Dialing In Espresso
Guide
CoffeeEspressoGuideTroubleshootingBrewing
What to change when an espresso tastes wrong
When an espresso tastes wrong the fix is usually small, a step on the grinder or a few degrees on the water. These are the problems that come up most often and what to change for each one.
The basics
Before troubleshooting anything, get these in place:
- Dose: 18-20g in, 36-40g out, so a 1:2 ratio
- Time: 25-30 seconds from pump start
- Temperature: 92-96°C depending on the roast
- Freshness: 7-21 days off roast
Symptoms and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sour | Under-extracted | Grind finer. If that is not enough, raise the temperature |
| Bitter | Over-extracted | Grind coarser and drop the temperature a degree or two |
| Watery | Too coarse, or the dose is too low | Grind finer, or add a gram to the basket |
| Shot runs under 20s | Grind too coarse | Grind finer and check for channeling |
| Shot runs over 35s | Grind too fine | Grind coarser and look for clumps in the basket |
| Uneven flow | Puck prep | Distribute the grounds evenly, a WDT tool helps |
| Crema goes fast | Stale beans, or the roast is very light | Fresher beans, 7-14 days off roast |
| Muddy flavors | Beans are old or badly stored | Check the roast date, keep them airtight and out of the light |
My process for a new bag
- Use the roaster’s recipe if there is one on the bag
- Otherwise pull the first shot at a medium-fine grind, 18g in, aiming for 36g out in about 27 seconds
- Change one thing at a time. Sour means finer, bitter means coarser
- Get the grind right before touching the temperature or the ratio
- Give the grinder 2-3 shots to settle before judging anything
Starting over
When nothing works, reset to 18g in, 36g out, 25-30 seconds and 93°C, and taste from there. Most of the time it turns out to be the grind.
There is more on gear and setup at espresso.tools, and pour over brewing at pour.coffee.