The Correct Amount of Coffee

[chas]

As with any other espresso machine the magic range for the best extraction on the S1 is 25-30 seconds. Some folks prefer a finer grind and a lighter tamp. Others prefer a coarser grind and a heavier tamp. In either case the correct time is the key element.

So long as you hit that range on the S1, the other key variable is how much coffee to put in the portafilter. My preference is as much as possible while still being able to tighten the portafilter without having to use extra force due to the coffee grounds jamming into the shower screen. If the grounds do jam into the screen as you tighten the PF you are effectively tamping again at a high rate of force and you will probably be way over the 25-30 sec rule. And if you try to compensate with a coarser grind your shot-to-shot results will be all over the map.

There is a line in the side of the PF basket that is supposed to be the target for the top surface of the tamped grounds. However, with the new thinner diffusion disk and the proposed alternate shower screen configuration shown on the http://s1cafe.com home page, you can actually have the surface of the coffee about half way beween this line and the top of the basket. The tamped surface of the coffee can be up to this level without jamming into the shower screen.

I have tried weighing the coffee to see how much coffee by weight it takes to get to that point. It ranges from about 17-20g. This difference is that some types of coffees and different roasts will compress when tamped more than others. The ones that compress the most will allow about 20g and the ones that compress the least will allow no more than 17g. In my recent tests I've found that Malabar Gold compresses the least and only allows 17g while Black Cat is at the other end of the range allowing 20g. Your results many vary and, if they do, please post them or any other comments here. I'd be interested in comparing notes on this topic with other S1 owners.

[barjohn]

I too have been experimenting. I have found a large difference between using Vivace's Espresso Vita and Camardo. The Vivace requires a much finer grind setting and for reasons that I can't understnd makes a much bigger mess (maybe due to freshness). It seems to bounce out of the PF where Camarado stays put. Also, Vivace requires more beans to fill the PF to the same level. I am finding that for both the key is to overfill the basket, level with my finger and tamp. I am finding a medium to light tamp seems to work better than a very heavy tamp. The Mazer is set to much much finer than the factory marking. I am 9 small notches finer than the factory marker. With Camarado I am around 4 notches finer.

I have just ordered Sweet Maria and Black Cat so I will see where they fall. I too tried weighing but that hasn't helped me as much as just following the above rule. I also notice that the auto dosing setting on the grinder needs to be changed when the coffee is changed and so does the setting on the S1.

[chas]

Wow. I'm almost alway +-1 from the Mazzer recommended setting. Of course I haven't tried either of the coffees you mentioned.

[barjohn]

I started at the Mazer factory setting and it ran through much too fast. I just kept going two notches at a time and that's what it comes out to. I thought I was doing something wrong so I went back to the factory setting and started over. Same result. Since I only have about two doubles worth of beans left I can't experiment further. Once I get the Seet Maria's and Black Cat I let you know how it turns out as I will start at the factory setting again.

I am surprised at the variability in the amount of beans with different blends. I am using the new diffuser but the original screen configuration. I find that by filling just past the line after tamping creates a dimple from the bolt and seems to be about right. If I am too low there is water on top of the puck. Too high and grounds all over the screen.

[Guest]

I have tried weighing the coffee to see how much coffee by weight it takes to get to that point. It ranges from about 17-20g. This difference is that some types of coffees and different roasts will compress when tamped more than others. The ones that compress the most will allow about 20g and the ones that compress the least will allow no more than 17g. In my recent tests I've found that Malabar Gold compresses the least and only allows 17g while Black Cat is at the other end of the range allowing 20g. Your results many vary and, if they do, please post them or any other comments here. I'd be interested in comparing notes on this topic with other S1 owners.

I have been weighing my coffee. 18g per basket but I wonder if +/-2 grams really makes much of a difference. It is about a 10% varience and represents about 1/12 oz of coffee I think I'll try just filling the basket and tamping to the reference line for awhile. I'll weigh the results and record the weights and taste results.

Bob

[chas]

I started at the Mazer factory setting and it ran through much too fast. I just kept going two notches at a time and that's what it comes out to. I thought I was doing something wrong so I went back to the factory setting and started over. Same result. Since I only have about two doubles worth of beans left I can't experiment further. Once I get the Seet Maria's and Black Cat I let you know how it turns out as I will start at the factory setting again.

I am surprised at the variability in the amount of beans with different blends. I am using the new diffuser but the original screen configuration. I find that by filling just past the line after tamping creates a dimple from the bolt and seems to be about right. If I am too low there is water on top of the puck. Too high and grounds all over the screen.

And if too high, you get grounds up in thr groove around the gasket which takes some cleaning effort to get out even though the gasket still seems to seal just fine.

[barjohn]

Yesterday I received some Black Cat and it has been interesting. I am amazed at two things I am learning. One is that as the grind setting is changed the volume changes (as I think about it, it makes sense as there is less space between the grains). The right grind when one changes beans may be the one that produces the same volume. On the Mini E, I have the doser setting set for Vivace beans to produce a double's worth of grinds. When I played with the Black Cat it was taking twice as much to produce the same volume in the basket. I reduced the fineness and now it gives about the same dosage and the espresso is better.

I'm still trying to understand the relationships without wasting too many shots. Anyone care to share their secrets and what they have learned. I still can't get a pour that is dark from start to finish. I look at the puck and I don't see any signs of channeling and I am using fresh beans. I have also been playing with the tamp force that is coarser and harder tamp, finer and easy tamp.

[chas]

Yesterday I received some Black Cat and it has been interesting. I am amazed at two things I am learning. One is that as the grind setting is changed the volume changes (as I think about it, it makes sense as there is less space between the grains). The right grind when one changes beans may be the one that produces the same volume. On the Mini E, I have the doser setting set for Vivace beans to produce a double's worth of grinds. When I played with the Black Cat it was taking twice as much to produce the same volume in the basket. I reduced the fineness and now it gives about the same dosage and the espresso is better.

I'm still trying to understand the relationships without wasting too many shots. Anyone care to share their secrets and what they have learned. I still can't get a pour that is dark from start to finish. I look at the puck and I don't see any signs of channeling and I am using fresh beans. I have also been playing with the tamp force that is coarser and harder tamp, finer and easy tamp.

Black Cat is interesting stuff. It is the most compressible espresso I've experienced. I can easier get 20g of BC in the PF basket without it being overstuffed and still get a 25s shot. With others I can only get 16g and this is with the new dispersion disk and the alternate screen configuration.

[wgaggl]

If I want go over the ridge in the PF with the amout of coffee, I have to heap it in the PF, and compress it with my fingers a little bit before tamping. That usually leads to more compression in the middle of the basket after the tamp and less compression at the edges. I found that increases the chance of channelling.
How do you overfill the PF and have a level compression before tamping?

Wolfgang