cafeIKE wrote:Just for grins this morning, I didn't clear the stales for the first shot. Admittedly, this was not blind, but the taste of the first shot was bitter and thin. So much so that it went down the sink.

... 2nd shot's almost always tasted better that the first.

If I always so reliably tasted what I expected to taste, I'd stop eating. I'd have finally learned how to do it right

I almost always get a a better 2nd shot even when I clear the grinder or switch grinders. I've driven myself crazy with flushing regimes, to no avail. Even semi-commercial machines need a few shots at espresso flow rates to find their groove. Someone needs to invent an inexpensive reusable puck or restricted-basket to make pulling blank shots convenient.

another_jim wrote:Even semi-commercial machines need a few shots at espresso flow rates to find their groove.

Are you saying the pump has to wake up or the boiler is not really at temperature after an hour or the datalogger is only showing the temperature I'd like. Whether I make the 2nd shot immediately or 30 minutes later, the 1st without the stales is much closer to the 2nd.

Care to expand?

BTW, in [audio] tests, I've convinced myself I was imagining things after too intense a focus only to have others independently state exactly what I convinced myself I wasn't hearing.

malachi wrote:And how is this better than doing a single "seasoning" shot before pulling shots in the AM? Is it just the "waste" issue?

Absolutely. For those who have no decent local roasters, less waste = less chance of running out of good coffee before the next order arrives. For home roasters, it's a matter of putting off having to roast another (small) batch.

cafeIKE wrote:Whether I make the 2nd shot immediately or 30 minutes later, the 1st without the stales is much closer to the 2nd.

If you absolutely have to be right, I guess I could concede... oh never mind.

another_jim wrote:I almost always get a a better 2nd shot even when I clear the grinder or switch grinders. I've driven myself crazy with flushing regimes, to no avail. Even semi-commercial machines need a few shots at espresso flow rates to find their groove. Someone needs to invent an inexpensive reusable puck or restricted-basket to make pulling blank shots convenient.

Keep your Thermofilter at the ready! Obviously not inexpensive, but if you have one you could use it for this purpose. For those that wanted to go this machine blank stabilizing shot route without the expense of a Thermofilter seems just a matter of right size/number of small hole(s) in a backflush blank.

Fullsack wrote:Good to know, I was afraid I was going to have to begin looking for some sort of support group.

To completely come clean, I often brush, pulse and clack the Super Jolly after each shot

As do I & at the end of each morning & afternoon session I clean out the doser, chute & grinder throat with a vacuum. There are no stale grinds in my first shot the next morning!

Same here.

Espresso area gets more vacuum time then the rest of the house combined.

JohnB. wrote:As do I & at the end of each morning & afternoon session I clean out the doser, chute & grinder throat with a vacuum. There are no stale grinds in my first shot the next morning!

Next time you do this - wait 5 minutes and then pull the burr set out of the grinder.
I fear you'll be shocked.

Not likely as I'm well aware of what gets packed into the crevices under the burrs. I'm also aware that once those areas get filled after a thorough burrs out cleaning the grounds stay put & don't come flying out each time you run the grinder. I put the vac nozzle over the chute outlet & run the grinder several times a day. Any grounds that are coming out do so at that time. I get the rest when I pull the burrs once a month.

Hi Folks,

I single dose and because of my espresso OCD always have the vacuum cleaner next to the grinders and use the crevice tool to clean them out. I guess I'm surprised this method has not been mentioned yet.

Both of mind grinders, Nemox lux and Baratza Vario (Mazzer Kony arrives tomorrow) do a pretty good job with low grind retention. 14g in maybe 13.9 out. Of course, I sometimes have to dance with the lux to get my full shot back.


Jeff

Sorry Folks,

I was wrong---the vacuum has been mentioned. I guess I better pay better attention.

Jeff