Help me diagnose my problem

Post by **zoey** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:31 pm

I took a short video of a pull and posted it on YouTube. I'm hoping you can diagnose my problem with channeling.

I've tried multiple grind settings and tamp pressures but I still get the channeling. You can see in the video that there are wide areas of the bottom of the filter in which there is no flow. There was one small pinhole spray but it quickly closed.

I know that the pull is long.

Any ideas on what I should do?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I47xwnhviuI

Post by **JohnB** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:06 pm

Seems like the water is pouring right through & the pour is thin/watery. Can you grind finer? Again it could be your grinder.

Post by **zoey** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:09 pm

I should have mentioned that it is decaf coffee (if that makes a difference).

The grind is already getting close to a turkish.

Post by **bbqnut** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:57 pm

That initial "channeling" is not great, but it quickly converges at the middle and stays there, so that is good. And it does not seem to pour very fast, in fact it seems about right. Are you getting about 2-3 ounces in about 20-30 seconds? If so, you are in the right neighborhood.

I would be more interested in seeing it pour into a shot glass or something see-through.

And of course, how does it taste?

As far as being decaf, it has been a long time, but as I recall the crema was not as good on the decaf beans, and of course decaf beans tend to be a lot "milder" than their caffeinated counterparts.

Post by **JohnB** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:51 pm

zoey wrote:I should have mentioned that it is decaf coffee (if that makes a difference).

The grind is already getting close to a turkish.

Decaf is ground finer then regular beans & usually pours much quicker so don't expect a picture perfect pour. Have you found any decaf that tastes good as a straight shot?

MDL · Post by **MDL** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:26 pm

I have never been able to get as good a shot with decaf as caf. I agree that the grind needs to be finer and that the crema (and the shot) have always been less rich for me with decaf.

From my experience I would suggest starting with caf and then moving to decaf after you master the caf shots.

Find the videos on the web of espresso 101 with Heather Perry. She does a good job of showing how to work through things.

Post by **BillK** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:36 pm

I got some decaf espresso last week from paradise roasters. This is the first decaf I have ever put through my S1. Surprisingly, I am able to use the exact same grinder setting (Super Jolly) with it as I am using for the paradise classico espresso. The pours look very nice. I have not tasted a shot; I use it in cappas for guests. No gushers, no channeling problems.

Post by **zoey** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:25 pm

Have you found any decaf that tastes good as a straight shot?

Yes, I have! Of course, they are beans that I have roasted. I really like a combination of Columbian, Peruvian, and Ethiopian. Roasted to a +full city.

I've found that extending the pull time by about 15-30 seconds (give or take) dramatically changes the flavor profile by leaps and bounds. But, there is a fine line between tasting excellent and being overly bitter.

My big concern regarding the video is the huge areas, which you can see on the bottom of the filter, that are not flowing any coffee. Forgive me but, isn't this what is known as "channeling"? When I watch the videos of professionals, their pulls look like yummy, warm caramel and coffee flows from the entire filter.

Are you getting about 2-3 ounces in about 20-30 seconds

I am getting about 75cc/pull but it takes anywhere from 40-50 seconds.[/quote]

I have notice, since switching to decaf (not because I wanted to.....because I had to) that the crema is not as good. Every once in a while it will be gorgeous, but for the most part it's flat/thin/short-lived.

Post by **zoey** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:33 pm

So, does the pour look that bad in the video?

I should mention that the coffee tastes pretty good.

Post by **jmcphail** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:00 pm

How it tastes is what matters after all.

Is the mouth feel and thickness OK? It looked kind of spurt-y to me, but it's hard to tell in a video.

Post by **zoey** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:23 pm

Sorry I didn't get right back to you. I "forced" myself to go to Jamaica for 8 days.

I had been using Starbucks decaf espresso. I finally ran out of it and roasted my own.

The pours with my beans look 100 x's better than the Buck's. Makes me wonder how long the Buck's beans had been sitting on the shelf?

Tastes pretty good for a decaf. IMHO, the decaf beans just don't look, smell or taste as good as regular beans.

Post by **JohnB** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:45 pm

zoey wrote: The pours with my beans look 100 x's better than the Buck's. Makes me wonder how long the Buck's beans had been sitting on the shelf?

Tastes pretty good for a decaf. IMHO, the decaf beans just don't look, smell or taste as good as regular beans.

I haven't read many good reviews of $$bucks beans. Unfortunately "pretty good for a decaf" seems to be the story. Have you tried any of the Mexican Water Processed decafs? They seem to get the best reviews.

Post by **zoey** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:22 pm

Yes! The guy who supplies me with green beans gets them for me. I usually mix them with some water processed Columbian to give them a little "umph".

I'm going to have to get some caffeinated beans and pull a few shots back to back with some decaf to see if the problem is due to the decaf beans.

If it is the decaf beans that are the problem, I guess I will just have to live with it.

BTW~ I just got back from Jamaica. While there, I picked up a bottle of Rum Cream. Just for giggles I added a splash of Rum Cream to my espresso (topped with home-made cinnamon dolce/vanilla whip cream). It's YUMMY!

Post by **JohnB** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:40 pm

Sounds tasty! I've been drinking mostly Americanos lately. Took me a few months to get around to trying them but once I did I was hooked. Even blends that I wasn't crazy about as a straight shot can make a very tasty Americano.