Gravity, thanks for the video. My outer burr housing did not want to come off [1:20]. A layer of oil and fine bean dust created a type of tar/cement that made for a very difficult removal. Also, I think that some dust got behind/under one side, preventing an even seating causing the other side tab to catch also hindering removal. This comment is basically for anyone else that runs into this difficulty. It's not you. Next time I won't wait so long between cleanings.
sjs Thanks for commenting. After you see the inside of a grinder, it gives reason to clean more often (takes so little time to separate the burs and give them a good brushing). Same goes for your espresso machine filter holder if it's a two-piece design.
I had the same issue, my top burr was stuck and I thought it was not supposed to come out just by pulling it up. But I slowly levered it up and out and there was a lot of gunk built up on the burr outer diameter. Cleaning it thoroughly allowed the burr to pop in and out easily.
#5 You might want to check to make sure that you are making the adjustments in the proper direction just a last minute thought. Measure the position of the burr b-4 and after the adjustment to make sure that the adjustable burr is moving closer to the fixed burr effectively decreasing the grinding gap.
5. If you don't have a bean full hopper, the grind will be finer, compared to a full hopper (because there's less weight of beans pushing through the burs as you grind). this is why coffee shops overfill there hoppers increasing the gravity feed forces.
It took a bit of digging to find this page for my old mill. The current models on the find my machine do not apply to this and this one is not there. My mill suddenly stopped, fine one day, dead the next, so I had to find how to open the housing, hence the digging. Imagine my surprise when I discovered a micro-switch that prevents it from running if the grind setting is turned too far CCW, On the bright side, my machine is now nice and clean inside and out
#4 If you need a finer grind, there should be a number of ways that you could decrease the gapping between the burrs in your grinder (adjusting the indexing stoppage of the movable burr, shim the burr, etc). The goal is to move the adjustable burr closer, just make sure the that burrs will not make contact. For espresso grinds - If you are looking to increase the timing-pour of an espresso shot, you might try increasing your tamp pressure.
#2 At 37-seconds into the video I show a chart that indicates the burr adjustment range (it illustrates an average of .004 burr movement change between each position). At some point (position 19 on this example sheet) the gapping between the burrs will stop decreasing (turning the dial further will make no change). If your grind does not change when you rotate the dial finer, then I would assume youve hit this limit where the burrs stop moving closer.
Hi GravityRoller, very nice and detailed video, must have taken some time to assemble. I got myself a used Solis Scala brand and have the problem I cant get a good shot so im trying to mod the grinder to grind finer. What I discovered it that allready on the manufacturers setting the burrs allmost tend hit eachother, I can hear this by simply listening having the machine's AC power safely reduced to about 40VAC with a adjustable AC transformator (need to have one of these ofcourse) . So when adjusting the ring even 2 dots beyond OEM finer the burrs seem to touch even more. Conclusion seems to me that the Solis Scala brand already have it set to its finest.
@ R B Hello R B. Thanks for positive comments. Not sure if you actually had question(s), or were making a statement, but will try and reply that may offer assistance. I have a variac (adjustable A/C voltage regulator), but would not use on a tool with reduction gears. I would not suggest running the grinder at low voltages as the grinder uses a reduction gear set (fast spinning motor with little torque is geared down increasing torque to primary bur to be able to grind coffee beans). Possibly when you are reduction the voltage, effectively slowing the motor, you are hearing the gears (gear driven reduction set between motor and primary bur) meshing. I do not know what you mean by "a good shot" (as related to grind particulate sizing). In my mind "good vs bad" coffee grind relates to consistency of grind, and grind size (coarse vs. fine relates to tamp-pressure and timing of shot completion and is balanced accordingly). The goal being to produce consistently ground particulate (ground coffee that is the same grind size across a single grind patch). Followup below. First thought, in my mind, there two significant factors: 1) consistency of grind and 2) particulate size. I would suggest that you pour a couple shots worth of ground beans onto a piece of white paper and inspect for consistency of grind size. All should be relatively same size without any extra-fine or coarse (consistent size is the goal). Then grind test another couple shots worth in a finer setting and look again for consistency of grind sizing. Proceed accordingly (with regard to trouble shooting). Possibly acquire a couple shots of ground coffee from your favorite shop (coffee you wish to replicate). Be sure you understand the tamp pressure and timing of the pulled shot you are attempting to replicate. I think a lot of folks really miss on actually inspecting their ground coffee for grind consistency. I would be surprised to find the burs on your grinder are making contact as you have mentioned. If you think you hear them contacting, when adjusting the a couple clicks closer..., I would expect the burs to effectively lock up). I would recommend you remove the upper conical bur and inspect for abrasion marks on upper and lower burs from assumed contact mentioned). If you have abrasion marks (upper & lower bur contact), I would guess the bur(s) are/is shot (bad & in need of replacement or refinishing). Additionally, I assume you have done a thorough cleaning with upper bur removed ...? Additionally, on mine there is a trap-door at the grind exit (just above the slide out catch bin). If grounds are getting backed up, overly ground beans can result. Hopefully something helpful to you here. Regards,
Thanks alot for your advise and assistence. My comment was more or less a additional comment to your video for other people to notice. Yea I am on my way for some time already troubleshooting my problem. I am just suspecting the grind-fineness of which this Solis machine is capable since this is not a dedicated espresso machine. So this brought me towards your video trying to modify the machine to make a (even) finer grind. Yes I have already done all the things you asked like cleaning with the burr removed. No I have to disagree to your comment that it shouldn't run on reduced ac voltage, i would not know a logical reason this could damage the motor in any way. With this machine it's very very obvious when the burrs are hitting eachother that's why I'm doing it at lower speed so that it will not completely destroy everything. Ofcouse the burrs will hit eachother first slightly before completely jam since the tooth are very small. But I wanted to note that the machine originally at its finest setting is already scary-ingly noisy, I have just set it 1 dot finer as a result on my Solis Scala.
