Shots pull too quickly - fresh coffee, good equipment... help?

July 16th, 2021, 12:28 am

Hi folks!

I recently purchased some new gear and am having some issues.

Gear:

- Rancilio Silvia Pro - Standard Rancilio PF with "double" basket (doesn't specify grams but I have read that people pull shots between 14 and 18 grams, though 18 is pushing it)
- Eureka Atom Pro
- Acaia Lunar scale

Issues:

- Every time I pull a shot it pulls WAY too quickly. 14 grams in, 31 grams out in just about 12 seconds is a good example.
- This is at the finest grind setting on the Eureka Atom Pro. It is at 0. It is a step less adjuster with a single revolution, so it can't be any finer than 0 on the adjuster.

Here are some pics:

Broken puck (post shot): https://ibb.co/DrNPdwG
Whole puck (post shot): https://ibb.co/BqFgsnX
Whole puck straight off group head (post shot): https://ibb.co/6vc6Xq3
Tamped puck (pre shot): https://ibb.co/SyhyvK8
Tamped puck (pre shot): https://ibb.co/WPTkr8K Untamped grind: https://ibb.co/2c2G6z2
Grind setting on the Atom Pro: https://ibb.co/khv8qfY
Full setup: https://ibb.co/dp06bzY
Basket code: https://ibb.co/DgJrKx5
Final shot numbers on Acaia: https://ibb.co/gyxwF1Z

My question:

What am I doing wrong? I can't go any finer on the Atom Pro. I know it is an all purpose grinder, and most of the settings are good for v60s and French press, etc, but it is endorsed for espresso by many, including the folks at Seattle Coffee Gear. The grind looks fine enough to me, but the shot is shockingly fast. I think my tamp is pretty even, and I tap thoroughly to level the grounds pre tamp so I'm doing my best to mitigate channeling.The beans are fresh (roasted on July 6, so 10 days ago).

Any ideas?

July 16th, 2021, 2:16 am

One idea I've had is that the Atom Pro (similar to EK43) is that it creates a unimodal grind with limited fines, hence the fast flow rate. Still seems nuts tho...

#3: Post by **Marcelnl** » July 16th, 2021, 4:41 am

Which part of the gear is new?

#4: Post by **Jeff** » July 16th, 2021, 9:04 am

Call your vendor as the obvious answer is "grind finer".

(I find it hard to believe that the Eureka is in the same category as a well-aligned EK43, even if they try to market it that way)

#5: Post by **Nunas** » July 16th, 2021, 10:22 am

I agree with Jeff; grind finer. This comes up repeatedly, and the vast majority of the time, too coarse a grind is the culprit, with stale coffee running a distant second. I suggest you set your grinder on its finest setting and pull a shot. If it does not choke the machine (i.e., no or very little coffee comes out), even with all but the stalest beans, then your grinder needs work or at least recalibration. Once you can choke the machine, gradually back off on the fineness until you get a pulling time you like. After that, it's a case of fine adjustment of the grind and other variables (temp, dose, preinfusion...) to achieve the taste you like.

#6: Post by **walr00s** » July 16th, 2021, 11:24 am

When I was using steel burrs in the Vario, I found that some coffees (mostly decaf) could not be ground fine enough to reach normal pressure/duration. Have you tried some other beans?

#7: Post by **Pressino** » July 16th, 2021, 1:52 pm

As others have said, grind finer. If there is any doubt whether or not a grinder can grind fine enough for espresso, I have a simple test. Grind coffee at the machine's finest setting, and if this does not choke your machine, the grinder will not grind fine enough to make good espresso. Based on what the OP wrote, his grinder is not up to the task.

#8: Post by **erik82** » July 16th, 2021, 2:03 pm

Your grinder should easily be capable of choking your machine. If it doesn't then there's something wrong with your grinder. And by the way number don't tell you anything as 0 is never 0 on any grinder. Just go finer towards 9 or 8.

#9: Post by **dchooo** » July 16th, 2021, 5:20 pm

Impossibledingo wrote:Hi folks!

I recently purchased some new gear and am having some issues.

Gear:

- Rancilio Silvia Pro - Standard Rancilio PF with "double" basket (doesn't specify grams but I have read that people pull shots between 14 and 18 grams, though 18 is pushing it)
- Eureka Atom Pro
- Acaia Lunar scale

Issues:

- Every time I pull a shot it pulls WAY too quickly. 14 grams in, 31 grams out in just about 12 seconds is a good example.
- This is at the finest grind setting on the Eureka Atom Pro. It is at 0. It is a step less adjuster with a single revolution, so it can't be any finer than 0 on the adjuster.

Here are some pics:

Broken puck (post shot): https://ibb.co/DrNPdwG
Whole puck (post shot): https://ibb.co/BqFgsnX
Whole puck straight off group head (post shot): https://ibb.co/6vc6Xq3
Tamped puck (pre shot): https://ibb.co/SyhyvK8
Tamped puck (pre shot): https://ibb.co/WPTkr8K Untamped grind: https://ibb.co/2c2G6z2
Grind setting on the Atom Pro: https://ibb.co/khv8qfY
Full setup: https://ibb.co/dp06bzY
Basket code: https://ibb.co/DgJrKx5
Final shot numbers on Acaia: https://ibb.co/gyxwF1Z

My question:

What am I doing wrong? I can't go any finer on the Atom Pro. I know it is an all purpose grinder, and most of the settings are good for v60s and French press, etc, but it is endorsed for espresso by many, including the folks at Seattle Coffee Gear. The grind looks fine enough to me, but the shot is shockingly fast. I think my tamp is pretty even, and I tap thoroughly to level the grounds pre tamp so I'm doing my best to mitigate channeling.The beans are fresh (roasted on July 6, so 10 days ago).

Any ideas?

I can never understand why people use 14g in espresso.

#10: Post by **erik82** » July 17th, 2021, 2:18 am

Probably the same reason that I never understand people putting 21gr in a filterbasket

.

Every dose is good if it fits the filterbasket. When looking at the picture of TS the basket has been nicely filled with 14gr so no problem there. With darker roasts you can't even put more then 14gr in stock double baskets most of the time. Or else you'll hit the showerscreen and cause a lot of different problems.