The importance of “puck prep” for home baristas

Puck prep is the most important part of pulling great espresso. Check out these tips to pull even greater espresso shots.

The quality of espresso is highly dependent on the puck preparation. If you’ve ever pulled a bad shot where coffee is spewing out the sides of the portafilter or it’s coming out unevenly, then you know what I’m talking about. Let’s talk about the importance of puck preparation and some of the key facts that go into making a great shot of espresso.

What is “puck prep”

The puck, in this case, refers to what remains in the portafilter after the shot has been pulled. Puck prep is the actions and steps you take to prepare your espresso to pull a shot. Generally speaking, that’s grinding the coffee, distributing it, tamping it, etc… I say “etc…” because it seems like the list of accessories for puck prep is damn near endless.

And as a disclosure, these are practices you will mostly only see in practice at home. I don’t know of a single cafe that sprays the beans, WDTs, has a puck screen, and all that for every shot. It just takes too long for each shot in a high-volume cafe. And honestly, not all of these techniques are necessary. But, they are always fun to try out and experiment with. But, it does get to a point where the improvements are minuscule after all the actions.

Creating a Level Bed of Coffee

When preparing the puck, it is crucial to have a level bed of coffee. Generally speaking, this is what all of the tools like WDT, distributor, etc… are all trying to accomplish. This means that the coffee grounds should be distributed evenly across the basket, and the surface of the bed should be flat. A level bed of coffee is essential because it allows the water to flow evenly through the puck and extract the flavors and aromas from the coffee grounds uniformly.

If the bed of coffee is not level, it can result in an uneven extraction. This is where channeling comes into play. The result is a shot of espresso that lacks balance and body, with some flavors dominating the palate and others barely detectable.

At the basic level, all you need is a tamper for puck preparation. However, tools like distributors and WDTs have become quite the norm. Most cafes now use distributor tools because they’re fast, easy to use, and evenly distribute the coffee bed. If you don’t have any of these tools though, I recommend just tapping the side of the basket to level out the espresso. Let gravity do its thing. It works wonders.

Tamping evenly is very very important. The pressure of tamping isn’t as important. Tamp once with enough pressure until you start feeling it push back. Done, that’s it. You don’t need to tamp twice or tamp with less pressure if your shot flows too fast.

Getting your tamp as level as possible requires practice and precision, but once you consistently get this level, your espresso will flow smoothly and evenly.

Correct Grind Setting

The grind setting is another critical factor in the preparation of the perfect espresso puck. The grind size determines the surface area of the coffee grounds and affects the rate at which water flows through the puck.

If the grind is too fine, the water will not flow through the puck, resulting in a slow extraction and a bitter-tasting shot. On the other hand, if the grind is too coarse, the water will flow through the puck too quickly, resulting in a weak and sour-tasting shot. This is where dialing in comes in.

Dialing in the espresso takes a bit of practice. Depending on your roast, you want to shoot for a 1:2 ratio. Meaning you put 20 grams of coffee into the basket and you’re expecting 40 grams of liquid in your final shot. The ideal time is 25-30 seconds to extract. That’s the general rule, but I highly recommend experimenting with different times and grind sizes for different roasts.

It is essential to note that the grind setting needs to be adjusted regularly to ensure that the shot is consistent. As coffee beans age, they lose moisture and become more brittle, affecting the extraction rate. Similarly, changes in temperature and humidity can also affect the extraction rate.

Roast Date of Beans

What if you’re doing all of the above correctly and the shot still isn’t turning out? Well, take a look at the roast date. If the roast date is over 1 month, then the coffee just won’t pull well no matter what you do. Using freshly roasted beans pull out all the flavors from the roast profile and extracts all the oils that are still there. This just isn’t the case with coffee that’s been sitting around for a while.

When you buy beans, look for the freshest roast possible. Within a week is generally my rule of thumb when buying espresso beans. Grocery stores generally won’t have this, but that’s where buying from local roasters or coffee subscriptions come in handy. This is where you’ll get the freshest roasted beans.

Conclusion

If you follow the above steps, you can start pulling great espresso shots now! Puck prep is part of the ritualistic experience of creating coffee and something that every barista should pay attention to. And no, you don’t need to buy every espresso toy out there to pull a great shot. Some help, but they’re not necessary.