3. I would guess the issue your having (appears to be grinding too fine), would most likely be directly related to the grind output getting slowed down, or stopped up during discharge effectively slowing the bean down as they pass through the burs. 4. Remove the plastic hopper, removed the upper bur (no tools needed), and clean everything including past the flap door of the discharge chute.
@jetman127 Kinda what I assumed (simple cleaning cured). Now that you see how easy it is to remove the adjustable bur; it will be a simple maint. procedure for you to do. FYI, I clean my grinder at least weekly. Near the end of a grind cycle, I ususally lift and tap the grinder on the counter to help dislodge clumping grinds. Dark beans - means more frequesnt cleaning as opposed to lighter roasts because of oils on the the beans. Finer grinding also = more frequency of cleaning. Regards,
No "fuze" inside that I remember. 1. If problem started after decreasing the bur gap (to grind finer you reduced the gap), make sure motorized bur is not contacting fixed bur (this condition may not allow bur to spin, potentially burning out the motor and/or some of the wiring). 2. Check inner switch by bypassing with jumper wire. 3. Check for loose wires at all inner connections. Let me know if I can be of any other help. Good luck & thanks for watching ...
kenw, Thanks for the comments. As you mentioned, there are probably a number of differences with the Maestro that you mentioned owning and the Solis 166 in this video. I am assuming that you are looking to grind finer with your Maestro. Conceptually, you would need to decrease the gapping between the burrs. Hopefully, these following comments may help you.
@NukePilot, PLEASE - anybody who changes the factory indexing of the movable grinder bur, please confirm the burs do not make contact BEFORE you re-assemble your grinder. I thought I covered this in my vid ... If you run the grinder with the burs in contact, the teeth will grind metal to metal contact effectively ruining the burs the first time and forever after. This is BAD!
I'm confused. I've got the whole thing disassembled and don't quite get what I'm supposed to acutally be doing to get the grind smaller. From the vid it seems as I'm supposed to actually cut the white-disk ring to make it rotate more. Correct? Will someone that's done this please explain what I'm supposed to do here.
@GhibliFan1 At 0:18 into video I specifically address your comments, then again at 0:26 I support my position for why I choose not to use your suggestion (pause and read to understand a bit more b4 you comment negatively as you have on my work here). :) Additionally, static charge to the ground coffee and a momentary switch are also part of the mod's to the grinder.
Couple things come to mind: 1. I would not think your would want to attempt to take grinder apart to re-index the bur, because there should be no way that "your wife" could have done anything that would have changed the internal setting (based on your descriptions). 2. Make sure that the clear plastic hopper is installed correctly (only one way for it to go together in my mind, but ...).
I recognize this is an older video, but still applies, yes? I have done the 'other' mod to just move the ring to get the finer grind so watched this as was curious what the difference might be. I recognize the disassembly, great instructions. But after watching several times I still don't understand what you actually DID to change the grind. When you put it together what was different? What am I missing?
hey do you happen to know how to remove / unscrew the reduction gear pack, i need to remove the smaller one, some on the teeth got ripped, this is for the bodum bistro, very similar inner setup. i need to unscrew the bigger one first, but the problem is that i dont have anything to hold the conical burr, or is there a way to do the unscrewing of the knot? thanks
+betterhalfservices I have not had to remove the main conical bur. I would assume it is threaded opposite to the driven rotation of the bur. I would most likely use a rubber strap wrench on the conical bur (only after making sure there are no pins or key/keyways. I would think a sharp wrap on the handle of strap wrench would loosen the bur. First, however I would just try to loosen by hand with a towel wrapped over the conical bur (or whatever you might have on hand that you use to loosen twist-off jar caps (those rubber sheets, rubber strap wrenches, etc.). Hope this is of some help. BTW, have you been able to source replacement parts less expensive than a new unit ...?
Sorry, re-reading what I wrote I should have said "I would assume it is threaded the same direction to the driven motor rotation of the bur". So, if the motor spins clockwise (turning to the right), then they are most likely also threaded clockwise (as the motor turns the threads tighten). The inverse would also be true - if the motor spins anti-clockwise (to the left), then the threads are most likely also anti-clockwise threading.
Re-reading your questions, I am now guessing that when you write "knot" you mean nut (as in nut & bolt - or in this case nut that goes on the threaded driven shaft of the bur * large gear). Put the correct sized box-end-wrench on the nut and give a sharp tap with a hammer (opposite end of wrench) and the sudden shock should easily release the nut, thereby releasing the large gear from the bur shaft thereby giving you access the smaller gear. Just make sure you are turning that nu in the correct direction, and not further tightening it.
Posted by macpaullin Comment on your video: Solis 166 Mod's (aka Starbuck's Barista, Saeco GT-1, Baratza/Solis 166 Hi. Did you see any fuse on the bottom side of this machine? I'm afraid the fuse has been burned since the moter won't driver since the last time.
snowboarder27118, NO, you are not supposed to "cut" anything. If you stop the vid at 2:30 you will see that I have highlighter the indexing pin on the disk RED. What you are doing is rotating the movable bur, effectively closing the gap between the two burs. Closer the burs are together, finer the grind before it falls past the grind-burs. If you watch the video and pause selectively to read everything that I wrote into the video, think everything will be obvious. Make sure burs do not touch!
You say in a comment to snowboarder27118: "NO, you are not supposed to cut anything...", but in the video at 2:45 it says "Removing material from this fine grind limit stop would allow finer grinding..." How does someone "remove material" without cutting? Did you use a file? A knife? Your teeth? You don't actually say. I'm sure this is all very obvious to you since you've done it, but to us just watching the video and reading the notes, it's not clear at all.
