# Thin crema all of a sudden



## Aid1987 (Jun 27, 2015)

So I have been getting a very thin crema for the last day or two. I get a full cover over the espresso buts it's very thin.

I haven't changed anything I do and have tried changing the amount of coffee, tamping etc and have even descaled the machine. I have just opened a new tin of illy but I don't think it's the coffee.

What I have noticed is that the pressure of the coffee coming out of the machine seems low and not consistent. When I clean out the basket the coffee seems very light/dry in the middle.

Any thoughts?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Bit more info please

Coffee used , age of coffee

Grinder used

Dose in weight , dose of espresso

Machine used > Brew temp

Age of machine > been descaled and cleaned?

Water used in machine


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

Odd.

Sometimes my custard goes lumpy.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Spazbarista said:


> Odd.
> 
> Sometimes my custard goes lumpy.


At what brew ratio


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Sorry your using Illy...staler than that the others ?

Get some fresher coffee and grind it yourself


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

Mrboots2u said:


> At what brew ratio


Dunno.

Can I borrow your VST refractometer?


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## Aid1987 (Jun 27, 2015)

Sorry, I'm new to coffe and have only been making it myself for 6 months so can't really answer some of the questions.

It's only a Delonghi EC680 machine. I do intend to start grinding soon but have just been using pre ground which has been working fine up until now.

Machine is 6 months old. Coffee was opened a couple of days ago and the machine was descaled today. As I said I've had no problems up until now and the problem has just started all of a sudden.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

I'd keep to consistent dose, weigh the coffee into the PF. It's useful to also weigh the shot too, to establish brew ratio, cheap jewellery scales with 0.1g resolution will do.

How is the coffee tasting?

Don't Illy have different grinds for espresso machines & moka pots? (Could be wrong here).

If the centre of the puck is dry water might be channelling around the edges, maybe too much coffee in the basket, too hard a tamp?

If the coffee tastes OK I wouldn't lose sleep over the crema, but then I'm not mad keen on crema anyway.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Aid1987 said:


> *the machine was descaled today. *As I said I've had no problems up until now and the problem has just started all of a sudden.


That might be your problem. The only significant variable that has occurred at the same time. Have you flushed it thoroughly through properly?


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## Aid1987 (Jun 27, 2015)

Rhys said:


> That might be your problem. The only significant variable that has occurred at the same time. Have you flushed it thoroughly through properly?


Well I started getting thin crema yesterday and then the descaling indicator came on this morning. I think I have flushed it through properly. Maybe I should try running water through it a few more times...


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## Aid1987 (Jun 27, 2015)

Right. I've ran water through it a couple more times and still getting a thin crema. Not sure what's happened.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Are you using the plastic tamper or one that fits your basket?


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## Aid1987 (Jun 27, 2015)

The plastic one that with the machine that I have always used..


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

So it's not the descaler. Tamp and grind can affect the crema, but you don't grind. I used to use the bottom of a soy-sauce bottle for ages as a tamper with my first machine (along with pre-ground). As long as the coffee doesn't fall out when you turn your filter basket upside down.. I'd suggest trying a different coffee (although all coffee goes stale roughly 18 minutes after being ground). Usually when using pre-ground, machines use a pressurised portafilter and a crema device to give the impression of crema. if it tastes good (to you) then I wouldn't worry about it too much at this stage.


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## Aid1987 (Jun 27, 2015)

OK. Just wondering whether it could be the coffee as it seems to have coincided with a new tin.

Might try try a new pack.

edit: but then again wild stale/bad coffee be dry in the centre of the puck? Makes me think it's the pressure.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

It may be that batch. The crema your machine produces is just fake bubble crema, from a pressurised widget , as opposed to crema extracted/ created in the traditional sense..not that crema per se is an indicator of a tasty shot in itself. So as suggested before I wouldn't get too hung up on it , as long as the drink is too your taste..

It does sound like the water may be channeling round the edges also. Why ? Plastic I'll fitting tamper, uneven coffee across the bed.

The lure of a good machine and grinder will get to you and the leap in taste from using fresh roasted coffee will be a joy


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## Aid1987 (Jun 27, 2015)

I will upgrade in the future but this suited my budget at the time and I wanted to make sure I'd continue making the effort to make coffee. I will be buying a grinder soon though.

So the plastic tamper could be to blame? Just seems strange how it happened out of nowhere.

Thanks for your help.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

More likely the batch of coffee, but the tamper will be a contributing factor for sure


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## Taff (May 5, 2015)

If its coincided with a new packet / tin of coffee then I'd say it's that..


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Taff said:


> If its coincided with a new packet / tin of coffee then I'd say it's that..


That's why I thought it might be the descaler. I'd be betting on the coffee.


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## shannigan (Jun 1, 2015)

Hi, did you figure out what the issue was here? I'm using the same machine at the moment although with a non-pressurised basket and I grind the beans myself. Just curious as to why the crema was thin with (presumably) the pressurised basket.


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

shannigan said:


> Him did you figure out what the issue was here? I'm using the same machine at the moment although with a non-pressurised basket and I grind the beans myself. Just curious as to why the crema was thin with (presumably) the pressurised basket.


The issue was woefully stale pre ground coffee.

And as a few folk pointed out, the crema you get with a pressurised casket isn't real crema anyway.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Pressurised casket? Isn't that what they buried King Charles I in?


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

hotmetal said:


> Pressurised casket? Isn't that what they buried King Charles I in?


They buried a Spaniel in a pressurised casket?


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

No. The spaniel was buried in an old Vauxhall Cavalier


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## yardbent (Aug 8, 2015)

risky said:


> The issue was woefully stale pre ground coffee. ........


+1

and surely the easiest to change/evaluate asap


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## yardbent (Aug 8, 2015)

i don't understand why people DONT put their location in ''Location''

there could be a forum member nearby

problem sorted...


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