MediumRoastSteam Undo the PF pushing the handle down slightly. When I mean slightly, I mean just gravity really or a tiny amount of gentle downwards pressure. subconsciously, we try to keep the PF level. So keep “unscrewing” the PF like so until it comes out. The puck is likely to come out with it.
Thanks MediumRoastSteam ! This works and the puck does not fracture, down to 14.0g doses in the 15g basket. Have not again tried 13.5g, to see if that puck is just too thin and fractures (or not).
Interesting taste dynamics. Started at 15.0g and working down, keeping the same 2.0 brew ratio. The 15.0g shot had better mouthfeel (body) but less complexity (extraction). As the dose goes down (with same brew ratio), mouthfeel (body) declines but complexity (extraction) increases. My best shot with this bean was still the 13.5g (2.0 ratio) I started with, coarsened to run slightly faster (35 seconds).
While taste (and extraction) is starting to be decent (maybe a 7 of 10 on my taste scale), its still not where I want it to be. Next steps are: 1) remove the IMS screen and try the Lelit screen again, through the above shot series, starting at 15.5g and working down to 13.5g, in 0.5g increments. 2) increasing the OPV pressure from 9 bar now to 10 bar, or possibly 11 bar (if that is safe??), and re-running the series.
This will also increase the water flow at the grouphead, which was slightly low/slow at 180 ml in 30 seconds (vs my target of 240 ml in 30 seconds, ie the midpoint of Matt Pergers suggested 200 to 280 ml in 30 seconds range). Waterflow will likely go down when I swap out the IMS screen for the Lelit screen (my shots certainly ran slower with the Lelit screen), but it will be interesting to see the impacts.