# Does your VST basket do this?



## Fez (Dec 31, 2018)

So I recently decided to give VST baskets another go, I had one initially for a short period with my old machine but after reading through someone's findings on here comparing VST to IMS I decided to order myself an 18g ridgeless and give it a shot

I don't have the most refined palate, but the VST shots have been far better extracted and a lot more consistent than the results I was getting from the Londinium IMS basket.

My issue is, I've noticed that the basket is letting through some fines(these are not particularly slow shots either all sub 35 seconds total incl pre-infusion). This results in the last sip in the cup tasting quite disgusting.

Has anyone else noticed this? Do I have a faulty basket?


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## Inspector (Feb 23, 2017)

Mine does as well. I don't think you have faulty basket. It's more about fines in the grind and kind of bean I reckon. As not all beans does this for me.


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## mctrials23 (May 8, 2017)

Have the same machine and I find that as soon as the lever is pulled down a small amount of fines falls from the PF into the cup before any liquid comes through. Never found it was enough to cause any issues with taste though.

Now my question for you... Is that an 18g VST basket you are using and how much can you dose into it without leaving an imprint on the LR screen.


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## Fez (Dec 31, 2018)

Inspector said:


> Mine does as well. I don't think you have faulty basket. It's more about fines in the grind and kind of bean I reckon. As not all beans does this for me.


 So this is the second bean in a row since I got the basket. I don't know if it's a coincidence or not



mctrials23 said:


> Have the same machine and I find that as soon as the lever is pulled down a small amount of fines falls from the PF into the cup before any liquid comes through. Never found it was enough to cause any issues with taste though.
> 
> Now my question for you... Is that an 18g VST basket you are using and how much can you dose into it without leaving an imprint on the LR screen.


 Hmmm. Will try and take note on my next cup if I can see the fines before the liquid.

The first bean I started at 17g but ended up on 17.5 once dialled in. Medium/light roast

Second bean I started on 17.5 but was getting some channelling so I've dropped to 17 and it seems fine now. Solid medium roast

I am using the E&B shower screen but it's the same height as the stock one as far as I know?


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## mctrials23 (May 8, 2017)

Fez said:


> So this is the second bean in a row since I got the basket. I don't know if it's a coincidence or not
> 
> Hmmm. Will try and take note on my next cup if I can see the fines before the liquid.
> 
> ...


 Cheers, I have found that ~17g is usually the limit of what I can get in an 18g VST which seemed to go against what a lot of people were saying about the LR and the VST. Glad to hear its not just me!

People were getting 18g in them with the ol' grind fine tamp light mantra whereas I seem to only be able to get 17g in with a firm tamp.


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## Fez (Dec 31, 2018)

mctrials23 said:


> Cheers, I have found that ~17g is usually the limit of what I can get in an 18g VST which seemed to go against what a lot of people were saying about the LR and the VST. Glad to hear its not just me!
> 
> People were getting 18g in them with the ol' grind fine tamp light mantra whereas I seem to only be able to get 17g in with a firm tamp.


 I guess it's going to vary quite a bit from bean to bean.

On the plus side that 1 gram difference gets you almost an extra shot out of a 250g bag


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

I would look at grinder , burr's , beans. This is where the fines are coming from. The baskets only deal with what you put in and distribute / compress. With the 18 gm VST I can load 19 and sometimes 20 gm without iterference dependent on bean.


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## Deidre (Aug 13, 2019)

@Fez Interesting that you are trying the VST basket at the same time as I have been giving it a go. (I am using a 15 grams VST basket, though, not 18.) Have not seen any puffs of loose grinds or tasted any unpleasantness in the cup with the VST. But I have had puffs of grinds in the past (albeit, using my IMS londinium baskets); still, they did not cause any unpleasantness in the taste department.

@mctrials23 I am still working out the whys & wherefores for "puffs" of grinds appearing at the beginning of a shot, but I would suggest one test: prepare your basket on a clean, grinds-free mat, with no residual grinds from a previous prep & tamp; it could simply be some stray grinds piggy-backing onto your basket or portafilter handle, directly from your prep surface? The second test: prepare a test basket without the portafilter handle, tamp it, and then insert it into the portafilter handle just before your pull. It may be coincidental, but ever since I stopped loading & tamping with the basket inside the portafilter, I stopped getting those errant puffs when the lever came down.🤷‍♀️

With this VST, I am getting a very good flavour result, even sweeter & richer it seems to me.🤷‍♀️ 🤔


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

I think I've asked this question many, many times ago. It's most likely those fines have clung on from the bottom of your basket / PF and not actually going through the basket holes. Next time, if you use a naked PF, make sure the bottom of the basket is very clean before you lock the PF in, as well as your cup. I don't have a glass cup so I never checked that.


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