Spitz.me wrote:This is my experience with these grooming tools. Pre-tamp puck looks amazing and the pulls have major channeling and the shot is garbage.

This is certainly a risk. Using my tool in place of tamping, (as opposed to in addition to), I had the same problems with major channeling until I set my tool depth to go about as deep as you would get if you were tamping, including paying appropriate due to headspace.

Nowadays, my:
RDT/grind/WDT/tool
pulls look as good as my:
RDT/grind/WDT/tamp
pulls ever did.

And with the currently very challenging bean I'm using, preliminarily, it looks like my "tool method" is producing fewer sink shots than my "tamp method", even if the good ones are no better from one method to the other.

-Peter

This is why I think it's so critical to adjust dose to achieve a firm level of compaction akin to a reasonable tamp with the grooming tool set at a depth that optimizes headspace. In all honesty, it's likely as easy as increasing the dose until gentle pressure from a tamper doesn't settle the grounds any further than the tool leaves them.

To David's point, different blends may perform at their best with more or less headspace, but I strongly suspect that dialing in a dose to provide a firm puck when groomed to provide the optimum head space (light witness mark with the nickel test), will provide good results in most cases. From there, fine tuning grind and yield should be able to provide very good to great results without a lot of changes to your prep routine.

Cheers!

- Jake

pcrussell50 wrote:This is certainly a risk. Using my tool in place of tamping, (as opposed to in addition to), I had the same problems with major channeling until I set my tool depth to go about as deep as you would get if you were tamping, including paying appropriate due to headspace.

Nowadays, my:
RDT/grind/WDT/tool
pulls look as good as my:
RDT/grind/WDT/tamp
pulls ever did.

And with the currently very challenging bean I'm using, preliminarily, it looks like my "tool method" is producing fewer sink shots than my "tamp method", even if the good ones are no better from one method to the other.

-Peter

+1
Peter...couldn't have said it better, and I even think my shots taste slightly better...richer, layered goodness!

OK31 wrote:lol but why not a toothpick?

For me, a tool that is too fat, drags too many grinds in it's path as you move it. Something thin, drags less. My grinder leaves a great big fluffy pile in the middle of my portafilter that is easier to cut down neatly with something thin. A thin piece of wire would be even better than my wood handled dissecting needle, but I have them in hand and they are good enough.

-Peter

pcrussell50 wrote:For me, a tool that is too fat, drags too many grinds in it's path as you move it. Something thin, drags less. My grinder leaves a great big fluffy pile in the middle of my portafilter that is easier to cut down neatly with something thin. A thin piece of wire would be even better than my wood handled dissecting needle, but I have them in hand and they are good enough.

-Peter

???

Dose into the whirly blade grinder, give her a whirl, dump into the basket.

Jake_G wrote:Dose into the whirly blade grinder, give her a whirl, dump into the basket.

rofl...

pcrussell50 wrote:For me, a tool that is too fat, drags too many grinds in it's path as you move it. Something thin, drags less. My grinder leaves a great big fluffy pile in the middle of my portafilter that is easier to cut down neatly with something thin. A thin piece of wire would be even better than my wood handled dissecting needle, but I have them in hand and they are good enough.

-Peter

Good point, will try a paper clip and also I've been staying away from the razor but if nothing else it helps clean up the sidewalls.

I am probably the noobist guy here, but I've been using this technique for the past 3 weeks without a fail. I am using a naked portability and 90% of the shots comes out picture worthy....

18g in 21g basket, tap with my hand at the side of the portafilter to even the grinds, use toothpick in swirling motion to break any clumps and improve distribution, using convex calibrated tamper to tamp. I start with low pressure few times, then full pressure, then polish. The puck comes out dry and one piece solid like a small chocolate cake...

FWIW - When I was at Sweet Bloom today, they only use a distribution tool. It even says PUSH on top.

See pics here-

A Visit to Sweet Bloom

Nah dude that's the Push tamper by Clockwork Espresso. They were - to my knowledge - the first to design a puck-style tamper with adjustable depth settings before getting their idea ripped off by everyone else.

https://clockworkespresso.com