 |
|
|
Espresso TampingPage 1 | Page 2 Tamping Step By StepNow that the coffee has been dosed properly the barista must tamp the coffee to prepare a tight pellet of espresso. It is important to remember that water under pressure in the porta-filter will try to find the easiest way out. If the espresso is unevenly tamped, loose, or jostled during the tamping or extraction procedure the espresso will be unevenly extracted. Tamping is one of the easier methods of espresso preparation to master and a properly tamped coffee will improve quality considerably.
After the ground coffee has been dosed into the porta-filter it is unevenly distributed. It is necessary to take hold of the porta-filter in one hand while using the other hand to quickly, but gently, level the coffee. This is usually accomplished by pulling the coffee to one side of the basket with a slightly curled pinky finger, then pushing the coffee back to the opposite side of the basket. The key is to evenly distribute the coffee without pressing into the grounds or leaving any empty space on the sides of the basket.
Once you are done distributing the grounds it is time for the first tamp. Without moving the porta-filter, hold the tamper so that the base of the handle fits into the palm of your hand. Your wrist should be straight, and the tamper should be a straight extension of your arm. Press gently on the coffee with five pounds of pressure. You will notice that some of the grounds will stick to the side of the basket. Therefore, you must gently tap the basket with the handle on the porta-filter to knock the grounds onto the flat pellet you just formed.
The next step is to apply the finishing tamp. The shape of the pellet has already been formed, and the finishing tamp confirms this impression. With the tamper held as before, press on the pellet with exactly thirty pounds of pressure. It is useful to tamp on a bathroom scale until you become comfortable with the amount of force necessary to achieve the appropriate pressure. After tamping turn the tamper 720° to polish the surface.
Make sure you tamp evenly. An uneven tamp will result in an uneven extraction. The above steps should be carried out in about twenty seconds. Although speed is important, it is necessary to be careful not to bump the basket during this process. Sharply hitting the basket will unevenly distribute the grounds allowing shortcuts for the water to pass through. If there are any weak spots or holes in the espresso pellet the water will push through this area, over extracting this portion of coffee while under extracting the rest of the pellet. Improper tamping will result in a twirling pour or white crema. The use of the proper tamper is essential. The first action you should take is to throw away the plastic round bottom tamper that you currently have. The tamper should be made of aluminum or similar light metal and should have a diameter so that it fits firmly into the basket. Marzocco baskets are 58mm, so order the appropriate size. Without a flat packing surface you create indents which cause uneven extraction. You may order your tamper from Vivace's, which sells pistons of several different sizes to perfectly fit your basket.
Page 1 | Page 2 Tags: tamping |
