Help with pulling espresso.

[logankrat]

Hi all,

First of all I hope that I have posted in the correct area, and apologies if I have not.

I have been having trouble pulling shots recently and was hoping that I could get some help with diagnosing what I am doing wrong.

The shot pours very tight at the start and looks like the perfect dark mouse tail for about the first 12- 15 seconds, however there seems to be a very quick transition from the mouse tail to a gushing flow of blond coffee. No mater how I change the grind size I cant seem to find a balance between the above occurring and the shot not pulling at all.

I have kept the dose constant at 20grams in a 14gram basket. The machine i'm using is a Bezzera BZ09 paired up with a Compak K3 push.


Thanks in advance for any advice

[Dimal]

Welcome "logankrat"....

Out of interest mate, how old is the coffee you're using, i.e. how far past its roast date is it?

Mal.

[richard_m_h]

Channeling?

[logankrat]

Fresh roasted less than a week old. It could be channelling as the tamper I have is quite average and is too small for my basket.

[richard_m_h]

If a new tamper doesn't work another thing to try is to drop the dose when you grind finer.

[Yelta]

Hi all,

First of all I hope that I have posted in the correct area, and apologies if I have not.

I have been having trouble pulling shots recently and was hoping that I could get some help with diagnosing what I am doing wrong.

The shot pours very tight at the start and looks like the perfect dark mouse tail for about the first 12- 15 seconds, however there seems to be a very quick transition from the mouse tail to a gushing flow of blond coffee. No mater how I change the grind size I cant seem to find a balance between the above occurring and the shot not pulling at all.

I have kept the dose constant at 20grams in a 14gram basket. The machine i'm using is a Bezzera BZ09 paired up with a Compak K3 push.


Thanks in advance for any advice

20 grams in a 14 gram basket must mean the basket is pretty full LGK, the puck must be close to or even touching the shower screen which will disturb the puck and cause problems, have you done the five cent piece test?

Have you considered buying an 18 gram basket? Talk Coffee has a 14 to 18 gram basket for approx $13

Precision filter basket 58mm- Espresso parts | Talk Coffee

I use one of these on my Bezzera machine with excellent results.

Your tamper may not be ideal, however I wouldn't expect it to consistently cause the same result.

PS Welcome to Coffee Snobs.

[Luke_G]

Depending on the quality of your grinder, i would be inclined to drop the dose level and tighten the grind.

My 2c

[flynnaus]

I have been having trouble pulling shots recently and was hoping that I could get some help with diagnosing what I am doing wrong.

If this has started occurring 'recently' it suggests it was OK before. The question is then what has changed?

The coffee is the usual suspect and I think Mal has asked the correct question. Have you changed your brand of coffee recently logankrat?

[noonar]

When the warmer weather arrives here in WA, I notice earlier blonding with my Bezzera, which is cured by a longer pre-pull cooling flush and very slight finer grind 18g into a 18g basket.

[logankrat]

If this has started occurring 'recently' it suggests it was OK before. The question is then what has changed?

The coffee is the usual suspect and I think Mal has asked the correct question. Have you changed your brand of coffee recently logankrat?

I said recently as it is a machine which I have only recently began using, however I have always had this problem with this machine. I have not been making coffee since I moved to WA from QLD a couple years ago as I did not have a machine here, at least not until a couple weeks ago . Therefore i'm not certain it is a problem with the coffee as it is happening with different blends roasted by different people etc.

[logankrat]

Depending on the quality of your grinder, i would be inclined to drop the dose level and tighten the grind.

My 2c

Thanks Luke_G, I am using a brand new Compak K3 push grinder. I initially upped the dose to 20grams as the Compak was choking up a bit and spiting out clumps of ground coffee when I was making the grind too fine, however this may have been just because it was brand new and never had a any beans run through it. I will try grinding finer and dropping the dose down to 18grams when I get home tonight! What dose/basket size do you normally use?

[Luke_G]

I'm dosing 20g in a 21g basket from a Mahlkonig K30 for 40g out. Different machine to you though.

I find almost no blonding towards the end of the shot with the K30. With a Mazzer Mini, i was dosing around 21g with a courser grind to avoid worm holes.

[Bames]

I would image your 20g in a 14g basket would definitely be pushing very hard against the screen, and this would be causing your channelling. I would even say that 18g in a 14g basket is WAY overdose.

I would place a big bet that is the cause of the end shot gushing.

I would recommend 16g as a theoretical maximum for a 14g basket without it touching the screen. Try the 5c test as a very basic guide to max dose volume (search the forums for instructions), and don't dose more in the basket than the 5c test allows. Adjust grind to get 25-30 second pour and then go by taste.

[Yelta]

Hmmm, surprised have chosen to ignore my suggestions in post number 6 given your using a Bezzera machine, I suspect they may well solve your problem.

If your wondering what the 5 cent test is check here http://coffeesnobs.com.au/general-co...-unknowns.html

As I said in my original post and Bames has also commented, overdosing.

[Dimal]

I said recently as it is a machine which I have only recently began using, however I have always had this problem with this machine. I have not been making coffee since I moved to WA from QLD a couple years ago as I did not have a machine here, at least not until a couple weeks ago .

Agree Yelta...

And, this tidbit of info (above) would have been handy to know from the outset...

Mal.