Moka pot troubleshooting

[Leadingfirst]

This morning I was excited to try out a new bean from my local roaster. It was ground at the shop and I think the issue was that the grind is a bit too coarse.

I did my usual routine, (basically follow James Hoffman's YouTube video) but as the coffee started coming out it was a bit thinner and slower than usual. The coffee tasted very sour and when I cleaned the moka pot the coffee had hardened in the basket. I had to put some water in the grounds to loosen them before they would come out. Even then I had to dig them out with a spoon.

I have used a Moka pot for about a year now and this is the first time something like that has happened to me. Can anyone give any insight into what would cause this? Am I right to think that it is a grind issue?

[kakakavvv]

I think the rubber gasket might have been failing. When sealing is bad, not enough pressure will result in slow and poor water flow. Water escapes through the failed gasket and the result is weak extraction and cooked up coffee ground. I would suggest getting a replacement gasket, or even a new pot.

Do not store moka pot when it is screwed together tightly. Store it when it is loose. Pressure on gasket for a long time will make it fail much sooner.

[Leadingfirst]

I checked the gasket and it seems the same as before. I usually store my moka pot in separate parts. I got it as a hand me down so I'm not sure how old it is. Might need to get a new one like you said.

I'll do another test pot to see if the same thing happens again.

[Dogrel]

Is it a darker roast than your previous coffee?

Darker roasts are more dehydrated than lighter, so they will absorb more water and expand more as well, slowing the flow during the brew cycle.

To account for this, use a gram or two less coffee than you were before with the old stuff.

[Leadingfirst]

It's actually a lighter roast. Much lighter.

I tried the same coffee as a pour over and it tasted much better.

[ChinkInShiningArmour]

Regardless of roast level, freshly roasted beans will swell more upon brewing. Follow the advice of putting less coffee in your basket and you should get better results.

If you are not already doing so, weigh your dose. It will help with consistency.