# Shot inconsistency. Still!!!!



## ibitezombies (Apr 12, 2014)

I've not been here for about a month and during that time I've been trying to get the hang of consistent shots, and I'm still having issues!

I set my grinder (MC2) to what seems to give me the best results for these particular beans, and I'm keeping the dose and tamp consistent ( as much as I can with the tamp anyway ) but I'm still getting varying results. Sometimes they're bang on, and other times I'm way off.

Like for example this morning with the same grind, dose, and tamp, machine warmed up for 10 mins, shots pulled for 25secs (aiming for 40g) the first shot was 27g and the next shot 10 mins later was 54g.

I mean they're all drinkable (the bad ones become americanos!) , but I guess I'm just getting frustrated at the lack of progress because all I'm after is a consistent shot.

So will I get it eventually, or am I doing something wildly wrong?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

What's your problem tamping consistently? Might be worth posting a video of how you prepare a shot.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

If you have some decent digital bathroom scales, use these to get an idea of what 10lb, 20lb and 30lb pressure feels like. Aim for something in the middle - around 15lb. When tamping, don't apply turn the tamp - just straight down pressure then spin the tamper lightly over the puck to smooth it off. If you aren't, make sure the grinds are evenly distributed across the basket before tamping.


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## Montana (Jan 3, 2013)

I would warm the machine up for 25-30 mins before pulling the first shot, this might help get the two shots the same. Also I found taking the shower screen off and cleaning it every other day really helped keep things consistent from day to day. Stick with it as I did and you'll end up with really good coffee.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

A silly thing but since I've been back on the Classic I've been letting it warm up for at least 45 minutes.

It may help.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Do you flush the classic after you have steamed your milk?

I steam milk, then turn the steam off, then with the PF in place pop an empty cup under it and hit brew switch, you get a load of steam come out, then water, i let this run till water stops pouring for a second or two, then when water appears again turn the switch off, then let it warm up fully.


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## chinery (Apr 14, 2014)

Everyone is talking about machine or tamp, but if your shots are coming through at different speeds I'd feel confident it's a grinder thing. For a start, the MC2 is obviously a capable grinder, but ask yourself why people pay several times as much money. Is it possible it is just inconsistent? Did you flush enough beans through after changing the grind setting? Also how did you set it to "the right setting"? The same setting with the same beans won't necessarily give the same grind from day to day, there are other big factors like the ambient temperature, humidity, and the age of the beans since roast. Since the MC2 is stepless, this is going to be even harder to set from scratch. You are going to have to find the right setting each time (of course you can have a reference point to work from).

Like others have said I would also recommend warming up your machine for half an hour at least anyway. You don't just need the boiler to get to the correct temperature, you need all of the parts (most importantly the brewhead) to be hot. But this is temperature stability, it will affect the taste of your shots, but I wouldn't have thought it would cause such a difference in weights and times.

As an aside, if you can fit your scales under the cup when you're brewing, I find leaving time the "uncontrolled" variable gives better results. i.e. run the machine until you get 40g out and time it, see how long it took. I prefer a 40g cup in 18 seconds to a 60g cup in 25 seconds. (Obviously if it runs for 25 seconds and you don't hit 40g, you can stop short!)


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

'shots pulled for 25secs (aiming for 40g) the first shot was 27g and the next shot 10 mins later was 54g'

This is a good indication that something is wrong big time with either your grind ,tamp, or maybe beans!


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

How are you distributing in to the basket?


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Where are your beans from, roast date?


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## ibitezombies (Apr 12, 2014)

Guys thanks for all the replies. To answer a few of the questions raised....

The beans are pretty fresh they were from Rave but I can't remember the exact date on the bag.

I grind into a glass (less mess!) and then pour the coffee into the basket and try to smooth it a little before I tamp.

With regards to calibrating the grinder I just experimented with pulling and tasting until I got to what I thought gave me least variation ( I was pretty wired after afterwards!)

So I really don't know where to go from here. This morning after a 30 min warm up and trying to be consistent I got 44g in 23 seconds and 10 mins later got 54g in 16 seconds.......

To be honest I'm very close to selling up and sticking to my Aeropress.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Can you film your shot preparation a couple of times?


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## ibitezombies (Apr 12, 2014)

jeebsy said:


> Can you film your shot preparation a couple of times?


I'll try and get that done at the weekend.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

The variation in your shots is pretty wild, would help to diagnose what's going on


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

jeebsy said:


> Can you film your shot preparation a couple of times?


Hang on in there, it is really frustrating but you'll get there.

Agree with Jeebsy, film the shot prep and also the actual shot and there's a load of folk who can offer advice.

What grinder are you using? (apologies if you've mentioned this previously)


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Its an mc2 Clive.


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## Eyedee (Sep 13, 2010)

What's your location, before selling it all maybe try and find another forum member nearby using the two heads are better than one solution.

ian


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

I'd suggest its the MC2.. i found on my old one, there was the odd occasion where the adjustment would drift massively. I wasn't keen on it at all!


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

ibitezombies said:


> So I really don't know where to go from here. This morning after a 30 min warm up and trying to be consistent I got 44g in 23 seconds and 10 mins later got 54g in 16 seconds.......
> 
> To be honest I'm very close to selling up and sticking to my Aeropress.


You said earlier that you were aiming for 40g out, yet you don't seem to have hit 40g out in any of the shots you describe. If you are brewing to a ratio, then stick to the ratio and only adjust grind (for now).

You say the dose is consistent, what is it (exactly, to 0.1g)?

When you pour the grinds from the glass to the PF how are you distributing in the basket? Have you tried a dosing funnel/cut down yogurt pot?


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Back to basics!

Pure and simple.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

Agreed start over again and adopt the K.I.S.S. principle, make yourself a dosing funnel with a cut down plastic pot of some type, grind into your glass or whatever receptacle you use and weigh it every time, the timer on an MC2 isn't that accurate, also are you single dosing? if you are and not putting any weight over the beans then you will get a wildly inconsistent grind. You absolutely MUST make sure your dose is the same within +/- 0.1g every time. If you don't take the steps to make sure you work to the same weight every time you remove one area in which error can be introduced, also remember that the grind will need adjusting as a bean ages.

You do not need to stir the grinds with an implement of any sort, unless you have ruled out and tried other methods of distribution. What tamper are you using, if it's still the nasty plastic thing, buy proper tamper. It sounds like a distribution issue to me. Just remember that practice makes perfect, I am pretty sure none of us around here started out on our home espresso journey's pulling god shots, and we don't pull them all the time even now. Consistency is the key to good home espresso whatever level of gear you have, very few machines and grinders can cover up lousy inconsistent technique to any really useful degree.


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

The inconsistency does sound like a distribution issue to me too, but we won't be able to tell till the video the shot prep.

I ended up doing this when I started out with similar issues to you. you do feel a bit of a tool doing it but we're all fairly nice folk on here.


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## seeq (Jul 9, 2011)

Don't give up yet. The fact that the shots are so vastly difference suggests there is an issue with your technique somewhere. It's unlikely to be the grinder unless there is a fault on it, but with that variation you should notice the difference in the size of the coffee granules between doses. Literally measure everything, weight of beans in, weight of grind out, time of shot, weight and volume of shot afterwards. You'll work it out soon enough.


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## Sean (Jun 20, 2014)

I too am struggling but I know my perseverance will pay off eventually. I have different issues to yourself, but just stick with it. I'm sure you already know, this forum is one of the best of any kind and nobody will ever shoot you down or call you stupid. As others have said, ours is a typical journey that almost everyone here has been on.


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