Espresso Troubleshooting: Why are my shots spraying everywhere?

We’ve talked plenty about the good parts of espresso on this channel: beautiful machines, perfect shots of espresso, and artfully poured lattes. But today? We’re here to talk about the bad: soggy pucks, terrible shots, coffee spraying so bad that it ruins your favorite shirt. Yep, we’ve been there too.

This video will run through all the troubleshooting tips we've developed over the years to help you prevent that spraying mess every barista dreads.

This guide is broken up into four troubleshooting sections:
1:02 - Coffee
1:43 - Recipe
2:57 - Grind Size
3:31 - Technique/Channeling

Checkout the machine and grinder pairing featured in this video:

[brian.harman]

I had major issues with spraying during my extraction, it began with my Breville Barista Express and carried over to my new Rocket Giotto Evo R. This told me it was a me problem so I began trying new things like different distribution tools, finer or coarser grind, even a puck screen but still I had some spray towards the end of my extraction. About 2 months ago I purchased a WDT tool with .4 mm needles and this was a 100% fix! I stir clockwise starting at the bottom of the basket then move up to the middle and finish with a raking at the top. This almost fluffs up the coffee grinds and gives me a smooth feeling tamp, but bottom line is I get a perfectly even start when extraction begins and the stream comes from the center very quickly. I was so happy when I fixed this issue it was driving me crazy, I really hope this helps someone fighting this annoying battle! Good Luck and have fun with it!

[zarkozi]

Video starts at 3:40

And I would also add - dirty grinder. If your grinder isn't mainained and properly cleaned, it may cause additional clumping and uneven grinds. And use WDT tool.
Also high presures. Barista express with its 15bar is more likely to cause channeling than eg barista pro with 9 bp.

[penultimatename]

Use to have the problem. Probably took a couple of months of terrible shots to get the hang of it. I also upgraded my grinder as well as the tamper and distributor to Bravo. The Bravo distributor and tamper are pricy but well worth it. Recently added a WDT to remove clumps. Now using a bottomless portafilter the shot is perfect every time.

My only issue is when I buy a new bag of whole beans. Might be different elevation, process, roast, etc. I wish there was a simple density tool to check one or two beans. Allowing one to make a better educated guess when setting the grinder.

[mateuszmatuszczak]

I think you are forgetting about the most obvious culprits of spraying: limescale and worn-out gaskets. Espresso machine maintenance is very important and we tend to ignore it. Limescale and worn-out gaskets cause leaks, uneven pressure, and water blockages. Recently I had problems with pulling good shots on my Gaggia Classic. Turns out I had to clean the solenoid valve and the shower. I also changed the worn-out gasket (it didn't hold the pressure anymore) from a rubber one (which tends to dissolve over time) to a silicone one. Now there are no more pressure leaks and the shots are just beautiful - no more spraying. I use a naked portafilter so I can directly observe the water flow.

[ukaszpodgajny]

I had a major issue with coffee spraying from my botomless portafilter and tried everything included in the video. The advice that helped me is shortly mentioned at the end of the video – poor quality basket. Once I replaced it with a quality one, the problem disappeared instantly.

[BobMacNeal]

Recipe and freshness are solid tips but have little to do with the spattering observed out of a bottomless portafilter. In my experience, puck prep (i.e., even distribution and pre-infusion if possible ) are the only ways I’ve found to limit spatter. Another consideration is group head pressure (e.g. some stock machines produce an excess of pressure — on the order of 15 bars without jury rigging an aftermarket hack).

[dchauvin]

I have a Breville Bambino....I seem to really be having a lot of channeling as of late. I'll work through some of the suggestions here to help some of my techniques to work through the problem. Surprisingly, the shots aren't tasting too bad when they channel, but boy howdy do they make a mess. Great video. Thanks Sam!!

[galartsi]

The video title is very different than the content. This is more of a "basics of espresso" video than actually diving into channeling...

[witzfud]

I hardly ever get spraying anymore. The main benefit for me of using a distribution tool is that it helps me get a level tamp. I use a Pullman precision basket, which I think helps as well. I also stick to my favorite beans, so I don't often need to make major adjustments to grind size.

[GC]

What a very enjoyable and informative video to watch. Thanks !

[yehoshuazilka]

Your lesson really helps to understand
Thank you

[richardmiddleton]

Reduce pressure to 6-8 bar and grind courser but make sure you de-clump (less of an issue if you grind courser) and distribute properly before tamping.

[chilipalmer]

In addition to the WDT stir suggestions, I found using a metal puck screen reduced spray by about 2/3rds.

[kylekirouac]

In this video one of the reasons you mention for channeling is “coffee that is ground too fine” however, upon EXTENSIVE searches, the whole of the internet is telling me that if the bottomless portafilter sprays, it’s because the coffee isn’t ground fine enough. Guess I’m looking for some follow up information as to why the suggestion in this video contradicts everything else I’ve read

[speedsterauer]

Thanks for the advice it should be very helpful for me having just gotten a good machine and having some channeling problems

[taylerphillips-ucqv]

This video was so easy to understand and so helpful! I’m not kidding when I say that I’ve probably watched about 50 videos (or more) to solve this issue! Thank you! Where is your grinder from?

[realMartinHamilton]

Great information here. This explains several problems very well. Thanks.

[damnhockey]

Thank you for an excellent, well thoughtout video, great information

[LivingTheLifeRetired]

I’m going to up my dose from 17g to 18g and see if that will allow me to grind slightly coarser. My machine can also preinfuse so maybe that is something else to play with.

[MrBadboybrown]

I got a bottomless portafilter a few weeks ago I'm having some Channeling issues but the main problems I have are getting the right grind size and fast shots