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No Sweat

I've had my L1 for a few months new and still learning. When watching Reiss demo the new distribution tool I realised there must be something I'm doing wrong and would be grateful for any advice from experienced users.

In Reiss videos, after pulling the lever nothing happens, after about 15s the portafilter starts to slowly sweat coffee & then the marvelous thick pour starts.

When I do it, I pull the lever and almost immediately 3-5ml of coffee drips into the cup, then it stops, after about 8 one thousands counted out I release and the pour starts. There's no sweating and swelling before the first drops pour

I'm at about 13 on a Compak grinder, dosing 19g into a VST basket and tamping quite firmly with the Londinium tamper. I get 38g in about 20secs.

i now my distribution needs work but I wonder where I'm going wrong to stop that first 5ml flowing before its ready

Any thoughts?

Comments

  • Paul Halliday post=13562 wrote: When I do it, I pull the lever and almost immediately 3-5ml of coffee drips into the cup, then it stops, after about 8 one thousands counted out I release and the pour starts. There's no sweating and swelling before the first drops pour

    You do not specify what beans you use, what roast type, roasted how long ago.

    It all starts with the beans.

    If you pull the lever fast, you might suck the puck upwards a bit, creating a path for water to flow along. Then as the puck gets wet, it expands and closes off the space you created.

    That is one of the many possibilities.

    If you have old beans, grinding fine to prevent too fast a flow, pre-infusion may nog be complete when you begin to release the lever. Then the push pf the lever upwards pushes the piston down, pushes the water all the way through the puck and then after it is completely wet, pour begins. But pre-infusion was not complete and the taste will be a little less than full bodied.

    That is one other possibility.

    I do not know your routine, what you do for distribution now, what your pre-infusion pressure is etc. So it's hard to tell.
  • Thanks Franz
    I'm using a coffee called Janszoon blend (sumatra) roasted by a local roaster called Artisan Roast in Edinburgh, it was roasted and bagged on 15 May per the bag. I grind into a metal cup, break any clumps with a tiny whisk then weigh on an Acacia scale 19g into the basket. I use a cocktail stick to distribute then tamp and polish.

    I flick the steam wand then the red light comes on. I wait til the red light goes out by which time pressure is just over 1 bar then pull the lever. There is a swoosh sound as I pull the lever in case that matters.

    As I say on pulling 3-5ml coffee immediately flows then stops. I do 10sec pre-infusion then release and coffee pours at once

    I do pull the lever straight down in one motion - so maybe your idea it's sucking the puck up is on the mark.
  • Paul Halliday post=13566 wrote: I'm using a coffee called Janszoon blend (sumatra) roasted by a local roaster called Artisan Roast in Edinburgh, it was roasted and bagged on 15 May per the bag.

    That should be good. If it is a relatively light roast that is under-developed during the roast, this same may happen as one possible explanation.

    Does this happen with other beans from a different and also very good roaster?
    Paul Halliday post=13566 wrote: then weigh on an Acacia scale 19g into the basket.

    What VST basket exactly? One specified for 19 g?
    Paul Halliday post=13566 wrote: I use a cocktail stick to distribute

    One fine stick helps to get the clumps broken, but does not really move much grinds around.
    Paul Halliday post=13566 wrote: There is a swoosh sound as I pull the lever in case that matters.

    It could indicate that you forgot the short flush after the previous espresso was extracted.

    The whoosh and splash could slam into the puck and create some turmoil and leak before the puck gets partially wet.

    The relatively low pre-infusion pressure of the old home version Londinium "L1" can also explain the late appearance of droplets.

    The L-R is able to pre-infuse at higher pressures and thus pushing water more effectively completely through the puck.
    Paul Halliday post=13566 wrote: I do pull the lever straight down in one motion - so maybe your idea it's sucking the puck up is on the mark.

    I also do that, but on one gentle, slow, controlled move, without shaking the lever up/down.
  • I think this is the exact problem that Reiss’s distribution tool is designed to help solve.

    I’ve been following a similar technique for several months, generally very good results.

    3 bar pre-infusion pressure is very good at finding any imperfections in your technique.

    I’m generally dosing about 17.5g into a 18g VST Basket using a dosing funnel and gently stirring using a fine bamboo skewer. My first generation HG-1 Blind Tumbler and the same bamboo skewer just wasn’t reliably working with the higher pre-infusion pressure.
  • hi paul

    is there any reason not to grind finer?

    kind regards

    reiss.
  • Hi Greg,

    What would you consider a good preinfusion pressure for medium roasted beans (Currently using Hands on Coffee: Lusty Glaze, about 3 weeks old - but that might change soon)

    We have our current pressure regulating valve at 2bar of pressure.
  • hi paul
    where did you get to on this? is it resolved?
    if not can you get some one to take a short video clip as you operate the machine?
    kind regards
    reiss.
  • Soud Al Riyami post=14223 wrote: Hi Greg,

    What would you consider a good preinfusion pressure for medium roasted beans (Currently using Hands on Coffee: Lusty Glaze, about 3 weeks old - but that might change soon)

    We have our current pressure regulating valve at 2bar of pressure.

    hi soud
    let the taste guide you. if it tastes burnt and wooden it is over-extracted and the pre-infusion pressure it too high for the roast
    a traditional starting point is 3 bar at the puck which will typically meant about 3.5 bar at your pressure reduction valve
    also be aware that pressure reduction valves can wander a bit from their set pressure, which is why i like to have a gauge mounted on the valve so i can quickly check it from time to time
    darker roasts will taste better with about 1.5 bar at the puck, which as you have already discovered means about 2.0 bar at the pressure reducing valve
    if you have the sweetness in the cup you have it about right
    kind regards
    reiss.
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