Espresso Creama Issue

[CoffeeMusic]

Hello,
I got a Rocket Appartemento and a Breville Smart Pro grinder for Christmas and I'm having issues getting the creama to sustain for more than two seconds before it just becomes all black. When I do get creama, it will sometimes have inconsistent layers with black bubbles and the creama color won't stay the same for each shot. I don't have a scale yet so I use the timer on the grinder with the amount of shots I want. What should do to get my shots to stay consistent. I'm not going to try making lattes or cappuccinos yet until I get the basics of espresso down.

p.s. If you have any books on the art of coffee making, please send me a link.

 

[Musicphan]

How fresh is the coffee? Low crema is sometimes a sign of old coffee.. at least the first question to ask. How long does it take to pull a standard double shoot? 25-30 seconds?

 

[CoffeeMusic]

I'm using coffee that was roasted on the 13th of December. I have to time the pull again.

 

[CoffeeMusic]

How fresh is the coffee? Low crema is sometimes a sign of old coffee.. at least the first question to ask. How long does it take to pull a standard double shoot? 25-30 seconds?

When I use my nespresso, the coffee in those pods are usually months old and yet those get lushes creama.

 

[Musicphan]

When I use my nespresso, the coffee in those pods are usually months old and yet those get lushes creama.

Pods are so different... they are pressurized different and diff results. If your coffee was roasted on the 13th it should be fine.. I noticed creme starts to drop off after a couple of week sold and is pretty much gone after 4-6 weeks.

 

[Musicphan]

Without a scale make sure your portafilter is slightly over the edge of the portafilter and when you tamp your tamp straight down and with consistent pressure. Most portafilter baskets will have a line on them showing where the 'proper' dosage - without a scale that's probably your best guide. I would imagine your time is off from that 25 second mark as well.. it should take the machine 3-5 seconds before it starts to produce espresso and then take another 20ish seconds to finish.

 

[CoffeeMusic]

I got a scale now and I'm trying to figure out how to use it. Also got some shot glasses that go up to two and a half ounces. I can't figure out how to get it to read the amount of coffee I grind on the scale accurately without spilling some and keep consistent.

 

[Coffeebloggermke]

Your shots sound under dialed. You may have to adjust settings, but it is a balance of getting the right grind on the beans, the right amount of grounds for the shot, and tamping them properly.