Wet Puck

#1: Post by **Brewby** » July 18th, 2014, 8:07 pm

Hi all,

I'm getting a wet slurry on the top of my Puck after I've pulled the shot.
The rest of the cake is solid but just the top layer is wet. Is this a problem?

18grams coffee, 40ml extraction, 30sec pour.

What I've read would indicate I'm under dosing, but I don't think so.
The finer the grind the worse it seems to be.

Any thoughts

Steve

#2: Post by HB » July 18th, 2014, 8:18 pm

No, it's not a problem. It simply means there's some space between the top of the puck and dispersion screen post-decompression. If you're really curious about it, search the forums on "dry pucks" or "wet pucks" or even "sloppy pucks" for plenty of useless discussions of puckology.

Examples of more important considerations: Is the coffee fresh? What coffee are you using? What is the dose in grams? What is the volume (or weight) of the resulting espresso? How do you dose/distribute? And finally, how does the espresso taste?

#3: Post by **IMAWriter** » July 18th, 2014, 8:24 pm

Perhaps water temperature at the group as well?

#4: Post by **NightFlight** » July 19th, 2014, 6:43 pm

I'm not sure about the BES870; however, on the BES900 and BES920 the dose in the basket is very picky. If you under dose it, it will be "moist". The 920 really likes about 20 grams in the double basket.

#5: Post by **cannonfodder** » July 20th, 2014, 7:45 pm

But in the end, as long as the espresso tastes good and your 'puck issue' is consistent, it is not a problem.

#6: Post by **davebm** » July 22nd, 2014, 9:40 am

The solution to my problem was the brand of coffee I was using. Not sure if it was the beans themselves or the roast. I switched brands and the problem went away. some coffee is just better than others

#7: Post by **Spitz.me** » July 22nd, 2014, 9:54 am

But you didn't necessarily have a problem. Wet pucks are not a telling sign of a bad pull.

HB wrote:...If you're really curious about it, search the forums on "dry pucks" or "wet pucks" or even "sloppy pucks" for plenty of useless discussions of puckology.

Examples of more important considerations: Is the coffee fresh? What coffee are you using? What is the dose in grams? What is the volume (or weight) of the resulting espresso? How do you dose/distribute? And finally, how does the espresso taste?

#8: Post by HB » July 22nd, 2014, 10:11 am

Spitz.me wrote:But you didn't necessarily have a problem.

Never underestimate the ability of Internet users to ignore relevant information in their quest for answers.

#9: Post by **DanoM** » July 22nd, 2014, 12:53 pm

davebm wrote:The solution to my problem was the brand of coffee I was using. Not sure if it was the beans themselves or the roast. I switched brands and the problem went away. some coffee is just better than others

Some beans do tend to hold onto the water/slurry longer or better than others. If the espresso tastes good then there isn't a problem.

With a bean that stays wet:
If I overload my baskets I have less of a slurry on the top, but the flavors might be too dense on those pulls.
If I use a lower load I'll have more slurry, but might have better flavor separation.
As long as the end product is good the condition of the puck doesn't really matter.

I've had beans that after every pull I remove the portafilter, tip it to pour off the top slurry, and then knock out the puck.

#10: Post by **twolane** » July 23rd, 2014, 3:15 pm

When I began to ask about pucks and their appearance in the past a wise old man told me "Are you making pucks, or are you making espresso?"
That was the last time I worried about a puck.