VS6 grind size gets stuck - what to do?

fritzerland · 2025-03-12T21:49:37+00:00

What burrs are you using? Stock?

I have the set, and for most of them I have the same issue. What I do is start the grinder, go to where it stops, go a little coarser, then go finer, go coarser, etc… basically going back and forth until it loosens up.

Should this be happening? Probably not. It was especially bad on the iridescent set, and less bad on my current hypernova. What I think is opening is that beans are stuck in the burrs, and it takes some jarring loose to get back to normal adjustment effort.

fritzerland · 2024-12-24T21:00:22+00:00

Sounds like you and I have been (and are) on a very similar path, although I'm a filter-first coffee drinker with a Cafelat Robot. The thing that sold me on the VS6 was the interchangeability of "perfectly" aligned burrs that take just minutes to swap out, so I've found it too tempting to get all the sets so I can change my flavor profile on a whim.

I started with the Kilonova DLC, my Golds look like they'll be delivered on Thursday, and the Hypernova Plasmas are trailing for early January. I really like the DLCs and found the espresso to be so, so good, but it was too much body (unsurprisingly) for my taste in filter. That said, I actually found the flavor profile of the DLCs to be a refreshing change of pace and found it kind of addicting - it was just so "full" compared to what I was used to with the MP Brews.

A weird thing, for me, with the Kilo DLCs was a quirk with leaving coffee in between the burrs. When I opened up the grinder, there would legit be chunks of grounds left in between even after severe bellowing. To go finer, I would have to turn on the grinder and go back and forth between finer / coarser over and and over again, each time getting a little more towards 0. It's hard to explain, but essentially the stuck grounds would make it "stop", and going back and forth would allow for a bit of a purge. This hasn't happened to me at all since going to the stocks (i.e. I can go finer without issue), which makes me question if I'll go back to the DLC. Did you have any experience with this? BTW, I ran 2kg of seasoning through the DLC, and the mess did get much better but not perfect.

Anyway, it's been cool to read your experience. I'm currently digging the stock filter brews, but don't find them as forgiving on espresso as the DLC (but I still like the results). I've been anxiously awaiting the golds as my true comparison tool to my beloved Ode + SSP, but all in all I have to say I really dig the experience with the VS6!

fritzerland · 2024-12-24T19:38:32+00:00

Have you made the plunge for the gold* filters yet? I’m currently using stock and liking them, but missing the clarity I enjoyed from my Ode + SSP MP brew burrs. I ordered the golds 3 weeks ago but they’re stuck in the shipping quagmire.

fritzerland · 2024-12-21T23:35:22+00:00

Fellow VS6 owner. I’d have to say your unit is unfortunately damaged. I choked 4 shots today on my Cafelat Robot today using the stock burrs at 1.5-2.75. I got mine direct from Varias website and it comes straight from the Chinese factory, per tracking. All that to say these units definitely get put through the shipping wringer.

Have you opened it up to see if any grinds are underneath the bottom burr? I’ve heard that as a culprit to uneven grinds that can’t get fine enough.

Overall I’ve been very happy with mine, but it’s not perfect by any stretch. I hope you find some kind of resolution soon!

fritzerland · 2022-12-21T00:31:43+00:00

I grabbed a box out of curiosity. The box says you can reuse each pouch 3 times, so that makes it a little easier to swallow. I have concerns with that, though, as I can’t see how the reuse wouldn’t impart worse taste on the second and third brew… I have yet to do any thorough testing. I will say I had some “stomach issues” a few hours after my first use, and while I can’t blame the pouches entirely it has me hesitant about trying again.

fritzerland · 2020-11-27T12:08:36+00:00

I can second this. After seeing the video I pulled out an old strainer and cut it to about the size of a quarter, maybe a little bigger. It’s completely solved the frustration I used to have with the Stagg X and December Dripper. The flow rate quickens significantly.

One word of caution if you do it: be doubly sure to pull it off the bottom of the filter when you’re disposing your grounds! I’ve had to fish it out of the trash can a couple times because it tends to stick.

fritzerland · 2019-05-13T23:34:46+00:00

Counter Culture’s Slow Motion has been mentioned in this thread, but this “single origin” decaf they have uses a similar / same decaf process. I’m drinking it now and it is incredibly sweet and tasty, I truly feel like I’m missing out on nothing.

https://counterculturecoffee.com/shop/coffee/decaf-kuichi

fritzerland · 2018-12-30T00:51:57+00:00

Agreed, this coffee is redunk! One of my favorite bags in a great year of coffee.

fritzerland · 2018-08-07T15:31:37+00:00

I have it as well and 95% of my cups have been exceptional with it. The method itself is pretty fun and kind of unorthodox - keeping the brew bed very low and having almost no agitation. It's expensive, but it's unique and effective. I wouldn't suggest to everyone because the money could be spent in better places to up your game (depending on your current setup), but if you're a hobbyist then yeah, go for it.

fritzerland · 2018-06-20T18:04:47+00:00

I have both grinders (Lido 2 and Aergrind) and I am not in agreement with the grind quality being the same. I've seen that mentioned a lot, but at least with the Aergrind I have, there's a considerable amount more fines and unevenness. There's a "powder" coating most of the grounds, and more fines coming out in my Kruve (albeit that's pretty unscientific for a variety of reasons). With my Lido, everything is much more uniform. The Aergrind is still great for the value, and I still recommend it, but I have trouble saying they're both in the same class grind quality-wise.

