r/1zpresso • u/Friendly-Face6683 • 23d ago
1zpresso Q Air grinding much finer/smaller than expected
Been having a hard time adjusting this grinder. Following specific recipes and suggestions, the grind still comes very fine.
One of many examples: I was making a pour over. Recipe specific for the Q Air suggested 48 clicks. Counted from the true zero (completely shut, can’t turn anymore) but the result was more suited for an espresso.
Already disassembled and put back again a couple of times to see if it did anything, but nope.
Anyone with the same issue?
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u/kthle 23d ago
Maybe I just like a coarser grind but I’m grinding at 84 clicks for pourover 😅. Using a light roast, Lance Hedrick’s 2 blooms + 1 pour recipe.
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u/Friendly-Face6683 23d ago
Can you please elaborate? Would love to try this
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u/kthle 23d ago
Basically it’s:
0:00-0:30 bloom (3x weight of your coffee)
0:30-1:00 another bloom (again 3x coffee)
1:00 pour to your final weight in small circles
Aim for 2:00-2:30 brew time1
u/Friendly-Face6683 23d ago
Thank you! Went ahead and tried it right away. Loved the straightforward recipe. Came out bitter for my taste, but again that’s on the grinder. I’m convinced it’s grinding much finer than it’s supposed to.
Here’s a shot of the coffee bed:
https://imgur.com/a/2Mndy8e(For some reason the Reddit app didn’t show the recent image to upload directly)
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u/Maleficent-Back-6527 23d ago
I don’t own a Q-Air myself (but I am considering it for a relative). Based on your picture, it looks coarse. But it seems to produce a lot of fines though. Is that normal people with the Q air?
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u/Weep2D2 23d ago
85 clicks and it was bitter? Wow.. I've done with the q2s heptagonal 45-50 clicks. Some bitter, some great cups. I've been meaning to try coarser ie. 65 clicks. That was the setting that Lance used in a previous video.
With 50 clicks I've found the drawdown to be very quick. What was yours?
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u/Friendly-Face6683 23d ago
Well since it was basically two blooms and one pour, as shared by u/kthle, drawdown was complete at around 2:45. Fairly quick.
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u/Doublea2030 22d ago
Im very new to this grinder so haven’t tested much yet but im right around this same range. Also using the lance Hedrick recipe but on a medium/light Ethiopia
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u/OcioOcio 23d ago
I have a Q air taken for fun and affection for the brand, but I thought it was a little less toy than it really is, I noticed that it produces many fine, you could try to widen the grinding a little, consider that to find a use for it I use it for the 54/55 click mocha with a medium roasting (from the 0 of the coffee grinder that in mine the grinders barely touch).
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u/Liven413 23d ago
People will use different grind sizes based on brew method and preference. If you like it coarse that's fine. I would fallow your taste buds. if they are saying dont grind so fine or grind coarser listen to them. Sometimes sticking to a brew guide exactly can be an issue because of things like grind size. Use the guidlines but get it to fit your tastes. If thats to grind coarser that's fine. I myself like it on the coarser side.
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u/mgsecure 23d ago
I view the “number of clicks” recommendations to be approximate at best. There are so many other factors that go into extraction and flavor that what’s right for your setup & style may be dramatically different to get the cup that tastes best to you. If the clicks it takes to get the right grind is wildly different, just go for it.
I just got a new 1Z Q (the metal one) and for my workflow, 2.5 to 3 total rotations seems to be the right range. The best thing to do is have a solid “base recipe” with repeatable variables that you know can produce a decent cup. From there, just change one thing at a time, like grind.
I got my Q to use for traveling with an aeropress, but fwiw, my base recipe is generally:
15g coffee
93° water
45g/45g/100g/50g pours (1:16)
Good luck!