Hi,
For some time I have found a few coffee ggrounds in my espresso cup after I
finish the espresso.
The espresso is fine! extraction time is in the range it should be somewhere
in the twenties usually and I get a rich nice espresso.
My tamping technique I think is ok, busing a flat tamper I am findint a lot
of grinds not compacted towards the edges of the puc even after I polish the
puc. Should I just ignore these few stray grinds in the cup and enjoy the
espresso even more, or try to change a few things?
I have a MM grinder so no changing there!
Claus Thøgersen
Only a few days away from an international SM  order!
-- 
----------------------------------------
Jeg beskyttes af den gratis SPAMfighter til privatbrugere.
Den har indtil videre sparet mig for at få 1160 spam-mails.
Betalende brugere får ikke denne besked i deres e-mails.
Hent gratis SPAMfighter her:http://www.spamfighter.com/lda

On Thu, 2006-05-25 at 10:56, Claus Thøgersen wrote:
<Snip>
It could be from the bottom of the portafilter. Are you using a
bottomless portafilter? Then it could be from the filter.
(I really miss my Rancilio bottomless portafilter. Somehow they got the
geometry just right so that the filter didn't touch the table you were
tamping on.)
<Snip>
I'd guess it's okay to ignore them. You should get a bottomless
portafilter if you don't have one. Then you don't have to speculate
about whether or not you're dosing and tamping properly.
Cheers,
-Paul

Are the grinds in the cup very fine?  If so it could be that you need =
new burrs.  If they are not fine check your group head gasket.
Phil

In a message dated 5/25/2006 12:09:01 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
thoeg writes:
Hi,
For some time I have found a few coffee ggrounds in my espresso cup after I
finish the espresso.
The espresso is fine! extraction time is in the range it should be somewhere
in the twenties usually and I get a rich nice espresso.
My tamping technique I think is ok, busing a flat tamper I am findint a lot
of grinds not compacted towards the edges of the puc even after I polish the
puc. Should I just ignore these few stray grinds in the cup and enjoy the
espresso even more, or try to change a few things?
I have a MM grinder so no changing there!
Claus Thøgersen
Only a few days away from an international SM  order!
Claus,
You should be doing both all the time! Always enjoy your espresso! Always 
look for ways to improve the process. It is a never ending learning curve bu=
t it 
is a fun curve to be on.
The first thing to look for is the cleanliness of the grouphead. Clean it ou=
t 
with a grouphead brush and other cleaning supplies 
http://sweetmarias.com/prod.coffeecleaner.shtml)after every session. Flush=
 often. Backflush often. 
Another thing to look at is the grouphead gasket. Is it worn? Does it need 
changing? If there are grooves worn in it then grinds can be forced through.=
 
Also look for cracks in the portafilter basket or dents around the rim.
The consensus view of tamping is to tamp once lightly to compress the puck 
slightly, then tap the tamper on the side of the portafilter to knock the gr=
inds 
off the sides of the basket. Then a 30 lb tamp to compress the puck. Then a 
polish with no downward pressure beyond the weight of the tamper. When you a=
re 
done you should be looking at a smooth, even surface with no loose grinds 
visible. 
If your tamper is not the right size to get an even surface you may want to 
check out the Staub or NSEW tamp to compress the entire surface by tamping 
around the edges. Better to have a well fitting tamper but this method can p=
roduce 
good results if practiced consistently.
One of my favorite places to look for guidance is the Home-Barista website 
http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-guide-skills.html).
PS. Most of us are always just a few days away from an SM order :-).
MichaelB

--Believe it or not but after much use, the fine micro-holes on the 
portafilter basket erode a tiny bit and allow more sediment through and into 
the cup.  If you had frequent jolts of 120-130 psi trying to shove coffee 
through an orifice, you'd understand it on a micro level.
--Dull or misaligned burrs can also make a bit more dust than sharp ones.
--Some sediment is normal.
--Try not tapping the portafilter after adding the coffee.
*********************
Ed Needham®
"to absurdity and beyond!"
ed at homeroaster dot com
(include [FRIEND] in subject line to get through my SPAM filters)
*********************