Wet Puck Espresso! (4 Reasons Along With The Solution)

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You’re learning the art of making coffee, but you get the wet puck espresso every time you brew? That’s not the situation baristas like particularly those who’re just learning and haven’t mastered the skill.

Wet puck espresso can be a result of your mistake. It might be because the grind size is coarse or ground or using the wrong baskets. The possibilities are numerous, and you need to read this article to find the right reason.

Below in this guide, we’ll share all the main possible reasons for wet puck espresso. You can read the solution and solve the issue along with the reasons. So don’t wait for more; scroll down the page and know the solution to your problem.

Is Wet Puck Espresso A Problem?

Before we dig into the details (reasons and solutions) of wet puck espresso, there’s one crucial question: is wet puck espresso a problem or not? Surprisingly, wet puck espresso isn’t an issue all time.

If your coffee is perfect, and the taste is good, then what’s the point of thinking about wet or dry puck? After all, the only thing that matters is the taste of the coffee. Therefore, in this case, you can skip this article.

However, if your coffee tastes bad or different from the regular one, and you do not like it, it’s a big issue. In this scenario, you’ll need this article. First, find the reason for your problem below, then follow the solutions.

Why Are Your Espresso Puck Wet? 4 Reasons For Wet Puck Espresso With Solutions

Why Is My Coffee Puck Wet? Here are the most common four reasons for wet puck espresso. Remember to read each point to understand the valid reason. That’s the only way you can find the solution because you’re the only one who can identify what’s wrong you were doing while making coffee.

Too Much Water Or Fine Coffee Ground

If you see a wet puck means the water can be seen clearly on the top, not the coffee grounds; it might be for two reasons. First because of the high amount of water and second because the coffee is too fine.

A high amount of water makes the absorbing process for grinds a lot more difficult. As a result, we get a wet puck of espresso. In contrast, using fine coffee grinds can cause over-extraction; it usually happens when we grind coffee and don’t set the right time and size.

What’s The Solution

The solution for the first situation is if the water amount is too high, then increase the dose of the coffee. But remember, you don’t have to add a lot of coffee, just a small amount. Adding a lot of amounts can also cause issues.

In the second situation, change your coffee, or if you’re grinding it with coffee grinders, do it correctly. In coffee grinders, you need to set a time and select the size of the coffee (coarse, medium coarse, or fine).

If you only set the size, not the time, then it’s the biggest mistake. A machine needs more time to grind coffee finer and a bit of coarser time. So make sure the time adjustment set in your grinder is right.

Using Mixed Coffee Grounds

Another reason that creates the issue of the wet puck espresso is using mixed coffee grounds (coarse and fine). No one likes to waste food, and coffee is included in it. However, this can create a big issue and ruin the taste of coffee.

What’s The Solution?

Don’t use mixed coffee grounds (coarse and fine). You may be able to save the coffee, but the taste won’t be good because this action can create air pockets. So the choice is yours; if you don’t care about the taste, you can proceed with mixed coffee.

Tamping Fine Grounds Too Hard

Tamping is one of the most important steps of coffee making. If you fail at this, you might face a bad taste, and the puck of espresso will also be wet. That’s why you should always tamp the coffee correctly, not too hard nor too light.

What’s The Solution?

The solution to the tamping issue is never to tamp too hard if your coffee is fine. It will create an air pocket, and the puck will be wet. In addition, make sure the coffee grinds must be distributed in the basket evenly before tamping.

Using Wrong Size Basket

Lastly, the mistake that can create the wet puck espresso issue is you’re using the wrong basket. Remember, each basket is made for making a certain amount of coffee (single shot, double shot, and so on).

What’s The Solution?

No worry, this problem isn’t as big as you might think. You only need to go to the market or order the right size of basket online for the coffee as per your requirement. Then always use the right basket while making coffee.

The Bottom Line

Here comes the end of the reasons and solutions for wet puck espresso. We’ve discussed four main reasons that cause this issue and also shared the solutions to those problems. You can check the solution and follow them.

Only keep one thing in mind, first, you need to find the main issue. Without finding the issue, you can’t follow any solution. So check whether you’re using a low amount of coffee, mixed coffee tamping too hard, or using the wrong-sized basket.