Problems with very wet coffee grains when using my new Gaggia Classic

[stephencronk]

Help!

I've had my lovely new Gaggia Classic for several weeks now and I still haven't mastered the perfect espresso yet. Very frustrating!

I've tried different grinds (I have the Gaggia MDF grinder) and different tapping pressures but each and actually the espressos are not too bad - good crema and flavour.

In fact the real grind (sorry) is that when I release the group from the machine, the coffee is covered in a layer of water. Very messy.

Can someone help me get this right please?

Thanks

Stephen

 

[topher]

How much coffee are you using? Could be you are not using enough..7 grams per single shot. You probably don't have a gram scale so fill your port a filter with loose grounds. Smooth it out so its flat and no coffee is above the filter. Level out your coffee with your tamp. Then tamp your coffee with 30 lbs of pressure. Then polish your coffee by spinning the tamp three times. Give that a try and see if it helps.

 

[Cerinicoffee]

I would have to agree. Probably not enough coffee in the filter basket.

 

[RedCup]

Pasquini manual says wet coffee = too little coffee.

 

[stephencronk]

OK, so I filled the coffee filter to the top with ground coffee (setting 6 on grinder) and then flattened it down with the tamp (I'm not sure how to judge 30lbs of pressure) but I put quite a bit of weight on the tamp and then polished it. The filter group then only just managed to be placed back into the machine so I guess the coffee must be touching the rose.

The coffee came though the two way spout but was also dripping from the centre too. The coffee in the cup was great but again the resultant coffee in the filter was sludgy. Less wet than before, but still wet.

Thanks for your advice to date. Any other pointers would be gratefully received.

Stephen

 

[topher]

I don't know how fine "6" is. Does it take a long time to brew your espresso? Another factor could be that it is too fine. The finer it is the longer it takes to brew. I run 28 second shots at my shop.

 

[stephencronk]

It takes about 30 seconds too. this morning the coffee was so wet that it wouldn't come out of the filter holder. I think I'll try a larger grind.
Thanks

 

[stephencronk]

I fill the coffee to the top of the filter, it is still wet but also coffee is leaking slightly through the top of the group (even though it is very tightly screwed in). Any ideas? Thanks

 

[stevenjoywell]

yeah, i agree, I would have to agree. Probably not enough coffee in the filter basket.