Switching to a bottomless portafilter?

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pontoon
Posts: 72
Joined: 4 years ago

#1: Post by pontoon »

Hi all. When switching to a bottomless portafilter, if the basket stays the same, does anything else need to change? Do I need to change the grind?

I just got a bottomless portafilter and (foolishly) changed two things at once. I also switched to a 20g basket. With the 18.5g dose I had been using in the stock basket with my old grind setting, it was channeling and extracting way too quickly.

I made the grind finer and upped the dose to 20g and that made the extraction pretty good, albeit strong. I got 2 oz in 30 seconds as I had before.

Basically I'm wondering if the fact that it's bottomless changes the way the pressure or water flow works somehow, or if anything else changes the way I need to brew.

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slipchuck
Posts: 1485
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#2: Post by slipchuck »

Going to a bottomless portafilter should not change anything


Randy
“There is nobody you can’t learn to like once you’ve heard their story.”

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SveinHa
Posts: 51
Joined: 5 years ago

#3: Post by SveinHa »

Bottomless is EXACTLY the same as a one or two spout portafilter, just without the funnel below. Should absolutely not change anything in the brewing process. If anything, maybe slightly alter the temperature a tad in the cup.

tracer bullet
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#4: Post by tracer bullet »

Agreed, no changes. Just make sure you don't wear a white shirt when pulling shots, then go to work and wonder why you have small coffee colored spots on you!

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BaristaBoy E61
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#5: Post by BaristaBoy E61 »

Just use the naked portafilter as the tool it's meant to be, to monitor the extraction through the bottom of the exposed basket and make adjustments as necessary to the dose, grind and time to affect the extraction in positive ways to achieve the result that tastes best to you.
"You didn't buy an Espresso Machine - You bought a Chemistry Set!"

Eiern
Posts: 627
Joined: 9 years ago

#6: Post by Eiern »

I recommend you start weighing both the baskets dose and yield in the cup. If you go up on the the dose in the filter then you should aim for more in the cup as well to maintain the same strength.

If not know that you are making more of a ristretto shot and that will be stronger and most likely a little underextracted (salty, harsh, sour, unbalanced). Might be what you are after but that's a change in recipe.

As others have noted spouts or bottomless are after the extraction has taken place and does not affect the brew.

ballison78
Posts: 23
Joined: 5 years ago

#7: Post by ballison78 »

Echo the white shirt response. Also, if you have one of the traditional Italian-style polished stainless machines, a towel placed between the exhaust spout and the back panel will save you a lot of polishing.

Renegade
Posts: 73
Joined: 8 years ago

#8: Post by Renegade »

Sprays are very bad channeling indication. Supposed to be clean and clear when properly extracted.

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cannonfodder
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#9: Post by cannonfodder »

Your basket change will have a big impact on your extraction especially if you went from a stock double to a precision triple basket like a LM or VST. Both of which are known trouble makers when switching. Very grinder and dose demanding.
Dave Stephens

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DJL
Posts: 183
Joined: 14 years ago

#10: Post by DJL »

I recently graduated to a bottomless PF. My QM did not come with one so I purchased a 58mm made by Rocket, fits most E61 machines. Using a VST 18g basket with it. It's a super useful tool for improving tamping technique. Easier to rinse out the basket as well, so that's a bonus. No difference in the cup though.

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