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Gaggia Classic expressing too fast
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Thanks again all, these comments provide some assistance with not only my understanding of the extraction process but (more importantly) some gentle persuasion toward the wife and my argument for the need (not want) for a grinder!
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Unless you live next door to your roaster and they are kind enough to grind on demand for you, then you are forever chasing your tail.
Stale coffee (whether it be not freshly roasted or not recently ground) will always tend to run fast, and lack crema in my experience.
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2 month old coffee is a problem as is preground. Combine the 2 and you have a powerful force for extraction issues. Not sure how to talk your wife into getting a grinder but unfortunately everything you read about needing a grinder is true. Good luck!
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Thanks for the input, this is my first few days in working with a manual machine (certainly more art to it than I had given credit for).
I dosed this morning to around 17g but the extraction was slightly quicker than the target 25-30 (15 seconds or there about).
Unfortunately I am yet to acquire a grinder (wife was none too impressed that I invested in the manual machine when we have a "perfectly fine Nespresso machine"). Had my local roaster dial in this grind (beans roasted 16/9) so I am having to adjust my tamp to hopefully get the desired extraction.
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Yeah overdosing the basket on a Classic to the point you struggle to get the portafilter in is a bad idea. The whole group head area will be filling with coffee grounds and the machine will need extra cleaning and maintenance. Much better to grind finer dose at around 17g.
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I'm amazed you can get that much coffee into a standard gaggia double basket. I can fit about 17g before it hits the shower screen. 21g would have to be massively over filling it and tamping incredibly hard. Although TimG said he was grinding fine, in my experience a gaggia classic would have choked with 21g of finely ground coffee. Considering the sunbeam grinder discussion in conjunction, I don't think the Gaggia Classic was at fault here!
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Just wanted to boost this old thread for any new Gaggia Classic users, the third point in TimG's post was exactly what I needed to extract silky smooth espresso with fantastic crema!
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Re: Gaggia Classic expressing too fast
Ah, Im so glad I found this thread... now I should be able to get the grind on my Sunbeam sorted out to be fine enough again!
Thanks
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Re: Gaggia Classic expressing too fast
Troy,
I have a Gaggia and was having the same problem. The 3 major things I found to fix it were:
1) Fresh beans (already covered here)
2) Correct grind - mine is set very fine (already covered)
3) Lots of coffee in the double basket. I usually get 22g in there and really give it a good tamp. The basket might be difficult to get in...but it does go in!
I read somewhere on this forum that the Gaggia basket needs to be overloaded. It works for me. give it a shot.
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Re: Gaggia Classic expressing too fast
I think its the beans.Originally posted by 51574A5C4D504B51250 link=1270342068/5#5 date=1270510355So Ive tried pre-ground beans from a roaster and had the same result today. Interestingly though, if I use the single shot basket rather than the double I can get the extraction timing just right and a very smooth flavour. It seems to be that the double shot basket is flowing too quickly.
Does this sound feasible? Is locating a different double basket a worthwhile exercise?
Using the double basket i normally only have to move my EM0480 no more than one click to adjust adequately.
Pre-ground beans go off incredibly quickly. Smell them after grinding and then ten minutes later. It will be different.
Your problem is that the beans dont generate enough resistance. Stale grounds are like sand, they simply dont generate resistance.
Could be the grinder fault, but its just as likely to be the beans.
1) Do you know exactly when the beans were roasted?
2) How much space is there between the basket rim and the coffee after youve tamped?
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Re: Gaggia Classic expressing too fast
Hi Troy,
It could be that you need to get an extra washer for the emo480 to get the grind fine enough. I have the emo450 and found I could not get a fine enough grind for my classic. I got an extra washer from sunbeam which you place under the bottom burr to bring the burrs closer together. Check out the linked posted by Di, it should sort you out.
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Re: Gaggia Classic expressing too fast
A friend of mine told me that his EM0480 was incorrectly assembled so that he couldnt get anything but a gusher until he took it apart and reassembled it properly. This was with his EM6910.
Unfortunately, I dont remember what he said was wrong but he said it was obvious as soon as he removed the upper burr.
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Re: Gaggia Classic expressing too fast
Hi Troy,
Not sure but it could sound like a dosing issue. I have the same combo as you and generally my grinder setting sits around number 10-12.
And as said by Zane - probably check your burr but if you can pull a single shot and not a double shot then maybe it is not that.
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Re: Gaggia Classic expressing too fast
So Ive tried pre-ground beans from a roaster and had the same result today. Interestingly though, if I use the single shot basket rather than the double I can get the extraction timing just right and a very smooth flavour. It seems to be that the double shot basket is flowing too quickly.
Does this sound feasible? Is locating a different double basket a worthwhile exercise?
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Re: Gaggia Classic expressing too fast
are you sure the top grinder burr is seated correctly? try to take it out, give the unit a brush clean, and re-seat it, making sure the burr turns and clicks in snugly.
is the machine clean and clear behind the shower-screen? i recently saw one of these jetting water and channeling through the cake very quickly due to build up of oils in the holes behind the screen (yucko). a bit of scale could cause the water to jet too, rather than diffuse nicely.
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