# Dialling in mignon



## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

Picked up my Expobar dual leva and mignon today. Thanks to bella barista for a good few hours! Have spent this afternoon dialling in with oldish beans. I got it at a ratio of 17g 32g 25 seconds. It's spending about 10 seconds of this in the preinfuser. It is still a little sour. I am tamping quite hard to try and slow it down. Would it be best to leave it a second or 2 longer therefore a higher output and hopefully capture a little more sweetness? The grind is as fine as it can be at the moment because it is clumping quite a bit and I can't make it any finer because the grinder just stops. I have now switched over to bellas gaslight blend and it is nice but still a little sour. Am I doing things totally wrong?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

How long is the shot with the gas light?


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

Hi with the gaslight it's about 25 seconds to get to 32g. I turn it off after 30g to allow for the bit after.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Is that on the Mignons finest setting?


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

I have tried to make it come out a lot slower just as a test but no matter what I do it doesn't. I can't grind any finer.


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

urbanbumpkin said:


> Is that on the Mignons finest setting?


Yes, any finer and nothing comes out the shoot. It's clumping a lot now too


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

It's been sitting for 30 mins and the brew boiler is sitting at 5 bar, is that ok?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Don't worry Mignons do clump, especially when new.

Without seeing it this is pure guess work ....but I think it might be channelling which is making the shot quicker.

To rule out any issues with the grind/ grinder try this with a chopped up yoghurt pot.






If it's on the finest setting this should choke the machine.

Also take the hopper off the Mignon and smack the top throat of the grinder with your open palm. That should dislodge anything that's stuck.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Tigermad said:


> It's been sitting for 30 mins and the brew boiler is sitting at 5 bar, is that ok?


Not sure what brewtus's should be idling at I'm afraid @jeepsy


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

urbanbumpkin said:


> Don't worry Mignons do clump, especially when new.
> 
> Without seeing it this is pure guess work ....but I think it might be channelling which is making the shot quicker.
> 
> To rule out any issues with the grind/ grinder try this with a chopped up yoghurt pot.


Thanks. Will need to get a pot. Is it OK to slap the top of the grinder with beans still in the neck?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Ah good point.....probably better if there's nothing in there.


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

I have a naked portafilter and 18g vst basket. Shall I try this to spot channelling?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

The pressure gauge on the Brewtus goes up and down while it's idling as the pressure in the thermosyphon changes. Lift the lever a little and it'll 'correct'


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Tigermad said:


> I have a naked portafilter and 18g vst basket. Shall I try this to spot channelling?


Give it a whirl. You'll definitely know if there's any distribution issues.....wear a waterproof.


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

I am just about to give up. Been trying since yesterday. Every shot tastes vile. I just can't do it. My tamping looks good and there is no channeling using the naked head. I normally stick to 18g doses. But no matter if I make it so it runs a little faster or a little slower to get to 32-36g output the shots always taste the same. I thought the taste should change if it is too slow or too fast. I can't tell if it's bitter or sour because it is always the same taste. I have wasted 2 kilos of coffee with not one any good.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Hang in there, it is frustrating.

Have you tried the WDT?


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

Need to get a pot. Will look for one today in supermarket.


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

What I dont understand is I got the output at 36g from 16g at 25 seconds on various beans but the output was still bad. Looked ok but tasted terrible. I thought at this ratio it should be near enough there?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Tigermad said:


> What I dont understand is I got the output at 36g from 16g at 25 seconds on various beans but the output was still bad. Looked ok but tasted terrible. I thought at this ratio it should be near enough there?


I think it could be 1 of 2 things

1) You're on your finest grind setting but you're getting channelling. Water is coming through the puck unevenly much faster in places and where it does this it's bringing through under extracted coffee and this is what's causing the bad taste overall.

2) your grinder is clogged up and it's not letting go fine enough.

My money's on 1 having owned a Mignon.


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

I think I have gotten the best I can with these beans. I have used cheapo Costco beans few weeks old to get a rough idea. Then switched to foundrys rocko mountain. I think I am getting confused with the fruity taste of the rocko thinking it was sour. They were roasted a week ago but prefer the taste of the Costco ones. Is it just that I am not used to so fresh a bean?


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@Tigermad, have you so far, managed to choke your machine yet? In other words, have you managed to grind so fine that no water comes through? One way to dial in the Mignon and get in the espresso range is:

- Shut the hopper and remove the hopper from the machine;

- Unplug from the mains;

- Remove the top plate (three screws);

- Clean all the grinds in the burrs;

- Put the top plate back on;

- UNPLUG FROM THE MAINS;

- with your fingers, spin the burrs;

- Turn the knob clockwise a bit, spin the burrs;

- Keep doing that until they touch and you can't spin them anymore. OK. This is called your ZERO point.

