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Need a little help with consistency please

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  • #16
    Originally posted by Adam76 View Post
    It can be rotated (adjusted) with one finger, and it may possibly be moving by itself during grinding. Is there any way to tighten up the tension on the adjusted collar? Thanks
    Will never be a problem as the torque placed upon the upper burr carrier is resisted by the lugs on the carrier itself.
    It will probably stiffen up again somewhat with use as coffee fines find their way back into the assembly...

    Mal.

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    • #17
      OK, now the shots are just consistently bad. I've potentially ruled out the grinder as the issue, but now I'm more concerned, because this is not a cheap machine. My pours start dripping at 9 seconds, but by 12 secs is kinda gushing and pretty much stays that way as long as I let it go. Tastes like carpet dust. Adjusting finer makes it worse, adjusting courser makes it worse. Over / under dosing makes no considerable difference. This machine was producing excellent espresso until recently. Just to recap 2017/2018 ECM mechanika IV Compak K3 20gm IMS basket also tried VST 18g Proper maching cleaning and maintenance Any ideas where I should look next? Thanks

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      • Budgiesmuggler
        Budgiesmuggler commented
        Editing a comment
        What is your puck prep routine?

    • #18
      Originally posted by Dimal View Post
      Using a Compak K3 Touch currently while the Kony-E is getting sorted out.

      Mal.
      KONY E, Mal. Very noice.

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      • #19
        Originally posted by Dimal View Post
        Using a Compak K3 Touch currently while the Kony-E is getting sorted out. Produces excellent espresso, grind size is very even and fluffy with minimum fines. The only genuine criticism I have is that it is a little messy compared to other grinders I have used but that has been easily overcome. Doubt the burrs need to be replaced at only a couple of years old, should be good for at least 250-300Kg. Are you Single Dosing or using the hopper with a load of beans therein? A loaded hopper produces much more consistent results... Have you stripped the grinder down to make sure it is thoroughly clean throughout the grind chamber, and the exit chute. Need to make sure that the burr-carrier threads are thoroughly cleaned too. Put it back together, set it at your previous grind setting and try pulling a series of shots using freshly roasted coffee and see how you go. Mal.
        Thanks Mal, now that I have the grinder sorted I've pretty much ruled it out as the problem. So now I'm focusing on the machine itself. My pours start dripping at 9 seconds, but by 12 secs is kinda gushing and pretty much stays that way as long as I let it go. Tastes like carpet dust. Adjusting finer makes it worse, adjusting courser makes it worse. Over / under dosing makes no considerable difference. This machine was producing excellent espresso until recently. Appreciate any advice. Adam

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        • #20
          Sounds like old beans to me.


          Java "Fresh" phile
          Toys! I must have new toys!!!

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          • #21
            Originally posted by Javaphile View Post
            Sounds like old beans to me. Java "Fresh" phile
            Hey Java, I wish it was that simple. Roast date 30/3 from one of the biggest specialty coffee roasters in the state. I know, because I work in the roastery. Cheers

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            • tompoland
              tompoland commented
              Editing a comment
              Mysterious. I would have thought the same as Javaphile. I guess you've tried beans just in case there js sometime wierd with the batch? A video of the pour looking up at the shower screen may help especially with a naked portafilter

          • #22
            Agree with JP. Nothing else makes sense....

            Buy a couple of bags of freshly roasted high quality beans from BeanBay and then see how you go.
            Should maker a huge difference...
            Otherwise, it must be down to preparation/technique.

            Mal.

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            • #23
              Originally posted by Dimal View Post
              Agree with JP. Nothing else makes sense.... Buy a couple of bags of freshly roasted high quality beans from BeanBay and then see how you go. Should maker a huge difference... Otherwise, it must be down to preparation/technique. Mal.
              Yes, doesn't make sense. Re fresh beans, read post #21.

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              • Dimal
                Dimal commented
                Editing a comment
                Yeah, I did see that and is why I suggested trying different beans to prove it beyond doubt....

            • #24
              Does your Technika have a brew pressure gauge?
              What does it show during extraction?

