If your grind is too coarse, the water will flow too quickly through the grounds, producing a weak and watery shot. Solution - adjust your grind to the fine side slowly. Always make sure you're adjusting your grinder as it's in operation. Failing to do this can lead to jamming.
When the espresso crema appears thin and is dark, bubbly, and uneven, it may be a sign of over-extraction and that you've ground the coffee too finely. On the other hand, a thin and light crema that disappears quickly results from under-extraction, low water pressure, stale beans, or too coarse grind size.
Arguably the most common reason for weak coffee is not enough coffee grounds used for brewing. Too short of a brewing time is a result of not enough contact between water and coffee grounds (AKA - under-extraction). On the contrary, too much contact between the two variables leads to an over-extraction.
The most common reason for a watery taste is a too-fast brewing time, which can be caused by the wrong grind settings or insufficient tamping pressure. However, proper dosage, proper water temperature, and the freshness and quality of your coffee beans also play a role in producing the perfect shot of espresso.
High temperatures increase extraction and pressure, while low temperatures decrease both. This means that if your crema is light, thin, and disappears quickly, your espresso may have been under-extracted This is usually caused by using coffee that's too coarsely ground or too little coffee being extracted.
Your Grind Needs Adjustment
If your grind is too coarse, the water will flow too quickly through the grounds, producing a weak and watery shot. Solution - adjust your grind to the fine side slowly. Always make sure you're adjusting your grinder as it's in operation. Failing to do this can lead to jamming.
If your coffee puck is too soft or muddy, then you are dosing too low (Picture #3). A low dose means that you may have had channelling through your coffee, causing an uneven extraction (see the holes in Picture #3). Also, your espresso will lack body and sweetness, making it taste a little thin and over extracted.
Increase the wet dose if your shot is too concentrated or if it tastes under extracted. By letting the shot pull longer to increase the yield, you allow the grounds and water to be in contact for longer, which leads to more extraction. Adding 2-4 grams of yield is enough to make a very noticeable difference taste-wise.
The stream of espresso coming out of the portafilter should look something like thick, warm honey. The finished shot should be golden and have a crema thickness of about 1/4" to 1/3".
Apply 20-30 pounds of pressure, and polish
Baristas often recommend 30 pounds of pressure, but some do as little as 20 pounds. More and more are finding that tamping pressure is overrated—it's hard on the wrist and cause an over-extracted, bitter brew. Use a twisting motion as you pull up to “polish” the puck.
To make coffee less watery, change the grind size, adjust the coffee to water ratio, use the correct brewing temperature, and switch to a more intense roast. You can also check your machine for malfunctions, avoid ice cubes, add milk and creams, and use the right temper size.
If the shot pours too slowly due to the grind being too fine, the espresso will taste bitter. You need to make your coffee grinds coarser so that the water is not so restricted. Espresso should pour between 25 – 35 seconds, with the best results usually found between 27 – 33 seconds.
The best grind size for espresso is fine. A fine 1/32 size coffee grind will help avoid a sour taste or bitter flavor, over-extraction, or under-extraction. The wrong size can make it hard for the hot water to force through the coffee bed or lead to channeling. This all affects the taste and strength of espresso.
- You may be adding too much water. The perfect espresso (single shot) is around 30ml to 40ml of liquid. Adding water results in an Americano type coffee. It may be advisable to use two shots of espresso in a larger cup.
In regular espresso machines, using the wrong coffee grind size is the most common reason for no crema. Espresso requires a much finer grind size than drip coffee or normal ground coffee for general coffee machines. Espresso grounds should ideally be finer than table salt.
That's why you should always aim to let your espresso extract for 25 – 30 seconds. The perfect extraction time for an espresso is 25 – 30 seconds. This is true for pressurised and non-pressurised baskets.
The coffee ought to clump in the center of the pinch, where the pressure is hardest, but not too much. If it does not clump at all, it is too coarse and will make a weak shot. If it clumps excessively, it is too fine and will produce over-extraction.
Starbucks popularized the double shot (doppio) in America in the 1990's, though they weren't its inventors. A double shot uses 14g of coffee and produces around 60ml of espresso (about 2 liquid ounces).
How Much Water is there in a Shot of Espresso? 1 fluid ounce of water (that's 30 millilitres, is required to make a single shot of espresso. 7 grammes of finely ground coffee beans are also required.
Espresso spraying can be caused by several factors, including the uneven distribution of coffee grounds, inconsistent tamping, incorrect grind size, and damaged portafilter baskets. Identifying and addressing these issues will help prevent spraying and ensure smoother extraction.
Pour espresso in ice trays and freeze. The iced espresso cubes are perfect for adding into iced drinks. This will ensure your iced coffee drinks don't become watery and diluted.