# First Impressions of Dosing From a Hopper Over Single dosing.



## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Here's my predicament.

From years of single dosing, I've tried grinding with a tube and a weight on top.

The logic being its a more consistent grind through the entire dose. Single dosing has inconsistency with the first and the last part of the dose.

The improvement is quite significant. I'm grinding coarser on the Mazzer, however I'm wasting loads more as I need to:-

A) Purge at the beginning of each shot to get rid of the stale grinds, waste.

B) Have the motor running whist adjusting Grind.

C) Guess amount grinding, take the desired dose the discard the rest.

Once it's dialled in it pretty much eliminates the issues with B. In theory C isn't an issue if I get something like an auber timer.

However I'll still get waste. So it's a case of:-

A) Being able to live with the bean wastage, fit an Auber.

B) Get an OD Grinder (will still have to purge I guess)

C) Get a grinder that I can single dose, that's more suited to single dosing e.g. EK43

D) Go back to single dosing and just live with it.

E) Resort to dark magic!!

Dam you for this Gary!


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

would adding a lens hood with lid on top of the glass tube help so you can "puff" and purge the grind chamber - I expect the ek43 or a mythos is the answer ;-)


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

jimbojohn55 said:


> would adding a lens hood with lid on top of the glass tube help so you can "puff" and purge the grind chamber - I expect the ek43 or a mythos is the answer ;-)


It might to a degree, not sure if the force of air would get through the bean stack.

I'd be a bit scared I might just end up smashing the glass and impale my palm on the broken shards.


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

the air force does get through the stack, but it sometimes doesn't budge the grind in the chamber exit chute.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I might try and find a makeshift plunger the same internal diameter as the tube.


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## "coffee 4/1" (Sep 1, 2014)

If possible what you need is a volumatic-coffee-bean-doser as used on ek43, must be some modders on here to make one for major, made myself one for my quick mill omre ek43 ish,

with motor running pull in 16gm beans with 16gm 0.5gm -/+ out,possible my post is of no use whatsoever.


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

So would part of a solution be to reduce the diameter of the feed chute so that if the ek43 "pre breaker" could be fitted on the central spindle, it could then break up the beans prior to grinding as part of the bean feed process?

thinking about this overnight -the tolerances and speed of the grinder, components would need to match the EK43 almost exactly.


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

I'm sure I've seen a mod somewhere in which the owner attached a computer cooling fan to the top of the bean intake to keep a continuous thrust of air through the burrs. It was a bit of a 'Jeremy Clarkson' but has potential.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

jimbojohn55 said:


> the air force does get through the stack, but it sometimes doesn't budge the grind in the chamber exit chute.


Cheers Jim


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Can confirm lens hood puffer works like a charm on a Mazzer SJ through a tube of beans.

I purge a very small amount (maybe 1g) each morning. I also have an Auber timer which solves the problem with accurate dosing, it's normally within +/- .3g

I fitted a computer fan to my 'fudge funnel' mod. Created a lovely volcano in the PF but was way too messy to be a serious consideration.


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## timmyjj21 (May 10, 2015)

I think I improved my single dosing by 3D printing a throat insert that removes the ledge for beans to get caught on and allows for a weight to push the beans all the way down, until the weight sits on the upper burr carrier retaining bolt.

I'm very happy with the results, but I have to admit I'm not sure if it is better than the usual methods for single dosing, but it's certainly consistent and very easy.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Is there actually a marked difference between using a hopper and single dosing with a Major?

In my case there's no point as I single dose different beans. I now however have an AeroPress funnel in the throat of mine, with my tamper sat in it. I then measure out a dose of beans, place in the hopper/funnel and switch on the grinder. Lifting the tamper lets the beans fall into the grinder and the tamper stops any bits from flying out. Before I just loaded it up with a dose of beans, closed the trap on the hopper base (I removed the hopper itself, the base trips the safety stop and has a handy sliding shut-off) and switched it on. On 2 occasions it has jammed (i.e. switched on with beans in and not started)


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Rhys said:


> Is there actually a marked difference between using a hopper and single dosing with a Major?


Yes


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Rhys said:


> In my case there's no point /QUOTE]
> 
> if you don't prioritise the best tasting espresso perhaps not


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

garydyke1 said:


> Rhys said:
> 
> 
> > In my case there's no point
> ...


In that case I have to compromise as I generally use 2 different beans consecutively, one decaf for my partner and one of any number of bags I have open for me. If I used a hopper I would only be able to use one bean and stick to it until the hopper was empty.


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## dwalsh1 (Mar 3, 2010)

urbanbumpkin said:


> Here's my predicament.
> 
> From years of single dosing, I've tried grinding with a tube and a weight on top.
> 
> ...


You still deliberating over that Auber timer?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Rhys said:


> Is there actually a marked difference between using a hopper and single dosing with a Major?


There is a big difference in taste, but it's at the price of wastage.

Even with a weight there are inconsistencies with the grind. The first part of the dose is going into the empty burrs, and the last part is popcorning.

I've got back to single dosing as the work flow is easier for me and bean wastage non existent.

If you have an abundance of beans give it a try and see what you think.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

dwalsh1 said:


> You still deliberating over that Auber timer?


Fraid so.....they've gone up in price since Brexit too.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

I haven't tried to single dosing with my grinder, but something similar. My grinder has a chute grid (similar to a Mazzer mini) that can be removed for cleaning / access. Before dosing into the portafilter, I would purge 1g, and then dose into the PF. After that, I would clean the chute of any left over coffee in readiness for the next shot.

What I noticed is that, in that way, there is some static, there is a good crema, the shot blonds very early and the coffee tastes very thin.

I've since resigned to the fact to leave the grinder alone and keep as intended from the factory. I need to purge 6g or so (which ends up in my first double shot in the morning and take in a flask to work, so nothing is wasted). The coffee produced as such is significantly better.

I am yet to find an electric grinder which has super low retention and does not produce any static, and you don't have to get a bank loan to buy it. Maybe the Baratza Sette is the one, but it's still very early days.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

I might have to dig my Isomac out (was using it for brewed) and try to get that grinding fine enough for decaf or dark

roast (which doesn't need to be as fine) and try that. It's an on demand grinder but only has small conical burrs and suffers huge retention problems. Then I can compare it with the Major. Not holding my breath though as there's a massive difference between the two (the Isomac can fit into the Majors hopper..)


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