# Distribution



## jen1979 (Feb 20, 2012)

Hi

As my skills start to refine a little I find myself thinking about distribution tools. Currently I just grind and give a few taps. What do people think about the disc type distribution tools compared to the metal pronged stirrer thingies I have read of people using?

Don't want to be one of those hobbyists that has all the gear, no idea!!


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

You can achieve good distribution taps and all that . Ibshd a distributor at one point . It leaves a pretty surface but unless you get it reasonably level to start with its only impacting on the surface.

Things With prongs are doing somethg different buy mixing the grinds up.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Don't grind into the PF.

Grind into a cup/milk jug, shake & transfer to the PF (after weighing), you still need to tap to level, then use the disc type distributor (more of a grooming tool, than a 'distributor') to get a flat surface. Set the depth to be the same as the metal band on your Sage tamper base. No need to use the tamper.

Prongy tool won't give you a flat bed.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

MWJB said:


> Don't grind into the PF.
> 
> Grind into a cup/milk jug, shake & transfer to the PF (after weighing), you still need to tap to level, then use the disc type distributor (more of a grooming tool, than a 'distributor') to get a flat surface. Set the depth to be the same as the metal band on your Sage tamper base. No need to use the tamper.
> 
> Prongy tool won't give you a flat bed.


Also - make the cup stainless steel - conductive metal helps disperse any remaining static. (a milk jug is already this, obviously)


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

Prongy tools can mess up the grinds by forming rather solid clumps. They can also be used for breaking clumps up but only needed if those are rather solid. Some people make them out of mini whisks so it doesn't cost much to play around with one. Some people have used a cocktail stick. Fashions come and go.

I'm not a fan of using a grooming tool to tamp. Fine in theory as providing the weight of grinds are the same the tamp will be as well. Due to a whoopsie I found out just how hard one can tamp so personally I use it to partially tamp. That helps to keep the real tamper level. I also often use more than one bean and size of basket. Too much fiddling about would be needed to adjust the tamp what ever it happened to be. No way of knowing.

I use a fixed 30sec shot and then weigh what comes out. Best set up so far is having the grinder set up so that it produces a nice neat pile in the middle of the basket. If too high that needs taping down trying to do that the same way every time. Then a distribution tool. A chisel type in my case = 2 slopes. That leaves around 1mm more for the tamper to compress. Then a calibrated tamper. It's a bit undersized so I polish with a bit of pressure with the tamper against the edge of the basket - marginal effect really.

Main gain in consistent output seems to be the distribution tool and keeping grind prep as similar as I could from shot to shot. Not sure about the tamper as had been tamping for some time. I had one kicking around from early on that I intended to turn down from 58mm to 53mm for a Barista Express but never did. Took it apart and put it back together and in finished up at 15kg - a bit more than I had been using but not much.

Some people try to use tamping to control flow. Good luck to them but it's better to use grinder, weight of grinds and if need be time variations and avoid overfilling and too much underfilling.

Problem with this on Sage's smaller machines is the cost of grooming tools and tampers. I honestly don't know if the tamper helped as best part of 12 months tamping before I used it. This link might help if you fancy trying one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Calibrated-Coffee-Tamper-53mm-Espresso/dp/B07H42813Q/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1552908608&sr=8-9&keywords=coffee+53mm

No signs of a grooming tool but could be on ebay. All of the cheap ones on Amazon are 58mm and no signs of 53mm at any cost.







I'm a cheap skate, or more correctly wont pay the way over the top prices some charge for these items.

John

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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

ajohn said:


> I'm not a fan of using a grooming tool to tamp. Fine in theory as providing the weight of grinds are the same the tamp will be as well.
> 
> I use a fixed 30sec shot and then weigh what comes out.
> 
> ...


Grooming tool to tamp works well in both theory & practice, with 10g in the single, 18g in the double. Which one did you try?

Can't set a fixed 30s shot with the DTP, use scales under the cup to achieve desired ratio.

Think I paid about £20-25 for the grooming tool?


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

MWJB said:


> Grooming tool to tamp works well in both theory & practice, with 10g in the single, 18g in the double. Which one did you try?
> 
> Think I paid about £20-25 for the grooming tool?


Sorry not to deflect away from the thread, though maybe it would help Jen as well. Do you know where you got it? I see a motta one but it's a more expensive than that and not that many around from a quick look.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

jlarkin said:


> Sorry not to deflect away from the thread, though maybe it would help Jen as well. Do you know where you got it? I see a motta one but it's a more expensive than that and not that many around from a quick look.


I got it from Amazon, a Scarlett in 53mm, but can't see it advertised at the mo'.


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