The S1 Cafe - Helping Your Espresso Dreams Become Reality

Hi all:

Perhaps someone can help me figure this out. I've had my S1 for about a year, purchased of course from CCS. The first one was delivered damaged, and Chris immediately sent out a new one. It's plumbed in with the filters, and the grinder is the Vario W. I'm using mostly Black Cat beans.

The problem is with the baskets and dosing. I can't seem to get anything right except for the single. In the single PF with the single basket, I load it with 14.2 - 14.6 g, and the grinder is set pretty fine, both settings 2 - 3 clicks from the top. Tamping it with the spring loaded Espro, I can consistently get 22 - 25 second pulls.

When I go to the double, I've loaded it up with 19 - 22 g, fine grind and I get no more than an 11 second pull. If I put the double basket in the naked portafilter (it came with the triple), it sprays everywhere, and it's maybe a 6 second pull. The manual from CCS has 7 -8 g for the single and 16 - 18 for the double. If I try these doses, it's going to pour right through.

Could it be from the pre-infusion? I have it set for 2 or 3 seconds. Pump pressure?

I know I'm missing something, I'm not sure what. In the mean time, every experimentation session takes 1/2 pound of Black Cat!

Thanks.

Sounds to me as if you should try grinding finer. I don't know your grinder but it sounds to me as if you are overdosing and undergrinding.

If your pressure is set appropriately the major variables in pulling the shot are:
grind
dose
tamp

Given the Espro tamper I would assume that to be "correct" or "appropriate".
Reduce dose to the recommended (I use a single basket full of beans filled to just flat for a double shot).
After reducing the dose try grinding finer. You should lengthen the shot time until you choke the machine (if you go too fine).

Way overdosing. I have the triple basket in my bottomless PF and if I dose 21g, the dispersion screw makes a big dent. I don't have my pull perfected, but I am using the triple basket with a 20g dose for a 2.5oz pull (sorry for the mixed units, that's just how I measure). So you are dosing more into your double than I can fit into my triple.

If the coffee is touching the dispersion screen, then the water wont get a chance to go anywhere on the puck but straight out from where it came in. So you are going to get massive channeling, which is what you are seeing. Make sure that you get a little headroom so that the water can cover the puck surface.

Typically each dose should be on the order of 7g. CCS knows the machine and the basket; I would give more consideration to the recommended range.

I agree. You've got way too much in the double basket - thus no head room. I never use the single basket so I can't account for the high dose you're using there. Are you sure you're using the single basket? - I use the double basket with the single portafilter and about 14.5 grams.

stuartontour wrote:In the single PF with the single basket, I load it with 14.2 - 14.6 g, and the grinder is set pretty fine, both settings 2 - 3 clicks from the top. Tamping it with the spring loaded Espro, I can consistently get 22 - 25 second pulls.

The dose that are quoted make absolutely no sense!!!
Here is what I have (using he thicker dispersion screens set-up) tamped with the Espro and at a grind setting that gives a 25-30 seconds pull:
In a single basket: 10g is the absolute maximum that will go in and that is with an impression of the bolt which is certainly not desirable but I allowed because I use the thicker dispersion set-up.
In the double basket: 16.5g is maximum with where the top of the puck is contacting the bolt.
In the triple basket: more than 20g. I never found a coffee that was any good at this or above this dose!

Either there is confusion between basket sizes or the Vario-W is out of calibration! If I had to make a guess I would think that the Vario-W is misleading you.

I am thinking it's a grinder problem. I set the grinder scale tare on a regular basis, but when trying to dose 8 grams into a single this morning, it barely went halfway up the basket. These are the baskets that Chris Coffee sells, so I assume they are of standard capacity.

On the other hand, I put what I would eyeball 17 grams into the double, and I got a 6 second shot, the water just poured right through. I wonder if the grinder may also have a grind setting issue.

In a standard double basket, a loose but even coffee bed that is skimmed straight on the edge of the basket is about 16-17g with a "normal" espresso grind setting.
With this dose, if you have a 6 seconds shot, the grind setting is certainly too coarse!!

Have you set the Vario-W to the espresso range (The calibration procedure is available on the Baratza site). My B-Vario is set at second click on the coarse (right) side and about mid range on the fine (left) side. But this varies with coffee origin and roast level and taste preference.

Recognizing there are variables in equipment here's what I do. Dose double portafilter with 14 to 16.5 grams of coffee (weighed before grinding). My goal is to pull 1.5 oz. in 30 to 35 seconds (with progressive pre-infusion). B-Vario is always set to first notch coarse on right side and generally (adjusted as needed) in the middle of the fine on the left as you look at the machine. I have done the calibration adjustment mentioned on the B-Vario website. I seldom buy pre-roasted coffee as I roast my own. As a double check I buy an occasional bag of Stumptown and the above settings work with only small tweaks.

I'd agree with most of what's already been posted. I just got the Dream T, but it uses the same baskets - 14-15g dose gets me a small indent in the puck from the dispersion screw. I can't imagine cramming another 5g of beans in there.

I was trying to figure this all out to no success and much stress until I tried what Mary at CC does; with a twist of my own. She said to simply fill the basket over the top and then scrape off with a knife like if you were baking and measuring flour and then tamp. When I did that the level of the coffee was way to low for me, so now I tap the side of the basked gently with a butter knife 10 times. Then I scrape excess coffee off of the top and then tamp down as hard as I can and I wind up just at or below the indentation in the double basket.

If the original poster would edit their profile to indicate where they are located another user who is close by might be able to get together with them and help out.

I'm in Los Angeles, thanks for asking.

I figured out the problem, and it was the secret grinder setting. Once I tightened the set screw underneath the chute, I got a much finer grind, and was able to get a 17 grams (ground) into a double basket for a 22 second (ish) shot. The grinder seems to have a mind of it's own. One shot can be 22 seconds, the next will be 8 seconds. It's a Vario W grinder, by the way.