# Sage Oracle - Newbie Help



## sweeny1975 (Feb 9, 2021)

Hi, I received a Sage the Oracle machine as a gift at Christmas - and I'm struggling to get consistently good coffee from it.

From what I've read, using the double basket, I should be aiming for approx 50ml to 65ml of coffee in 30secs of total extraction time --- and the only variable that I should need to change to get to this, is the grind size.

I'm having two main problems:

1. using the exact same beans, on the same grind - i do not get the same amount of coffee out. Yesterday example at grind 25, 60g of coffee was extracted at the default 30secs, but today (using same beans) I only got 35g.

2. At other times, even when I do get the optimum 50g-65g of coffee, it's very thin an watery.

Again, to be clear I am using the default settings for everything (temp, pre-extraction, etc etc)

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions as to what's going on? I contacted Sage support 4 weeks ago (because the machine was making a horrible noise that has since stopped) and they have offered me a new machine...so maybe the issues I'm having could be related to a mechanical problem ?

Thanks in advance,


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## TobyAnscombe (Sep 28, 2014)

Had mine for 3 years and have never come across this menu so interested to see how to get to it. Deffo not in my manual!

Alternatively you can try the following.

You are using the double basket which is good; you should be getting 22g (ish) of coffee when you grind. You need to measure what is going in to understand what you are getting out. If you don't have some scales then get some scales...

You can adjust the amount of ground coffee out by changing the fan by following






Once you have a consistent amount of coffee being ground then you can try to get the dose right. You are looking for somewhere between 2 or 3:1 as a ratio so 20g coffee in should give 40-60g out. Set the brew to be timed at 30 sec so that you can aim for consistency. Just as a heads-up, you won't get consistency if you repeat shots one after another.. but thats a story for another time...

Once you are broadly in range then its just down to your taste and preference. Stick at it and post back how you get on...


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## TobyAnscombe (Sep 28, 2014)

Ah, mine is setup with a custom drink:

Water=0

Brew=30 Sec

Milk 65C/7


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

Interesting. Sage had some problems on early Oracles in this area and started calibrating them and the problems went. It does need fresh roasted beans though. Forget supermarket etc beans as never intended for an espresso machine. I've no idea what they do to them but even on a DB they are difficult to use.

I'd suggest you go for the new machine option rather than tampering but make sure you are using decent beans what ever you do. Lavazza do produce bean packs intended for use in an espresso machine in hotels etc and they behave entirely differently but work best at commercial ratios which are higher than what is usually used on fresh roasted. Waste some grinds when the setting is changed and if setting coarser go too coarse and then fine. If this isn't done people can tune in and wonder why the next drink differs. It's not a good idea to make large changes in the grinder setting finer but Sage's seem to survive what people do.

Like all Sage grinders seem to run in with use.  I ran mine in messing about on a BE so pass on how long but 1kg through making a difference wouldn't surprise me. The usual result would be grinding a bit finer than when it was new. I'm not a fan of cleaning them even for a different bean as they just take time to settle down again. That shouldn't matter on an Oracle. On bean changes I found any taste of the previous bean had gone after ~20g. I was using 10g doses. It was only really noticeable of the first one using a BE. Using the single on the 58mm baskets may be impossible. It is with the doses I would use.

If brewing using time output will vary. This is why some people weigh the shot as it comes out. While say 5secs change in time doesn't sound much it can be a significant amount of flow in terms of the ratio that come out. Even 2 or 3 can make a difference. People should concentrate on taste changes really. That's what matters. Volume can work well on all Sage machines that have it but there can be situations where it wont be so good. I'd be inclined to say grinding finer and finer and extending time and low ratios.


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2021)

Hi @TobyAnscombe i think I know why the inconsistency. I've struggled w my Oracle from the beginning whereby it would pour an amazing first coffee to then a very average to poor shot straight away. These machines are very compact - they have it all in a small space, so things can get hot near where they shouldn't. The main compromise with this machine for what I've ascertained is that the grinder sits too close from everything else, heating up the beans and creating an environment that unstable for a grinder. As a result, I've always had to 'dial down' my grinder after my first pour to have a similar second pour.

I'd also go on to speculate the precision of the grinder - if it holds in place or "opens up" as it grinds. As well as do other parts of the machine get hotter or colder as it gets used? Perhaps. Overall an incredible machine though


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