Grinds, tamping, timing??

Gene Flynn

Being an intermediate at best I still strive to get the best extraction as possible. After watching a couple of L1 videos I am trying to perfect my, well im not sure?! First off I do not have a scale, so this may be my major problem.
I am using a Macap grinder for my dark espresso blends and a Mazzer mini for my single origin.
First my question is, would you rather have very fine grinds and tamp lightly or a bit courser grind and tamp heavy?
I have been doing the latter and notice that im getting maybe 15 seconds. I just adjusted the grinds finer and still tamped the same and got about 20 seconds.
What am I shooting for here?? And will a scale solve most of this??
I also notice that dark blends are softer beans compared to single origin light roast.
Just trying to get the best of the coffee and best out of the L1.....
Thanks
Gene

Reiss Gunson

hi gene

1. i am not a fan of gimmicks, but you need a set of scales: they are essential unless you are are highly proficient operator, and even then...they need to offer at least 0.1g resolution

2. do you have a bottomless PF? if not, these are a very useful training tool

3. the times you quote are too fast. you need to grind finer. if you purchased your grinder second hand it may benefit from a new burr set. if you purchased it new this is unlikely, unless you have owned it for a very long time

kind regards


reiss.

Gene Flynn

Yes Reiss, bottomless PF. Both grinders are used. Scale is on order.......... A good place to get burrs?
Thanks

Reiss Gunson

you're in the States and Mazzer burrs will be readily available for those models so i can't see the point in importing

try someone like EspressParts - there will be dozens of places

I'm sure other Stateside owners will be able to direct you to others too

if it is a second hand grinder you will simply be shocked at the difference new burrs make

when you are fitting them take extra care to ensure every tiny spec of coffee is swept away from the surface of the burr carrier - i.e. what you are mounting the new burr onto - it is critically important that the burrs are sitting hard against the burr carrier, without any foreign body in between the two surfaces or you will be in for a miserable time. i can not over state the need to cleanliness and precision if you are changing the burrs. it isn't difficult but sloppiness will be punished and the only solution will be to take it all apart again and start over. do it once, do it right

in a similar vein, make sure you have tools, e.g. screwdrivers that are a precise fit for the screws - if you mangle the screws you are really stuffing your grinder and you won't be able to do them up tight enough - you will just strip the heads

reiss.

Gene Flynn

Excellent. Thanks. I just adjusted to a finer grind with a med. tamp and just pulled a 31 sec. shot. However not much volume.. The difference in taste is readily apparent.. Scale is on the way..
Thanks

Reiss Gunson

stab the steam wand to bring the element on so you are pre-infusing with max boiler pressure

pre-infuse for longer

kind regards

reiss.

Gene Flynn

Im doing 5 second pre infusion. Whats the longest you can do?

Reiss Gunson

there is no absolute upper limit gene

the issue becomes that when the lever is in the down position the thermosiphon is disrupted so the group is losing heat, and it is designed to be very effective at this

i can't think that you would want to go much beyond 10 seconds in reality, but you will find that it gives you quite a different result from 5 seconds pre-infusion

at some point beyond 10 seconds pre-infusion it ceases to become espresso in my view and turns into some kind of weird pour over method with a pressurised end stage to it

reiss.