How do these beans look? They are about 12 days post roast.

Too oily for what?

After 12 days beans this dark will show that much oil. A Vienna roast will be oily immediately after roasting, where full city might take a few days after roasting to show patches of oil. It just depends which roast level you are shooting for(assuming you roasted them). If the beans make coffee you like, then who cares how much oil they have.

Ok, I prefaced this all wrong. I am relatively new at trying to consistently extract good espresso. I have been chasing an intermittent channeling issue and while reading HB late last night read somewhere that beans, sometimes oily can contribute to channeling.

I guess the question I have is can anyone tell from the photo of these beans whether they are a possible source for my channeling?

It should be noted that I am rather frustrated trying to consistently remove my channeling issues

OIly beans could cause channeling, but there are other variables that would have a bigger impact on channeling. Back when I used a rocky, I had to religiously WDT to avoid channeling (and sometimes that wasn't even enough). I would put more focus on distribution of the coffee in the basket, than avoiding oily beans, especially if you like the beans.

I do like the beans when everything comes together they produce a nice shot of espresso.

I have been meticulous with coffee distribution, for a while to the point of tunnel vision. If I still do not have good distribution then I am at a loss... that is why I am now trying to learn about other factors that could contribute to the problem.

What grinder are you using?

At the moment a Rocky doserless, however i am shopping around as i find a few things frustrating with the rocky.

I wouldn't put oily beans as the direct cause of channeling. I'd put old, and overroasted beans more to the forefront of that cause. And primarily the age, not the level of development. That being said, yes, very darkly roasted beans have greater amounts of internal structural damage and when ground can promote channeling more easily. I'd focus more on your distribution technique before criticizing your roast level.

And it's very hard to determine roast level in a photo. Using a flash will greatly increase the visual appearance of oil, that otherwise might not accurately reflect the roast when photographed in ambient light. Did you shoot this with a flash? If so, snap another one without.

No flash used for the photo. I certainly not focusing on the beans (or anything) as a single cause or source to the channeli g.

I am going to try a different device for stirring and see if I can get so e consistency.