I do WDT with a sewing needle, medium width.
I guess sewing needles (at overwhelming spectrum of sizes) are more easily available then the dissecting ones...

I think the pattern matters, I mean one can stir the coffee in such a way that leaves it unevenly distributed (for example with a kind of hole in one or two or more spots). Personally I do circles that touch the basket. I do it gently (un-vigorously). I'm aiming to not needing any more levelling technique afterwards (I dose about 14.5g for doubles and 8.5g for singles, it's below basket's rim so no Schomer, no Stockfetch, no Chicago or anything is applicable).

I may do a sweep across the basket or a tap against the counter before the first tamp.
I'm still undecided whether to give up tapping or not.

Any comments?

I grind directly into a spare cappy cup and use the equivalent of a knitting needle to whip the grinds as one would do scrambled eggs - about 5 seconds worth. The change in volume is quite dramatic.

I then spoon this mix into a dry basket resting on the scale until I hit 15.0 g's. After a light tap on the countertop, I use my bent forefinger to do a few N-S-E-W moves and then level off with a pure circular sweep of the finger.

The grounds are typically slightly concave in the basket prior to tamping.

I remove the basket from the PF handle for dosing, and use the yoghurt cup (14g basket height, 16g height, and 18g height) to does right into the basket, rotating through at least 360 degrees while thwacking. Once I've got near the right dose, rigorous back and for the NS and EW to break up clumps, and then a stir with interlocking circles to distribute. Then I remove the cup/funnel and weigh the basket, removing anything above the dose that I've chosen, and then Stockfleth to level. Repeat as necessary (if I've got company), tamp, and then start pulling shots.

I slightly over-fill the basket. Hold it over the knock box and stir in a inward-spiraling motion with a straightened out L-shaped paper-clip.

Level with my finger. Tamp. Lock. Brew.

I've vacuumed up more than a couple of my WDT "special" paper clips, but lucky for me I bought bulk (I think there are about 250 per package for $2US).

Lately I've started timing how long it takes from removing the portafilter to re-installing it and I've got it down to under a minute pretty consistently.

Recently while wandering thru the aisles of a newly opened art supply store I came across a tool used for working with clay that looked like it would be perfect for the WDT. I don't remember what it was called but you'll know it when you see it. A very attractive tool for those into the aesthetics of their devices.

Some of these techniques are similar to what I have been using. So as to not repeat them, here is the thread including comments by Mr. John WDT himself:

http://www.home-barista.com/forum...achines-t4422.html

edwa wrote:Recently while wandering thru the aisles of a newly opened art supply store I came across a tool used for working with clay that looked like it would be perfect for the WDT. I don't remember what it was called but you'll know it when you see it. A very attractive tool for those into the aesthetics of their devices.

I use a neurologist's "hat-pin", myself - it's a big, blunt pin with a red ball on the end, normally used to test visual fields. Works for me!

I use the wire tool designed to clean the orifice of nozzles --on a water pressure hose, for example (nicely stout, thin, a loop on the end to grab.) My point might be finer, if not better.

BTW, I notice that the yogurt cup, when staticky, causes some coffee fines to cling. It occurs to me that those with finer palates might design some sort of static-producing device and finally find that fines can be removed in a controlled way--removing the fines that detract from the shot and keeping, you might say, the better bitters.

The WDT and tamping in general is one of the funniest things to listen to people expound upon. SO many examples of superstitious behavior. If we think about the physics involved, we basically want to break up clumps which may be of a different density and we want to disrupt any solid-solid "layering" interfaces that occur as the coffee is non-continuously placed into the basket. The result is relative homogeneity. Packing, polishing, tapping, etc. do not serve these goals and may create channels; hence they are not recommended. Since the WDT purposefully creates vertical laminations in the course of disrupting vertical channels that direct flow to the side of the puck, it must be done symmetrically and over the entire basket to optimize homogeneity.

drdna wrote:Packing, polishing, tapping, etc. do not serve these goals and may create channels; hence they are not recommended.

Adrian,

Are you saying that packing, polishing and tapping are never necessary....ever? Or only when using WDT?