I believe that friends who often use Moka pots have heard or seen the "double ponytail" phenomenon! It is during the extraction process of Moka pot coffee that the coffee liquid suddenly changes from a weak and slow water flow to an impactful "high-pressure water cannon". Then, because the Moka pot has two liquid outlets, two water columns, one on the left and one on the left, look like twin ponytails, hence the name.
The emergence of this phenomenon shows that there is a problem with some steps in the use of the Moka pot, or even more than one! This all means that this cup of coffee is likely to produce uneven extraction, or even over-extraction, with a bitter taste. Therefore, today Front Street will explore with you what factors can cause the "double ponytail" phenomenon in Moka pots!
How to use the Moka Pot
The so-called knowing yourself and the enemy means you can fight a hundred battles without danger. In order to understand the cause of the formation of "double ponytails", we need to first understand its operating principle. The extraction principle of the Moka pot is similar to that of an espresso machine. They are both pressurized extractions, but the difference is that the pressure is not as full as that of an espresso machine.
When the water in the moka pot sink is heated, it evaporates and turns into water vapor. The presence of water vapor will compress the space in the lower pot and generate pressure. And these pressures will push the hot water from bottom to top, pass through the coffee powder and turn into coffee liquid, and then flow out from the liquid outlet above! The greater the pressure, the higher the liquid discharge rate. When the pressure reaches a certain level, a spewing phenomenon will occur.
If you want to make the extraction of the Moka pot stable, Front Street believes that there are two key points, one is fresh medium to dark roasted coffee beans, and the other is the use of pressure in the extraction method. Coffee beans will store a large amount of carbon dioxide when they are heated, which will be released when they encounter water during extraction. Therefore, the darker the roast, the more gas. At this time, light roast beans should be avoided first, because they cannot release too much oil. Home novices who want better value for money should give priority to the Front Street Italian Bean series, including Front Street Black Cocoa Blend, Front Street Classic Blend, Front Street Commercial Blend, and Front Street Premium Blend. They all use medium-dark roasting, with their own caramelized aroma, and the espresso they make is rich in oil.
Then, we can know that if we want to solve the problem of gushing, we cannot let the pressure be too high. In the use of Moka pot, the following points can affect the pressure:
1. Adding too much water
The reservoir of the Moka pot will have a pressure relief valve as a scale mark, which indicates the best position where water can be added. Once the added hot water exceeds the scale line, it means that the entire space is compressed. When the water in the tank is heated and evaporates, the pressure has no buffer space and can only rush upward. Therefore, when too much water is added, it will make the pressure fuller.
But you must know that the Moka pot is not a coffee machine. Its compact structural design is destined to be unable to withstand excessive pressure. Once its own load is exceeded, at least it will cause double ponytails with arcs. At worst, the pot body cannot withstand the pressure and burst! So this aspect must be paid attention to!
2. Coffee powder is too coarse
The particle size of the moka pot powder mentioned before is somewhere between Italian grinding and hand grinding, and is closer to Italian flour-like particles. Because only enough fineness can increase the density, reduce the space for water to pass through, and make the extraction more complete!
But if the grinding is too coarse (close to the fine sugar particles of single-origin hand brewing), then the resistance will be too small, causing the coffee liquid to spurt out. Not only that, but because the hot water passes through too fast, the substances in the coffee powder are not fully extracted, and the coffee tastes very bland.
3. Uneven cloth powder
Whether it is drip extraction or high-pressure extraction, uneven powder distribution will always cause water to flow to places with large gaps, and then produce a channel effect. The channel effect will bring uneven extraction to the coffee, and the taste can be imagined.
Therefore, when we fill the powder bowl with powder, it is best to tap the edge of the powder bowl with your hand so that the powder can be evenly scattered in every corner, and then fill it with a powder distributor to deepen the connection between the powder and reduce the channel effect.
4. Excessive firepower
When the coffee liquid starts to flow out, it means that the hot water in the lower pot has boiled, and the boiling hot water will evaporate more easily. If the fire source continues to heat up after the coffee liquid flows out, then when the steam increases significantly, the pressure will also increase exponentially, which will also cause the liquid to burst out in the form of a water column.
(ღ( ´･ᴗ･` ) uses a moka pot to show off)
Therefore, when the coffee liquid starts to flow out (picture below), Front Street recommends reducing the firepower appropriately, or moving the Moka pot directly away from the fire source. This will reduce the generation of steam, and the coffee liquid will naturally not spray out so easily.
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You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
