# First attempt with naked portafilter



## jimmyfingers (Jan 28, 2012)

So my new filter holder arrived from HD and seems really well made, along with a double basket. I had two quick goes this morning but it filled my 2oz cup in about twelve seconds. I thought I had ground fine enought (10 on my Rancilio Rocky), and gave a good tamp. Will try again tomorrow with slightly finer grind and a little more pressure with the tamp. I have some fresh coffee coming today from Has Beans so will try with that.

I appreciate there is a lot of dialling in to do and will continue trying.....

Edit: Also have electronic scales coming today to find out just how much I'm putting into the basket!


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

Sounds like you have it all in hand, Jimmy. Not sure what the most common setting is for espresso on a Rocky, but it might need a fair old tweak (finer) to get it to around the 25-30 second mark from 12 seconds. But all beans are different, and need different grinder settings, so it will be interesting to see how the fresh beans respond. They should expand more than slate beans, I believe, which will potentially slow the pour down anyway. Before using them though, try to leave them for at least 2 days, quite possibly more, after the roast date on the bag, otherwise the pour will be a bit too lively to control properly.


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

If memory serves me (*IF* memory seves!!!) my rocky is set 5-7 for the single basket and 6-8 for the double basket, depending on coffee used. With the bottomless filter, make sure you tamp evenly and enjoy the 'pretty patterns' in the pour.


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## jimmyfingers (Jan 28, 2012)

So day two and things are improving. I've made the grind finer, now no.7 on the Rocky, and I'm up to twenty seconds, so I think I need to tamp a little more. I didn't want to push too much in case nothing came out and I just blocked the basket. I'm now able to pick out the distinct flavours from my new Has Bean coffee too. It did start coming out in just two or three seconds after switching on the pump with a tiny spurt out to the side for a second (must have been a slight blockage in the basket), but that stopped and it started coming out nice, slowly and even.

Tomorrow, a little harder on the tamp. Does it matter if there's a little coffee on the sides of the basket? It takes a good few attempts for me to get the puck even, and not slightly higher at the back or front.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

David Schomer recommends an initial tamp to level the coffee (after distributing), then a single light tap on the side of the basket with the handle of the tamper to dislodge coffee stuck to the sides of the basket.

Then a full 30 lb tamp straight down followed by a 720 degree twist to polish the coffee.

Spurting means channeling so you may need to fluff your grinds up a bit with a paperclip or WDT (google Weiss Distribution Technique). Not too much though.

Also why not have another go today? Compare how the 2 shots tasted.


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

20 seconds isn't bad. Don't be afraid to tamp harder, that's the biggest mistake. If a harder tamp doesn't work, go down a notch on the grinder, but you are almost there. If you are using a bottomless, you must make sure the tamp is even - and if you are having clumping issues, fatboyslim's paperclip is a good solution. Also, if you do a levelling off tamp, do not do the first tamp it too hard.

Eventually, you will have a ritual which works for you and you'll do it without thinking - but remember that each coffee, each roast, each batch is just a little different.


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

jimmyfingers said:


> ...
> 
> Tomorrow, a little harder on the tamp. Does it matter if there's a little coffee on the sides of the basket? It takes a good few attempts for me to get the puck even, and not slightly higher at the back or front.


Try keeping the number of tamps to a minimum and concentrate on making them consistent and level. If after tamping you find the surface of the coffee in the basket is sloping, do not attempt to correct it with another tamp. If it is sloping significantly, empty the basket and start again. Personally I find a single, straight and level tamp works best with moderate pressure.

There is much debate as to whether one should tap the side of the portafilter to dislodge grounds on the sides of the basket. Those against the tap claim it encourages channeling by weakening the seal between the coffee grounds and the edge of the basket. As an alternative to tapping, some people use a NESW tamp which involves multiple light tamps around the edges of the basket. Of course the better fit your tamper is in the basket, the fewer grinds will get caught up the sides of the basket in the first place. I tend to just leave the grinds up the side of the basket but, to be honest, tamping is quite a personal thing and I would use whatever technique works best for you.


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## jimmyfingers (Jan 28, 2012)

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll try again tomorrow morning. I must admit I did try to level off a few times with more tamping. I was tamping while the basket was already in the holder which gave me the slopes, but do you guys tamp the basket before you put it in the holder?


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## jimmyfingers (Jan 28, 2012)

So on the first attempt today I removed any clumps etc with a pointed knife but still had a quick spurt out both side and a fifteen second run through. But on the second attempt I tamped when half full, and then tamped when full and got to twenty five seconds. I've also brought the grind down to a number 5 on the Rocky. I'm using new beans from Has Bean.

The one remaining parameter is the amount of coffee I'm putting into the basket. My scales have not yet arrived so I'm estimating by grinding until it's level with the top of the basket and then tamping, so there is a chance that I'm not putting enough into the basket. The scales should arrive in a couple of days so fingers crossed!


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## clickhappy (Feb 1, 2012)

I had my bottomless PF delivered yesterday and although I am still dialing in my MC2 Grinder (arived yesterday too) and the shot was a bit on the short side, I didn't notice any spurting although the back of the machine and the edge of the cup was lightly speckled in dark brown crema.

I have found it interesting seeing how the cone develops and the different colours in the crema although I havn't had anything that looks as good as this from Home Barista






I have enjoyed reading this thread and am looking forward to hearing how you get on.