+David Billo David, In the video text at 2:45 I am referencing that "Removing material from this fine grind limit stop would allow finer grinding..." ; and then explaining the negative ramifications of this method of modification (in attempt to illustrate why I choose NOT to do what many other videos illustrate). I am NOT doing any “material removal” in the procedure explained here, therefore not going to reply to your multiple sarcastic references in your comment. The text you reference at 2:45 is the same as at the beginning of my video at 0:25, and I am going to try and answer your question from a perspective of watching the video from start. Please read text at 0:20, then at 0:25. Your answer is in the first sentence of the third paragraph “relocating the locator pin”. At 2:09 reference #2 & #4 “locator pins” that will be adjusted. This allows the adjustable bur to drop lower (chart at 0:37) by .011” in my particular grinder. This chart also illustrates the range of adjustment and the effect (measured in thousands of an inch). Please understand these measurements are specific to my grinder. Other grinders (because of manufacturing tolerances) will be different. The goal is to reduce the bur gap on the fine end of the adjustment range making sure that any modification DOES NOT create a scenario whereas the bur could ever contact each other (must be a prohibitive mechanical stop so as not to damage the bur(s) from contact). I understand you may just want a simple answer, like just lift the white disk and turn it 1-2 holes and reassemble (as referenced elsewhere). But, without an understanding of the other dynamics (variables between various units including multiple manufactures who have produced and sold effectively the same grinder) you could cause problems without an understanding of what/why that could damage your grinder. It is my assumption that the tolerances on every unit may be different and may respond to the same change differently. I truly hope this helps your understanding ;-)
+GravityRoller No, in the text at 2:45 you list the *positive* ramifications of removing material from the fine grind limit stop, not negative. This gives the impression that's the method you're going to use. In the third paragraph you say "as opposed to other postings" relocating the locator pin has a number of negative effects. This gives the impression that is the wrong method. Unfortunately for us, that's it...at no point in the rest of the video do you actually state what you actually did to adjust the grind finer. Did you remove material from the limit stop as you say in paragraph 2? Presumably not since you have now explicitly said as much in your reply to me above. Did you relocate the locater pin as you say in paragraph 3 and just live with the negative ramifications? Who knows? You never say. The rest of the video goes on to discuss the ground strap and the momentary pushbutton mods. Now, in your reply to me above, you say "lift the white disk and turn it 1-2 holes". Is that what you did? If that is what you did, then paragraph 3 is very poorly worded. It creates the impression that method is what other posters suggest, and it's the wrong way. Why couldn't you have explicitly said "lift the white disk and turn it 1 hole" if that was in fact what you did? Your measurment table at 0:38 gives the impression that's what you did, i.e. move it one hole, measure. I looks like you ended up going 4 holes past the factory limit before you stopped. I understand about not letting the burrs touch, but again, none of that is mentioned in the video either. It could have been, but it wasn't. The holes are fixed, so the least change you can make is one hole...it makes sense to make a one hole adjustment, then check that the burrs are not touching, move another hole, check again. If they touch, then you have to back off a hole, and that's the finest you can go...(unless you file the limit stop). The answer doesn't have to be simple, but it should be clear what you're telling us to do. Your pictures are fabulous, don't get me wrong...it's the text descriptions that are unclear.
+David Billo Do you have a grinder that you have disassembled and looked at to understand how the various parts interact with each other? (I am guessing not) Sorry this is so confusing for you. I did this modification 7 years ago and I can see looking back how a viewer that has not yet disassembled and inspected one of these units could be confused. RE: your comment “No, in the text at 2:45 you list the positive ramifications of removing material from the fine grind limit stop, not negative. This gives the impression that's the method you're going to use.” I disagree. 1) Allowing the hopper to rotate past the espresso logo mark is NEGATIVE in my mind as there would be no reference indexing for the user, it would be off the scale. 2) Having to taper the limit-stop is NEGATIVE in that additional work that i.m.h.o. is not required to net the result I was after. If your goals are different, then power to you. My goals were to effectively allow the bur gap to be reduced for finer grind, while having the finest grind effectively index with the pointer at the Espresso mark (one position past this is the release for the bean hopper) with zero potential that the burs would ever contact. One could argue that my method of modification reduced the adjustability on the coarse end of the scale. But, I find that even when I am grinding for FrenchPress that I was not, and still do not ever adjust to the coarsest position (this also includes when I grind for cold press coffee) so I am ok with loosing adjustability that I have proven is of no effective use to me. Again I will state in writing “I am NOT doing any “material removal” to the disk, the pins, the stops (NO MATERIAL REMOVAL . ). Sorry if I did not make this clear to you, but short of editing the video illustrations unsure how else to clarify this to you. Additionally, I also believe that I could have inserted a comma and/or worded things better in some of my text in the video captures (so bad on me). Please understand the primary reason I did this was as a self-documentation in case I needed to make further adjustments, and or might need to do it again on a future grinder. As an afterthought, I decided to share and apply some text overlays illustrating what I thought were potentially better options for modifying a somewhat substandard tool into a better piece of equipment. RE: “In the third paragraph you say "as opposed to other postings" relocating the locator pin has a number of negative effects. This gives the impression that is the wrong method. “ I would not say that this is “wrong” as it may be best for a grinder other than the one I was working on. For the grinder I was working on in the video, in my mind I had found a better solution than I had watched or read about elsewhere. Yours and other mileage will vary based on the unit being worked on and the goals of the user. RE: “Now, in your reply to me above, you say "lift the white disk and turn it 1-2 holes".” NO, you have taken that out of context. My comment was written to illustrate that I can not and will not give an answer like “just do this” because that answer may not apply to the unit you are working on. I had read about user who “just did this …” without understanding actually the net result. Example, if someone to my modified grinder and just relocated the positioning to effectively grind finer and put grinder back together if would guess they would have created a situation where the burs would contact effectively destroying the sharp cutting edges (hopefully that makes sense to you … ). RE: “The holes are fixed, so the least change you can make is one hole...it makes sense to make a one hole adjustment, then check that the burrs are not touching, move another hole, check again. If they touch, then you have to back off a hole, and that's the finest you can go... (unless you file the limit stop). The answer doesn't have to be simple, but it should be clear what you're telling us to do. Your pictures are fabulous, don't get me wrong...it's the text descriptions that are unclear.” Well there you go, it sounds as if you have a path to follow that makes sense to you and hopefully will apply to your grinder.Hopefully, if you choose to make a video documentary, you can do a better job than I did 7 years ago. Hopefully, something here has helped you to choose your options for better overall results. Regards,
+GravityRoller Thanks for the detailed response. I do have the same grinder, and have used it for 9 years pretty much strictly for drip coffee, although I've been using the "espresso" setting for that. I just discovered that is too coarse for espresso, so I want to do as you did and get it to grinder finer. No I haven't yet disassembled, but I suppose it will all be clearer once I have, and take it one step at a time. I actually don't consider going past the "espresso" marker a negative, as one could always stick some tape on and make new markings. Lately I've started to do French press grind, so I don't want to mess that up. I suppose what will happen is that the French press setting will migrate clockwise a little. "NO MATERIAL REMOVAL"...got it!
