# Slow Shot



## Hornet's Nest (Oct 29, 2017)

OK I'm getting on reasonably well with the Silvia and have now bought some cups which are ideal for my favourite drink the flat white. My ascaso grinder is also working OK though I'd sooner have one with a grind size scale.

Getting consistency is what I'm finding most difficult. Most of my shots are fine but every now and again I get a very slow shot and I'm curious as to know why? Could it be too fine a grind or too much coffee in the portafilter or maybe I'm tamping to hard on occasion.

Any ideas???


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Are you weighing your dose ( my guess is not )

More coffee , more resistance in the puck , slower shot .

Tamping too hard doesnt have the biggest impact. It could be the way your shot is extracting , channeling but without a naked pf it's hard to tell.

Start by fixing the dise by weight that's appropriate to your basket.

As long as they taste good that's all that matters.

If you want consistency in your espresso then weigh your dose to 0.1g , set a brew ratio and weight that to 1g of your target.


----------



## Hornet's Nest (Oct 29, 2017)

Thanks for the reply.

I just checked the weight of my ground coffee which is around 16g using the timer on my Ascaso.

I do probably pull too much through it though.


----------



## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

> Thanks for the reply.
> 
> I just checked the weight of my ground coffee which is around 16g using the timer on my Ascaso.
> 
> I do probably pull too much through it though.


Just to clarify that is 16g measured with a scale to 0.1g or 16g coz that how much the timer delivers for a set time ?

I doubt the timer will deliver the same dose to 0.1g each time,

Dose variances of 0.2 above can make differences to taste and shot time.


----------



## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

> OK I'm getting on reasonably well with the Silvia and have now bought some cups which are ideal for my favourite drink the flat white. My ascaso grinder is also working OK though I'd sooner have one with a grind size scale.


Can you put some little pointer stickers on your grinder so you know where you are?



> Getting consistency is what I'm finding most difficult. Most of my shots are fine but every now and again I get a very slow shot and I'm curious as to know why? Could it be too fine a grind or too much coffee in the portafilter or maybe I'm tamping to hard on occasion.
> 
> Any ideas???


The only way to work it out is to weigh what you put in your p/f and weigh what you get in your cup, and time how long it takes. If you don't do this you are working in the dark . . .

For example: In my 15g basket I put 15g of ground coffee, get 32g in the cup, and check the timer which is going to be around 35s. I taste it, if I am happy I leave it at that, if not I adjust the grind slightly and take it from there, weighing, timing, tasting.


----------



## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

If you don't have some, get a cheap set of scales off ebay/amazon for about a fiver, like these...










Probably one of the cheapest and most used thing you'll own in your coffee corner. And if they break, it won't matter that much as they can be replaced for peanuts.

Compared to a few hundred quid for proper coffee scales I know which I prefer. I've got a set and they've been used and abused (wrapped in a plastic bag for a while, now I don't bother) through my coffee journey. Still on the same set of batteries as well.


----------



## Hornet's Nest (Oct 29, 2017)

OK I think I've made a little progress but I'm not sure why.

My kitchen has been pretty cold the last few days and I'll admit to only giving the machine 5mins to warm up. Today i gave it a full 10mins with the portafilter in situ and ran some pre-ground thru which if anything came out too fast. I then ran some that I had ground myself but I have clearly dialed back the fines too much as this came thru quite fast also.

So from today I'll be doing the following:

1. Warming the machine properly

2. Timing my shot (Ground Coffee Weight (Double Shot) = 18g Shot Volume 2.25oz/60ml = 45g) aiming for Pull Time 25-35 Secs (From the 1st Drip)

And see how I go ....


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

> OK I think I've made a little progress but I'm not sure why.
> 
> My kitchen has been pretty cold the last few days and I'll admit to only giving the machine 5mins to warm up. Today i gave it a full 10mins with the portafilter in situ and ran some pre-ground thru which if anything came out too fast. I then ran some that I had ground myself but I have clearly dialed back the fines too much as this came thru quite fast also.
> 
> ...


Adjust the grind based on taste, not time. It's likely your time for a tasty shot will fall in the normal range (20-50s)...which is pretty wide, but shots can also taste horrid within that range. Changing the grind changes the extraction, time is a knock-on effect, not the end goal.


----------

