# Oracle grinding problems



## Philealing (Sep 18, 2017)

I have only had my Oracle (non Touch) about four months from new.

Last week the tamping seemed to fail resulting in a mound of coffee in the portafilter and the grinder not stopping. I cleaned everything out using brushes, vacuum cleaner etc but now after a short while the grinder makes the high pitch squealing sound, like it does when it has run out of beans (which it hasn't) and nothing appears in the portafilter. When I take the hopper off it looks like ground coffee at the TOP of the grinder directly below where the hopper sits.

I do not seem to be getting any email advice from Sage despite three emails explains the problem. I am currently in France and have asked them for a full international phone number that I can call them to discuss the problem. No reply.

Any suggestions anyone?

Philip


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## GingerBen (Sep 7, 2017)

Could it be blocked with something? That's what it sounds like.


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## Philealing (Sep 18, 2017)

Thank you.

Following your suggestion I have just gone beyond what might be classified as normal domestic maintenance and removed the nut at the top of the grinder along with its burrs. Completely cleaned it out with vacuum and burr brush. It did look a little clogged up inside the small hole where the ground coffee goes.

The grinder now works but, interestingly, using exactly the same coffee beans as normal the flow of coffee was late and very slow. I have always ground at around 12 for the flow to start after seven seconds and the correct amount of coffee to be dispensed. Now I have had to move the grinder up to 35. How odd.

I am pleased to say we are now enjoying a nice cappuccino each ...... with no thanks to Sage Customer Service.


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## GingerBen (Sep 7, 2017)

Hmm I would still try and get hold of them as that's a huge change in grind settings. See what happens over the next couple of days use and it might settle back to near where it was.

As it happens ive just sent mine back as faulty as it kept tamping badly and was hugely inconsistent between shots


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## Philealing (Sep 18, 2017)

Seconds after posting my reply I received feedback from Sage.

They advised I do exactly what I have done BUT they mentioned a delicate felt washer under the grinding wheel below the burrs. I did not see such a washer. I suppose there is a chance that the vacuum might have sucked it up. Whether this would cause the extreme change in grinding settings I don't know. I have asked them.

Thank you again.


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## GingerBen (Sep 7, 2017)

No problem. Hope you get it fixed soon.


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## Philealing (Sep 18, 2017)

Post script ...... just found a felt washer in my vacuum cleaner. It has a nick out of it. Will wash and replace. Will ask Sage for a replacement.


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

You can expect the grinder to need to grind some beans before it settles down after that thorough a clean. They all looks to use the same burrs but so far I haven't seen any sign of a blockage where you mentioned. Always a first time though but I have ground several kg of different beans with them including an extremely oily variety.

John

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## GerryM (Feb 6, 2016)

Philealing said:


> Post script ...... just found a felt washer in my vacuum cleaner. It has a nick out of it. Will wash and replace. Will ask Sage for a replacement.


I wonder if there may have been a metal washer too that has been hoovered up, it may explain the change in settings. I have some vague memory of something similar happening when I took apart a Sage smart grinder pro a year or so ago.

Also wonder if the grinder setting number in the display needs to be the same when you put it back together as when you took it apart, if it's been changed after dismantling could that have shifted the distance between the burrs?

My questions are based on curiosity rather than any specific knowledge, I do own an Oracle and have been surprised at how good the espresso is relative to the built in lower end grinder and the absolute ease of preparation.

So far it's worked flawlessly so I'm not going to dismantle the grinder to see if there's a metal washer.


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## Philealing (Sep 18, 2017)

I suspect John may have a valid point that the grinder may take a while to settle down. This morning I had to go down to 25. Time will tell.

i don't think there would have been a metal washer as it was not mentioned by Sage. The following was their suggestion on how to thoroughly clean it:


Use a hoover to clear out any excess beans after removing the hopper

Remove the upper burr

Unscrew the nut (clockwise) and remove the spring washer, flat washer and lower burr

Use 2 long thin objects to lift out the grinding fan

Lastly, remove the felt washer and check for tears/disintegration (delicate)

Again use the hoover to clear out residual beans/grind

Put everything back in order


They have since sent me the link to order a replacement felt washer. Interestingly it is not mentioned on the Oracle list of spares but it is on the Barrista one. Cost 95p plus £2.50 in postage.


