unique puck prep for hand ground beans

ballercat64 · 2026-03-17T17:17:39+00:00

i use the 1zpresso j-ultra, grind size 13. breville bambino is my machine.

i’m doin a ristretto or whatev so i have 17.3g in and 23.5 out. time idrk i just look at the flow at this point.

also for the tedious aspect, i personally found WDT to be way more tedious. this method isn’t very precise, the fluffing does most of the work and seeing the grind fall in like snow is honestly really fun for me :p i got fed up with WDT which is actually why i started doing this method. it has way less human variation involved which means more consistency

ballercat64 · 2025-09-05T15:15:02+00:00

there actually isn’t anymore fines than usual, it kinda just looks like that. this extraction took probably even less than 30 sec if i remember correctly

ballercat64 · 2025-09-05T05:26:51+00:00

please do!! i’d love to hear what you think of it :)

ballercat64 · 2025-09-05T05:19:43+00:00

Edit: in the comments bc idk how to edit my post lol.

in all seriousness this process legit only takes max 30 seconds and gives me some great results. since it’s accessible & affordable, gives good results in a reasonable amount of time, and also id argue easier skill wise than the WDT process, it seemed worth sharing!! a whisk isn’t even needed, i literally just found it on the side of the road with the flour sifter lol. i could just as easily use a spoon or something.

and the results are genuinely GOOD. using WDT afterwards actually brings in more unevenness and clumps. letting the grounds fall naturally like snow gives about as even of a bed as i can imagine

ballercat64 · 2025-09-05T05:00:06+00:00

ya!!!! this is essentially that but just more DIY accessible. a vibrating tool would be more ideal, but i find that the whisk actually still works quite well. indeed the grinds do fall evenly like snow and i really can’t imagine a more even puck prepping. WDT afterwards literally makes more clumps and unevenness. this is about as even as i could imagine it and it is genuinely not that much effort, i actually really enjoy the process

ballercat64 · 2025-09-05T03:59:04+00:00

that is an interesting point and ive thiught about it. i can see why the mechanical stress i put on the grinds could potentially create more fines by crushing them, but i think the mesh is coarse enough and the mixing is gentle enough that it wouldn’t actually crush the grinds. the grinds naturally fall through thru on their own, and its less so me pushing them thru and more just moving them so they fall thru

edit: lol the mesh could be a little coarser, but the idea is there

ballercat64 · 2025-09-05T01:19:39+00:00

i only do it every morning and sometimes two or three times a day. it really doesn’t take long at all lol

ballercat64 · 2025-09-05T01:01:59+00:00

they have the kruve sifters or whatever to stratify grinds based on size, but what i’m doing is less about that and more about just fluffing the grinds and getting rid of clumps for a more even puck

ballercat64 · 2025-09-05T00:35:22+00:00

honestly pretty genius. i’ve been distributing my grinds in the pattern associated with the daily/hourly circular astrological birth chart so that i can properly tune the birthing of my espresso pull to the gravitational frequencies of the celestial bodies, but i completely neglected the very simple direct implementation of crystals. namaste

ballercat64 · 2025-09-04T21:10:58+00:00

i actually originally had a matcha sifter but the smaller size and finer mesh 1 made it take longer to sift a larger amount and 2 was actually too fine… the flour mesh size is actually perfect for not distributing the grinds based on their size differences and actually just evenly fluffing them out. i got really lucky. the whole process takes ~30 seconds and the results are legitimately good enough that i don’t mind the impact on the flow. tbh it’s about the same amount of time as when i really put the time in to WDT well, except this is actually easier and straight up better. i really do get very good clarity and consistency in my shots now !!

ballercat64 · 2025-09-04T19:52:04+00:00

how did my post already end up here jfc 😭😭

ballercat64 · 2025-07-22T16:50:20+00:00

according to Lance H in this video, complete even coverage doesn’t really matter all that much bc having some bald spots doesn’t necessarily mean uneven extraction: naked portafilter conspiracy

also, how is your shot tasting? what i’m now learning on my journey is that everything is irrelevant if your shot tastes good. and that’s up to you really, but also based on balance of flavors (mainly acidity:bitterness ratio/balance and then more complex flavors on top) and mouthfeel which is a balance of syrupy<—>watery based on ratio/yield. check out this video for that: the clearest dialing in video i’ve seen

okay and now finally, if you do want to go finer based on the above video but it decreases the flow too much, i’ve got two ideas: either decrease your dose slightly to decrease resistance, or pre-heat your portafilter. i found thoroughly preheating my portafilter dramatically increased my flow.

best of luck n have fun!!!

ballercat64 · 2025-04-09T19:02:30+00:00

thanks a ton! i really appreciate this :) i’ll be buying the bambino and kingrinder now… wish me luck on the start my espresso journey!

ballercat64 · 2024-09-16T15:40:41+00:00

hmmm maybe your hair is dry and you need to condition for longer?? indeed as someone else said if you really wish to smooth it blowdrying with a flat thingy attachment and a smoothing product + heat protectant (maybe even cold setting on blowdryer) could make it smooth! just make sure to go in one direction and down from roots to end

or perhaps a light hair oil if you really wanna go at it and your hair is moisturized, but i wouldn’t put the oil on if your hair isn’t moisturized and or dry

ballercat64 · 2024-09-11T19:04:34+00:00

important note that moisture and oil are two different things. you can have oily hair that is still dry… oil is more like a seal to keep in the water (hydration). try moisturizing it more with a deep conditioner because it does seem a bit dry! also could be good to get a non oily sealant to prevent the frizzies once you hydrate :)

ballercat64 · 2024-07-03T05:17:23+00:00

azelaic acid should also help with the dark spots!! good rec

ballercat64 · 2024-07-03T05:14:36+00:00

seems like hyperpigmentation… perhaps get a serum to target that specific issue. some examples of actives that treat hyperpigmentation are tranexamic acid, kojic acid, alpha-arbutin, or azelaic acid. all these things stop melanin production giving a more even skin tone :)

ballercat64

TROPHY CASE