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## jimmyfingers (Jan 28, 2012)

That looks beautiful, mine also looks nothing like that!

Ok I've just uploaded a quick and dirty movie clip showing the basket before I pull the shot, and then the start of the pull itself (I had to cut it because it went all out of focus!). I noticed that when I eject my puck it's only 1.5cm deep - is that common?


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## jimmyfingers (Jan 28, 2012)

For some reason it's not showing on the iPad so here's the link


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## lookseehear (Jul 16, 2010)

The grind is definitely you or major problem, it needs to be finer!

Sent from my ICS Touchpad with Tapatalk


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## jimmyfingers (Jan 28, 2012)

This morning I brought the grind down to a three on on the Rocky and it pulled in thirty five seconds. This is good as now I can clearly see this is making a difference, and tomorrow bring it back up to maybe four or five. I know some people have zero'd their Rocky at six or seven, but mine doesn't seem to make any difference in sound until I take it down to zero which is handy!


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

First of all, all machines are slightly different, so you can use the numbers as a ball park but they are not 100% certain. Having said that, 3 is probably too low. remember, if the burrs are too close together, it is difficult to pass all the coffee beans through, and the grind also takes a long time. I don't really use my Rocky, I prefer my MDF and Demoka grinders, but I seem to remember that the right consistancy passed 7g of beans through in about 12-15 seconds (again, I am trying to hard to remember and my measurememnts may not be perfect). Having looked at the video, I'd say your main problem is uneven tamping - not necessarily pressure. Repart the grinds in the basket evenly before tamping directly from above. Put pressure straight down. I would suggest starting at 5 or 6 on the grinder and try various tamping pressures and come down / go up a quarter each time until you find what works for you. But most important, don't just look at time, make sure you're happy with taste and consistancy - that's the most important thing.


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

You will probably find that you need to change the grind as you change bean, as those same beans age and to compensate for changes in environmental conditions e.g. humidity. What setting works for one user may not necesarily work for another especially when they are using different beans, freshness, humidity, etc.

Different types of coffee will also take different times to grind depending upon the density and size of the beans. I use a timed dose on my grinder which is incredibly consistent but I still need to adjust the timer along with the grind whenever I dial in a new bean.

Find a grind setting that works for the beans you are using and, as xiuxiuejar said, use taste to guide you. I appologise in advance if you already know this, but to start with, I would aim for a shot approximately double the weight of the ground coffee dose you are using and that takes approximately 23-30 seconds to pour. This timing is really just a guide to get in the ballpark and should not be considered a hard and fast rule - we may well end up breaking it in a minute







. Once you are in the right ballpark, taste the shot. Does it taste overly acidic or sour or does it taste bitter and/or perhaps a bit flat? If the former then tighten the grind and if the latter then grind coarser. Rinse and repeat.

You are aiming for balanced acidity and sweetness. Depending upon the beans you are using, the acidity should taste crisp but not too pronounced/sour. Once you have this balance sorted, think about how strong it tastes, is it overpowering or do the sugars and caramels overpower the other flavours and make it taste bland. If the former then lower your dose and grind finer to maintain the same flow rate and if the latter then increase the dose and grind coarser.

Keep the tamp simple, straight and level. Also, sweep your hand over the rim of the basket after tamping to make sure that there are no grounds on the very rim of the basket or the lugs of the portafilter that could damage the group gasket or interefere with the seal.


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## jimmyfingers (Jan 28, 2012)

Once I've filled the basket I run a sewing needle around the basket to remove any clumps and becomes light and fluffy, and then balance the portafilter on the edge of the counter so that its flat, and the putting the tamper in carefully I push straight down with my palm. When inspecting though I see that the part of the basket away from the handle is slightly lower than the back part of the basket, so then I try to compensate. I've brought the grind back to five this morning and it's come through to fast again, but I think it's due to my tamping rather than the grind, as it's so very fine, more like powder than granular, so I need to sort out my tamping technique as you guys have mentioned.

Also, my scales have arrive and they are fantastic, so sensitive and the quality is surprisingly very good considering the price, so I highly recommend them, and only £5.99 with free postage.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/0-01g-Digital-Pocket-Weighing-Scales/dp/B004VZ0KUK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1328347828&sr=8-6


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## xiuxiuejar (Jan 24, 2012)

If you think it's fine enough, put a little more coffee in. This is not going to be a popular suggestion but a few more beans may be the answer. Remember that every coffee is different. The other thing you could do is buy some cheap beans from somewhere and practice (I'd be doing this). You don't have to drink the coffee but within 20 minutes, you'll have mastered your technique and got used to your equipment. Once you find the right settings, note them but remember that you'll have to adjust for each variety, or even after a week or 10 days when your coffee is a little drier.


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## jimmyfingers (Jan 28, 2012)

Finally I've cracked it! With my new Jailbreak from Has Beans, I removed any clumps with a small plastic cup with the bottom cut off and running a need through, levelled off with fingers, good tamp, not a single spurt shooting out at the sides, nice even cone, and pulled a twenty six second shot. Great crema, not sourness at all - very happy!

Thank you all for your help and advice. If I hadn't been able to get it to work I was going to post an SOS on here and pay for one of you masters to come to my house! lol


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