Soup is to be Eaten, Not Brewed: How to Dose Your Espresso

An email we can almost guarantee we get daily goes a little like this:

Hey team!

I just purchased a (IMS, VST, Baristapro, etc.) basket (typically 18-22g) and I’m finding there’s a lot of water sitting on top. Any ideas on how to help?

It seems like it was a huge trend a few months ago where everyone was being superstitious about having watery pucks. And sure; residual water is a pretty clear indication that your extraction isn’t as good as it could be, and especially when we’re brewing our favourite beans, it’s not something that we wanna waste! We want to fix this problem, faster than you can say “lungo,” am I right?

So, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to diagnose your problem and keep soupy pucks off your brew bar.

Step 1: Don’t panic (seriously!)

This could be a whole other blog post in and of its own, but if you know anything about Coffee Addicts, it’s that we don’t feed into coffee snobbery or believe in losing your marbles over coffee (a mantra we’ve maintained at the shop is “it’s just coffee,” which has gotten us through more than a few coffee emergencies!) But we do realize it’s difficult, especially after it feels like you’ve tried everything and you’re probably down to the last 18g of your $30 bag of coffee, so it’s very understandable! 

Our recommendation? Try adopting our mantra and see how you feel. Finding the fun in coffee and being open to experimenting will help us throughout our coffee journey, as trying is a 50/50 chance at success!

Step 2: Look at your dose

Baskets are tricky; even though it says 18 - 22g, it doesn’t really mean you can dose the full 18 - 22g range without adjusting (at least in our experience). Many baskets will have a ridge inside to help keep the basket inside the portafilter basket holder, which is especially useful when we’re trying to bang out our underextracted pucks; this ridge is also a useful tool when we tamp, as it lets us know if we’ve reached the proper threshold for dosing with this particular basket. 

Our recommendation? If you’re used to dosing 18g and upgrade to this type of basket, start with a 1g increase and adjust your ratio accordingly. If you downsized your basket, decrease by 1g and see how that helps. It might resolve your issue and give you perfect extracted pucks!

Step 3: Adjust your grind size

Let’s say you adjusted your dose and the issue hasn’t gone away. At this point, we might have to adjust our grind size, especially if our espresso is tasting muddy, is pouring out slower than anticipated, or has a “weird” aftertaste to it (aka a little bitter). Sometimes, we can grind a bit too fine, despite what Reddit might have to say. And it makes sense; when the water has too much resistance, it can’t flow through the puck and much of the water can sit on top, leading to an underextracted puck. 

Our recommendation? Remember that “set it and forget it” only applies to a few things in life, and espresso is not one of them. Dialing in is a daily practice, as there are many different variables that change every single day. A step up or down on your grind size, or a ¼ of a rotation to tighten up your burrs makes all the difference, and the proof is in your cup!

Step 4: Take a look at your solenoid valve.

If life has been good, shots have been coming out great, and then all of a sudden, bam: your pucks have turned into alphabet soup, it may be your solenoid valve. A solenoid valve regulates the flow of water in your espresso machine, and yours may be a two or three way valve. 

A two-way valve is simple; pressurized water from the grouphead passes through the inlet, activates a coil, and moves through the outlet. A three-way solenoid valve is a bit different, as it has a separate outlet that allows the pressure built-up in the grouphead to be released. 

How do you know exactly if the solenoid has failed? You might experience a new buzzing in your machine that may not have been there before, or new leaks in your machine from your grouphead (helloooo soupy pucks!) or from your steam wand. The solenoid valve has a few different parts, and any one of them may be susceptible to breaking down due to age, scale, or other factors. 

Our recommendation? Some people are extra handy and love tinkering with their machines, and we have tons of resources and parts to help you out! If at any point you feel unequipped or nervous to work on your machine, make sure you contact us or drop it off for a service. 

There you have it; a guide to diagnosing your pucks in four easy steps! If you have any other questions, comments, or concerns, we’re more than happy to help you make the espresso you need and deserve. Drop a comment down below, or send us an email and we’ll help you through it. 

Happy Coffee-ing!