# Bottomless pull, how to improve?



## FL630 (Jan 7, 2014)

Hi Coffee Forums!

I am trying to make the best espresso I can with super-budget coffee setup. I'm not in a situation where I can upgrade anything that I own so I've worked around slowly improving and modifying my machine and method until I've got to the point I am at now, and I'm stuck!

So far I've changed to an unpressurised basket, modified my portafilter to make it naked, got a used Iberital MC2 and dialled the grind and dose in to get what I feel is a reasonably good tasting espresso using freshly roasted beans either from Hasbean or my local roaster. However, I've got this one problem I can't find the source of...

If you look at this video: 



 you will see an example shot that I'm pulling. To begin with, the coffee comes out in two very distinct spouts before eventually combining into a nice uniform central pour. Sometimes however, it will split again in to two, or not even combine in to one.

What can be causing this split? My tamp is quite even I think, the puck looks uniform and I don't get the coffee spraying out in random directions so the distribution seems good. You can see the crema is quite good and it lasts too.

What can I do to improve it? ANY feedback is handy, so long as it's something I can change without being told to go out and buy myself a new machine!

Many thanks

Ian


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## Iwwstriker (Dec 6, 2013)

Did you level the ground before tamping?? That will re-distribute your ground so that you're not tamping more coffee in the middle and less on the sides. I have experimented it myself as well. It works better.


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## FL630 (Jan 7, 2014)

Method is:

*Grind directly into portafilter, moving it around slightly and tapping it on the portafilter holder on the grinder to even it as it pours

*Tap sides of portafilter with tamper to level grinds

*Tap bottom to try and even grinds around basket near the bottom

*repeat stage two

*Tamp lightly, check I'm tamping evenly using the edge of the tamper and the lip of the basket as a guide

*Apply tamping force without rotating

*Check dose, does it look even? any lumps or cracks? If so start again, if not pull the shot.

Doing the above I get the shot as posted in the video. Do you think I need to take more care for distribution?


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

Ok the source of your issues is most likely the tapping of the portafilter so stop that altogether. If you are worried about the distribution try using a bamboo skewer to stir the grinds once they are in the basket or as our American cousins call it WDT.

As regards the tamping itself there are so many ways of doing it and so many threads about it on this forum alone just try a search, it is best practice if the grinds have been levelled in the basket to simply position the tamper in the basket and tamp down and straight just the once then let off the pressure and spin the tamper lightly with no weight on it to polish the puck. The semi mythical 30lb (15kg) tamp isn't necessary just learn to tamp with a consistent weight and remember the finer the grind the lighter you need to tamp.

What machine is it you are using and what tamper?


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## Iwwstriker (Dec 6, 2013)

Yup, I agreed with what @CharlieJ said. No knocking on the portafilter after you tamp. The most is that you can tap gently on a rubber damping surface to settle the ground pressed against the wall at the top of the dry puck, if you're lazy to do the WDT technique. I get quite a consistent flow of coffee on the double spouts, two equally increasing volume of espresso. If you knock sharply against the portafilter with a tamper or whatever stiff, this action will create a stress of creep in the puck itself like a Grand Canyon which allows water to flow with less resistance and not distributed throughout every particles of ground. Polishing the ground should only utilise the self weight of the tamper only, which is around 1Lb. Very sufficient to get a nice polished surface and seals up the puck.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

In order to not have any crossed wires I meant from the moment you start to grind to inserting the portafilter into the group head do not tap the pf at any time and in any way.


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## FL630 (Jan 7, 2014)

Thanks, I'll give the WDT technique a go later this evening. Looks like distribution might be at fault.

For the record I only tap before tamping, once it's tamped I do not tap (try say that fast!), but I will stop that and try it another way.

Thanks all!


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