CMIN Senior Member Joined: 14 Jun 2012 Posts: 513 Location: South FL Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Crossland CC1 Grinder: Baratza Preciso
Posted Thu Mar 21, 2013, 2:22pm Subject: Re: Help with oily beans in a super automatic
sherds Said:
Many thanks for the input! - Will avoid Grindz - Have cleaned it about as much as I can without really taking it apart - Hooked on a super automatic, it's just so easy - The every 5th cup error frequency isn't predictable, so can't manage to it - I'll have to find a coffee roaster and go talk to them. Maybe get a small amount of a few different coffees that are bold but not oily.
Plenty of good roasters online, or you could search your local area, never know you may find some so you can try their beans. Charbucks beans are burt beyond recognition and super oily, they do that as they use bottom of the barrel cheap beans and want "consistency" across the stores.
A good medium or dark roast by a good roaster, I guarantee you'll never want to drink Charbucks again.
IMAWriter Senior Member Joined: 4 Jul 2002 Posts: 5,464 Location: Brentwood, TN Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Nothing at the moment Grinder: Vario-W,Preciso-Esatto/KyM... Vac Pot: Adcraft SS, Yama 8 cup Drip: Brazen.Chemex, Hario, Clever... Roaster: Behmor 1600, CO/UFO combo
Posted Thu Mar 21, 2013, 3:12pm Subject: Re: Help with oily beans in a super automatic
sherds Said:
Many thanks for the input! - Will avoid Grindz - Have cleaned it about as much as I can without really taking it apart - Hooked on a super automatic, it's just so easy - The every 5th cup error frequency isn't predictable, so can't manage to it - I'll have to find a coffee roaster and go talk to them. Maybe get a small amount of a few different coffees that are bold but not oily.
Ben, Welcome to CG! I see you've been "welcomed" in the usual manner here! LOL This IS an upwardly mobile group when it comes to coffee, and not many here are fans of the Mermaid, though back in the earlier days I found Gold Coast to be quite nice. It WASN'T oily.
BTW, I must commend you on a very nice attitude, and acceptance of our somewhat opinionated style. (mea culpa as well!)
All this said, If you've spent more than $1500 on your machine, it might be worth sending it back for a thorough cleaning (for convenience get a Keurig, etc while it's gone). Otherwise, perhaps call the manufacturer and, assuming you're out of warranty, ask tech support what you can do to clean the grinder and pathways.
sherds Junior Member Joined: 21 Mar 2013 Posts: 5 Location: Cleveland Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Thu Mar 21, 2013, 3:24pm Subject: Re: Help with oily beans in a super automatic
Love the candor and banter, makes it fun.
Called the mfg and retailer. Costs $140 to clean, plus shipping both ways, so call it $200. Tech guy at Whole Latte Love did NOT say that they could clean it well, don't worry about it, do this all the time, etc. Was a nice person, just didn't give me comfort that I could get another couple years out of the machine without the issue re-occurring (have had it about 2.5 years). New ones are $600, no tax and free shipping. I could live with a $200 tax every couple years, but would have liked a bit of certainty.
Posted Thu Mar 21, 2013, 4:00pm Subject: Re: Help with oily beans in a super automatic
with some of the earlier supers you could service the grinder (and had 18 grind settings) like the gaggia Titanium for example and I think it came in a office version also, If your still hooked on keeping in the SA arena. not that I like to recomend SA's but you would atleast be able to service it.
slybarman Senior Member Joined: 3 Nov 2011 Posts: 334 Location: usa Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Nuova Era Cuadra Grinder: Baratza Vario
Posted Thu Mar 21, 2013, 6:09pm Subject: Re: Help with oily beans in a super automatic
The reason you cannot use GRINDZ in a super auto is that a superauto must brew whatever is ground in order to pass it through the system. GRINDZ expands considerably when it comes in contact with water which will cause damage to the brewgroup in a superauto.
Pulygrind crystals do not expand in water and are safe for a superauto.
I used them once in my Saeco superauto. I cannot say how effective they really were though as I wasn't specifically having a problem with my grinder and I avoided oily beans.
Can't hurt to try though I suppose.
Also, you can find smaller quantities of Pulygrind on ebay if you just want to try one or two packs before committing to buying more.
sherds Junior Member Joined: 21 Mar 2013 Posts: 5 Location: Cleveland Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Thu Mar 21, 2013, 6:26pm Subject: Re: Help with oily beans in a super automatic
I had not heard of Puly Caff Tablets. Found their web site, and they say that they clean the grinder of a fully automatic. The smaller, 1 gram size, sounds right for a residential unit like mine. I'll order some and give it a try. Some say the product is expensive, but not when compared to sending it out for cleaning ($200) or buying a new one ($600)! Many thanks. (Still will go see my local roaster, which I have identified.) Have a business trip so if anyone is watching this very closely it may be a bit for my update.
slybarman Senior Member Joined: 3 Nov 2011 Posts: 334 Location: usa Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Nuova Era Cuadra Grinder: Baratza Vario
Posted Thu Mar 21, 2013, 6:34pm Subject: Re: Help with oily beans in a super automatic
sherds Said:
I had not heard of Puly Caff Tablets. Found their web site, and they say that they clean the grinder of a fully automatic. The smaller, 1 gram size, sounds right for a residential unit like mine. I'll order some and give it a try. Some say the product is expensive, but not when compared to sending it out for cleaning ($200) or buying a new one ($600)! Many thanks. (Still will go see my local roaster, which I have identified.) Have a business trip so if anyone is watching this very closely it may be a bit for my update.
Correct, these look like the standard brew group cleaners that you would use in your by-pass. Maybe these are for if you don't have a by-pass and can pass them through your grinder? Not sure. If you have a by-pass (sorry didn't go back to check what machine you have) just buy urnex cafiza tablets or the brand of tablets from your machine (each mfg. has one) and use those. Cheaper and just as effective. OR if you have a saeco, you can always just remove the brewing unit and rinse it under water to clean it. Not sure how it would help your grinder like slybar mentioned.
sherds Junior Member Joined: 21 Mar 2013 Posts: 5 Location: Cleveland Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue Apr 9, 2013, 11:29am Subject: Re: Help with oily beans in a super automatic
Here's an update, and again thanks for the input and fun banter:
Used PulyGrind powder to clean out the grinder. Put it in the bean hopper and ran it through like it was beans. I think it helped and have used it a couple times now. It was the only product I found that could be used in a super-automatic to clean the grinder. (Yes, still hooked on a super-auto!)
Went to a local roaster (Phoenix Coffee in Cleveland) and was lucky to be there when their coffee geek (what they call him) stopped in. After a good conversation I got a quarter pound of 4 different roasts. Didn't like 2 of them, liked the other 2. One was their espresso blend, one french roast (duh, it's pretty dark and oily).
At his suggestion, I'm now mixing the 2 I liked, and the machine and my wife are both happy.
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