How to Pull Espresso Shots

Simply pulling the shot is, quite frankly, not good enough. Observing the shot will tell you what you can do better next time and give you a hint as to whether or not the shot is even drinkable. Here's what to watch for:

• Mouse tails - Also known as "tails," mouse tails are the two streams of espresso that pour from the portafilter as the shot is extracted. Although they may start of drippy, they should even out into a smooth stream a few seconds after extraction begins.


• Color - The ideal shot is deep brown, not black or "blonde" (tan or somewhat clear). Very generally speaking, a black shot is pulling too slow and may taste herbal or similar to cocktail bitters. Likewise, a blonde shot may indicative of a shot that's extracted too quickly and may taste sharp.
  
  Many shots look more slightly blonde toward the end of extraction. While this is not necessarily cause for concern, some baristas choose to manually stop the extraction when a shot's color lightens.


• Time - Extraction should take around 23 to 29 seconds. However, the ideal extraction time is controversial. Many baristas argue that 29 seconds is good, and some have even wider tolerances their time ranges. Using a timer or stopwatch will help ensure that your shots are pulled within your range of acceptable extraction times and will help standardize your shot pulling procedure.

Observing the extraction can tell you a lot about the shot. If it's too dark or slow, the first thing to adjust is your grind size. Make it larger. If it's too blonde or fast, make the grind finer.

While grind size is the most common variable used to correct these issues, other potential issues include water temperature fluctuation and incorrect tamping. Standardizing your tamping and water temperature will help you consistently pull great shots.