What is the best dose/tamp technique for the triple filter basket. I'm having channeling issues that I never had with my double basket. It seems much more difficult to get a even tamp using the triple, simply because the puck is a little deeper.

When analyzing my pours using the naked portafilter, I notice channeling around the edges. At times it appears that no water is being extracted through the middle of the puck. Should I go coarser in my grind? Less or more tamp?

Hi Mike, are you using the same dose in the triple? I tend to go back and forth between doubles and triples and don't really see any difference (with same dose). You're obviously seeing distribution issues and perhaps the WDT would help.

Otherwise stick with the double basket. I tend to get "issues" when using much over 19g or 20g of coffee in any basket. Luckily most blends I tend to pull don't require anywhere near this for a good shot.

Is your double basket shaped differently then your triple?

Also, I found that with my Rocky, the grinder didn't like big doses.

Rocky did much better with 14g and below.

Another thing to keep in mind is basket geometry and the total area of holes at the bottom of a triple basket are almost always different than a double, so you'd need to dial in the grind again completely. If you're expecting to use the same grind as a double, you might see a much faster pour that you might perceive as channeling.

FWIW, I'd second the vote for sticking to the double and using lower doses (14-15 grams) to get better tasting shots.

Try grinding a little coarser or dose a little less. I use a triple in my Elektra a lot but I dose down. My particular machine prefers a lot of head space due to the group design. To get 17 grams in a double basket would yield a meltdown shot with channeling and lopsided extractions. So when I have a coffee that favours a higher dose, I use a triple basket and adjust my grind accordingly. You could also try stirring the grinds in the basket to better insure an even distribution if you are getting lopsided extractions.

We're just guessing.
Need to know a lot more (dose, extraction volume/time and perhaps most of all methodology - things like "do you tap the side of the portafilter to knock off loose grounds" and "how do you handle distribution of grounds in the basket" etc) in order to provide any kind of worthwhile feedback.

I do not really weight my doses. I typically use the scoop that came with the machine. Two leveled scoops for the double basket, and three for the triple. I've been thinking about buying a gram scale though.

I have lately been tapping the side of the portafilter to knock grounds from the side, but I usually follow up with a tamp afterwards. I try to tamp as straight as I can to eliminate to much pressure on one side. I have this feeling that Silvia destroys the puck initially causing channeling. I may just stick to the double basket. Sometimes I like the triple for lattes.

A gram scale really helps - variations of even a gram in dose size can have a big effect on shot times. I always recommend this one:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1165

Tapping has been slowly going out of fashion (as far as I can tell) due to the danger of cracking the seal between the puck and the side of the basket, and the lack of advantages other than just neater appearance after tamping.

Silvia is tough on pucks, but I've had very little trouble since I swapped out the default Rancilio double basket, which is horrible (best advice I ever got; I now use the 'LM ridgeless' double basket sold on many websites), and started doing the WDT.

mlunn01 wrote:I do not really weight my doses. I typically use the scoop that came with the machine. Two leveled scoops for the double basket, and three for the triple. I've been thinking about buying a gram scale though.

I have lately been tapping the side of the portafilter to knock grounds from the side, but I usually follow up with a tamp afterwards. I try to tamp as straight as I can to eliminate to much pressure on one side. I have this feeling that Silvia destroys the puck initially causing channeling. I may just stick to the double basket. Sometimes I like the triple for lattes.

Are you doing any distribution of coffee in the portafilter (WDT, Stockfleths, whatever)?

You're doing two leveled scoops of GROUND coffee? Or whole beans? I assume of course you're grinding "to order" and not using pre-ground coffee, yes?

Tapping the portafilter will increase your odds of side channeling (ie what you're seeing). Doesn't matter if you tamp after or not.

Half a gram variance in dose will make a noticeable difference. In the grind/dose/distribution/tamp sequence, the tamp is the least important of the bunch. if you tamp with 30 pounds or 50, consistency counts. While no amount of tamping will repair a poor distribution, a bad tamp will destroy an otherwise good distribution.

I did away with the portafilter tap a year or two ago. I do thump the portafilter on the tamping stand 3 times, lightly and straight down, after i knock the top of the dose cone down but I try to avoid that by dosing around the basket and not all in the centre. That settles the coffee down then I give it one light tamp and go. Most of my doses are well below the rim of the basket for headspace on my particular machine.

As long as the coffee is fresh, you should be able to get a good triple. Open up the grind a little in comparison to a double, make sure you are dosing the same amount every time, keep the tamp simple and light.