Posted Sun Jun 26, 2011, 6:04am Subject: Re: Vario Won't Grind Coarse
Endo,
You're going to want to have the sliding 2.5 mm hex cap screw adjusted all the way forward as seen in the pic below.
To return the Vario to the factory default setting calibrated for espresso, the Macro lever will be one notch down from the top & the Micro will be set in the center position. Adjust the 2.00 mm set screw till the burrs lightly begin to touch.
Endo Senior Member Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 804 Location: , location, location. Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: machine is < important than... Grinder: !
Posted Sun Jun 26, 2011, 3:13pm Subject: Re: Vario Won't Grind Coarse
CraigA Said:
Endo,
You're going to want to have the sliding 2.5 mm hex cap screw adjusted all the way forward as seen in the pic below.
To return the Vario to the factory default setting calibrated for espresso, the Macro lever will be one notch down from the top & the Micro will be set in the center position. Adjust the 2.00 mm set screw till the burrs lightly begin to touch.
I don't think it's an adjustment issue. I run the grinder with no beans and the zero point (when the motor starts slowing down) is at the factory setting (top macro notch and mid micro). I then put beans in and run it very close to this zero setting (3 micro notches higher so there is no rub, and I get a coarse espresso grind that gives me 14 second shots.
I use the same fresh beans in my Mazzer SJ and I get perfect 30 seconds shots.
I had this issue once before on a new Rancilio Rocky. It seemed to be due to a lack of parallelism between the upper and lower burrs. This caused a rub on one side, and the coarse coffee would shoot out the other side. I had to return it.
This is a refurbished unit that you had sent me. Did the previous owner have the same issue perhaps?
My next step will be a more thourogh cleaning to see if I can spot a grain lodged on one of the datum surfaces.
alnica Said:
Endo - You do seem to have had quite a few issues with your Vario(s). Just as a matter of interest, about how many pounds of coffee have you put through your current one?
Posted Sun Jun 26, 2011, 5:20pm Subject: Re: Vario Won't Grind Coarse
Endo Said:
Craig,
I don't think it's an adjustment issue. I run the grinder with no beans and the zero point (when the motor starts slowing down) is at the factory setting (top macro notch and mid micro). I then put beans in and run it very close to this zero setting (3 micro notches higher so there is no rub, and I get a coarse espresso grind that gives me 14 second shots.
The factory setting isn't the top Macro notch setting, it's one notch down., & 3 Micro notches higher would be going finer, not coarser.. By what you've just described to me, you're 3 notches finer past the zero point where the burrs touch!
I had this issue once before on a new Rancilio Rocky. It seemed to be due to a lack of parallelism between the upper and lower burrs. This caused a rub on one side, and the coarse coffee would shoot out the other side. I had to return it.
I've heard of it happening, you never know how anything is being treated through the shipping process..
This is a refurbished unit that you had sent me. Did the previous owner have the same issue perhaps?
Please email me offline asap. I have no way of knowing this as I don't know who you are (your CG handle & profile name). Please email me with your real name & serial number of the Vario. I can then check it against my record/service log book to see if your Vario's serial number matches an issue I had with one Vario. That Vario had a new swap out of the white glass reinforced lower burr chamber housing & corresponding black base (Macro/Micro) unit.
My next step will be a more thourogh cleaning to see if I can spot a grain lodged on one of the datum surfaces.
It really doesn't take much throw things out of kilter..
Oh, I thought 1st macro notch meant the top notch. Oh well, shouldn't make any difference anyway since it's all unuseable below zero. (BTW, I usually set zero at the top notch to avoid accidental load on the motor if the macro lever gets hit by accident).
CraigA Said:
...& 3 Micro notches higher would be going finer, not coarser.. By what you've just described to me, you're 3 notches finer past the zero point where the burrs touch!
Sorry, my lingo is probably not right. What I meant to say was I am only 3 micro notches coarser (lever down) from my zero point.
BTW, I just finished stripping down my grinder. Removed the belt, motor and lower burr carrier. Kind fun (at least better than watching dancing shows on TV, I guess). There were grounds everywhere (including inside the case). Not a lot though. Here's what the underside of the lower burr carrier looked like:
I'll do that if this latest cleaning doesn't fix things. I'm going through a LOT of prime Papua New Guinea coffee figuring this out! (I knew I shouldn't have thrown out that Starbucks coffee I got for Christmas :-)
Posted Sun Jun 26, 2011, 8:02pm Subject: Re: Vario Won't Grind Coarse
I'm very sorry to hear you're having issues with your Vario Endo! {:-/ Thanks for the updates so far.
I don't have the authority to act on behalf of Baratza, all service inquiries have to first be Ok'd with Baratza head office. Baratza will absolutely take care of you, & so will I secondarily when they give me the go ahead.
Endo Senior Member Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 804 Location: , location, location. Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: machine is < important than... Grinder: !
Posted Mon Jun 27, 2011, 3:55pm Subject: Re: Vario Won't Grind Coarse
Well, I finally got the grind size down to an acceptable level for espresso (25 sec shot). To do this I had to go 3 notches tighter than my zero!
I don't hear a noticable load change on the motor (though it's hard to tell when beans are being ground). So I must assume the "no bean" zero is different than the loaded "with bean" zero. Maybe some play in the mechanism?
I took everything apart and cleaned it a month ago, but I still can't seem to go from espresso to french press without the lower burr sticking. I need to actually remove the hopper and PRESS down the lower burr for it to "snap down" and change to the coarse setting.
Also, when I go back to espresso afterwards, my zero point is always different (hysteresis). I waste a lot of coffee re-finding my espresso setting, so I've just gone back to my Mazzer SJ for espresso and only use my Vario for French Press.
Any more ideas? Lower burr shaft lubrication perhaps? Or should I just e-mail Baratza support?
Well, I finally got the grind size down to an acceptable level for espresso (25 sec shot). To do this I had to go 3 notches tighter than my zero!
I don't hear a noticable load change on the motor (though it's hard to tell when beans are being ground). So I must assume the "no bean" zero is different than the loaded "with bean" zero. Maybe some play in the mechanism?
Your description of where you are at presently is consistent with the operation of my Vario. Three clicks coarser than "zero" would produce gushers on my machine and I can never use that coarse of a grind. Depending on the roast, I am normally grinding in the range that is bounded by a) a few clicks finer than "zero" to b) a few clicks coarser than full up micro position. The finest of that range normally chokes shots and the coarsest is too fast..thus it works perfectly...if finest does not choke then I recalibrate with 2mm allen and I'm back in business. This is for a fresh full city ++ style of espresso blend roast.
While I've seen some posts that touch on this somewhat ambiguously, I am operating under an assumtion that if Baratza wants "zero" to be set at the middle of micro travel, they expect me to be able to use the full range of travel (i.e., do not have to stop at "zero"). Similarly, if it were bad to run the grinder "into the negative" from zero on a properly calibrated unit, then presumably they would have asked us to set the "zero" at the top of micro travel to avoid any possibility of going "negative". The part that is missing from the manual is a clear statement about how much finer one can go beyond "zero" before there is concern about loading the motor. I am fine assuming they have set the zero calibration instructions so that you can use all the available range of settings w/o venturing into off-normal operating conditions.
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