www.wholelattelove.com: our caffeinated commitment to you

Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?

Beginner or pro barista, all are invited to share.

Do you tap the portafilter with the tamper?

Yes
53
44%
No
60
50%
Other (explain)
7
6%
 
Total votes : 120

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by grasshopper on Sun Jul 16, 2006 10:33 am

I have a question: i've been using a reg barber for some time. But, I've always been confused as to whether I should tap the pf to knock the grinds off of the side of the basket after tamping before a second tamp and polish. If I should tap, do I tap using the wooden handle, or the plastic inlay? So far, I've tapped using the wood, but the drawback is that the tamper gets nicked over time. I'm worried that if I switch to tapping using the plastic inlay it will eventually loosen and fall out.

Any suggestions?

Mike :?
grasshopper
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Aug 13, 2005

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by RapidCoffee on Sun Jul 16, 2006 12:49 pm

grasshopper wrote:I've always been confused as to whether I should tap the pf to knock the grinds off of the side of the basket after tamping before a second tamp and polish.

I've never been able to understand the virtues of tapping. If coffee grounds on the sides of the filter basket bother you, brush them lightly with your fingertip to loosen, and then briefly invert the PF to discard. Or ignore them - they should not have any negative impact on your shot.

Tapping OTOH can disrupt the integrity of the puck. If you're tapping hard enough to knick the wooden handle or loosen a plastic insert on your tamper, I'd guess that you're tapping hard enough to channel your puck by breaking the adhesion to the filter basket. If you must tap, tap lightly! But try not tapping at all. You might find your shots improve.
________
John
User avatar
RapidCoffee
 
Posts: 1926
Joined: Dec 11, 2005
Location: Rapid City, SD
www.baratza.com: skilled in the art of grinding
www.baratza.com: skilled in the art of grinding

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by rjkramek on Sun Jul 16, 2006 1:46 pm

I use to tamp, then tap with the side of the tamper base (and then in some cases tip the basket over to get rid of the dislodged grounds), and then do a finish tamp. It wasn't until I created a naked PF that I noticed that I occasionally was getting side channeling and blond gushers. So I too think this potentially disrupts the integrity of the puck depending on how hard you tap.

Now I do an initial tamp and then a lighter NSEW tamp that scraps down the sides of the basket and then a finish polish. I never have any side channeling problems and the rare time I have a blond gusher it's from overfilling the basket (and hitting the puck against the dispersion screen).
Bob
rjkramek
 
Posts: 15
Joined: May 28, 2006
Location: Dearborn Heights, MI

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by cannonfodder on Sun Jul 16, 2006 4:24 pm

I tap with the side of the tamper base against the portafilter locking lugs, lightly. No real reason, that is just how I learned so that is what I do.
Dave Stephens
User avatar
cannonfodder
 
Posts: 4988
Joined: May 23, 2005
Location: Downingtown PA

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by cappadoc on Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:59 am

I gently tap the basket on the counter to loosen the grounds on the sides then do a finish tamp and polish.


Jeff
cappadoc
 
Posts: 54
Joined: Apr 30, 2005
Location: Alaska, MI

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by jrtatl on Mon Jul 17, 2006 9:19 am

I don't tap with the tamper. I do tap BEFORE tamping, to settle the grounds. First I distribute the grounds and level-off. Then I gently tap the basket straight down on the counter to settle the grounds. Then I tamp with no further tapping.

Works for me anyway.
Jeremy
jrtatl
 
Posts: 148
Joined: Jun 21, 2005
Location: Alpharetta, GA

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by Maskedman on Mon Jul 17, 2006 9:32 am

I do an initial light tamp followed by a little tap, just to loosen grinds stuck on the side of the filterbasket. And then finish of with the real power tamp ;)

But I guess the tap could loosen the puck and lead to channeling?

Oh, and I tap with the top of the handle on my Ergopacker :D

Thomas
- Ride it like you stole it!
Maskedman
 
Posts: 24
Joined: Jun 23, 2006
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by cannonfodder on Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:14 pm

Espresso Distribution & Tamp "Nutating Motion"


From the Tamp and Dose Techniques Digest thread.
Dave Stephens
User avatar
cannonfodder
 
Posts: 4988
Joined: May 23, 2005
Location: Downingtown PA

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by HB on Mon Jul 17, 2006 9:30 pm

I've noticed that most barista competitors tap the portafilter. Some use the end of the tamper, and some the side of the piston. I remember Ryan Goodman of Murky Coffee touches the portafilter with a glancing blow of the tamper piston, producing the "ting-g-g" sound like an orchestra triangle. Very Zen.

Always the inquisitive one, I've asked pros and trainers why they tap. "The loose grinds float around and impart a burnt, ashy taste because they heat faster than the grinds adhering to the puck," one certified WBC judge offered. Hmm-m. "It keeps the grouphead cleaner," one USBC champion suggested.

