I happened to re-watch OE's video demonstrating their smaller "funnel." I happen to have their larger Ipanema high walled stainless funnel, a very useful device when wanting to perform a WDT. It also helps keep the grind where I want it.

Anyhow, i watched the lovely Barb grind directly in the PF, the small funnel resting inside the basket.
She then proceeded to tap down several times on the OE hockey puck, aka Slap Shot, then removed the funnel. I happen to have one of the Slap Shots as well, and use it, though not with multiple tap downs.
She did not tamp, just a gentle tamper insertion to level lightly and smooth.
Then she pulled the shot.

So i said, "what the hey"..(really)...and I decided to give it a try.
MY APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE FOR THE WORDINESS ON THE WAY.

Now I only tamp at about 15#'s, but I decide to eschew the pressure as she did.
I ground my usual amount of coffee in my Vario, using my high walled funnel in place as always.
I made sure the pile inside looked symmetrical, tapped down 4-5 times, removed my funnel.
I then lightly leveled and smoothed...no more than the tiniest pressure, if any, as Barb did.

I realized I had overdosed, as without the 15lb tamp, the fluffy Vario grind was only 1.5mm from the top of the basket.
Attempting to insert the PF into my Cremina, it wouldn't go. I removed my PF, and to my dismay saw the top of the packed coffee was horribly disturbed, with 2-3 grams stuck to the underside of my group!
Well, with this economy, and being one not to waste coffee...my funky shots turned Spousal Americanos are LEGEND, I just reinserted the PF, no smoothing, nothing. I even left the grunge on the group, as penance for my transgression.

I did a nice long 8 second lift before pulling down, all the while expecting the worst, goggles fastened to prevent the inevitable squirts I KNEW were forthcoming.

Wrong.
What emerged from my lovely and talented Cremina was pure honey, no blonding. NONE, no squirts, no nothing but a beautiful pour.
Tentatively I sipped. OH MY GOSH!

Redbird Coffee's Jaguar espresso, but with twice the mouthfeel as usual, and the layers melting into each other. This blend is, IMO a bit more complex than the delightful Red Bird espresso blend.

Here's the kicker. Removing the PF, the puck looked exactly like any good puck should. Smooth as glass on the top, firm, not wet.

I've since done 5-6 shots, this time reducing the grind volume, weighing a couple of times to assure consistency.
All good.

I realize the formula for many, including myself, was lever espresso+ finer grind, very light tamp.
This is even more of the same.

I'm now an even greater hockey fan, and offer a big thanks to Doug and Barb.
This may not be for everyone, but I encourage all who haven't done so to give this technique a try.

Compute the area of the pf.

Now think how your 15# compares to 9 bar.

Tamp is overrated.

Thanks Rob for starting this thread. My new Cremina is on its way from Olympia as we speak, and was going to try this method when I first saw the video a couple of weeks ago. Good to hear that it really works.

Cindy

bigstormgirl wrote:Thanks Rob for starting this thread. My new Cremina is on its way from Olympia as we speak, and was going to try this method when I first saw the video a couple of weeks ago. Good to hear that it really works.

Cindy

My pleasure. Sorry for the elongated post though. I guess being away from here so much, it was hard to curb my enthusiasm.

IMAWriter wrote:My pleasure. Sorry for the elongated post though. I guess being away from here so much, it was hard to curb my enthusiasm.

What really got me fascinated about the technique was the tamping. I have found that I am very inconsistent with the 20# or 30# tamping pressure with my Brewtus. Seems that with Barb's video, it looks a lot easier to be consistent.

Do you know how many grams you used? I have always weighed out my Redbird at 15 grams. Now that I will be moving from a 58mm PF to a 49mm, will 15 be too much? That's where I was going to start off when I get my Cremina.

Thanks again Rob.

bigstormgirl wrote:What really got me fascinated about the technique was the tamping. I have found that I am very inconsistent with the 20# or 30# tamping pressure with my Brewtus. Seems that with Barb's video, it looks a lot easier to be consistent.

The old mantra of "tamp 30 lbs., and practice on a bathroom scale," has been put to rest. As long as the tamp is level, you can use as little pressure as you like. The water will hit the puck with far more force than you can muster with your arm power.

bigstormgirl wrote:What really got me fascinated about the technique was the tamping. I have found that I am very inconsistent with the 20# or 30# tamping pressure with my Brewtus. Seems that with Barb's video, it looks a lot easier to be consistent.

Do you know how many grams you used? I have always weighed out my Redbird at 15 grams. Now that I will be moving from a 58mm PF to a 49mm, will 15 be too much? That's where I was going to start off when I get my Cremina.

Thanks again Rob.

Cindy, the blend is from Redbird Coffee, but it's NOT their Red Bird (see the 2 words which indicate the blend, not the company).
It is their BLUE JAGUAR blend.


Cindy, forgive me if i misunderstood you, if you were referring to Barb's video, as SHE certainly WAS pulling the RED BIRD blend, from Redbird Coffee!!
On the other hand, my adventures on this thread were aided by another of Redbird's blend, the Blue Jaguar.

Rob,
So glad you brought this technique up. When I was at the SF HB get together last month, I saw Yakster doing that method and though, "what the hell, I'll give it a try". I have so much consistency now on my bottomless shots, I know I can't go back.

OO

Cher, I'm still fighting the urge to put a little weight behind the gentle set down of the tamper.
Speaking of which, Richard Penney's awesome 49mm tamper and nekked PF have been in my arsenal for 4+ years now. That tamper's very thin base is the perfect tool for this technique, though OE's stainless 49's are also of a thinner piston.

When i pull shots at a friend's house, ( he has a Lovely little HX Astra Pro) his Espro tamper feels like a sledgehammer!


Edits...sorry, late, and left LOTS of ' out.

Marshall wrote:The old mantra of "tamp 30 lbs., and practice on a bathroom scale," has been put to rest. As long as the tamp is level, you can use as little pressure as you like. The water will hit the puck with far more force than you can muster with your arm power.

So true, Marshall. However, as I'm SURE you know, especially with a lever, we can really control the pre-infusion, thus gently soak the puck, and if we DON'T want 9 bars downward, we have THAT option as well.
Whoa, I sound like a lever-head!

It's so cool that many newly designed pump machines give the operator several pre-infusion choices.
Even after 5 lever years, I'm still amazed at how differing "lever up" times can truly affect the results in the cup.

SLIGHTLY OT

Earlier on, I posted a thread about my experimentation with the Fellini move. With this change in tamping/sort of non tamping, I find just the straight lever gently up, count to 8, lower lever with a nice even energy, and for MOST coffees, lessen the downward force from the middle of the shot to the end is working real well for me.

Proves even us old dogs can learn a new trick.