Having trouble dosing..

System

Hi all, I need some help with dosing.. I try and dose 14.5 - 15.0 grams of coffee (ground by Mocopan) each time I extract a shot.  I basically spoon coffee into a little cup on my scales and then tip the coffee into the basket.  My problem is, half of the time I lose some coffee when I tip it into the basket.. some misses, some sticks to the cup etc.

I have been reading about dosing on the other threads and most suggest that the basket should be dosed full and then tamped.. I can't really get it consistent... I imagine a grinder with a doser would work well because it distributes the coffee slowly and evenly across the basket where the way I do it tends to lump up a little.  Because of this, I think my tamp ends up uneven..

Any ideas???

Thanks
Paulie

Reschsmooth

Hi Paul, you are basically covering two issues: dosing and distribution. They are linked but also separate (do you like my ambiguity?). I don't dose using scales, but based on the level in the basket. I try to keep my tamping consistant. After filling the basket, I distribute and level off - typically level with the top of the basket. I then tamp and end up with about 5ml clearance (more if using the naked pf) from the top. This coincides with the top of the ridge of the basket. Distribution is a problem for me which is evidenced with my naked pf. My Macap grinder (with doser) typically throws to the left so I need to compensate by turning the pf around when dosing. I then try to distribute evenly with my finger. I think many home grinders with dosers have the problem of 'throwing left', particularly when the dosing chamber is relatively empty (as it should be when only making one or two coffees). So, my suggestion would be to try to adjust your dosing but also concentrate on your distribution. Alternatively, you could just use a plunger.... :P. Just kidding. Patrick

Unknown

HA HA very funny Patrick.. not sure what was going on the other day but lets leave that be..  :-[ A finger, I didn't realise it could be so useful.. no seriously.  My trouble is introduced when I tip the coffee into the basket, I think it tends to be more compacted in the centre therefore when inspecting my puck, its wetter on the edges.. I'll keep trying.. Do you end up with a lot of wasted coffee? Cheerz, Paulie

Reschsmooth

When I first had the grinder, I did lose a lot of coffee, but now I pretty much don't lose any. I also dose as the coffee is being ground - this way, the amount of coffee being 'dosed' at each flick of the lever is relatively small. I have learnt that distribution is very important, even without the naked pf - you can see significant differences in the streams coming out of each side of the spout. P

Unknown

Reschs, I think you have hit the nail on the head.. I have been having trouble with uneven output from spouts.. I have no idea how I will be able to dose without a grinder doser so to speak but I'll try some other things and let you know how I go!! Thanks Paulie 8)

mattyj

hey mate, you could try taking the bakset out (you use a breville, right? - it's the same design as sunbeam, and IIRC, it might be a bit tight at first), and dose on the bench that way. I used to do that, and I'd stop about three times during the dosing stage, to tap the basket on the bench to settle the grinds in it. I'd also dose from the rectangular grinds catcher thing on my old delonghi grinder, and I found that if I held it on an angle, the corner of the container worked well at not throwing grinds everywhere. I'd just tip it towards the basket and use my fingers to tap the bottom of the container lightly to encourage the grinds out into the basket.

Remus

patricks post was spot on really. i have a doserless rocky and i seem to get the right dose pretty much 99% of the time just by habit and practice now. as i'm dosing i tap the pf against the back of the grinder constantly to get the grinds to settle and i also rotate the pf from left to right to try and get a relatively even distribution. then when i pull it out i tap a few times on the bench and use my finger to slightly press down into a pretty even pile, then tamp. just as a point of interest, if i get lazy and don;t regualrly tap the pf as dosing i get a fair bit of chanelling and an uneven pour. this is very easy to tell when you go naked.

Reschsmooth

With the Macap, there is a sliding stopper at the base of the main bean hopper (allowing you to remove the hopper even if it is full of beans). I find that the space between the burrs and this stopper pretty much equates to the volume of beans I need to fill the basket. Hence the ability to relatively accurately dose each time. P

Unknown

MattyJ, I have a Silvia now, hence the reason for being so particular with amount of coffee.  I took Patrick's advice and started to make the dose more even by using my finger and tapping the portafiller on the bench as I go.   Slow and steady wins the race.. I can't believe that an uneven distribution can be the entire cause of coffee coming out of one spout rather than two.. I assumed it would be channeled down and efficiently split into two streams.. I think I'll go and buy myself a hole saw, then I'll really know. I'll give the "basket out of the portafiller" a go too, see how that goe's, sounds logical.. Thanks Paulie