Watery sour shot with channeling
from x4740N@lemm.ee to espresso@infosec.pub on 30 May 22:54
https://lemm.ee/post/65451215

(For those who saw my previous post, I misjudged sour as bitter)

I’m still dialing in the coffee beans I have and the shots are sour and watery and I’ve noticed that there is channeling

I’ve already tried grinding finer but that just slows down the shot, makes it even more sour and eventually nearly choking the shot

My puck prep is

  1. Weigh 18g
  2. RDT (which I sometimes exclude)
  3. Grind
  4. Add more ground beans or remove sons ground coffee to make sure I have 18g out of the grinder
  5. WDT Using the technique from Lance Hedrick’s video
  6. Tamp (the same way James Hoffman does in his espresso puck prep video
  7. Manually pulling 1:2.5 shot out of Breville Barista Express via program mode with the use of a scale to weigh the shot

Edit:

I increased the temperature to 95°C from the defualt 93°C and also learned that program mode is different from manual mode on a Breville Barista Express (its on pg 14 in the manual)

And the espresso shot is better now but there’s still sone slight channeling that I need to work on

#espresso

threaded - newest

g0nz0li0@lemmy.world on 31 May 00:34 next collapse

My first thought is the grinder you’re using. For example a cheap Blade grinder will result in inconsistent grind size which can lead to channeling. A good hand grinder is an affordable option and will let you dial in your grind more than using a cheap electric one.

Are you getting your shot in 25 seconds? Or is the shot running long (or short) by 5 seconds?

Maybe try a 16g puck for 32g shot. Smaller baskets can be easier to dial in and require less pressure.

x4740N@lemm.ee on 31 May 02:40 collapse

I’m using the BBE’s built in grinder

beeb@lemm.ee on 31 May 07:04 collapse

Maybe you’re using light roasted coffee, which usually requires a higher quality grinder to extract properly. You could switch to something darker which for sure will reduce the acidity levels, or get a cheap quality hand grinder. I’ve had a 1zpresso for a while which does the job, but I finally got a good electric one too because it’s only fun for a few weeks to grind by hand for espresso (it takes like 45 seconds)

tossty@lemmy.world on 31 May 01:02 collapse

How recently was your coffee roasted? Espresso especially needs time to release CO2, and freshly roasted beans can cause inconsistencies and channeling.

In general rest time corresponds with roast level:

  • Dark roasts - 1 to 1.5 week
  • Medium roasts - 1.5 to 2 weeks
  • Light roasts - 2 weeks +
x4740N@lemm.ee on 31 May 02:40 collapse

I did buy it from a local roaster, I’d say its been more than two weeks at this point

They are medium roast