Have gone to a triple basket - what to change?

[-Alchemist-]

I was given a naked p/f for my birthday (woo-hoo) with a triple basket (thanks heaps to Pedro/Coffeeparts for helping my Mrs. out!)

Looking for advice as to what do I need to do differently with the larger/deeper basket.  Grind size/Tamping pressure/Tap downs etc?

Ive tried the triple for a couple of shots already and for the first time since having my machine, Im not banging out beautiful, crisp pucks after pulling a shot (it kind of crumbled instead).

Going back to the double basket sees my pucks return to form :-/

Thanks for any assistance!

-A-

[Thundergod]

Re: Have gone to a triple basket - what to change?

I too have been trying my triple basket this last week.

Someone here suggested dosing a double shot into one.

I find that its more forgiving in that I dont hit the showerscreen now if I updose too much.
I like that.

But Ive also found that the pucks have crumbled out and in in the last day or two theyve been wet on top.

[christretto]

Re: Have gone to a triple basket - what to change?

I have played around a little bit on a La Marzocco using a triple, I found that I needed a lot more tap downs to settle the grinds otherwise I was tamping too deep and found that it was considerably under-dosed. I increased the number of tap downs from 6 to about 11 but breaking it into 3 groups ie dose a bit 3 taps dose more 3 taps overfill then 5 taps etc... The pucks came out crisp and firm so you might just want to play around with that.

Happy birthday by the way...

[-Alchemist-]

Re: Have gone to a triple basket - what to change?

Thanks Christretto - will give the three dose routine a try.

I may actually get to use the single grind button on the Mazzer afterall  

I just transferred the naked p/f head off the black plastic handle onto the Mondiale handle this morning -  8-)

Cheers,

-A-

[christretto]

Re: Have gone to a triple basket - what to change?

So much fun to be had when a naked is involved...

[luca]

Re: Have gone to a triple basket - what to change?

I too have been trying my triple basket this last week.

Someone here suggested dosing a double shot into one.

I find that its more forgiving in that I dont hit the showerscreen now if I updose too much.
I like that.

But Ive also found that the pucks have crumbled out and in in the last day or two theyve been wet on top.

I think that Andrew is currently using a low dose in triple baskets at the Maling Room. In cafes, the best way to do this is usually to dose, then strike off. It makes for a very fast coffee preparation.

I dont think that crumbly and watery pucks are a problem if your coffee tastes good. I switched to the down-dosing method on my shift last Saturday and most of my pucks were like that. The regulars were divided about whether or not they preferred standard dose espresso or low dose espresso, but the shots were quite consistent once the grind was dialled in. Using a triple basket should make it relatively easy.

I guess that the thing to remember with a triple is that using more coffee will skew your shots towards the flavours that you get out of the first half of a standard double. In other words, you get the volume of an espresso, but the flavour is more that of a ristretto.

Cheers,

Luca

[-Alchemist-]

Re: Have gone to a triple basket - what to change?

Christretto - worked like a charm - the puck banged out nicely!

Thanks Luca - despite the crumbly pucks earlier, the SO I was running (Honduran Barios Estate) cut through milk very nicely indeed (the aroma of the crema really seemed to reflect a higher ratio of volatile oils) and the pour was one of the best Ive seen - viscous with a sweet flavour to match.

So once again, your wise words of "Its whats in the cup that counts" resonate!  

Cheers,

-A-

[robusto]

Re: Have gone to a triple basket - what to change?

Yep, as I said before, pucks are what go into the waste bin, the liquid coffee is what goes in the mouth. Its the latter, of course, that counts.

Having said that, the ONLY attention I would pay to puck properties is if is sloppy with liquid. A probable sign of underdosing, but pretty rare in my home where 18-20 grams is the norm.

Until you get the hang of dosing, its good practice to weigh the amount of grinds in the basket. A triple should easily accommodate upwards of 18 grams.

Any other means of dosing, to a novice, would probably not provide consistent results. Aerated, fine grinds easily fill to the brim, giving a false indication of a full basket.