RE: "I actually don't consider going past the "espresso" marker a negative ..." Going past the Espresso Mark means passing the "hopper release" position (hopper not locked into base). I would consider this to be a NEGATIVE. This is exactly one of the reasons that I chose NOT to do as others had (if at all possible). You may also want to review my comments to "frederick jones" on this subject as relates to the grinder not powering up ... (to make this mod work, you need to modify the safety-kill ... to me again a NEGATIVE procedure as "frederick jones" discovered by trial & error). RE: "... one could always stick some tape on and make new markings" I would call this cobbled up ... (another reason I chose another path). RE: "French press setting will migrate clockwise a little." Yes, I suppose you could say this is more/less true (except for the references I have made above, and also I would add that French Press Grind selection is for me about 1)Water Temp 2)Extraction Time 3)Filter and/or ScreenMesh Size 4)Findings in the bottom of empty cup 5)Amount Coffee/Water Ratio (you can use a drip grind & fast extraction in a FrenchPress, but the results will just be different than using a coarse grind & longer extraction). BTW, Those little picture icons are just references. I would suggest you grind beans the way you like for a particular process and take a close-up (macro, etc) picture of the ground beans on a sheet of white paper and make a note of the specific position the hopper is indexed to result that specific grind for future reference. (do this for each grind you use (espresso, drip, french-press, cold, etc.). Understand that if you fill the hopper, you will most likely get a slightly coarser grind than if you only fill hopper with a cup or multi-cup/pot worth because the gravity pressing down on the beans will push the beans through faster. The goal is to have the "grind" as similar/consistent in grain-size as possible (all the grind the same size, especially when using a mes- filter like most use for French Press). Looking at your "grind" on a white background will help you to "see" the consistency (or lack there of ... :-( of the specific grind result).Dry vs. oily beans, large vs. smaller beans, etc. also effect the relative grind that any specific setting (bur gap) will produce. If you have a reference picture of the grind(s) you prefer for each process, you will then have a way of checking the resultant grind regardless of the beans and/or amount in the hopper and/or indexed position. So for each different bean, and amount of bean in hopper (pressure of beans at burs), you may have a different index position for the same type of coffee extraction process. Example: A full hopper with pressure bean flow through the burs will effectively grind coarser and more evenly than a hopper with minimal amount of beans loaded. If you make any changes to the bur gap, I HIGHLY recommend that you measure the resultant change (for me I measured that amount of drop of the removeable bur) and MAKE SURE there is a bur gap so as the two burs CAN NOT MAKE CONTACT during grinding when forces are causing the burs to move. As my chart indicates, rotating the dial (locating pins attached) changes the bur gap, and at some point the relative change in gap between hole adjustment locations decreases. For sure !! Inspect and record the grind for a specific bean before making any adjustment (you need a benchmark for comparison if you choose to make a modification to grinder (well, I suppose that would simply be my humble opinion). When you get disassembled, make sure to inspect the outfeed trapdoor for clogging, AND realize how easy it is to remove the adjustable bur for simple weekly/daily cleanings (and when changing beans, etc.). Hope this makes sense & helps. Let me know if you have any other Q's that I may be able to assist with.
@GhibliFan1 Where did I comment negatively? Follow the thread, I was addressing someone who was having difficulty with this mod, so rather than letting them carry on with too coarse a grind, I suggested the simpler, more established mod as an alternative. If you want really to force a negative comment from me, well, I still find mine grinds coarse enough at the other end of the scale for cafetiere with the easier, quicker mod - which is more established for good reason.
Gareth Griffith Hmmm ..., interesting to read folks are still watching this video and commenting. I especially appreciate constructive comments. RE: spell corrections related comments I would reply by definition as follows: sep·a·rate adjective ˈsep(ə)rət/ 1. forming or viewed as a unit apart or by itself. To focus on spelling is to possibly miss the intent of the whole. Hopefully you found something here useful ;-)
Gravity, thanks for the video. My outer burr housing did not want to come off [1:20]. A layer of oil and fine bean dust created a type of tar/cement that made for a very difficult removal. Also, I think that some dust got behind/under one side, preventing an even seating causing the other side tab to catch also hindering removal. This comment is basically for anyone else that runs into this difficulty. It's not you.
