Coffee Appreciation

A pressurised basket is dual wall, with a the second wall providing a restriction, usually through a single pin hole, simulating the effect of the perfect Grind and Tamper, generally makes home espresso making that little bit more fool proof. A non-pressurised basket doesn't have the second wall and therefore the grind and tamper of the coffee has to be tight enough to provide the back pressure for the perfect extraction.

More info here

http://guide2coffee.com/guide-2-coffee-1/2012/06/23/pressurised-vs-non-pressurised-baskets

Coffee everywhere except in my cup.

That is a very very nice cup though!

Thanks!

No pressurised baskets here, neither before or after switching PFs.

No worries, hope you get to the bottom of it, sounds bloody frustrating!

Right. Machine been off for a few hours and then heated back up.

Old single shot basket inspected and some holes cleared with a safety pin point.

Finest grind I can manage and a good strong tamp.

A decent shot pulled with no sideways spraying, just a bit of splashiness (see the tip edges of the cup) before a single stream formed in the middle. Not convinced I had tiger stripes, but hey, who cares at this point?

Much less bitter and a nice crema. I think it needs fine tuning for flavour, but a massive improvement over this afternoon's efforts.

Once I switch out the shower screen and get a double basket I can work with, I might be in business.

I'm now wondering about trying the new basket again. Think I'll just let sleeping dogs lie for now and drink my coffee.

1 Attachment

Thanks for all the help and advice, it is really appreciated!

which basket do you have by the way?

I recently realised I was overfilling my 18g vst basket and dropped 2g (19g -> 17g) after a ton of fiddling with grind and dosing and it made the shots a lot more consistent.

Those words, from Ron Swanson, to me?

Dream time.

BTW, love the latte art, looks like the Easter Island Statue the British Museum have, very topical!

Another good coffee pulled this morning.

Getting better extraction seems to show in the caffeine levels. Much buzzier than I am used to....

You should still buy my grinder 😂

Ha!

Bit late to the party, but I'd always recommend moving to/sticking with bottomless portafilters. They're great for diagnosing what's going wrong with your shot.

Ever since I switched to a triple basket with a 21g dose I get fewer problems. Anecdotal I know but might be worth a shot. Plus, extra caffeine!

21g - punchy.

I pulled 16g in a single basket this morning and was wired. I had had two cups of tea previously mind.

how long did it take to pull the shot? if it takes too long there will be a higher caffeine extraction

totally agree, it allows for continued assessment of how shots are coming out. though occasionally i regret it when I have bought a particularly temperamental bean that seems to want to spray/channel however carefully i distribute and tamp the grounds

20s

too coarse a grind for sure. also some home machines have pressurised baskets, which work in a different way.

Round Hill seasonal special... Santa Claude

1 Attachment

My new shower screen arrived.

It might make a difference.

1 Attachment

might be worth a shot

nice one

BTW, love the latte art, looks like the Easter Island Statue

You know I was thinking it looks like a hangman drawing first, then I saw a little guy with a backpack.

Great latte art for sure, and believe me I have seen quite a few in my days.

On a related note a good friend of mine (ownling a small café / bar thing) is still working on getting a proper "raised middle finger design" down, for when annoying customers order a cappucino. I will post pictures when he nailed it.