# Hello! Advice please 😊



## Rocca Coffee (12 mo ago)

Hi. We are have just launched our new mobile coffee business. We are seeing some real inconsistencies with the extraction time of our coffee. From what I understand a double shot of espresso should ideally pour in no less than 20 secs? We are using a Fracino grinder and our coffee machine is a Fracino Classic I believe with 2 group heads ( both machines are quite old) around 12 years !! So we set the grind and then test the extraction time and get it to pour in approx 20 - 25 secs however all of a sudden this can change . With the same batch of ground bean? What factors could be causing this? We just can't seem to keep it consistent. Today it was pouring really quickly with a batch we ground before leaving and on the same setting that we had used when testing.. any advice at all would be welcome 🙏 We are weighing the ground coffee so using approx 20g


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## Coffee by the Casuals (Sep 15, 2020)

Hi there! Welcome...

1. What beans are you using? Lavazza is mentioned on a website with your name. If so, that might lead to issues (although perhaps not consistency).

2. 20 seconds from the moment you start the shot? No - that's too short. 20 sec shots are likely to be poorly extracted.

3. What do you mean by "the same batch of ground bean"? Are you pre-grinding everything so you have a pile of pre-ground coffee ready for service? If so, that will be one big issue. Everything is going stale. You need to grind on demand.

4. What grinder are you using?

5. What is your recipe? 20g in, but how much out? Are you using a 20g basket? What are you aiming for?


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## Happyguy (Dec 29, 2021)

If he grinder is 12 years old then is probably a cunhill if it's fracino. Newer fracino grinders are Compak. If it's a cunhill then it's not very good and this will let you down, also as has just been said, pre grinding your coffee will cause huge inconsistencies as the coffee will be stale and stale coffee pours much quicker.

why not get your coffee from someone like above, it will taste awesome. Also are you are not grinding on demand?


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## Rocca Coffee (12 mo ago)

Thanks both! So we are using Lichfield's medium/strong beans. We are weighing out 20g and trying to pull out 2 oz ? . Yes 20 secs from when we start hit the button 😊. Yes we thought that if we are grinding literally before we go out that would be ok? So would be using within 4 hours and stored in an airtight container? The only reason for this was to save the battery power on the van. We can revisit this though and put the grinder back in the vehicle. Yes I believe it's a 20g basket. The grinder is indeed a Cunill ! We had the grinder in the van too but just can't seem to get a consistent extraction time. Could the grinder be the issue possibly? Can we rectify this with new burrs/blades? We have already realised things like position of the van is obviously going to impact the flow from the group head! 🙈 We need to be level when parked up! Tampering and distribution in the basket I understand plays a part. It may be we just need to keep trying but as I say we can sometimes weight out 20g and it will extract in approx 20 secs ( 2 oz out) but then go again and it is really quick ! Like 10 secs!


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## NewboyUK (Jul 14, 2018)

Happyguy said:


> If he grinder is 12 years old then is probably a cunhill if it's fracino. Newer fracino grinders are Compak. If it's a cunhill then it's not very good and this will let you down, also as has just been said, pre grinding your coffee will cause huge inconsistencies as the coffee will be stale and stale coffee pours much quicker.
> 
> why not get your coffee from someone like above, it will taste awesome. Also are you are not grinding on demand?


 Not strictly true. Fracino still do both


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## NewboyUK (Jul 14, 2018)

Rocca Coffee said:


> Thanks both! So we are using Lichfield's medium/strong beans. We are weighing out 20g and trying to pull out 2 oz ? . Yes 20 secs from when we start hit the button 😊. Yes we thought that if we are grinding literally before we go out that would be ok? So would be using within 4 hours and stored in an airtight container? The only reason for this was to save the battery power on the van. We can revisit this though and put the grinder back in the vehicle. Yes I believe it's a 20g basket. The grinder is indeed a Cunill ! We had the grinder in the van too but just can't seem to get a consistent extraction time. Could the grinder be the issue possibly? Can we rectify this with new burrs/blades? We have already realised things like position of the van is obviously going to impact the flow from the group head! 🙈 We need to be level when parked up! Tampering and distribution in the basket I understand plays a part. It may be we just need to keep trying but as I say we can sometimes weight out 20g and it will extract in approx 20 secs ( 2 oz out) but then go again and it is really quick ! Like 10 secs!


 Lichfield coffee is not great coffee. Id rather drink instant im afraid. Lots of people use it though.

I would go 1 notch finer on the grinder and try a 50ml rather than the 'traditional' 60ml/2oz in around 25s.

I always found it hard to get a 20g dose in the basket with 2 pulls on a Cunhill - especially with that coffee.


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## andy bev (Nov 1, 2014)

I have x2 Fracino model T grinders ( cunill Tauro) in my cafe ok they are not the Rolls Royce of grinders but they are not bad either ( bloody noisy though). The reason why I am using them is I have set up my own cafe and I had a cracking deal on a Bambino 2 with grinder and I bought another one brand new for £120.

I always do 18g in 23-27 sec for 60ml. The older of the 2 grinders was not very good and not knowing the age / use it had I replaced the Burrs for about £20 WOW its a different grinder.

What I am saying is do not discount the grinder just replace the Burrs

Its easy for others to discount kit but when setting up a cafe the expenditure to get off the ground is horrendous


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

NewboyUK said:


> Not strictly true. Fracino still do both


 And macap


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## Rocca Coffee (12 mo ago)

andy bev said:


> I have x2 Fracino model T grinders ( cunill Tauro) in my cafe ok they are not the Rolls Royce of grinders but they are not bad either ( bloody noisy though). The reason why I am using them is I have set up my own cafe and I had a cracking deal on a Bambino 2 with grinder and I bought another one brand new for £120.
> 
> I always do 18g in 23-27 sec for 60ml. The older of the 2 grinders was not very good and not knowing the age / use it had I replaced the Burrs for about £20 WOW its a different grinder.
> 
> ...


 Thanks so much.. think the burrs are definitely next on the list! We are literally starting from scratch so yeah to begin cost is everything but we want to get the best coffee possible with what we can work with. It's a mobile coffee van 😊


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

The model t grinders are not great grinders, have you considered picking up a different used commercial grinder? There are lots of decent cheap grinders out there you just have to look for them.


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## NewboyUK (Jul 14, 2018)

Go MaCap.

I dont think they are bad value if budget is priority


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