Next time I won't wait so long between cleanings.
sjs Thanks for commenting. After you see the inside of a grinder, it gives reason to clean more often (takes so little time to separate the burs and give them a good brushing). Same goes for your espresso machine filter holder if it's a two-piece design.
I had the same issue, my top burr was stuck and I thought it was not supposed to come out just by pulling it up. But I slowly levered it up and out and there was a lot of gunk built up on the burr outer diameter. Cleaning it thoroughly allowed the burr to pop in and out easily.
#5
You might want to check to make sure that you are making the adjustments in the proper direction just a last minute thought.
Measure the position of the burr b-4 and after the adjustment to make sure that the adjustable burr is moving closer to the fixed burr effectively decreasing the grinding gap.
5. If you don't have a bean full hopper, the grind will be finer, compared to a full hopper (because there's less weight of beans pushing through the burs as you grind). this is why coffee shops overfill there hoppers increasing the gravity feed forces.
It took a bit of digging to find this page for my old mill. The current models on the find my machine do not apply to this and this one is not there. My mill suddenly stopped, fine one day, dead the next, so I had to find how to open the housing, hence the digging. Imagine my surprise when I discovered a micro-switch that prevents it from running if the grind setting is turned too far CCW, On the bright side, my machine is now nice and clean inside and out
Yep, little bugger switch to hopefully prevent folks from grinding their teeth with contact. Glad solution presented 4 u.
#4
If you need a finer grind, there should be a number of ways that you could decrease the gapping between the burrs in your grinder (adjusting the indexing stoppage of the movable burr, shim the burr, etc). The goal is to move the adjustable burr closer, just make sure the that burrs will not make contact. For espresso grinds - If you are looking to increase the timing-pour of an espresso shot, you might try increasing your tamp pressure.
#2
At 37-seconds into the video I show a chart that indicates the burr adjustment range (it illustrates an average of .004 burr movement change between each position). At some point (position 19 on this example sheet) the gapping between the burrs will stop decreasing (turning the dial further will make no change). If your grind does not change when you rotate the dial finer, then I would assume youve hit this limit where the burrs stop moving closer.
Hi GravityRoller, very nice and detailed video, must have taken some time to assemble. I got myself a used Solis Scala brand and have the problem I cant get a good shot so im trying to mod the grinder to grind finer. What I discovered it that allready on the manufacturers setting the burrs allmost tend hit eachother, I can hear this by simply listening having the machine's AC power safely reduced to about 40VAC with a adjustable AC transformator (need to have one of these ofcourse) .
So when adjusting the ring even 2 dots beyond OEM finer the burrs seem to touch even more.
Conclusion seems to me that the Solis Scala brand already have it set to its finest.
@ R B
Hello R B. Thanks for positive comments. Not sure if you actually had question(s), or were making a statement, but will try and reply that may offer assistance.
I have a variac (adjustable A/C voltage regulator), but would not use on a tool with reduction gears.
I would not suggest running the grinder at low voltages as the grinder uses a reduction gear set (fast spinning motor with little torque is geared down increasing torque to primary bur to be able to grind coffee beans). Possibly when you are reduction the voltage, effectively slowing the motor, you are hearing the gears (gear driven reduction set between motor and primary bur) meshing.
I do not know what you mean by "a good shot" (as related to grind particulate sizing). In my mind "good vs bad" coffee grind relates to consistency of grind, and grind size (coarse vs. fine relates to tamp-pressure and timing of shot completion and is balanced accordingly). The goal being to produce consistently ground particulate (ground coffee that is the same grind size across a single grind patch). Followup below.
First thought, in my mind, there two significant factors:
1) consistency of grind and
2) particulate size.
I would suggest that you pour a couple shots worth of ground beans onto a piece of white paper and inspect for consistency of grind size. All should be relatively same size without any extra-fine or coarse (consistent size is the goal). Then grind test another couple shots worth in a finer setting and look again for consistency of grind sizing. Proceed accordingly (with regard to trouble shooting). Possibly acquire a couple shots of ground coffee from your favorite shop (coffee you wish to replicate). Be sure you understand the tamp pressure and timing of the pulled shot you are attempting to replicate. I think a lot of folks really miss on actually inspecting their ground coffee for grind consistency.
I would be surprised to find the burs on your grinder are making contact as you have mentioned. If you think you hear them contacting, when adjusting the a couple clicks closer..., I would expect the burs to effectively lock up). I would recommend you remove the upper conical bur and inspect for abrasion marks on upper and lower burs from assumed contact mentioned). If you have abrasion marks (upper & lower bur contact), I would guess the bur(s) are/is shot (bad & in need of replacement or refinishing).
Additionally, I assume you have done a thorough cleaning with upper bur removed ...? Additionally, on mine there is a trap-door at the grind exit (just above the slide out catch bin). If grounds are getting backed up, overly ground beans can result.
Hopefully something helpful to you here.
Regards,
Thanks alot for your advise and assistence. My comment was more or less a additional comment to your video for other people to notice.
Yea I am on my way for some time already troubleshooting my problem. I am just suspecting the grind-fineness of which this Solis machine is capable since this is not a dedicated espresso machine. So this brought me towards your video trying to modify the machine to make a (even) finer grind.
Yes I have already done all the things you asked like cleaning with the burr removed.
No I have to disagree to your comment that it shouldn't run on reduced ac voltage, i would not know a logical reason this could damage the motor in any way.
With this machine it's very very obvious when the burrs are hitting eachother that's why I'm doing it at lower speed so that it will not completely destroy everything. Ofcouse the burrs will hit eachother first slightly before completely jam since the tooth are very small.
But I wanted to note that the machine originally at its finest setting is already scary-ingly noisy, I have just set it 1 dot finer as a result on my Solis Scala.
3. I would guess the issue your having (appears to be grinding too fine), would most likely be directly related to the grind output getting slowed down, or stopped up during discharge effectively slowing the bean down as they pass through the burs.
