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  • Macca2210
    commented on 's reply
    I hear you - I think a good wdt is worth the investment then.

    I am enjoying drinking as an espresso now, I realise just how awful my old set up was!

  • Macca2210
    commented on 's reply
    Thanks - yes, I do distribute the grinds lightly with a tooth pick, have been looking at the acupuncture needle wdt options..

  • tompoland
    replied
    Macca2210 looking good. There is a little work to be done on WDT because Jackster is right in that there is a dead spot near the center. It's still going to be a nice drink but it sounds like you are looking for potential improvements and that's one. If you are not using a puck rake (levercraft recommended) then that would be a step in the right direction.

    The big thing is that you enjoy the coffee. Beyond that it's about playing around (e.g. WDT - puck rakes - blind tumbler or whatever, temperature, grind size etc) and seeing if you can get it more flavoursome and to then chase the holy grail of consistently.

    Beware though, it's a deep rabbit hole if you seek perfection and many are more than happy with a pour that is 90% of what it could be. They are probably the wise ones. Me, I enjoy the darkness at the bottom of the hole.

    Leave a comment:


  • tompoland
    replied
    Here's something to play with Macca2210 - and anyone spot any errors or has any suggestions for additions or improvement, please let me know and I can review, update and repost.

    DRAFT
    ESPRESSO POURING CHECKLIST (Tom Poland)


    Foundation checks (before you proceed further)

    • Check roast date first. If the beans are more than 30 days post roast they are unlikely to be producing the best espresso possible, other than light roasts which may last up to 60 days post-roast.

    • Check pour rate to confirm benchmark grind size is dialled in on your grinder. Get the ratio of bean in to bean out at approximately 1:2 over 25 – 35 seconds.

    Prerequisite Equipment (without these, diagnosis is harder and so is consistency)

    • Use a naked/bottomless basket otherwise it’s harder to tell what is happening with your pour.
    • Weight the beans that are going in and weight the espresso coming out.
    • A quality grinder. Hand grinders can be fine. (how to tell?).
    • A scale for measuring beans ground and espresso poured.

    Then, if …
    1. Too acidic or sour then try:
      a. decrease grind size (grind finer)
      b. increase brew temperate
      c. increase ratio of grams in : out
    2. Too bitter then try:
      a. increase grind size (grinder coarser)
      b. reduce brew temperature
      c. decrease ratio
    3. Too thin or gassy then try:
      a. leave the beans to degas for longer
      b. Could be poorly roasted or
    4. Channeling or spurting then try:
      a. Check your puck prep technique (WDT)
      b. Check your tamping technique (even)
      c. Decrease brew temperature
      d. Check clearance at top of puck (five cent coin test)
      e. Increase grind size
      f. Dry, warm/hot basket
      g. Don’t tap the sides after WDT/tamping
      h. Careful not to bump the portafilter when inserting into the group head
      i. Are you using a quality grinder with uniform coffee grounds
    5. Uneven pour (dark on one side, light on another) then try:
      a. Check your tamping technique
      b. Check the your espresso machine is sitting level
    6. Sloppy watery puck should not worry you, you are not making pucks, you are making espresso. But if it worries you:
      a. Check basket size
      b. Five cent test (See above)
      c. Backflush to ensure release valves are clean
    7. Coffee tastes less flavorsome
      a. Check the roast date (beans are going stale?)
      b. Is the poor blonding (stop the pour earlier)
      c. Increase extraction (grind finer, increase ratio of grams in : out, lower dose, higher flow rate)
    8. “Ikky” flavor (often caused by old coffee grinds in the grinder or residual/rancid espresso in the machine)
      a. Clean group head
      b. Clean shower screen (remove)
      c. Clean grinder
      d. Clean puck mesh if using one (they retain coffee and get rancid quickly)
      e. Clean basket
      f. Clean the water reservoir
      g. Check the water quality

    Other notes

    a. Best practice is to change one thing at a time so that you can eliminate some items if nothing changes. If you change two things at a time and it fixes your problem, you won’t know which variable it was that made the difference.

    b. Most of us are chasing consistency. Once you change something and you get a great pour, your problem is not solved until you can replicate that result time after time.

    c. Keeping a log of what you are doing can help a lot and minimizes the chances of forgetting key information (e.g. optimal grind size for certain roast levels) or jumping to the wrong conclusion.

    d. Adjusting dosage and grind size can produce similar results. For example if I’m close to the lower end of my grinder settings and I’m slightly under extracted at 18g, I’ll just dose 18.5g rather than adjust the grinder so it leaves some grinder headroom if the bean changes at all over time. This also may be an easier alternative for grinders that are sensitive to small adjustments and reduces purge waste from adjusting the grind.

    Leave a comment:


  • LeroyC
    replied
    Originally posted by Macca2210 View Post
    Hello fellow snobs I have assembled a decent setup over the past 6 months, now I’m trying to get the best results - that is to say the only weak link now is me ? I’ve been struggling to eliminate channeling and get a consistent result. I’m going to restrict changes to grind setting - but always keen for feedback from experts ? here is a SloMo video of the results - https://youtu.be/-RMV7Sy_Sgw https://youtu.be/-RMV7Sy_Sgw Thanks ?
    The slo-mo actually makes it really difficult to diagnose. A real time video would be much more useful. Do you use any kind of prep tool like a leveler or WDT? If you don’t then I’d suggest grabbing a WDT tool as you look to be very close and it could be the thing that gives you the consistency you’re after. If you’re happy with the result in the cup then it probably doesn’t matter all that much really, but if you can find a way to improve puck preparation and go a tiny bit courser on the grinder you’ll probably see a small improvement.

    Leave a comment:


  • hedonist222
    replied
    That's near perfect.
    I have severe channeling.

    Leave a comment:


  • Jackster
    replied
    I think it looks pretty good, a bit of a dead spot if picky. But I'm not a expert.
    I had been using a cut-to-fit aeropress paper in the bottom of the basket, that resulted in no dead spots and a finer grind possible. I'd give that a go and compare for yourself.

    Leave a comment:


  • Macca2210
    started a topic Help fine tuning

    Help fine tuning

    Hello fellow snobs

    I have assembled a decent setup over the past 6 months, now I’m trying to get the best results - that is to say the only weak link now is me ?

    I’ve been struggling to eliminate channeling and get a consistent result. I’m going to restrict changes to grind setting - but always keen for feedback from experts ?

    here is a SloMo video of the results - https://youtu.be/-RMV7Sy_Sgw

    https://youtu.be/-RMV7Sy_Sgw

    Thanks ?
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