# Barista touch : overextraction



## EspressoSteve (Jul 23, 2019)

Hi,

I recently got a Barista Touch and can't get the settings right for an espresso.

I know they will vary from bean to bean, but just looking for a rough guide.

I'm using recently roasted espresso beans (within the month), and after lots of tries I've gone from a grind setting of 5 to a ground setting of 1.

I am using the 2 cup single wall filter, grinding for 18 seconds, tamping down firmly.

No matter what the setting the flow starts after 5 or 6 seconds and flows fast like water.

I've tried with 4 different bean varieties (all fresh roasted) from different roasters.

Does anyone have any suggestions about something I may be doing wrong?

Thanks in advance!

Steve

Galway, Ireland.


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## Cooffe (Mar 7, 2019)

I made an imgur album about burr adjustment for the Barista Express - not sure if the touch is the same/similar grinder-wise. No harm in checking though:



http://imgur.com/aQkNcLO


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

EspressoSteve said:


> No matter what the setting the flow starts after 5 or 6 seconds and flows fast like water.


I reckon you're at a completely normal inflection point in the espresso journey.

What you describe is a 'gusher'. You are almost certainly getting a wicked channel (hole) in your puck that water is charging through rather than percolating through all the coffee evenly.

The result will be underextraction - sour, bleugh!

It's possible that your grinder can't grind fine enough but gushers are much more commonly caused by a distribution problem.

So, don't fret. We just need to nail your puck building technique down a bit.

Puck building is the foundation skill on which all espresso making is based. It is about making sure that your coffee has an even density and depth at every point of your puck so the water then has no easy path to follow.

So...

You need a proper tamper. A free piece of plastic will be most inconsistent.

You can do without a naked portafilter but nothing will show you more clearly whether your distribution is good. I never use anything else.

So let's begin..

Pick a mid point on your grinder.

Grind a double dose, 15-18g into your portafilter. Yes, you really need to weigh your dose and your drink.

Using a straightened paperclip stir the coffee gently until it is evenly distributed and level across the whole of the portafilter.

Tamp - level and not too hard. The 30lb tamp is a myth. Tamping too hard can cause puck cracking or water just finds its way down the basket sides.

Make sure the tamp is level. Check the edge of the puck is the same depth from the top-edge of the basket the whole way around. Don't be tempted to try to correct by retamping - you will break the seal around the basket sides. Just work on your tamping action until you can tamp level every time.

Pull your shot.

If it is too fast, grind tighter and do everything again.

If it is still too fast, you may benefit from grinding into a cup and whisking or shaking the grinds before transferring to the portafilter. This can help if you grinds come out of the grinder in lumps.

If you are slowing things down but not enough before you hit the tightest grind, then you'll need a heavier dose. More coffee => more resistance.

But... at some point your dose will interfere with the shower screen. If this happens the puck cannot expand evenly as it gets wet and you'll get channeling again.

Hope this helps. Report back.


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

^^^^ @Obnic what a helpful post - it should be made accessible so it could be reused over and over again. One of the most common questions has been addressed so eloquently here


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## 9719 (Mar 29, 2015)

Welcome back@Obnic great to have you aboard once more, your knowledge, advice, and humor have been missed... I'm sure that many others will agree


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## EspressoSteve (Jul 23, 2019)

Obnic said:


> I reckon you're at a completely normal inflection point in the espresso journey.
> 
> What you describe is a 'gusher'. You are almost certainly getting a wicked channel (hole) in your puck that water is charging through rather than percolating through all the coffee evenly.
> 
> ...


 wow, thank you both for your suggestions!!

That's a massive help @Cooffe, will check the burr to see if I can adjust it, not sure on the Touch model.

And what a generous reply @Obnic , I'll go through the process over the next day and see what I'm doing wrong. That paperclip tip is interesting, stirring before tamping sounds sensible!!

Thanks!

Steve


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

********** said:


> ... I'm sure that many others will agree


Ha! Yeah but that silent majority....


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## puffin1 (Jun 30, 2019)

Just to add to this, and I've only had my machine a month or two myself but I was having a similar issue with the single basket, as soon as I switched to a double a lot of my problems were solved.

I've since tried switching back to a single and still have issues so i'll stay with the double for the time being.

Worth a try anyhow. I use about 18g as a base mark and grind size 8 when I get a new coffee and then work up or down from there.

like I say, I'm a beginner myself so I'm only relaying what I've read on here.


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## EspressoSteve (Jul 23, 2019)

Gonna need a weighing scale to get 18g! @Obnic Experimenting with the paperclip, and @Cooffe i changed the burr settings to 4. Still getting a watery overextracted espresso. I suspect a scales and a bit of practice will sort it out, hopefully!

Will report back!


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