OK...total newbie question.

Just bought an Izzo Duetto III and Baratza Vario grinder. Pulled my first shots with a bottomless portafilter. Not only did the shots pull too fast, but brew sprayed out of the portafilter in multiple directions!!! What am I doing wrong. Here are the specs:

Bean: Stumptown Hair Bender
Portafilter: Bottomless, Double Basket
Grind Setting (on Baratza Vario): 1G
Grind Weight in Portafilter: 20g
Boiler Pressure and Temp: 9bar, 200 degrees F

I am not a total newbie as I have used a Silvia for years and know what 30 pounds of tamping pressure feels like.

What possibly could be going wrong?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Gary

Hold old is the coffee?

Tamping pressure doesn't translate into pretty extractions or perfect extractions. It sounds like when I try to dial in a coffee that's too fresh. I don't know Vario grind settings, or how well they even hold to the numeric values you quoted. You can try cutting your dose slightly, fining up the grind and see if that helps.

Assuming your beans are fresh, it could be a problem with bad distribution of coffee, or maybe an excessively large dose that's causing the puck to hit the shower screen, or maybe just too coarse of a grind.

I have the Duetto II and the Vario, so a very similar setup to yours. I normally try to dose about 18 grams with a Synesso double basket, which generally produces a nice even extraction. I find that it's not usually necessary to do much to redistribute the grounds, just shake the PF and level, then tamp. The Vario tends to produce a nice, non-clumpy grind.

That said, sometimes using the Weiss Distribution Technique (WDT) can help with distribution problems. Check out this page:

Improve your Espresso with Weiss Distribution Technique

Garzlack wrote: Pulled my first shots with a bottomless portafilter. Not only did the shots pull too fast, but brew sprayed out of the portafilter in multiple directions!!! What am I doing wrong.

Nothing, except doing it for the first time.

The point of bottomless PFs is that they teach you how to properly distribute and pack a basket; and nothing else can. I had been pulling shots for 30 years before I used a bottomless, and it did exactly the same thing for me as it did for you.

TomC wrote:Hold old is the coffee?

Thanks Tom. Coffee was roasted on Jan 9.

another_jim wrote:I had been pulling shots for 30 years before I used a bottomless, and it did exactly the same thing for me as it did for you.

Thanks Jim. It's comforting to know I am not the only one.

Beezer wrote:That said, sometimes using the Weiss Distribution Technique (WDT) can help with distribution problems.

Interesting...thanks Beezer. Will give WDT a try.

Garzlack wrote:Not only did the shots pull too fast, but brew sprayed out of the portafilter in multiple directions!!!

20 grams of coffee in a double basket is way too much. For most baskets, including the stock Izzo double, around 16 grams is a better starting point. The grind setting should be such that beads don't show for at least 4-5 seconds and the pour should last 25 to 30 seconds. If it goes too fast, grind finer. If the Vario won't grind fine enough, recalibrate it so it will.]

Garzlack wrote:I am not a total newbie as I have used a Silvia for years...

You may have to unlearn a few bad habits (guessing). The video series Newbie Introduction to Espresso may be helpful.

I too am a newbie with a new machine.

Be sure your tamp is level.

Do try the WDT method and see if that helps. I use a toothpick and swirl the grinds around using my Forte grinder. The first time I used my bottomless portafilter (last week), I had the same results as you. Only after I practiced on my regular portafilter for several days did I have success. It took me a long time to dial in the Forte and lots of wasted coffee by experimenting with my dose technique. Today was my first day with good results using a 18 grams VST basket.

Dan,

Great tips. I am going to reduce the weight and see what happens. The grinder calibrations is helpful too! Appreciate the advice.

Blown away... Good to hear you solved the problem. Gives me hope.

Cheers,

Gary

more hope