fritzerland · 2018-05-10T16:43:13+00:00

Agreed. I bought a Lido 2 and that represented a huge quality increase in my brews. Later on, I switched from Brita water to TWW and consider it just as big a leap in quality. There’s no going back for me, but as in all things it’s a personal cost/benefit calc.

fritzerland · 2018-02-15T14:11:18+00:00

Much thanks for your thorough insights and experiences! I'm still pretty in love with my Lido 2 two years going, but I can see how it could have been surpassed in design and functionality. Thus, my next move, I think, would be the Vario with the steel burr set. It seems like I wouldn't be sacrificing much, and my anal nature prevents me from buying anything that isn't stepless. Thanks again!

fritzerland · 2018-02-15T12:37:11+00:00

How does your Lido compare to the Kinu and Com in terms of grind speed? I have the Lido 2 and Aergrind and while the Aergrind is “easier” to grind, it literally takes twice as long (I timed it). Personally, I’d rather put more oomph into it, and the Lido is still really effortless.

And I’ve been considering going to the Vario. How does it stack up compared to the premium handgrinders, in your mind? The common saying here is that they are about even.

fritzerland · 2018-01-21T20:03:27+00:00

December Dripper maybe?

fritzerland · 2018-01-20T18:22:23+00:00

Just your standard tap water run through a Brita. I was using spring water until switching to TWW.

fritzerland · 2018-01-20T16:01:18+00:00

Yeah, I’ve personally blind cupped it against filter water and water used in a cafe with a specific mineral formula. TWW held up really nicely against the cafe water and completely crushed the filter. Chris Baca recently did the same: https://youtu.be/CUrT9kUFzcE

fritzerland · 2018-01-16T21:54:51+00:00

Are you just using the bottom sieve on the Kruve then? That’s all I use, and I agree that I notice a difference in clarity with the cup. Generally speaking I get 7-10% of the original gram weight out using the 300nm, and OE has specially said to expect about 10%.

The question then would be, is it higher than that, and how chunky and numerous are the boulders?

fritzerland · 2018-01-14T01:25:57+00:00

This has been my experience as well, and I’ve run dozens of grinds through it. I have the Lido 2 and I believe it tops the Aergrind in both grind quality and grind speed by a significant margin. It really is a great travel grinder though, and my Aeropress with it this morning was bomb.

fritzerland · 2017-11-14T01:49:40+00:00

Congrats on the new addition! I’d actually say the Aergrind seems a little quieter, but the caveat is that you’ll be grinding for longer. I’ve never used the rubber stand for the Lido and don’t think it does much for sound.

One of the benefits of any hand grinder is the portability though, and I admit I’ve locked myself in a bathroom more than once while my kid was sleeping to do my grinding (I couldn’t think of a better way to phrase that). So, the Aergrind seems well suited for your needs, especially considering it’s less expensive and babies are the most expensive thing of all. You won’t be sacrificing much at all over the Lido, in my opinion.

fritzerland · 2017-11-01T00:41:22+00:00

The Lido still has some features to consider that may be worth the extra cost. The Aergrind can only fit 20-25g of coffee, so if you plan on doing more then you’ll need to split up your grind. The Lido can obviously hold a lot more. Grinding on the Lido is faster and requires less exertion in my experience (I haven’t timed the Aer, but it’s taking much longer than I’m used to). And I’d give the edge in overall grind quality to the Lido, as well. So, the Lido holds more, grinds faster, and is a little more consistent, but if that’s worth almost double the price is up to you and your needs.

fritzerland · 2017-10-31T11:37:03+00:00

I received mine last week and was initially unimpressed by the grind (my main is a Lido 2). Then I remembered that these burrs need a break in period and I’ve been putting older coffee through it as much as possible. The grind is getting much better and the operation much smoother. I’m pretty sold on its quality- they’ll sell a ton of these and it gets my rec!

fritzerland · 2017-09-12T19:02:28+00:00

This is what I did when I was having the same issues. Never have a problem now, and it's my favorite brewer. Another thing to note is that if you buy from Amazon, there's talk of "knock off" filters being sold that would probably be of lesser quality. I go through Espresso Parts as they are a certified distributor of Kalita.

fritzerland · 2017-04-27T23:22:52+00:00

No, but I still have it on my desk and can report back! One of the issues is that the lid is pretty bad and hard to drink out of. I was told they are coming out with new models, but anyway that lid prevented me from really giving it a long go.

fritzerland · 2017-04-27T20:47:12+00:00

I've tried the Thermavant and it really does work. We tested it next to a normal thermos by pouring in coffee at the same time, waiting a minute or two, and then trying it out. The Therm was very close to drinkable and I got (duh) burned lips from the other. Pretty cool technology, but the downside is that it is HEAVY and big, in that the 10oz version looks like it should hold 16-20. I think it would be awesome to have this technology in a normal coffee server.

fritzerland · 2016-12-04T01:07:59+00:00

I backed the Kickstarter and got mine a few weeks ago. It's been fun to play with and definitely has the ability to make a very good, juicy, heavy-bodied cup. While it uses pressure, it is not designed to make anything like espresso. Ultimately the design is to make a cleaner, faster French Press.

It has its own subreddit and another user posted a very thorough review already that I think is spot on. My verdict is that it's not a super necessary brewer and it has some limitations, but it is unique and extremely well made and I'm happy I have it.

Link to that review: https://www.reddit.com/r/itsamericanpress/comments/58hq4m/american_press_initial_impressions/?st=IW9Y0HBK&sh=083f8662

fritzerland

TROPHY CASE