I think I went about this the wrong way, cutting down into the bottom of the container to try to extract the bottom circle. Probably makes more sense to cut a straight line into the side of the container right at the bottom.

How far should the yogurt container go into the PF? Seems like it needn't touch the bottom, and in fact it would be better (tighter) if it didn't?

Cakesniffer wrote:I think I went about this the wrong way, cutting down into the bottom of the container to try to extract the bottom circle. Probably makes more sense to cut a straight line into the side of the container right at the bottom.

How far should the yogurt container go into the PF? Seems like it needn't touch the bottom, and in fact it would be better (tighter) if it didn't?

Right. From a dosing standpoint, the less the funnel extends into the filter basket, the better. I cut mine so that it wedges fairly tightly in the top of the filter basket. When inserted, the bottom edge of the yogurt funnel extends only about 1/4" into the basket, just about to the ridge. I trimmed back the bottom of the yogurt cup a couple of times until I was satisfied with the fit. It's not rocket science - there's definitely some margin for error due to the conical shape of the container and the deformability of the plastic.

I hope someone will come up with a more aesthetically pleasing funnel someday. But until then, yogurt containers are readily available, inexpensive, and work darn well.
________
John

cannonfodder wrote:You could try a hacksaw blade. The fine tooth will cut relatively smooth and the length of the blade will cut more even.

Well folks, I tried a hacksaw this morning, but was not pleased with the results. No dowel handy, so I just drew a guideline and did my best. The yogurt container actually held its form fairly well, but (at least in my hands) the plastic was too soft and slippery for a hacksaw blade. I ended up with a rough, uneven edge that needed to be straightened out with scissors. I went over the edge lightly with a match to melt off any remaining ragged spots (carefully). Again, there's a fair amount of slack in the system, so I wound up with a usable funnel.

YMMV, especially if you could find a really fine-toothed saw blade. But for now I'd recommend just using scissors.
________
John

John,

Again I must thank you so much for sharing this practical approach. It has been the single best advantage I have had learning home espresso. It's amazing that the WDT and a bottomless portafilter have in such a short time given me truly amazing espresso at home.

My shots bead so evenly and espresso is truly beautiful. I owe my progress to the WDT, it remains the single most important tool for the budding home barista to quickly and effectively establish a consistent technique.

I owe my greatest shots to the WDT.

(now if my espresso wasn't so darn good I wouldn't drink so much of it!)

Thanks John!

Hi...I actually posted this comment on CG, I believe...a long while ago....
I often incorporate the WDT when pulling triples, and when not rushed my doubles as well. A very useful technique! However, I must respectfully disagree with one of the author's statements (and I paraphrase) "by vigorous stirring, the grounds become fluffier [true], thus yielding a greater amount"..[untrue]...at least for me, it works like this, the more I stir...say 6-8 seconds, the air molecules contained within the grind are somewhat dissipated, thus leaving me with LESS volume in the basket...by size (that is...volume), obviously not by weight. My 17g barely reach the top of my double basket...a little tougher to perform the Stockfleths...haha....but the proper amount is in the basket...
If I still had my Rocky doserless, I would never dose/distribute any other way than with the WDT....Bravo!

IMAWriter wrote:I often incorporate the WDT when pulling triples, and when not rushed my doubles as well. A very useful technique! However, I must respectfully disagree with one of the author's statements (and I paraphrase) "by vigorous stirring, the grounds become fluffier [true], thus yielding a greater amount"..[untrue]...at least for me, it works like this, the more I stir...say 6-8 seconds, the air molecules contained within the grind are somewhat dissipated, thus leaving me with LESS volume in the basket...by size (that is...volume), obviously not by weight. My 17g barely reach the top of my double basket...a little tougher to perform the Stockfleths...haha....but the proper amount is in the basket...
If I still had my Rocky doserless, I would never dose/distribute any other way than with the WDT....Bravo!

Hi Rob, and thanks for the kind words. You're right, it would be more accurate to state that the WDT allows you to modify the dose. Stirring could certainly lead to updosing by removing air pockets in the puck. To downdose, try removing the yogurt cup, leveling, then stirring and leveling again without the cup. (But to hit a specific dose, weigh the grounds. )

BTW, I lived in Nashville (all four syllables: Na-yash vi-yal)) for almost a decade (1975-84). Nice town!

RapidCoffee wrote:Hi Rob, and thanks for the kind words. You're right, it would be more accurate to state that the WDT allows you to modify the dose. Stirring could certainly lead to updosing by removing air pockets in the puck. To downdose, try removing the yogurt cup, leveling, then stirring and leveling again without the cup. (But to hit a specific dose, weigh the grounds. )

BTW, I lived in Nashville (all four syllables: Na-yash vi-yal)) for almost a decade (1975-84). Nice town!

We live in Brentwood...just south of town...when you were here, it was farms....man, you ought to see it now...like Marietta GA....nothing but stores and restaurants. And rich Yankees!

For even better distribution, try sifting the coffee in a small, course sifter. Works better than a needle. You can press the coffee through the sifter with a spoon; it's pretty quick and doesn't make that much of a mess if the diameter of your sifter is roughly the same as your PF. With sifting, I'm getting perfectly consistent results with my Silvia/Rocky combo, for the first time in 3 years. I tried the needle method, and it helped, but sifting was even better. With sifting, I hardly worry about tamp pressure at all. It seems to produce a great shot regardless of how hard I tamp.

carlx wrote:For even better distribution, try sifting the coffee in a small, course sifter. Works better than a needle.

Sifting the coffee grinds has been proposed on both H-B and Coffeegeek. Anything that contributes to an even extraction gets my blessing!