PROBLEM:

Suddenly I'm getting spritzes and the shot starts out great, and with about 10 secs remaining in a 26 sec double shot, it just mousetails and goes blond and thin. Why? Espresso tastes ok, not great. I have not changed the grind since I set it when the coffee arrived. I actually drink 95% of my shots so I can mentally catalog how stuff tastes (and I am desperate in the AM for caffeine).....one thing I've noticed is there's not much headroom at all with CC's recommended shot using my Classic, and I have to clean a TON of coffee from the brewgroup shower screen afterwards....

BACKGROUND INFO:

19.5 gram dose of CC Toscano which is stored in the freezer, taken out for full thaw, ground, tamped and shots, then returned to freezer only when completely at room temp. Coffee was way "richer" tasting (better) when I first got it, and I admit it might be 2 wks old, but again it is kept in the freezer. I'm running a Mazzer SJ doserless and Gaggia Classic using a naked PF. 10 min warmup minimum for the Classic. Finally, I'm attempting a Stockfleths and tamping @ 30lb to achieve a level, clean looking tamp.

Need some tips from the professionals here, as I'm not experienced enough to diagnose this sudden issue.

If anyone wants a video I can shoot one. Thank you.

Definitely do a search on here for some advice on freezing coffee, there's been a few tests, and basically what it comes down to is:

1. Freezing fresh beans is a great way to keep them fresh.
2. It only works once. After you take them out of the freezer that first time, putting them back in isn't going to do any good.

I'm not sure what's happening in the beans that they won't stay fresh when frozen twice, but I know from experience that it's true. I've kept beans in the freezer for months with no ill effect, but after the second trip to the freezer they go stale quick and taste funky.

As far as Toscano, I've had the best luck when the beans were 5-15 (and the last couple might be iffy) days old or so (ignoring any time they spent in the freezer), and I'd get shots exactly like what you describe when they were too old.

To try to get the best from older beans you can:

1. Add more coffee, just use a gram or two more after the beans are past their peak. You can also grind finer, but I've found that to be hit or miss.

2. Cut the shots sooner, if they only look good for 20 seconds and then go blond, just stop it there, the last five seconds aren't doing anygood anyways.

Great info T. Did not know that about refreezing! I was thinking go a tad finer or cut the shot early while it still looks good....either way good to know about the beans. I ordered two bags and froze them.

Tried a shorter shot today and slightly reduced the weight (a few grams). Entire shot went blonde about 12-15 secs in, channeled around the perimeter and then started flowing in the center, zero color striping before blonde, no spritzes. Tasted so-so. I was surprised to see zero striping.....these beans must be dead!

Sounds like the beans have passed their prime. When beans are nearing the end of their life you actually need to open up the grind and increase the dose. Fining up the grind and reducing the dose will only exasperate the issue. You could go to a triple basket to try stretching more life out of them but even money is on getting a fresh bag and your issues will go away.

Dave, today I accidentally coarsened the grind a bit (turned the adj collar the wrong way) and went with 18gr of espresso, then a WDT with a brass nail and Stockfleths, after which I pulled a maybe 15 sec or less ristretto, which actually had decent striping and tasted pretty good.....I was surprised. I mean it's nowhere close to fresh beans striping and results, but better than the prior shots. I'm glad that I basically ran through the bag by the time it staled.

Just made a 2d double same as above, even better this time. I think the WDT is the difference.

2d bag of CC Toscano is pretty good. Seems the striping is less pronounced than previous efforts. I'm not pulling a full 26 second double either as it's thin and watery by the time 20 secs elapses. This bag has been open maybe 4 days.

I think the beans are the most likely culprit, but another thing could be the brew pressure. Have you been able to adjust the brew pressure on your classic? I know most come stock well above 10 bars (more like 14-15) and this can cause problems as well. I used to own one and when I reduced the pressure to around 9 bars, I had far fewer issues with channeling and early blonding. If you haven't adjusted yours, give it a shot, it is a really simple mod.

For me, Toscano has always worked best with a bit of an updose, and pulled a bit tight.

On my machine, Ill run it 18grams. When I had an E-61, I ran it at 20gr. My point is, I cant give you an exact dose to use, because machines all like different stuff. But, on the Classic, Id probably try 17-18grams if your double basket can handle it. Just make sure you're not cracking the puck on the screen when you lock in.

As for shot volume/timing, generally Ill shoot for 1.6oz or so in about 30-32seconds. Again, play around. But, I find that the "2oz in 25sec" generally doesn't produce the best tasting coffee, especially with blends like Toscano. Usually an updose and a tighter/shorter shot works better. For me.

Toscano is a fairly easy coffee to work with, and it allows you to play around with different doses and volumes, all the while still getting great coffee as the result. So don't be afraid to go out of your normal range.