Faster Flow vs Finer Grind to Increase Espresso Extraction

JHCCoffee

Still on a learning curve. Probably forever. 🤔

I am finding that grinding coarser (for faster flow) can increase extraction as effectively as grinding finer (for smaller more extractable particles). Am I off base about this?

Higher (ie longer) brew ratios also extract more, but I prefer more body and strength vs less. So I still tend away from them. Yet occasionally I will pull a longer shot and actually get (for my taste) sufficient body and strength. Why?

MWJB

JHCCoffee Yet occasionally I will pull a longer shot and actually get (for my taste) sufficient body and strength. Why?

How are you measuring your extraction?

Espresso extraction starts very concentrated and drops off very quickly. Unless you are starting with totally inappropriate fine grind and under-extracting short shots, as you go longer, shots will invetibly less concentrated. There may be some overlap in half steps for ball-park extracted shots, but none between 1;2 and 1:3, or 1:3 and 1:4. So a little more extraction at a longer ratio will still be less concentrated (objectively)

Of course, some beans can be way more intense than others, but this isn’t extraction related,

Grind for extraction, don’t grind for time/or flow.

Rob1

Faster flow is supposed to extract more than a slow flow, all else equal. The idea is the power of the water as a solvent is greater with a faster flow and that less heat is lost through the extraction. I think the analogy was to think of water flowing in a river and cleaning rocks; a fast flow will wash more dirt away than slow or no flow, the same is true for extracting coffee grounds with the water washing over and between the grinds. That is all else being equal though. I think it may be the idea behind low pressure shots.

I’m not sure how useful or accurate the concept is, but the idea of heat loss with slow flows and bringing the puck up to extraction temperature quickly with a faster initial flow was useful for me.