how much???

[krusty]

got the new minore and sunbeam combo working fairly well these days... now comes the fidling part, that should last the next 4 to 5 years!!

so, question is how much cofee should be in the filter??? no scales so going by sight... so the thing is if i grind into the filter (using a youghurt cut jammed in to stop the bench getting more grinds than the filter), level off to the top, and then tamp, i end up with coffee just above the rim. if the grinder is set to 5 or so, then this is ok....
or
do i fill it over the top, tap it a little, and then tamp so it is just below the top of the filter. still locks into place, sometimes with a tiny force..
so which is the idea. the 2nd way needs a coarser grind, otherwise it chokes.
the first method leave a slightly wet puck (sometime), meaning it needed more grounds....

so, which is right, or is it just a matter of taste?

[scoota_gal]

Re: how much???

Krusty, I think it depends on what sort of pour you are getting from how much you have put in the filter basket.

Most people would say adjust your grinder settings first then fill the porta filler. Personally, I dont adjust the grinder at work, its on a pretty good grind at the moment and I actually just adjust how much coffee I put in the filter basket.

Ah, this will get them all going! ::waits to see how many jump on me!::

And when I talk about "pour" I am talking about whether your end result is dripping from the spout or running like tap water, or ideally, trickling like "mouse tails". And then taste, if it tastes good to you no matter how it is coming out, then who is to say what is right or wrong!?

[Kualityman]

Re: how much???

scoota gal is right on the money once again....its all a matter of taste...YOUR taste. I have found that if I have the grind and timed pour right I then have to add little or no sugar.

Again how much to place in the portafilter is again a matter of taste. It is a combination of the grind verses the fullness of the filter. Again its all a metter of the end taste. You have to experiment and dont be afraid to throw out your sample lots. Experimentation is good.

I hate the mess created when filling the portafilter and am currently working on an auto fill device. I have worked out the principle and now have to build a prototype. In the mean time I have set my grind such that when i have filled the filter to the top this is sufficient for me. I then tamp it and of course it goes lower in the portafilter. This is really of no consequence as along as the strength of the brew is to your liking. So filling the portafilter is really no matter you need to judge the amount based on the end results taste.

This is why it is good to experiment with the grind and the tamp pressure. I have read a tamp pressure of 40lbs is about right and I have to say i find this a bit excessive. But once again if the grind is very fine then over tamping will lead to a difficult pour. Again experiment and get the grind/ tamp pressure set so that you can repeat the pour each time you make a brew. All this says it doesnt really matter how full the portafilter is it is the required taste that counts.

scoota gall does have a point when she says she doesnt mess with the grinder as she can effectively use what is currently produced. I bet though that as she has set herself a target of creating that special brew then the variable of changing the gind settings will come into play.

Again getting the gind right for your brew should be such that no sugar is required. Unless that is you like that bitter taste and then poison it with many a spoodful of sugar. Try eating a bean on its own!! Brain food but I bet you spit it out. This is a good lesson for what we are trying achieve when making a brew is to extract the oil from the bean. It is this oil that makes the brew. The oil is very precious and hence we go to great lengths to extract it. Temperature being everything in this process.

Going back to my original post about how not to use a coffee machine, I had a collegue today make me a coffee from his $69 Sunbeam. Boy did he make a mess of it. True to my previous comments the instructions dont tell you how to make a good brew. Now after 5 minutes pointing out the dos and dont of this machine he just couldnt belive the difference in his coffee.

Knowledge is everyhing so go and experiment and let us know how you go.
Above all have fun
kualityman 8-)