4. Remove the plastic hopper, removed the upper bur (no tools needed), and clean everything including past the flap door of the discharge chute.
@jetman127
Kinda what I assumed (simple cleaning cured).
Now that you see how easy it is to remove the adjustable bur; it will be a simple maint. procedure for you to do. FYI, I clean my grinder at least weekly. Near the end of a grind cycle, I ususally lift and tap the grinder on the counter to help dislodge clumping grinds. Dark beans - means more frequesnt cleaning as opposed to lighter roasts because of oils on the the beans. Finer grinding also = more frequency of cleaning.
Regards,
No "fuze" inside that I remember.
1. If problem started after decreasing the bur gap (to grind finer you reduced the gap), make sure motorized bur is not contacting fixed bur (this condition may not allow bur to spin, potentially burning out the motor and/or some of the wiring).
2. Check inner switch by bypassing with jumper wire.
3. Check for loose wires at all inner connections.
Let me know if I can be of any other help.
Good luck & thanks for watching ...
Thanks for the tips. Where did you connect the other end of the anti-static grounding wire?
To Ground aka Earth Ground via the ground connector at 115v wall outlet.
kenw,
Thanks for the comments.
As you mentioned, there are probably a number of differences with the Maestro that you mentioned owning and the Solis 166 in this video. I am assuming that you are looking to grind finer with your Maestro. Conceptually, you would need to decrease the gapping between the burrs. Hopefully, these following comments may help you.
@NukePilot,
PLEASE - anybody who changes the factory indexing of the movable grinder bur, please confirm the burs do not make contact BEFORE you re-assemble your grinder. I thought I covered this in my vid ... If you run the grinder with the burs in contact, the teeth will grind metal to metal contact effectively ruining the burs the first time and forever after. This is BAD!
I'm confused. I've got the whole thing disassembled and don't quite get what I'm supposed to acutally be doing to get the grind smaller. From the vid it seems as I'm supposed to actually cut the white-disk ring to make it rotate more. Correct? Will someone that's done this please explain what I'm supposed to do here.
@GhibliFan1
At 0:18 into video I specifically address your comments, then again at 0:26 I support my position for why I choose not to use your suggestion (pause and read to understand a bit more b4 you comment negatively as you have on my work here). :)
Additionally, static charge to the ground coffee and a momentary switch are also part of the mod's to the grinder.
Couple things come to mind:
1. I would not think your would want to attempt to take grinder apart to re-index the bur, because there should be no way that "your wife" could have done anything that would have changed the internal setting (based on your descriptions).
2. Make sure that the clear plastic hopper is installed correctly (only one way for it to go together in my mind, but ...).
I recognize this is an older video, but still applies, yes? I have done the 'other' mod to just move the ring to get the finer grind so watched this as was curious what the difference might be. I recognize the disassembly, great instructions. But after watching several times I still don't understand what you actually DID to change the grind. When you put it together what was different? What am I missing?
hey do you happen to know how to remove / unscrew the reduction gear pack, i need to remove the smaller one, some on the teeth got ripped, this is for the bodum bistro, very similar inner setup. i need to unscrew the bigger one first, but the problem is that i dont have anything to hold the conical burr, or is there a way to do the unscrewing of the knot? thanks
+betterhalfservices I have not had to remove the main conical bur. I would assume it is threaded opposite to the driven rotation of the bur. I would most likely use a rubber strap wrench on the conical bur (only after making sure there are no pins or key/keyways. I would think a sharp wrap on the handle of strap wrench would loosen the bur. First, however I would just try to loosen by hand with a towel wrapped over the conical bur (or whatever you might have on hand that you use to loosen twist-off jar caps (those rubber sheets, rubber strap wrenches, etc.). Hope this is of some help. BTW, have you been able to source replacement parts less expensive than a new unit ...?
if its threaded opposite, the knot doesnt come out from the bolt but the burr will come out instead right?
Sorry, re-reading what I wrote I should have said "I would assume it is threaded the same direction to the driven motor rotation of the bur". So, if the motor spins clockwise (turning to the right), then they are most likely also threaded clockwise (as the motor turns the threads tighten). The inverse would also be true - if the motor spins anti-clockwise (to the left), then the threads are most likely also anti-clockwise threading.
Re-reading your questions, I am now guessing that when you write "knot" you mean nut (as in nut & bolt - or in this case nut that goes on the threaded driven shaft of the bur * large gear). Put the correct sized box-end-wrench on the nut and give a sharp tap with a hammer (opposite end of wrench) and the sudden shock should easily release the nut, thereby releasing the large gear from the bur shaft thereby giving you access the smaller gear. Just make sure you are turning that nu in the correct direction, and not further tightening it.
yup sorry for the spellings, i will the sharp tap, so in this case since im taking the nut near to the large gear, then its a counter clock wise turn
Posted by macpaullin
Comment on your video: Solis 166 Mod's (aka Starbuck's Barista, Saeco GT-1, Baratza/Solis 166
Hi. Did you see any fuse on the bottom side of this machine? I'm afraid the fuse has been burned since the moter won't driver since the last time.
snowboarder27118,
NO, you are not supposed to "cut" anything. If you stop the vid at 2:30 you will see that I have highlighter the indexing pin on the disk RED. What you are doing is rotating the movable bur, effectively closing the gap between the two burs. Closer the burs are together, finer the grind before it falls past the grind-burs. If you watch the video and pause selectively to read everything that I wrote into the video, think everything will be obvious. Make sure burs do not touch!
You say in a comment to snowboarder27118: "NO, you are not supposed to cut anything...", but in the video at 2:45 it says "Removing material from this fine grind limit stop would allow finer grinding..." How does someone "remove material" without cutting? Did you use a file? A knife? Your teeth? You don't actually say. I'm sure this is all very obvious to you since you've done it, but to us just watching the video and reading the notes, it's not clear at all.
