To shake or not to shake? That is the question.

tompoland

I normally grind into a tumbler, pop the lid on and shake like a crazy man.

I then sit the tumbler on top of a funnel, which in turn sits on the portafilter basket, pull the plug out and WDT with a puck rake.

The theory was that the shaking would destroy any clumps but it looks like the shaking does exactly the opposite: it creates clumps of coffee.

Pics uploaded. The first is a pic showing the grinds sitting happily in the tumbler after dropping in from the grinder chute (EG-1) and the second shows the same grinds after shaking.

What’s been your experience of shaking? Better, worse or really could not give a rats?

DavecUK

tompoland The theory was that the shaking would destroy any clumps but it looks like the shaking does exactly the opposite: it creates clumps of coffee.

Definitely….I have some grinders and one produces lovely clump free grind….If I am stupid enough to tap the grind container on the counter to remove static cling after grinding, then tip into the portafilter…..clumps. If I don’t…no clumps.

I even find WDT devises (stirrers) introduce clumps, if there were non before….often I believe the best thing to do is leave the coffee alone…just get it into the portafilter with as little disturbance as possible. I may put a video up showing what I have observed many times now.

MWJB

tompoland Pics uploaded. The first is a pic showing the grinds sitting happily in the tumbler after dropping in from the grinder chute (EG-1) and the second shows the same grinds after shaking.

What’s been your experience of shaking? Better, worse or really could not give a rats?

If you have no clumps when the grinds are fresh out of the grinder, why are you needing to de-clump with shaking?

Dusk

tompoland

I wonder if you poured one of each method onto a light surface (piece of A4 paper perhaps) to see if there were any clumps left. I can see what you mean about the shaking looking like it clumps but the bottom of the non-shaken coffee will have compressed slightly under its own weight at the bottom, you just won’t be able to see it.

LMSC

DavecUK I even find WDT devises (stirrers) introduce clumps

Most of us find this invaluable! Some videos will be great. Did you find any difference in taste in addition to issues like uneven beading and channelling?

tompoland

DavecUK interesting tx Dave. Video would be great.

Dusk

DavecUK I even find WDT devises (stirrers) introduce clumps, if there were non before….often I believe the best thing to do is leave the coffee alone

I think this will very much depend on your own setup, I would suggest you probably have a very good non clumping grinder!

tompoland

DavecUK I even find WDT devises (stirrers) introduce clumps, if there were non before….often I believe the best thing to do is leave the coffee alone…just get it into the portafilter with as little disturbance as possible. I may put a video up showing what I have observed many times now.

I agree. The problem is I don’t know when to leave it alone … at least not until I see an uneven pour out of the bottom of the basket.

I have noticed though that vigorous WDT can create clumps in a similar way to shaking the grinds in a tumbler. So I WDT slower and smoother than I used to. As my wife often reminds me, “it’s not always about how fast you finish a thing Tom.”

Ernie1

I used to shake, but found the exact same as you, it actually created clumps.

Now I grind into a cup and use a magnetic funnel to gently ‘pour into’ the basket. This helps with a pretty good even distribution versus the typical ‘gravitational slope’ you end up with when doing the cup-portafilter-fliparoo.

I’m still on the fence with WDT at this point too. It was fundamental when doing the flip method but a clump free grind and gentle pour with a tamp seems to yield really great results.

LMSC

Ernie1 gentle pour with a tamp seems to yield really great results.

Some of us belong to the WDT camp. Perhaps, you should post a video of your grind to tamp so that we can understand the gentle pour with a tamp better. 😊

Thx

Knluk

Ernie1 thx for sharing. If no shaking or wdt and there is clumps, do you normally just ignore it as it will be dealt with using tampering?

Ernie1

LMSC

Remember I’m also in the camp of on-demand grinding, it’s a pretty lonely camp over here 😂.

It works for me, but I’m not meticulous about freshness or single-dosing and use a spouted portafilter so channeling is masked a bit anyways.

I’ve used some WDT tools that create an almost soil-like texture which I’ve presumed to be static creating loads of tiny clumps. Perhaps I should mist the beans and the WDT tool. Perhaps I should move my entire coffee making routine into a botanical garden…

I’ll get a video to show what I mean, it’s a very simple method but as above, I doubt it’s producing the very best result in the cup but it tastes great.

Knluk

LMSC I do find the “beauty” of wdt. I used a diy unqualified one. After wdt, the puck looks very nice and fluffy. I have ordered some proper 0.35mm nozzle cleaning needle to try whether wdt is for me. Hope it improves my game.

Ernie1

Knluk

I’m lucky now the new Mazzer burrs are seasoned there very rarely seems to be clumps. I should note that for espresso I tend to rotate only a handful of med/dark roasts I enjoy and know very well.

If anything looks a bit clumpy I’ll tap the portafilter gently on the surface. Also the surface clumps are so fragile that tamping makes light work of flattening them.

There might be clumps further down the basket that aren’t properly distributed by tamping but as above, using a spouted PF tends to mask any issues. I’ll only make adjustments if I get a sudden increase in flow mid-shot or uneven flow from the spouts.

I’ll try and get a video of the whole process this week once it’s cool enough to not have the blinds closed all day!

tompoland

MWJB good question. Clumps are an issue because they are an area of higher density grinds as opposed to “fluffy” piles (I hope my technical terms are not confusing you too much), But to continue on the scientific vein, there are “fluffy” piles and then there are “fluffy” piles. In other words, it’s about trying to ensure that the density of the grinds are even across the width of the basket.

So whilst with most of my grinders, there are not normally any clumps present, there will be uneven density across the basket until I have WDTed the grinds.

That’s the purpose of WDT … or the Weiss “Distribution” Technique: to distribute the grinds evenly across the basket.

tompoland

Dusk that’s an idea I hadn’t thought of thanks. The final test though is always what happens when the water hits the puck and that in turn highlights the importance of using a bottomless portafilter so that you can visually confirm that the water is seeping out of the underside of the basket uniformly and right across the basket simultaneously. If that’s happening 9 time out of 10, then your WDT is working.

-Mac

I get rid if clumps by shaking (well, more fine sprinkling really) into the PF. It stopped a lot of channelling issues for me.

Cuprajake

No shake for me, I just tip right in.

I’m looking at post pf dosing next.

-Mac

Surely can’t be long until someone invents a device that can ‘3D print’ coffee into a puck in a PF, one particle at a time, at the optimum spacing.

DavecUK

-Mac I await Weber’s next invention…..

tompoland

-Mac if it’s anything like my 3D printer I would have to start it filling the basket the night before I wanted an espresso 🤔