espressotime wrote:Those wires look thin and sharp enough to destroy your basket holes on the long run.

Alf, you have already stated that you do not use WDT, so this is pure speculation.

I have been stirring grinds for over a decade with a variety of tools, ranging from dissecting needles to the BPLUS tool which has very thin wires. I have never caused damage to a basket. A few have reported scratching the bottom of their baskets (perhaps from over-vigorous stirring). But actual damage to the basket holes? I might be able to widen a hole with a dissecting needle if I forced it into the hole and twisted it around... but that's not WDT.

FWIW, I tried making the loops today and pulled a shot, but it didn't work as well. Made them straight again

I use one of these. It works better for me than a thin needle and no chance of scratching the basket.

I copied Slappy and got the 2 pack of keycap pullers for $5 on amazon and made one just like his.

I've added it to the routine and it does seem like my extractions are filling in faster instead of the initial donut I was experiencing earlier.

Thanks guys!

RapidCoffee wrote:Alf, you have already stated that you do not use WDT, so this is pure speculation.

I have been stirring grinds for over a decade with a variety of tools, ranging from dissecting needles to the BPLUS tool which has very thin wires. I have never caused damage to a basket. A few have reported scratching the bottom of their baskets (perhaps from over-vigorous stirring). But actual damage to the basket holes? I might be able to widen a hole with a dissecting needle if I forced it into the hole and twisted it around... but that's not WDT.

It is what I was told maybe 20 years ago by an espresso machine mechanic.Never to use anything sharp to clean the holes in a basket.But you're right. It is speculatuon. Maybe I should have said " could" damage the holes.English isn't my native language.

ojt wrote:I think it's important the tool has thin enough wires. Too thick and you might be creating disturbances. I could be wrong but here's my DIY tool for reference

image

Can you explain your way how to make your tool?

Take a cork (from a wine, whiskey, etc bottle). Make two cuts in it in a cross, deep enough to add some glue and the wires (people recommend guitar B strings, I only had 26ga vaping resistance wire at hand). Add 2 to 4 wires and glue. Keep the cuts compressed until glue holds. Done.

I tried wdt with a paperclip but found it actually caused more channeling for me, perhaps paperclips and too thick / no sharp point at the end to break through clumps and instead end up compressing grinds further.

Also if clumps are randomly and therefore fairly evenly distributed in the puck most times, it shouldn't make much difference to distribution through the puck?

I find tapping a few times to help a lot though

What do you mean by WDT?

My process:
RDT > grind into a vessel > mix aggressively with a cocktail whisk > funnel into portafilter > stir the pile down to more or less level with a dissecting needle > several vertical taps to collapse voids > spinny grooming tool > sometimes tamp sometimes not > pull shot

At which point if any, have I done WDT?

-Peter

Doesn't WDT mean a thorough mixing of the grounds, top to bottom, through stirring?

If so I count twice for your complicated process. Maybe it's three times depending on what the spinny tool does exactly.