB

There's usually a range where the burrs will make contact, before the grinder locks up. Some regard the first signs of burr rub as "zero", others work from lock-up with a hand grinder, but these won't be at the same point. What your describing seems reasonably normal.


----------



## BenW

Ah I see, thanks for clearing that up for me! I'll get back to enjoying my hausgrind


----------



## fluffles

I took my walnut hausgrind on holiday to France this year, and the hot weather seemed to cause the wood to expand slightly. This meant that the catch-cup would no longer stay attached when I was grinding. The next o-ring up was too big a jump and I couldn't get the cup over it.

Just in case anyone else has had this problem, I've found that sticking some electrical insulation tape over the smaller o-ring has left me with a perfect fit again. Not ideal but it isn't visible when the grinder is assembled.

I know it's not exactly rocket science but thought I'd post it up here in case anyone else was having similar issues.


----------



## DACS

Hi, English is not my first language, but I hope I'm explaining this issue clear enough to you all. I've been digging through the forum extensively (specifically this thread), but I can't seem to find an answer to the following question. Turning the grind setting dial clockwise makes the inner burr go up, resulting in a finer grind, right? But upon turning it counter-clockwise, noting happens. I expected the inner burr to go down 'automatically', but that's not the case. I have to press the knob down to make the burr go down. And I am under the impression it goes up again during grinding. Is it supposed to work this way, or is there something amiss with my Hausgrind?


----------



## lajos88

Missing spring on the inner shaft?


----------



## Mrboots2u

When you grind on a coarser setting , is the coffee coarser?


----------



## DACS

lajos88 said:


> Missing spring on the inner shaft?


Thanks for thinking along! There is a spring on the shaft, but it seems to do nothing. What is the function of it?

I reckon you own a Hausgrind yourself. Do you need to press the dial knob to make the inner burr go down after choosing a coarser grind setting?


----------



## DACS

Mrboots2u said:


> When you grind on a coarser setting , is the coffee coarser?


Yes initially it is, but the inner burr doesn't stay in place and travels up during grinding, making the grind a bit finer. To prevent this, I need to press the knob down every so many turns.


----------



## lajos88

DACS said:


> Thanks for thinking along! There is a spring on the shaft, but it seems to do nothing. What is the function of it?
> 
> I reckon you own a Hausgrind yourself. Do you need to press the dial knob to make the inner burr go down after choosing a coarser grind setting?


Well, I don't have a Hausgrind, still waiting for a Feldgrind (is on the way to Slovakia







).

Mechanism of a grind setting used by Hausgrind (Feldgrind) is based on following principle:

Spring should push inner burr out, so when you loose the dial knob (counter clock wise) inner burr goes down (is pushed by spring). When you tighten the knob the spring is pressed and burrs are closer, spring keeps a distance between the burrs.

In your case the spring is weak or something blocks the shaft from an up-down movement.

On the other hand Lido grinder uses different approach. Position of the inner burr is fixed and setting is done by moving (rotating) outer burr, to fix setting a counter nut is used. There is no spring at all.


----------



## DACS

lajos88 said:


> Well, I don't have a Hausgrind, still waiting for a Feldgrind (is on the way to Slovakia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ).
> 
> Mechanism of a grind setting used by Hausgrind (Feldgrind) is based on following principle:
> 
> Spring should push inner burr out, so when you loose the dial knob (counter clock wise) inner burr goes down (is pushed by spring). When you tighten the knob the spring is pressed and burrs are closer, spring keeps a distance between the burrs.
> 
> In your case the spring is weak or something blocks the shaft from an up-down movement.
> 
> On the other hand Lido grinder uses different approach. Position of the inner burr is fixed and setting is done by moving (rotating) outer burr, to fix setting a counter nut is used. There is no spring at all.


OK, thanks! I will take a closer look at it tonight.


----------



## lajos88

Well, I was wrong about Lido, outer burr is fixed, inner burr is moved up-down by rotating a dial ring to which is inner burr mounted. Still applies the rest, there is no spring and a counter nut keeps the settings.


----------



## Neill

DACS said:


> Hi, English is not my first language, but I hope I'm explaining this issue clear enough to you all. I've been digging through the forum extensively (specifically this thread), but I can't seem to find an answer to the following question. Turning the grind setting dial clockwise makes the inner burr go up, resulting in a finer grind, right? But upon turning it counter-clockwise, noting happens. I expected the inner burr to go down 'automatically', but that's not the case. I have to press the knob down to make the burr go down. And I am under the impression it goes up again during grinding. Is it supposed to work this way, or is there something amiss with my Hausgrind?