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## Leigh (Jan 14, 2015)

I had a very similar issue with my Sage Oracle! I did exactly the same and removed all parts as said above and found that the felt washer didn't really reseat very well after removal but after a little messing around finally got it back as before, what I did find is that it was fairly critical as to how tight the final bolt was on the top of the conical burr, during the following weeks use I started to realise that the grind settings/results weren't as they were before, I decided to slightly tighten the nut and this significantly improved the grinding and seemed to restore the grinder.


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## Philealing (Sep 18, 2017)

Thanks for that. A useful tip. I will keep an eye on how the grind varies over time and check the nut.

not that clear exactly where the felt washer should sit but will take a look when the new one arrives.


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

As far as I know they don't need shimming any more due to the outer burr adjustment. They have also made changes to the "fan" at some point so they don't wear out. There should be a thin washer under the lock washer.







I managed to drop mine into the machine and managed to get it out via a telescopic wand like thing with a magnet on the end. A left over from when I used do strange things to car engines.

John

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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

I had a problem with a loose nut too. Being too careful when I did it up. As turning the nut will also spin the motor removing the nut needed a jerk to make use of inertia. I re tightened it the same way and it has remained in place since. I am now using a coarser than normal grinder setting but also a bigger filter basket so would expect to really.

My settling down after a complete clean relates to getting a consistent timed or beans weighed in out of them. An Oracle weighs so settling will be a bit different.

I'd guess any grinder could need stripping and thorough cleaning periodically but my approach has been not to clean at all up to when I did it to check that the fan had been updated. If I changed beans I just assumed that the first few shots might taste different. They didn't except when some vanilla flavoured beans some one had bought went in. That took 40g to remove a very slight taste of it. Impressive really as it suggests that the retention that can contaminate is very low.

John

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## GingerBen (Sep 7, 2017)

Out of interest how are oracle owners getting on with lighter roasted beans? Any tamping issues?


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## Brett Raynes (May 28, 2020)

Sage Oracle Grinder

Does anyone have an exploded diagram of the grinder in the Sage Oracle - or a good explanation of how is goes together?

I took it apart to give it a good clean (following issues with blockages) - but I seem to have the central burr plus TWO WASHERS (one split washer, one normal washer).

Does anyone know the order in which these are placed?

Thanks in advance.


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## Adam.f (Apr 9, 2020)

Brett Raynes said:


> Sage Oracle Grinder
> 
> Does anyone have an exploded diagram of the grinder in the Sage Oracle - or a good explanation of how is goes together?
> 
> ...


 At the base it is

felt washer

metal washer

grind fan

lower burr

flat washer

spring washer

nut


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## Brett Raynes (May 28, 2020)

Perfect - thank you!

Actually - I don't seem to have a metal washer for above the felt washer...mmm


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## Paul2604 (Nov 17, 2021)

Brett Raynes said:


> Perfect - thank you!
> 
> Actually - I don't seem to have a metal washer for above the felt washer...mmm


 Im having issue with my grinder. Did you confirm whether there ought to be a washer between the felt washer and the lower burr?? I don't have one but I'm concerned I may have vacuumed it up.


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## Mayt (Nov 23, 2021)

I've just been through this process as my burrs were blunt after a few thousand extractions and no longer producing any grinds. I swapped them with the ones from an old smart grinder, which btw is adjustable AND I've had to use the shim kit.

The grinder in my Oracle has NO washer below the fan, perhaps this is because the underside of the fan is slightly raised compared to the one in the smart grinder.

Matt


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