+David Billo
David, In the video text at 2:45 I am referencing that "Removing material from this fine grind limit stop would allow finer grinding..." ; and then explaining the negative ramifications of this method of modification (in attempt to illustrate why I choose NOT to do what many other videos illustrate).
I am NOT doing any “material removal” in the procedure explained here, therefore not going to reply to your multiple sarcastic references in your comment.
The text you reference at 2:45 is the same as at the beginning of my video at 0:25, and I am going to try and answer your question from a perspective of watching the video from start. Please read text at 0:20, then at 0:25. Your answer is in the first sentence of the third paragraph “relocating the locator pin”. At 2:09 reference #2 & #4 “locator pins” that will be adjusted. This allows the adjustable bur to drop lower (chart at 0:37) by .011” in my particular grinder. This chart also illustrates the range of adjustment and the effect (measured in thousands of an inch). Please understand these measurements are specific to my grinder. Other grinders (because of manufacturing tolerances) will be different. The goal is to reduce the bur gap on the fine end of the adjustment range making sure that any modification DOES NOT create a scenario whereas the bur could ever contact each other (must be a prohibitive mechanical stop so as not to damage the bur(s) from contact).
I understand you may just want a simple answer, like just lift the white disk and turn it 1-2 holes and reassemble (as referenced elsewhere). But, without an understanding of the other dynamics (variables between various units including multiple manufactures who have produced and sold effectively the same grinder) you could cause problems without an understanding of what/why that could damage your grinder. It is my assumption that the tolerances on every unit may be different and may respond to the same change differently.
I truly hope this helps your understanding ;-)
+GravityRoller No, in the text at 2:45 you list the *positive* ramifications of removing material from the fine grind limit stop, not negative. This gives the impression that's the method you're going to use.
In the third paragraph you say "as opposed to other postings" relocating the locator pin has a number of negative effects. This gives the impression that is the wrong method.
Unfortunately for us, that's it...at no point in the rest of the video do you actually state what you actually did to adjust the grind finer. Did you remove material from the limit stop as you say in paragraph 2? Presumably not since you have now explicitly said as much in your reply to me above. Did you relocate the locater pin as you say in paragraph 3 and just live with the negative ramifications? Who knows? You never say. The rest of the video goes on to discuss the ground strap and the momentary pushbutton mods. Now, in your reply to me above, you say "lift the white disk and turn it 1-2 holes". Is that what you did? If that is what you did, then paragraph 3 is very poorly worded. It creates the impression that method is what other posters suggest, and it's the wrong way. Why couldn't you have explicitly said "lift the white disk and turn it 1 hole" if that was in fact what you did?
Your measurment table at 0:38 gives the impression that's what you did, i.e. move it one hole, measure. I looks like you ended up going 4 holes past the factory limit before you stopped.
I understand about not letting the burrs touch, but again, none of that is mentioned in the video either. It could have been, but it wasn't. The holes are fixed, so the least change you can make is one hole...it makes sense to make a one hole adjustment, then check that the burrs are not touching, move another hole, check again. If they touch, then you have to back off a hole, and that's the finest you can go...(unless you file the limit stop).
The answer doesn't have to be simple, but it should be clear what you're telling us to do. Your pictures are fabulous, don't get me wrong...it's the text descriptions that are unclear.
+David Billo
Do you have a grinder that you have disassembled and looked
at to understand how the various parts interact with each other? (I am guessing
not) Sorry this is so confusing for you. I did this modification 7 years ago
and I can see looking back how a viewer that has not yet disassembled and
inspected one of these units could be confused.
RE: your comment “No, in the text at 2:45 you list
the positive ramifications of removing material from the fine grind limit stop,
not negative. This gives the impression that's the method you're going to use.”
I disagree. 1) Allowing the hopper to rotate past the
espresso logo mark is NEGATIVE in my mind as there would be no reference
indexing for the user, it would be off the scale. 2) Having to taper the
limit-stop is NEGATIVE in that additional work that i.m.h.o. is not required to
net the result I was after. If your goals are different, then power to you. My
goals were to effectively allow the bur gap to be reduced for finer grind,
while having the finest grind effectively index with the pointer at the
Espresso mark (one position past this is the release for the bean hopper) with
zero potential that the burs would ever contact. One could argue that my method
of modification reduced the adjustability on the coarse end of the scale. But, I
find that even when I am grinding for FrenchPress that I was not, and still do
not ever adjust to the coarsest position (this also includes when I grind for cold
press coffee) so I am ok with loosing adjustability that I have proven is of no
effective use to me.
Again I will state in writing “I am NOT doing any “material
removal” to the disk, the pins, the stops (NO MATERIAL REMOVAL . ). Sorry if I
did not make this clear to you, but short of editing the video illustrations
unsure how else to clarify this to you. Additionally, I also believe that I
could have inserted a comma and/or worded things better in some of my text in
the video captures (so bad on me). Please understand the primary reason I did
this was as a self-documentation in case I needed to make further adjustments,
and or might need to do it again on a future grinder. As an afterthought, I
decided to share and apply some text overlays illustrating what I thought were potentially
better options for modifying a somewhat substandard tool into a better piece of
equipment.
RE: “In the third paragraph you say "as opposed to
other postings" relocating the locator pin has a number of negative
effects. This gives the impression that is the wrong method. “
I would not say that this is “wrong” as it may be best for a
grinder other than the one I was working on. For the grinder I was working on
in the video, in my mind I had found a better solution than I had watched or
read about elsewhere. Yours and other mileage will vary based on the unit being
worked on and the goals of the user.
