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What am I tasting in my espresso?

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  • #31
    Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

    Originally posted by 7E767E797375170 link=1321847865/0#0 date=1321847865
    Last week was the first time I properly combined my new K3T, Giotto, and fresh beans (Tanzania Kyaurinde roasted by Andy on 16/11).
    Are u still using the same beans. I bought some recently 500g Tanz K and 500g Espresso WOW (roasted on 13/11). I couldnt get a decent shot out of either of them. They were very lightly roasted and I couldnt adjust the grind/dose etc no matter what I did. I honestly think they were just too lightly roasted for espresso. I am not having a go at Andy - I have bought beans from coffeesnobs many times before and Espresso WOW has been AMAZING for me in the past. EIther Andy has recently started roasting a touch lighter or they may have been a bad batch. Have you tried different beans yet?

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    • #32
      Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

      Yep, still the same beans.  Mine were roasted on 13/11 as well. [edit: no they werent - you just quoted me as saying 16/11, DOH]  They actually looked dark to me - Im guessing about CS9? Ill probably order some more in a week.  I know theyre getting on the old side now, but Ill use them up and then start experimenting again, so that will provide some comparison.

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      • #33
        Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

        MIne looked more like CS7 to CS8. :-?

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        • #34
          Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

          Originally posted by 404840474D4B290 link=1321847865/29#29 date=1323049008
          The puck is also a bit wet.  Taste - a bit worse    Still fine with milk though.
          Mmmm - sounds like youve pushed the grind as far as you can go (or beyond), and the shot and crema looks pretty good - so …

          Originally posted by 4B4C47474C5D5D290 link=1321847865/30#30 date=1323049611
          They were very lightly roasted and I couldnt adjust the grind/dose etc no matter what I did.
          This could well be the issue? Watch out though - home roasting to suit your tastes is addictive ;D

          Having recently started roasting myself, there were some light roasts that I did early on that I just couldnt kick that hint of sourness/thin body, no matter how fine I ground or slow I poured. Fine in plunger - not so much in a doppio. Or slightly darker roasts where I couldnt get rid of the bitterness, no matter how coarse/fast I went.
          But when I got the drop temperature in the sweet zone, and it all started to come together! But this is only a range of only a few degrees or so…

          So, where to from here? Try some different beans or blends, and fine the ones you like - or start looking for an old breadmaker!


          Matt

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          • #35
            Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

            Originally posted by 5B7A6C7678717671785D665C7079797A7A1F0 link=1321847865/33#33 date=1323058980
            and the shot and crema looks pretty good - so …
            you dont think its a bit thin? I think if I have that chanelling issue sorted I will see more crema, as I can see it fluctuate as it pours.

            re: temp - if I use a digital thermometer in a cup, what water temp should I see? I hear you loose a few degrees on the fall.

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            • #36
              Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

              Originally posted by 5C545C5B5157350 link=1321847865/34#34 date=1323060199
              you dont think its a bit thin? I think if I have that chanelling issue sorted I will see more crema, as I can see it fluctuate as it pours.
              I dont know if its the glass but it looks a little light for me. your roast is only 2.5 to 3 weeks old so it should still give fairly decent crema. How does the top of the crema look? It could just be the light and the glass. Did you end up fixing your boiler pressure valve? Is it at 1.2 bar? Did you end up doing the video?

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              • #37
                Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

                Originally posted by 33212F3925400 link=1321847865/35#35 date=1323061950
                I dont know if its the glass but it looks a little light for me.
                yeah it does look lighter in the photo - its actually a nice dark/golden brown.
                Did you end up fixing your boiler pressure valve? Is it at 1.2 bar?
                no, and dont know. I go by time (30+ minutes) and steam from the group (some) to tell when its "ready".
                Did you end up doing the video?
                Yes but my wife walked in in her pyjamas wondering what I was doing with the camera... and you know how reflective that case is :-[ Ill try again soon.

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                • #38
                  Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

                  Originally posted by 2C242C2B2127450 link=1321847865/34#34 date=1323060199
                  you dont think its a bit thin? I think if I have that chanelling issue sorted I will see more crema, as I can see it fluctuate as it pours.
                  Its always a bit hard to tell. Currently, during my pours, it looks like there is about 100% crema - but give it then time to knock the puck and backflush the machine and it settles to about 30-40% - similar to yours.
                  And the colour of the crema can be a bit hard to judge - in 3 years Ive never had the mythical settled hazelnut coloured crema on top! - it always looks that colour out the spout for the first few seconds - but never looks that way in the settled cup.
                  Is that just me? :-?

                  Matt

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                  • #39
                    Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

                    Originally posted by 3A2826302C490 link=1321847865/35#35 date=1323061950
                    Did you end up doing the video?
                    [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FWZVJ_lYW4[/media]

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                    • #40
                      Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

                      Originally posted by 2F272F282224460 link=1321847865/38#38 date=1323090936
                      I dont know if the video turned out properly... well see in the morning!
                      Videos looking good - and nice setup - well done!
                      I reckon the pour looks pretty good - and technique seems well polished. Maybe slightly faster than Im used too - but as Ive mentioned, Ive sped up to about that flow now due to a darker roasted batch - but when Ive had lighter beans Ive ended up with 7-8 secs till flow starts, and even then dripping for the first 1/2 of the pour - and it still tastes great! Anything less was sour.
                      So - keep experimenting Try a different bacth/type of bean and let us know how it cups with that technique. Ill be interested to hear!

                      Matt

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                      • #41
                        Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

                        thanks although its squished in sideways for some reason - even though I told it to fill out, I think my camera uses widescreen pixels and youtube likes 1:1 pixels... I thought Vegas would fix that, but maybe I forgot to check the option.

                        You cant see the grind into the pf, nor the dose / sweep - Ill move the camera next time.

                        This was my first go after backing off the grinder a bit (you can see that at the very start) so I was guessing with the tamp, but it seemed to work ok. It is usually a tad slower. It tasted maybe a touch sour, or acidic, not sure which.

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                        • #42
                          Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

                          Glad to have a new member to coffee vids annonymous

                          nice vid. I noted it started slow and then the streams thickened with a few glubs if thats the word...could be channeling. did the puck show any holes? again how did it taste?

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                          • #43
                            Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

                            Originally posted by 7870787F7573110 link=1321847865/29#29 date=1323049008

                            Nice to meet a local snobber! Is that a manual lever and smart grinder you have there?  Do you taste your shots "black"? How would you describe it?  Id like to take you up on that - lets meet sometime.  I may have some free time next weekend - 17th or so.  Would this be the first ever NT meet n greet?!
                            Correct on both the grinder and lever (although it is a spring lever).
                            I should be free around then, although it is the works Christmas party the night before so maybe not very early.
                            Just about to start roasting again, but not got my corretto set up properly yet. What beans have you got? I will try to order something different to taste (and not from anyone local).

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                            • #44
                              Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

                              Originally posted by 5E4C4254482D0 link=1321847865/41#41 date=1323161584
                              did the puck show any holes? again how did it taste?
                              Ive attached a picture I took just after that shot, and circled some suspicious areas - not sure why they look like that.

                              It was a bit sour, but not disgusting.

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                              • #45
                                Re: What am I tasting in my espresso?

                                Hmm, doesnt look bad at all. the large circle I suspect was the top of the grind stayed behind stuck onto the shower screen as you removed the portafilter, I dont think thats channeling.

                                So maybe its just a matter of a slightly finer grind adjustment since you say it was on the sour side?

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