# Basket knowledge



## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Yo yo,

Iv got a double gaggia basket but haven't a clue how much coffee is supposed to go in it???

Iv been doing 28g of beans but haven't weighed out. Coffees been nice but wandering what others do??

Read on rave they do 21g's into a 21g VST and 42ish out I think

Thoughts please??

Enlighten me please


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

16-18g max

Do you a you have a grinder ?

28g would seem impossible , how on earth are you achieving that ?


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

No idea haha it seems to squeeze out I did think the basket was pretty full....


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

I have a Mazzer SJ


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## cawfee (Oct 27, 2014)

28g...wow, you must been flying


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Hell yeah, gives me that incontrollable talking syndrome haha


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Madtwinhead said:


> Hell yeah, gives me that incontrollable talking syndrome haha


Im all seriousness

that basket ( if a double ) isnt make to take 28g

Even a triple should be aroinf 21g only

Isnt the shower screen caked in coffee after a shot

Isnt there a imprint on the puck in the pf after then shot.....?

How long are you extractions taking with that amount of coffee in and how coffee are you getting


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## Rdl81 (Sep 8, 2014)

Doesn't the shower screen always end up with some coffee on it after? Mine does!


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Are you sure its not a tripple?

In a double basket 17-18g should allow the tamper to sit with its top edge almost level with the top of the basket after tamping.

As above I find it hard to believe you would be able to lock the PF in with anything more than 20g.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Rdl81 said:


> Doesn't the shower screen always end up with some coffee on it after? Mine does!


This is possible with the correct dose, as the coffee expands and some fines float up and settle on the shower screen.

A good test is to place a 2p coin on the tamped bed, lock in the PF then take it out, there should be a light indentation in the coffee where the 2p has just been pressed. i.e. the space between the tamped bed and the shower screen should be roughly the width of a 2p coin.


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Ok learning curve coming up,

Yes about the show screen ( wandered why that was happening)

Yes there's an imprint

A little while but not to long.

But the coffee tasted fine so didn't change it...now makes me wonder what it will taste like when I do it properly haha


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## Rdl81 (Sep 8, 2014)

If there is not enough gap or lots of coffee on the screen does this mean I am not tamping correctly


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Dylan its a gaggia double basket from happy donkey is that 16-18g???


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Madtwinhead said:


> Ok learning curve coming up,
> 
> Yes about the show screen ( wandered why that was happening)
> 
> ...


Ok use less coffee

AS a result you will need to make the grind finer

Come back and let us know


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

And no idea how I lock it in but it did??


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Will do mrboots


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Rdl81 said:


> If there is not enough gap or lots of coffee on the screen does this mean I am not tamping correctly


Depends on the machine and the basket

Same dose of different coffees wil sit differently in the same basket

Due to how you change the grind size and the nature of different beans

What basket are you using


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Madtwinhead said:


> Dylan its a gaggia double basket from happy donkey is that 16-18g???


Yep use 18g max


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## Rdl81 (Sep 8, 2014)

I am using double standard cherub basket dosing in 18g


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## Lewis. (Sep 8, 2014)

Madtwinhead said:


> Hell yeah, gives me that incontrollable talking syndrome haha


I actually lolled at this as I get the same thin sometimes!!


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## Blackstone (Aug 5, 2012)

im comfortably getting 20g of the dsol bean in a double basket


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

How in hell does 28 go into a 20 basket??? What are you tamping with, a mallet?


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Lewis. said:


> I actually lolled at this as I get the same thin sometimes!!


Haha it's like a malfunction blahhhhhhhh


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

So just to clarify I'm weighing the beans before grinding right?? not grinding them and then weighing the grounds??


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Both, but the weight after is the most important


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Now I'm confused so

When I weigh the beans say 16g i then weigh the grounds before pulling??


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

You want 16g/18g/20g/whatever you intend to dose in your basket. If you have a grinder that retains a lot of grinds then you might get out less than what goes in


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Oh, So obvious question but should weigh the same-ish in grounds??


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

You've got an sj? do you single dose or have the hopper full?


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Yup SJ and Single dose


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Do you use a lens hood/brush to clear the remaining grinds?


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Yeah use a brush


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Just weigh in then, you should get out pretty much everything that goes in (or the difference will be negligible)


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Cool cheers jeebsy


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Update.... So.....

I looked back at my order just to double check what basket I have and it's only a triple... Might explain why I squeezed 28g in


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Update número 2

So shot pulling is looking good still fiddling with grind but pulling a good coffee....(fist pump)

Noticeable difference in comparison with my previous technique

1. More coffee from my beans obviously ... buzzing

2. No delay (minimal) for the shot start and machine doesn't sound like its forcing in strenuously!!

3. Consistent pulling time

4. Now feel like my tamping is actually contributing

And lastly no remnants of coffee left to cake up the shower head!!

Ta for all the advice

Now for a coffee .... Aaaaaahhhh


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Glad to hear you've got things sorted.

I've never weighed the beans going in to the grinder because I don't single dose.

I weigh the basket (VST 18g) and tare the scales, then check that I do indeed have 18g (±0.5) in there, then check the weight of the shot as it pours.

Note I tend to only do this to assist with dialling in a new bean or if I feel something isn't right.

Some of my best shots have been when I just eyeball the weight, tamp straight onto the mound without undue prodding and stirring, and stop the shot before it blonds. It's a bit more 'luck than judgement' but I can't be bothered with weighing and stirring all the time, and really my best shots have been the "shoot from the hip" ones. (Once you get a feeling for what's right by eye). Generally if the shot is going to end well, first drops are at around 5 seconds. If nothing has appeared by 10" then usually it's gone south due to overloading/overtamping.


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## Madtwinhead (Sep 11, 2014)

Sweet I like the tamp the mound idea might give that a go next see what happens


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Yes, whenever I've done that I've found it usually turns out better than when I've done too much distribution. Although it seems counter-intuitive, but I think the powder almost settles more evenly if you don't push it around too much. I just tap the PF lightly BEFORE tamping just to let the grinds level themselves off, then tamp straight down and a light twist to polish. I'm not advocating tamping straight onto Mount Everest! Was discussing this with DavecUK and he agreed that less is more, although he had a more technical explanation about how powders behave and how you can unwittingly create zones of greater compaction by having excessive contact with the grounds, which seemed to make sense. Me being somewhat less technical, I'd just noticed it as I'd been going along, but had no real theory about why. End of the day, just try stuff and see what works for you I suppose. The great thing about forums is you can get other people's ideas and experiences to try for yourself, but the "truth" is basically whatever gives you the result you like the best.


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