(Me, I'm a no-tap, four-corner Staub tamp barista.)
Dan Kehn
User avatar
HB
 
Posts: 9887
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Location: Cary, NC

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by miKe mcKoffee on Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:01 pm

I voted "other". I do lightly tap from the side to slightly settle grounds after filing. then Stockfleths, light level tamp, then couple light vertical downward taps of the PF against counter to knock down any strays, followed by med nutating tamp, final firm level tamp, very light pressure polish.
aka Mike McGinness
www.norwestcoffee.com
miKe mcKoffee
 
Posts: 1207
Joined: Jun 03, 2005
Location: Vancouver, WA, USA

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by jesawdy on Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:14 pm

"He's a tapper, She's a tapper, wouldn't you like to be a tapper too." :oops:

Okay, I usually tap, but decided not to the last few days and just invert the portafilter to discard the loose grounds. Seems to work just fine. And none of the "ashy taste from the loose grounds heating faster". :wink: .... whatever.

-Jeff
User avatar
jesawdy
 
Posts: 1577
Joined: May 12, 2006
Location: Black Mtn, NC

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by barry on Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:16 pm

cannonfodder wrote:Espresso Distribution & Tamp 'Nutating Motion'



bad BAD cannonfodder!! bad boy. bad. bad bad baddity bad.


never never ever bang on the locking lugs of the portafilter with anything metal.


and, fwiw, the "nutating motion" technique just gives me the willys... <shudder>
User avatar
barry
 
Posts: 521
Joined: Aug 11, 2005
Location: St Louis, MO

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by HB on Wed Jul 19, 2006 6:40 pm

It could be a lot worse...

Dan Kehn
User avatar
HB
 
Posts: 9887
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Location: Cary, NC

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by miKe mcKoffee on Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:30 pm

HB wrote:It could be a lot worse...

Wow! Good one Dan. Anyone count the whacks? I lost track at 3 dozen. :shock:
aka Mike McGinness
www.norwestcoffee.com
miKe mcKoffee
 
Posts: 1207
Joined: Jun 03, 2005
Location: Vancouver, WA, USA

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by jesawdy on Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:51 pm

HB wrote:It could be a lot worse..


Where and how did you find that?! Hilarious in so many different ways... we had tapping, nutating, "tempting" and so much more. Do think she was worrying about side-channeling? Sheesh. :lol:
User avatar
jesawdy
 
Posts: 1577
Joined: May 12, 2006
Location: Black Mtn, NC

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by another_jim on Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:58 pm

Fwiw, I do a nutating distribution; but I doubt it's a good idea for pros: I had the clever idea of adding some weight while doing it, and got tennis elbow within a week. Even without pressure; it may be a strain if done hundreds of times per day.

I overfill the basket, which requires tapping or mini-tamps ahead of the tamp. Overfilling and a convex tamper eliminates stray grounds on the basket sides, since there aren't any sides left when the tamp is done.
User avatar
another_jim
 
Posts: 4521
Joined: May 05, 2005
Location: Chicago

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by HB on Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:42 pm

jesawdy wrote:Where and how did you find that?!

Go to youtube.com, search on espresso, barista, or coffee. Lots of silly stuff, some serious stuff.

PS: I prefer google videos for hosting because they don't watermark the image and the sound syncs better with the video, but they take longer to "verify" them. YouTube assumes that members will police the content so uploads are live in a few minutes.
Dan Kehn
User avatar
HB
 
Posts: 9887
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Location: Cary, NC

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by k7qz on Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:50 am

jesawdy wrote:... we had tapping, nutating, "tempting" and so much more.


Wait, don't tell me.... Bangkok, Thailand? :wink: :lol:
k7qz
 
Posts: 236
Joined: Aug 18, 2005
Location: Pacific NorWet

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by Jasonian on Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:03 am

HB wrote:Go to youtube.com, search on espresso, barista, or coffee. Lots of silly stuff, some serious stuff.

PS: I prefer google videos for hosting because they don't watermark the image and the sound syncs better with the video, but they take longer to "verify" them. YouTube assumes that members will police the content so uploads are live in a few minutes.

I police the videos in the Coffee and Espresso group. Easy to find the serious stuff there. I search through almost every page of videos returning a hit to coffee, espresso, or something related.

If someone is putting out quality stuff, I'll invite them in.

But yeah.. I generally don't tap.. I do the pre-tamp tap thing at home. I don't at work. I'm really not sure why. I think it's just easier to do with a naked PF than with a double spouted PF.
Jasonian
 
Posts: 282
Joined: Jan 19, 2006
Location: Lubbock, TX

Link to "Tamping Technique - whether to tap? and where?"by olypdd on Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:14 pm

I tap but very slightly so as to not loosen the coffee I just sealed against the puck. I only do it if there is a quantity of loose coffee around the sides, but I may start dumping that back in the doser before I polish things off as I would rather not risk loosening the seal I just accomplished.

Rich
The truth shall set you free....or perhaps not.
User avatar
olypdd
 
Posts: 30
Joined: Jul 08, 2006
Location: Puyallup, Wa.

Next

Return to Tips and Techniques