When you apply some downward pressure on he knob does it suddenly spring down? Mine sticks a little sometimes if making larger adjustments but usually releases with very little pressure then you can feel he spring take over. It happens less now it's been used for a while. Also, have you the o ring on the correct side of the handle?


----------



## DACS

Neill said:


> When you apply some downward pressure on he knob does it suddenly spring down? Mine sticks a little sometimes if making larger adjustments but usually releases with very little pressure then you can feel he spring take over. It happens less now it's been used for a while. Also, have you the o ring on the correct side of the handle?


No, it just shoves down when I press on the knob, no sticking or anything. I don't feel the spring taking over. I took a close look at the inside of the grinder, I even took it apart, but I cannot grasp how this spring works. As far as I can see, it isn't touching anything. I don't understand how it is compressed.

I think I placed the O ring at the right position: between the crank and the grind setting knob.


----------



## jeebsy

DACS said:


> No, it just shoves down when I press on the knob, no sticking or anything. I don't feel the spring taking over. I took a close look at the inside of the grinder, I even took it apart, but I cannot grasp how this spring works. As far as I can see, it isn't touching anything. I don't understand how it is compressed.
> 
> I think I placed the O ring at the right position: between the crank and the grind setting knob.


It's been a while since I had a hausgrind so might well be wrong, but I think it goes under - which is what makes it such a pain to get off


----------



## DACS

jeebsy said:


> It's been a while since I had a hausgrind so might well be wrong, but I think it goes under - which is what makes it such a pain to get off


Under the grind setting dial you mean? Because that's where I placed it, following the instructions from madebyknock:



> In the bag of o-rings you will find 2x small rubber o-rings, one for use and one for spare. This is put over the threaded shaft, below the threads and BETWEEN the crank-arm and the dial nut,


----------



## Neill

DACS said:


> Under the grind setting dial you mean? Because that's where I placed it, following the instructions from madebyknock:


It definitely should be under the dial and above the handle.

As for the spring. It should be under the lower brace pushing the lower bearings in to the brace. It pushes the burr down from there. The sweaper arm should be just above the lower brace.


----------



## DACS

Neill said:


> It definitely should be under the dial and above the handle.
> 
> As for the spring. It should be under the lower brace pushing the lower bearings in to the brace. It pushes the burr down from there. The sweaper arm should be just above the lower brace.


This is is what it looks like on the inside. The sweeper is above the brace. But the spring isn't pushing against anything.


----------



## DACS

Here's a video of the problem I described:


----------



## Neill

DACS said:


> This is is what it looks like on the inside. The sweeper is above the brace. But the spring isn't pushing against anything.
> 
> View attachment 10657


I don't see a bearing in that lower brace? Might just be the photo but if there isn't one there, then there should be. It's what the spring pushes against.


----------



## DACS

Neill said:


> I don't see a bearing in that lower brace? Might just be the photo but if there isn't one there, then there should be. It's what the spring pushes against.


That could be the reason. Well, I have to wait until tonight to take look at it. Thanks!


----------



## Neill

DACS said:


> That could be the reason. Well, I have to wait until tonight to take look at it. Thanks!


Yeah, the more I look at it the more I think that's what's wrong. Is the spring sitting against the sweeper arm, looks like it is. You can't even see the spring on mine.


----------



## Neill

DACS said:


> That could be the reason. Well, I have to wait until tonight to take look at it. Thanks!


This is mine. Not a great photo.


----------



## DACS

Neill said:


> Yeah, the more I look at it the more I think that's what's wrong. Is the spring sitting against the sweeper arm, looks like it is. You can't even see the spring on mine.


I found an exploded view of someone else's HG on a different forum, and his shaft has a small ring around it (sorry for ambiguous wording







), just below the sweeper.

(image credit: user 'jbviau' at home-barista.com)


----------



## Neill

DACS said:


> I found an exploded view of someone else's HG on a different forum, and his shaft has a small ring around it (sorry for ambiguous wording
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ), just below the sweeper.
> 
> (image credit: user 'jbviau' at home-barista.com)


Yeah, maybe not a bearing but definitely a metal ring that should be there.


