cafeIKE wrote:Finer grind and lower doses = wetter pucks.

We tend to worry about the taste.

HB wrote:Ian's right, there has been a rash of posts expressing concern about puck appearance. I will add it to the FAQs. Below are some previous discussions:

Wet, glunky pucks
How do my pucks look?
Wet pucks: Do beans make any difference?

I've not discovered a correlation between the appearance of the puck post-extraction and the taste of the espresso. Moreover, there's nothing inherently wrong with small puddles of water on the puck's surface, though it should be consistent from shot-to-shot. That is, if you see big puddles one time, dry as sand the next, that's a problem. But if the puck's surface looks and feels basically the same each time, I believe you've exhausted the value of "puckology."

That's why I am wary of claims that one can see evidence of channeling on the puck's surface. Afterall, most espresso machines have 3-way valves and they depressurize from 130 PSI to 0 in an instant. I think that any fissures are as likely caused by rapid depressurization as channeling during the extraction.

Mochamaker wrote:I purchased a La Marzocco Strada Medium, or 16 - 18 gram basket. I always weigh my dose to 18 grams for a double shot, and I never have enough grounds to form or shape, or level the dose before tamping. I level it while I break up the clumps with a toothpick or pin, and then tamp. I get a little channeling and spurting. I am getting good pulls, and they taste good, but the pucks are pretty wet, and do not hold their shape when I dump them. Am I doing anything wrong, or just how the new basket works? I have a Rancilio Silvia and a Super Jolly.