- Turn the knob anti-clockwise for two marked settings. (For instance, if your grinder was on setting 2, turn anti-clockwise until setting 0);

- Make sure the burrs no longer touch;

- Put the hopper back on, turn the grinder back on;

- Put some beans in, grind 5 grams. Throw away;

- In a VST 18g, grind 18 grams of coffee;

- Pull a shot. Adjust the grind accordingly by 1/2 increments;

- Remember that, when adjusting the grinder finer, always do so with the burrs spinning, and grind 3 grams or so to waste to make sure the grinds coming out are in the new setting.

Hope the above helps. I took me no time to dial it in when I first got mine a 3 years ago.  It is a great little machine. I hope you enjoy it.

If the coffee tastes bitter, is your water temperature too hot? If it tastes sour, is the water temperature too cold? Are you allowing time for the machine to heat up?


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

pessutojr said:


> @Tigermad, have you so far, managed to choke your machine yet? In other words, have you managed to grind so fine that no water comes through? One way to dial in the Mignon and get in the espresso range is:
> 
> - Shut the hopper and remove the hopper from the machine;
> 
> ...


Hi. Thanks for the reply. Yes I did similar to this earlier this morning. I found a setting I like but I had to change the beans. I just didn't like the foundry ones. I now use my local roasters beans and actually pulled a shot a while ago I could drink. It was a little more at around 40g output but tasted a lot better than the others. I was using 17g in bottomless filter. The weird thing is it stays in the pre infuser about 10 or so seconds then comes out fairly fast for that last bit, quite a frothy head/crema too so I had to use a bigger cup whilst it settled. There was no spurting in all directions though from the filter so I guess my tamp an distribution was ok. Puck was a little wetter than I would have liked a broke down quite a bit on knocking.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

That's great! Don't worry about if the puck was wet or how it looked. Also, don't worry too much about timing.The best advice I was given is to find a brew ratio that you like. I prefer a traditional "normale" ratio (1:2) but some people would prefer a ristretto or a lungo. It is important that you find what you like the best. I, personally, am not very fond of African coffee. Those are usually roasted very light, and I don't tend to get on with fruity/acidic profiles. Find what works for you, tweak here and there, and, when you had enough, move on to a different blend. Enjoy!


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Glad you're getting shots that you like.

If you want any more assistance try posting a video clip of the shot if you think it's not quite right.


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

Thanks everyone. Next thing to work out is why the sky box on the bedroom keeps cutting out when I use the grinder in the kitchen. Dodgy electrics :-( the electrician must have used a spur from the bedroom sockets when installing our extra kitchen socket years ago.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Tigermad said:


> Dodgy electrics :-( the electrician must have used a spur from the bedroom sockets when installing our extra kitchen socket years ago.


Did you try to plug a kettle in that socket (instead of the grinder) and see what happens?


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Could be interference from the grinder / electric motor ?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Have you actually ever had an espresso they you like on a cafe for instance .


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

Mrboots2u said:


> Have you actually ever had an espresso they you like on a cafe for instance .


Yes, cafe Nero does some nice ones.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Tigermad said:


> Yes, cafe Nero does some nice ones.


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

Mrboots2u said:


>


So do you never drink coffee out now?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Try a good Independent cafe if there's one near you. You'll get something completely different compared to one of the major high street chains. Where abouts in the country are you?


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

urbanbumpkin said:


> Try a good Independent cafe if there's one near you. You'll get something completely different compared to one of the major high street chains. Where abouts in the country are you?


Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Tigermad said:


> Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire.


I don't know that neck of the woods unfortunately. Any forum members recommend a good cafe in the Leighton Buzzard area?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Tigermad said:


> So do you never drink coffee out now?


Personal choice . Not a Nero etc . Just too watery and or bitter for me even in bucket o milk.


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## Tigermad (Sep 7, 2015)

Mrboots2u said:


> Personal choice . Not a Nero etc . Just too watery and or bitter for me even in bucket o milk.


No probs.  I will have to find a proper local place to compare.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Looks like @Tigermad likes beans roasted very dark (maybe that's why they are called Nero - "black" in Italian).  Honestly though, once you find you favourite bean from a coffee roaster that you like and learn how to get to the sweet spot, you won't want to go back to the high street coffee shop chains ever again! It doesn't happen overnight, but no doubt you will get there. Enjoy!


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