# Whats going on with my beans?!



## EarwaxUK (Jan 19, 2014)

I've posted this here because I think it's probably related more to beans than anything else.

I've been extracting with the same bag of Hasbean Brazil Carmo Estate Yellow Bourbon Pulped Natural for a couple of weeks now. I'd expected to have to tighten the grind as the beans aged but completely the opposite seems to have happened.

It first happened over the weekend. Ground my beans same as I have for the past 10 days or so and completely choked the machine. I've had to go nearly 20 full 360 degree turns coarser on my MC2 to get decent extractions again. In fact, the machine was still choking off after 14 full turns coarser.

Is this likely to be a humidity or temperature thing with the beans? As mentioned above, I'd expected to have to tighten the grind as the beans aged but it's been really consistent until this!


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## GS11 (Feb 20, 2013)

I used to have this same set-up. Wow 20 turns......Doubt this has to do with the beans.

Have you carried out any other changes during this time i.e changed baskets / tamping method etc?

Anyone been fiddling with your worm drive







?


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## cjonny (Dec 26, 2012)

Do you push down on the top of the hopper when grinding beans? if so this can tighten the burr's together resulting in a very fine grind.


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## kikapu (Nov 18, 2012)

Coarsen the grind as they get older surely.

10 turns seems like too much to be just the beans? ! Most I had to do from memory was 3-5 turns.

You're not dosing more into the basket are you?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

kikapu said:


> Coarsen the grind as they get older surely.
> 
> 10 turns seems like too much to be just the beans? ! Most I had to do from memory was 3-5 turns.
> 
> You're not dosing more into the basket are you?


Beans age = grind finer


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Have you given your grinder a thorough clean?

it sounds like there are some retained grounds in or around the burrs


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## kikapu (Nov 18, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> Beans age = grind finer


Nooooo really where did I get that from then?

Obviously I guess inconsistencies in my routine anr the fact I get through my beans so quick had lead me not to question this misinformation! ! That I probably invented

Going to hide in shame now! !


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## EarwaxUK (Jan 19, 2014)

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you all, thanks for the answers



GS11 said:


> I used to have this same set-up. Wow 20 turns......Doubt this has to do with the beans.
> 
> Have you carried out any other changes during this time i.e changed baskets / tamping method etc?
> 
> ...





Glenn said:


> Have you given your grinder a thorough clean?
> 
> it sounds like there are some retained grounds in or around the burrs





kikapu said:


> Coarsen the grind as they get older surely.
> 
> 10 turns seems like too much to be just the beans? ! Most I had to do from memory was 3-5 turns.
> 
> You're not dosing more into the basket are you?


None of these things have changed. Dose is the same, tamp is the same. The grinder gets a pretty thorough clean every time it gets used so there are no more or less old grinds in there than there were 2 weeks ago.



cjonny said:


> Do you push down on the top of the hopper when grinding beans? if so this can tighten the burr's together resulting in a very fine grind.


I'd been racking my brains for anything that could have changed and this might just be it. I've started weighing the beans as well as the actual dose and, to avoid popcorning, I have put a big bag on top of the beans and given it the occasional prod...

I feel like a right numpty now! I'm not at home tonight but I will test this out tomorrow and see what happens - I bet that's my answer!


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## EarwaxUK (Jan 19, 2014)

Just to update:

All sorted - it was the weighing down of the beans that did it. Stopped doing that and set the grinder back to where it was before and was pretty much straight back to normal.

Ran out of beans though so just dialled in some Rave Italian Job which is fabulous stuff


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## GS11 (Feb 20, 2013)

glad you got things sorted out earwax:good:


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