----------



## DACS

Well, I just sent a message to Peter. Hopefully he can sent me a new part soon!


----------



## The Systemic Kid

My original beech Hausgrind developed a fault - wood upper section parted company with the metal burr carrier to which it's glued. After discussion with Peter, decided to go for an all alu replacement.

Where is this going, you may wonder - the following may chime with the problem you are experiencing. When I tried to assemble the replacement Hausgrind using the burr assembly from my old one, it wouldn't work - drove me nuts trying to figure out why. Closer examination revealed that there are two bearings for the burr shaft - one at the top - one at the bottom. They can be easily pushed out of their seating - when you do this, you will see that the strut which retains them, does not run the full length of the barrel diameter - it ends each side of the bearing with a prong which secures it. If your lower bearing looks like this, the bearing is missing. With it in place the strut looks continuous across its diameter with a hole in the middle to accommodate the burr shaft.


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## DACS

The Systemic Kid said:


> My original beech Hausgrind developed a fault - wood upper section parted company with the metal burr carrier to which it's glued. After discussion with Peter, decided to go for an all alu replacement.
> 
> Where is this going, you may wonder - the following may chime with the problem you are experiencing. When I tried to assemble the replacement Hausgrind using the burr assembly from my old one, it wouldn't work - drove me nuts trying to figure out why. Closer examination revealed that there are two bearings for the burr shaft - one at the top - one at the bottom. They can be easily pushed out of their seating - when you do this, you will see that the strut which retains them, does not run the full length of the barrel diameter - it ends each side of the bearing with a prong which secures it. If your lower bearing looks like this, the bearing is missing. With it in place the strut looks continuous across its diameter with a hole in the middle to accommodate the burr shaft.


Hmmmm...I hoped buying a rather expensive hand grinder would prevent this kind of hassle.


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## lajos88

DACS said:


> Hmmmm...I hoped buying a rather expensive hand grinder would prevent this kind of hassle.


It is "one man show" company, so if he forgot to put a bearing there, unfortunately it can happen. Right shouldn't, but every one can do mistake.

Main question now is, if you'll be able to sort it out with Peter soon. This is observed the main problem with MBK - communication, hard to catch him.


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## DACS

That's true of course, but it is quite frustrating having to wait a long time for a grinder that turns out to be defective.

But looking at it from the positive side: the knob on the crank of the HG I received was damaged in quite a bad way. I contacted Peter through Paypal about this and he responded rather promptly and in a very positive manner. Hopefully communication about this problem will be as smooth as well.


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## Steve7

No problems from me. I guess you only hear about the failures and not the satisfied customers.


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## jeebsy

Steve7 said:


> No problems from me. I guess you only hear about the failures and not the satisfied customers.


Not really, people on here are generally quite effusive about the quality of the Hausgrind


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## Neill

Steve7 said:


> No problems from me. I guess you only hear about the failures and not the satisfied customers.


Love my hausgrind. It's my favourite coffee item (appart from the HG one). The grind is great. It's a joy to use!


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## drude

Neill said:


> Love my hausgrind. It's my favourite coffee item (appart from the HG one). The grind is great. It's a joy to use!


Me too, and two. I bought a walnut one s/h here a while ago, and liked it so much I bought a metal one for work when they appeared on the site a while back. Absolutely brilliant grinders - fantastic for pourover.


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## Geordie Boy

drude said:


> Me too, and two


Me too also. Bought a walnut one, liked it so much that I bought an Al one a week or so later. Had no problems with either and owned both now for 9 months


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## The Systemic Kid

DACS said:


> Hmmmm...I hoped buying a rather expensive hand grinder would prevent this kind of hassle.


As with anything, things can go wrong. MbyK are a small business making, in the case of the Hausgrind, a well engineered grinder. As reported here and on other threads, communication can be problematic and delivery times can go out of the window. Annoying - yes - but in the grand scale of things, no big deal.


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## Steve7

What setting are pour over users using?


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## DACS

The Systemic Kid said:


> As with anything, things can go wrong. MbyK are a small business making, in the case of the Hausgrind, a well engineered grinder. As reported here and on other threads, communication can be problematic and delivery times can go out of the window. Annoying - yes - but in the grand scale of things, no big deal.


It does work great indeed, no complaints about that. Finally I own a hand grinder that is capable of grinding fine enough for my Presso. Very happy with that. And I managed to get hold of Peter and he's sending me the missing bearing.

