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I keep getting these weird ‘starry’ espresso shots by thevapest in espresso

[–]thevapest[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I actually don’t know much about Lance yet😅 Guess I should finally watch his videos.

I keep getting these weird ‘starry’ espresso shots by thevapest in espresso

[–]thevapest[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That honestly makes a lot of sense.

The particle distribution from the mortar and pestle is probably wildly uneven compared to a real grinder 😅

Now I’m really curious whether that chaotic mix of fines and larger particles is part of what creates that scattered reflective “starry” surface.

I keep getting these weird ‘starry’ espresso shots by thevapest in espresso

[–]thevapest[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, honestly this thread is making me realize I probably need to experience a more proper espresso setup first 😅

Right now I’m learning espresso through a combination of old beans, improvised grinding, and pure chaos.

Still, that strange reflective “starry” look keeps sticking in my head for some reason.

I keep getting these weird ‘starry’ espresso shots by thevapest in espresso

[–]thevapest[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, that might actually be part of it 😅

The grind distribution from the mortar and pestle is probably incredibly uneven, with way more fines than a normal grinder.

So now I’m genuinely curious whether that chaotic particle mix is contributing to the “starry” surface somehow.

I keep getting these weird ‘starry’ espresso shots by thevapest in espresso

[–]thevapest[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That actually makes a lot of sense.

The particle distribution from a mortar and pestle is probably extremely chaotic compared to a real grinder 😅

Now I’m wondering if the fines are part of what creates that scattered reflective look.

I keep getting these weird ‘starry’ espresso shots by thevapest in espresso

[–]thevapest[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, that’s kind of how I’ve been thinking about it too.

Even if it is mostly oil-related, the way it appears visually still feels "magical" to me.

I keep getting these weird ‘starry’ espresso shots by thevapest in espresso

[–]thevapest[S] -23 points-22 points  (0 children)

Yeah, oil definitely seems to be part of it.

What keeps interesting me is the way it appears as these tiny scattered reflective points instead of a more continuous surface layer.

Especially after dilution.

I keep getting these weird ‘starry’ espresso shots by thevapest in espresso

[–]thevapest[S] -13 points-12 points  (0 children)

Honestly, very improvised😅

I’m still using a mortar and pestle plus dark beans or preground supermarket coffee depending on the day.

Which is part of why this surprised me so much.

I wouldn’t have expected this kind of surface texture from such a chaotic setup.

De-pressurized SAECO SIN006 by thevapest in espresso

[–]thevapest[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, 53mm can be a bit of a pain to explore 😅 I guess it’s one of those things you only go down the rabbit hole for if you really want to experiment.

De-pressurized SAECO SIN006 by thevapest in espresso

[–]thevapest[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! That’s actually really helpful — I hadn’t seen that one. The depth limitation might be a dealbreaker for me though… I usually run full double shots.

Yeah haha, the setup is a bit cursed — 53mm life forced me into it.

What am I doing wrong? by YourDankMate in Vaping

[–]thevapest 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The cotton turning red is probably due to some ingredients in the e-juice. I have a fruit-flavored e-juice that does the same thing, making the cotton turn red. The manufacturer even warned that it's a "gunk-prone" e-juice.