Your grind is not nearly fine enough, with an 18g dose, grind fine enough to just about choke out you machine and work your way back from fine to more coarse. Forget the 45-degree lever position if you're not plumbed in, as previously suggested. Do your puck prep as usual. Shoot for a shot time in excess of 35-sec.

Hi,

Interesting, ok. I had read that I want to aim for approx 25 sec shot time? So aim for 35 secs for 2:1 ratio?

I'm not plumbed - interested in why the preinfusion is not recommended? Or is that for after I get the basic dialed in?

Several threads o/a Dec 2022 users reported using Nanotech IMS baskets with the large separate streams but the streams never join together as one..Try a regular basket to confirm.

It's not the basket, grind finer and Wdt well, that doesn't mean a long time. It means vigorously from bottom and around the edges to the top ending in the middle of the basket. Do it the same way every time. You also don't have to get rid of the leveling tool if you don't want to. It's not causing the issues and if you like using it go ahead. Tamp firmly and send us a video. Have fun too!

What kind of Wdt tool are you using. Can you post a pic, it matters.

Sure thing - this guy: IKAPE WDT Tools, Espresso Stirrer Distribution Tool for Barista, 0.25MM 6 Needles Espresso Coffee Stirrer with Stand and Extra 6 Needles (Black) https://a.co/d/9dvMtf9

redcoat wrote:@zefkir - Hi, yes it is. Wow, hadn't heard that - sounds like that's my problem? Am really surprised I hadn't run across that in all the videos I've been watching!

Is NanoQuartz the same? Any precision baskets you'd recommend instead?

The basket has a coating that makes it behave a bit like teflon, that is water/coffee wants to minimize its contact with the basket itself rather than spread across the entire surface, thus it rains coffee drops rather than form a single stream at the center.

It just looks ugly, it doesn't do anything wrt to taste. With second video, it really seems that 80% of the uneven distribution has been fixed.
But have a video about wdt.
Most of the remaining work is with dialing in, that is grind size, dose, duration and ratio. Be absolutely consistent with a rock solid puck prep. Then dial in by taste, there's no magic ratio and duration that works for every bean.

As you progress, you'll play around with ratio and grind size and shot duration, figure out what coffee tastes like if you pull long (ratio) and fast (duration), long and slow, short and fast, short and slow, medium and medium and every other permutation.

What each parameter does with a light roast, with a medium, with a dark. With natural coffees, with washed coffees, with so called anaerobic coffees. And as time goes, you'll build a library of taste in your head and it'll be easier to dial entirely new coffees. That is if you want to play with single origins, if you stick to espresso blends it'll be much easier.

In the mean time, the best thing to do is to get very good at puck prep and at being consistent; that is to say that 10 shots with the same dose, ratio and grind shouldn't be more than 2s faster or slower than the median shot. Once you get consistent and technically perfect, you'll know any issue is due to dialing in rather than technique.

18:36 in 30s is a middle point that works decently well for medium dark espresso blends, so that's a good starting point for when you are still using time rather than taste to dial.

That is a good looking Wdt set up. Not always but I'd say the consensus for good design is something like the levercraft, or Sworksdesign. Those builders use a certain size needle and just as importantly the angle at which they are mounted. The needles are fanned out. They work and work well. Lots of discussion about this to read.

Your video shows clear channeling. The shot wouldn't look like that if channeling was corrected. You are almost there, keep working at it and asking questions.

redcoat wrote:Hi,

Interesting, ok. I had read that I want to aim for approx 25 sec shot time? So aim for 35 secs for 2:1 ratio?

I'm not plumbed - interested in why the preinfusion is not recommended? Or is that for after I get the basic dialed in?

2:1 ratio is fine. Don't worry about prefect prep. That can come later. Right now you want to get a decent looking and tasting shot at a minimum of 35-sec or more. You have no real preinfusion beyond what's built into an E61 group. Just concentrate on a much longer shot time by choking out the machine and grinding finer until you've almost done that - even if it takes 10-seconds or longer for the 1st drop to hit the bottom of the cup. Note what the pump pressures are during the shot and time it. If you have an iPhone you can use the stop watch to time every phase of the shot by using the 'Lap' function.

You guys rock!

Adjusted grind to be finer and here's the result: Same 18g dose. 36.2g espresso in 33 seconds.

Thoughts?