Thanks for your tips concerning fitting the bearing to the burr. Hopefully I'll manage, as I'm all thumbs when it comes to technical stuff.


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## DACS

Are there alu HG owners out there who have their catch cups falling off during grinding? It happens to me and I don't know how to solve this. Could it be that the metal is too smooth for the rubber washer to hold the (fairly heavy) catch up in place? I think I'll try sticking a few pieces of duct tape on the inside of the cup. Or does anyone know a better solution?


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## Steve7

Thicker o ring?


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## DACS

Steve7 said:


> Thicker o ring?


Good one. But where can I get one of these?


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## The Systemic Kid

DACS said:


> Good one. But where can I get one of these?


http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/Products-O-Ring+Seals/c4747_4515/index.html


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## DACS

The Systemic Kid said:


> http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/Products-O-Ring+Seals/c4747_4515/index.html


Thanks a bunch! Duct tape appeared to be too thick, but applying two small pieces of painter tape on two places on the O ring seems to do the trick. But if that turns out not to be a lasting solution, I know where to get a thicker ring.


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## Steve7

Anyone else find their handle knob is so loose it falls off easily?

Mine is always dropping off unless the thing is upright. Held on by friction and not much of it!


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## 4515

Steve7 said:


> Anyone else find their handle knob is so loose it falls off easily?
> 
> Mine is always dropping off unless the thing is upright. Held on by friction and not much of it!


Yes

Mine fell off while I had a broken arm so grinding left handed. Somehow cut the palm of my hand on the end of the bolt and dropped the grinder, denting the wood

I fixed it by wrapping a bit of paper around the outside of the bearings, giving a better interference fit


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## mark165

BenW said:


> I was part of the first online batch and got mine delivered yesterday - really pleased with it. Hopefully your's has been delivered by now!


Yes I got mine a similar time (forgot to report back!).

My experience so far is very positive. A few things I've noticed, to "zero" it, is it best to push up on the burrs and then tighten the knob? Seems like the easiest way to me. And when doing so, I tighten the knob until it makes the handle move, I daren't go any tighter just incase. Is that about right?

I've just ground 45g, a little bit of an effort with the aluminium one due to holding it for so long, but the actual grinding is a pleasure. Once I finished, the bottom fell off... 45g of coffee all over the floor! My bottom bit is quite loose, but I'll try some electrical tape as others have mentioned. This is a little annoying given the cost and quality of the rest of it, but aside from that, it's a brilliant grinder! I've found it more consistent then my Virtuoso and the retention is little to none. Usually my Virtuoso retains about 0.3 - 0.4g.


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## The Systemic Kid

Yep - recommend pushing on the burrs and tightening the knob carefully to establish zero where burrs are beginning to lock and then marking that point on the arm and then backing off before turning the handle to avoid damaging the burrs. My alu lower section fits pretty tight - lucky me - but another forum member has reported same experience you're having - fitting a larger 'o' ring would seem the answer.


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## Step21

Two questions:

1. Is there a cleaning/maintainence regime we should carry out to keep the grinder in good order? If so, how do you do it?

2. Muppetry - has anyone else ground 1 full turn too fine or coarse than they expected? Just did it myself yesterday for the 1st time. Idiot! I change the grind settings quite a lot so i'm going to get in the habit of resetting to zero each time i use it and then dialling in.


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## IggyK

Will this cause any problems for the steel burrs over time?



coffeechops said:


> No, my zero point still as it was when received too.
> 
> I am noticing a large amount of static at finer grinds - some at Aeropress grind, much more at espresso grind. Anyone else noticing this?
> 
> Adding a few drops of water to the beans (RDT) does help, though I haven't found a convenient way to do that yet - dripping in with fingers doesn't feel repeatable and often leaves the upper chamber with slightly damp, partially-ground beans adhering to the frame just above the burrs...
> 
> Colin


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## IggyK

jeebsy said:


> I get hardly anything sticking to the catch cup


I do but it's a non-issue as I don't grind into the catch cup anymore rather a soup bowl. I like to inspect my grinds lol

Anybody else not use the catch cup?


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## halo

I know this is an old thread, I've received mine today from a forum member here today.

My hausgrind has no O rings, can you still use it without the O rings?

Also when you set grind size, do you go clockwise from full lock?


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