Mouse Tail Issue

[mawil1013]

I never seem to get a solid and syrupy looking mouse tail, videos on youtube is all I've seen to compare to.
Mine might start out solid looking but quickly become bubbly looking. Basically I'm setting the grinder finer and finer until drip is intermittent, then come back up until it just starts to flow uninterrupted. What's going on with my mouse tail?

 

[Musicphan]

What is a mouse tail?

 

[mawil1013]

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Once the water starts flowing, two things should happen. First, the espresso should flow out off the machine in a slow but steady stream, resembling a 'mouse tail'. Secondly, the colour of the stream should change from dark to light as the water extracts the oils from the grounds.

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Engage the grouphead and start the timer. Place a cup under portafilter and watch the espresso for a steady stream that should look like little mouse tails. The entire extraction should take about 23-28 seconds to brew about 1.5 ounces of espresso. If it takes too much longer or is pulling too slowly, try a coarser grind.

 

[mawil1013]

LOL, I'm shocked at how few have heard this term, I see it all over Internet. Search; espresso mouse tail

 

[Musicphan]

I've NEVER heard of it described that way and I've been in this game for a long time... oh well.

Depending on your machine... most espresso machines will take 5-7 seconds to see the first drop of espresso... from there it will start to stream. If your getting bubbles there is typically a break in the puck. Without seeing what's it's doing its hard to diagnose... I would suspect you may not be grinding fine enough.

 

[mawil1013]

Working on uploading a video on youtube of shot pouring and still pic of finished shots!

 

[Musicphan]

It's running MUCH too fast... you're at about 12 seconds for the extraction - most target around 25 seconds. Grind smaller.

How old is the coffee (how many days past roast)?

 

[mawil1013]

It has infusion function, puts water into puck, stops, then starts again, when I account for that it comes out ok, and probably Three months old but I really don't know, nobody local to buy from.

 

[Musicphan]

It has infusion function, puts water into puck, stops, then starts again, when I account for that it comes out ok, and probably Three months old but I really don't know, nobody local to buy from.

That explains it... you have oldish coffee Espresso is super sensitive to freshness... for my espresso, I try and keep my coffee from 1 week to 3-4 weeks old max. You really see it start to run fast and flat once it gets old. If your info is right and you're in Charlotte you should be able to find a local roaster. I know Counter Culture is based in Durham - they do an excellent job and you should be able to find it. If you can't buy direct from the roaster go to your local independent shop and ask to buy some espresso they are using.

 

[topher]

With the internet no one should have old coffee. There are so many places that roast to order. My orders go out the day they were roasted or the day after.

 

[mawil1013]

I can get it from a roaster in Pennsylvania faster and cheaper than driving to/from and shopping 25 miles away in Charlotte. Mail order is amazing now! I tried a few in Charlotte but couldn't find what I wanted and it was getting too expensive to have bag after bag of bean I really didn't like. through reddit coffee I got suggestions that panned out.

 

[mawil1013]

There ya go, a new slogan, 'No one should have old coffee!'

 

[shadow745]

That explains it... you have oldish coffee Espresso is super sensitive to freshness... for my espresso, I try and keep my coffee from 1 week to 3-4 weeks old max. You really see it start to run fast and flat once it gets old. If your info is right and you're in Charlotte you should be able to find a local roaster. I know Counter Culture is based in Durham - they do an excellent job and you should be able to find it. If you can't buy direct from the roaster go to your local independent shop and ask to buy some espresso they are using.

I think Counter Culture USED to be quite good, but it seems all they focus on these days is 3rd wave light roasted garbage. I once really liked their Espresso Toscano, which was probably one of the best blends they have ever had. Actually considered buying wholesale from them for commercial use but their arrogance was a bit too much so I ditched that idea. Was like they have certain expectations and try to dictate how a coffee bought from them should be used as if nobody's standards are on par with theirs. Same with Larry's Beans in NC. A joke of a company in some regards. Anyway, lmao...

 

[Musicphan]

I'm surprised to hear that about Counter Culture... I used to have an awesome rep. But that was MANY years ago. I can assure you though... standards are necessary. How you communicate them is a whole diff story.

 

[shadow745]

Oh I can agree with standards to a degree, but when you sell a product to someone you can't dictate exactly how it should be utilized. Just remembered there is a decent coffeeshop maybe 6-8 miles from me looking to hire a barista. They use Counter Culture and their requirement is that you must train at CC's facility in order to get that job. To me Counter Culture is like Intelligentsia and some others... used to be awesome, now just average and arrogant. Yet another reason I started home roasting... I save $, have fresh coffee as I need it and can roast to the exact flavor profile I'm looking for with espresso.