# Puck, no puck.



## rdpx (Jul 18, 2016)

I went to empty my puck, and there was no puck so I thought I must have done it without thinking.

Then I realized it was stuck to the machine!

This was a not an overloaded basket. I tamped it a little more lightly than usual, but it looked good.

Any ideas why this might have happened?

The coffee tastes good!


----------



## jj-x-ray (Dec 31, 2017)

My basket sometimes sticks to the group, but not the puck on its own


----------



## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

Happens to me sometimes, though less than before.

Nothing to worry about, is the suction created when the brew lever is closed.

Happens to me more often when I brew long, maybe 1:3 and the puck maybe has expanded more and there's more suction when released


----------



## StuartS (Jan 2, 2015)

This happened to me when I tried using a single basket. Reckoned the smaller pick didn't have much adhesion to the basket. Not had it happen with a double though


----------



## richwade80 (Aug 25, 2017)

this would probably happen to me 75% of the time, but i now blip the pump after every shot to free it up.

i've also found that if you turn the portafilter handle (but don't remove it), before or after having blipped the pump, and no water is released from the lower discharge group - then the puck is usually stuck. to save on mess it put the portafilter back and blip the pump again. if water comes out, then its free.

this is one of my biggest gripes with the ECM. i'd love to know if it is a common issue for all E61 groups... i never see anyone doing this in a coffee shop, and i'm not sure its really related to backflushing either - it just seems a bit random.


----------



## John Yossarian (Feb 2, 2016)

It happens sometime and different beans mean different frequencies. I suppose it is down to pressure, swelling and space in the basket.

Taste-wise I personally have not noticed differences.


----------



## rdpx (Jul 18, 2016)

Thank you all for confirming that it's fairly normal!

I'm glad I noticed, and didn't try put a full PF on there!


----------



## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

Nope never.


----------



## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

It happens for me for 2 reasons. Initially slightly too low a fill level. Very slight too. On a Sage BE 10g basket even an extra 0.2g could stop it happening. That was with monsooned malabar which I've found expands more than other beans I have used.

Then having learned to get coffee I like out of the BE I bought a Sage DB and assumed the single would be about 10g. In practice with some beans that weight will only just about tamp. The puck regularly stuck to the shower screen but looked ok but was rather soft. Turns out that even 13g is on the light side on one bean for this basket. Normally when that underfilled I would expect a very messy puck but it seems not on a DB and maybe other E61 sized baskets on a machine with a more efficient 3 way action. It's on the end of a piece of tube on the BE. The DB has it attached directly to the grouphead.

:act-up:I'm very keen on getting nice dry pucks that knock out cleanly so include that in tuning - correct basket sizes for that can be a problem.

John

-


----------



## richwade80 (Aug 25, 2017)

Interesting point about how full the basket is. I still use the stock ecm basket with 15-16g of coffee. I guess if this swells, it expands and effectively dislodges itself from the basket.

If the basket is full, it has less space to swell so might not dislodge.

I might try that.


----------



## Kitkat (Jan 25, 2018)

Happens to me occasionally too. I think I have been putting too little in the basket as I get wet pucks mostly too. I tried increasing the amount by 1g and slightly drier puck so may try an additional 1g if this is they cause of sticking to the shower screen too.


----------



## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

I get it now and again depending on what beans I use. Once I know what beans do it, I'll dose a little less with them.


----------