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              • #25
                Do you have a naked portafilter to make sure you aren't getting excessive channelling?
                Have you tried different beans too that aren't just a bad batch? - worth ruling them out.

                If you could get a video of the pour together might help too.

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                • #26
                  while nothing else, other than the beans, makes a lot of sense, I wouldn't rule out a gasket or water temperature issue of some sort. but a video of a shot being poured through a naked basket would sure help a lot Adam76

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                  • #27
                    OK, thanks guys. I'll try and get a video of the shot. I will also take note of the brew pressure gauge. 100% not the beans, I have gone through 3 different freshly roasted batches since trying to resolve this problem.

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                    • WhatEverBeansNecessary
                      WhatEverBeansNecessary commented
                      Editing a comment
                      3 Separate batches suggests it's highly unlikely to be beans then as you say.

                  • #28
                    What is your puck prep routine?

                    These sorts of issues tend to arise from the machine that is moving the coffee from the grinder into the espresso machine.

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                    • #29
                      Originally posted by Budgiesmuggler View Post
                      What is your puck prep routine? These sorts of issues tend to arise from the machine that is moving the coffee from the grinder into the espresso machine.
                      Hi, Prep is grind directly into portafilter basket. Back on the scales to make sure weight is right. Tamp. Into group head and start extraction. Try to keep it as simple as possible.

                      Comment


                      • Budgiesmuggler
                        Budgiesmuggler commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Try doing WDT.

                        Even the high end grinders are now shipping with a WDT tool. Makes a massive difference to consistency.

                    • #30
                      And if all else fails, and you need something to help you get off to sleep, you can always read the draft of my espresso trouble shooting guide (any suggestions for improvements will be gratefully reviewed).

                      DRAFT
                      ESPRESSO POURING CHECKLIST

                      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 dialed 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.
                      • Weigh 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 (make your grind finer)
                        b. increase brew temperate
                        c. increase ratio of grams in : out
                        d. try a darker roast bean
                      2. Too bitter then try:
                        a. increase grind size (make your grind coarser)
                        b. reduce brew temperature
                        c. decrease ratio
                        d. try a lighter roast bean
                        e. clean your basket, shower screen, group head
                      3. Too thin or gassy then try:
                        a. leave the beans to degas for longer
                        b. could be poorly roasted
                        c. make sure the beans are <30 days post roast
                      4. Channelling or spurting then try[TP1] :
                        [TP2] 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. Use 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
                        c. ???
                      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
                        d. ???
                      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
                      1. 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.
                      2. 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.
                      3. 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.
                      4. 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.
                      5. A general guide to temperature for roast level is: Light 94-96c, Medium 92-94c, Dark 90-92c. Wars have been fought over statements like the one you’ve read so as always, test and taste then decide for yourself. Note that if your espresso is sour or bitter then look first at your ratio of beans into the grinder to espresso out of your machine, and try to get that 1:2 within 25 – 30 seconds. Use temperate as a fine tuning method, not to compensate for a pour ratio that is too low or too high..
                      6. Here are the recommended rest and “enjoy before” durations.
                      Rest for then Enjoy for
                      Dark 10 days 10 days after rest
                      Medium 14 days 20 days after rest
                      Light 21 days 30 days after rest
                      1. Note that light roasted beans pour very differently to dark roasted beans. With good beans, ground at the right time and with good puck prep, a dark roast will normally appear visually to pour evenly right across the basket at the same time and produce a central pour. By contrast, a light roast with good beans etc may appear to channel but that doesn’t necessarily mean there is anything wrong with your espresso. Always apply the taste test before you categorize is as a “sinker”.

                      [TP1]g. You may not be able to see channelling and spurting, and a patchy appearance out of the bottom of the basket may not indicate either is actually happening through the puck, but channelling should be apparent in the taste if mouth feel is inconsistent, both sour and bitter, or unusually thin considering the dose and ratio used…..so if your shot tastes fine, and you only think you are getting channelling because you see a patchy extraction on a bottomless portafilter, you may not need to change anything at all.


                      [TP2]


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