Finally dialed in my grinder after a whole weekend of bad cups

I got a new bag of Ethiopian beans from my favorite roaster and just could NOT get a good cup. The shots were either way too sour or crazy bitter, no matter what I tried. I spent all Saturday and most of Sunday adjusting the grind, changing the dose, messing with the water temp. I must have pulled like 15 shots that just went down the sink. Turns out, the issue was my grinder's burrs needed a serious cleaning. I took it apart, brushed out all the old coffee oil, and the very next shot was perfect. It was a sweet, fruity flavor I was chasing the whole time. Has anyone else lost a weekend to a grinder that just needed a clean?

3 comments

3 Comments

ellis.victor3mo ago

Man, that's the most expensive cleaning fee you'll ever pay in wasted coffee.

laura2113mo ago

Wasted coffee is nothing. I once spilled a full pot on my laptop keyboard.

laura2111mo ago

I've been there. The trick is to unplug it IMMEDIATELY, flip it upside down, and let it drain for 24 hours. Then take the back off and use a soft toothbrush with some isopropyl alcohol to clean the sticky bits off the motherboard. Saved my old Dell that way after I knocked a whole mug of black coffee into the fan vent. Just make sure it's bone dry before you plug it back in or you'll fry the board.