RE: “Now, in your reply to me above, you say "lift the
white disk and turn it 1-2 holes".”
NO, you have taken that out of context. My comment was
written to illustrate that I can not and will not give an answer like “just do
this” because that answer may not apply to the unit you are working on. I had
read about user who “just did this …” without understanding actually the net
result. Example, if someone to my modified grinder and just relocated the positioning
to effectively grind finer and put grinder back together if would guess they
would have created a situation where the burs would contact effectively
destroying the sharp cutting edges (hopefully that makes sense to you … ).
RE: “The holes are fixed, so the least change you can make
is one hole...it makes sense to make a one hole adjustment, then check that the
burrs are not touching, move another hole, check again. If they touch, then you
have to back off a hole, and that's the finest you can go... (unless you file
the limit stop). The answer doesn't have to be simple, but it should be clear what
you're telling us to do. Your pictures are fabulous, don't get me wrong...it's
the text descriptions that are unclear.”
Well there you go, it sounds as if you have a path to follow
that makes sense to you and hopefully will apply to your grinder.Hopefully, if
you choose to make a video documentary, you can do a better job than I did 7
years ago.
Hopefully, something here has helped you to choose your
options for better overall results. Regards,
+GravityRoller Thanks for the detailed response. I do have the same grinder, and have used it for 9 years pretty much strictly for drip coffee, although I've been using the "espresso" setting for that. I just discovered that is too coarse for espresso, so I want to do as you did and get it to grinder finer. No I haven't yet disassembled, but I suppose it will all be clearer once I have, and take it one step at a time. I actually don't consider going past the "espresso" marker a negative, as one could always stick some tape on and make new markings. Lately I've started to do French press grind, so I don't want to mess that up. I suppose what will happen is that the French press setting will migrate clockwise a little. "NO MATERIAL REMOVAL"...got it!
RE: "I actually don't consider going past the "espresso" marker a negative ..."
Going past the Espresso Mark means passing the "hopper release" position (hopper not locked into base). I would consider this to be a NEGATIVE. This is exactly one of the reasons that I chose NOT to do as others had (if at all possible). You may also want to review my comments to "frederick jones" on this subject as relates to the grinder not powering up ... (to make this mod work, you need to modify the safety-kill ... to me again a NEGATIVE procedure as "frederick jones" discovered by trial & error).
RE: "... one could always stick some tape on and make new markings"
I would call this cobbled up ... (another reason I chose another path).
RE: "French press setting will migrate clockwise a little."
Yes, I suppose you could say this is more/less true (except for the references I have made above, and also I would add that French Press Grind selection is for me about 1)Water Temp 2)Extraction Time 3)Filter and/or ScreenMesh Size 4)Findings in the bottom of empty cup 5)Amount Coffee/Water Ratio (you can use a drip grind & fast extraction in a FrenchPress, but the results will just be different than using a coarse grind & longer extraction).
BTW, Those little picture icons are just references. I would suggest you grind beans the way you like for a particular process and take a close-up (macro, etc) picture of the ground beans on a sheet of white paper and make a note of the specific position the hopper is indexed to result that specific grind for future reference. (do this for each grind you use (espresso, drip, french-press, cold, etc.). Understand that if you fill the hopper, you will most likely get a slightly coarser grind than if you only fill hopper with a cup or multi-cup/pot worth because the gravity pressing down on the beans will push the beans through faster. The goal is to have the "grind" as similar/consistent in grain-size as possible (all the grind the same size, especially when using a mes- filter like most use for French Press). Looking at your "grind" on a white background will help you to "see" the consistency (or lack there of ... :-( of the specific grind result).Dry vs. oily beans, large vs. smaller beans, etc. also effect the relative grind that any specific setting (bur gap) will produce. If you have a reference picture of the grind(s) you prefer for each process, you will then have a way of checking the resultant grind regardless of the beans and/or amount in the hopper and/or indexed position.
So for each different bean, and amount of bean in hopper (pressure of beans at burs), you may have a different index position for the same type of coffee extraction process. Example: A full hopper with pressure bean flow through the burs will effectively grind coarser and more evenly than a hopper with minimal amount of beans loaded.
If you make any changes to the bur gap, I HIGHLY recommend that you measure the resultant change (for me I measured that amount of drop of the removeable bur) and MAKE SURE there is a bur gap so as the two burs CAN NOT MAKE CONTACT during grinding when forces are causing the burs to move. As my chart indicates, rotating the dial (locating pins attached) changes the bur gap, and at some point the relative change in gap between hole adjustment locations decreases.
For sure !! Inspect and record the grind for a specific bean before making any adjustment (you need a benchmark for comparison if you choose to make a modification to grinder (well, I suppose that would simply be my humble opinion).
When you get disassembled, make sure to inspect the outfeed trapdoor for clogging, AND realize how easy it is to remove the adjustable bur for simple weekly/daily cleanings (and when changing beans, etc.).
Hope this makes sense & helps.
Let me know if you have any other Q's that I may be able to assist with.
@GhibliFan1
Where did I comment negatively? Follow the thread, I was addressing someone who was having difficulty with this mod, so rather than letting them carry on with too coarse a grind, I suggested the simpler, more established mod as an alternative. If you want really to force a negative comment from me, well, I still find mine grinds coarse enough at the other end of the scale for cafetiere with the easier, quicker mod - which is more established for good reason.
Note correct spelling of "separate"!
Gareth Griffith Hmmm ..., interesting to read folks are still watching this video and commenting. I especially appreciate constructive comments. RE: spell corrections related comments I would reply by definition as follows:
sep·a·rate
adjective
ˈsep(ə)rət/
1. forming or viewed as a unit apart or by itself.
To focus on spelling is to possibly miss the intent of the whole. Hopefully you found something here useful ;-)
Some words instead of awful music would have been nice.