I've been thinking about looking around for some part time barista work here in Bendigo so I have been trying out various adjustments etc to get a better idea of the parameters around coffee so I can produce eye-popping coffee from most setups.
Some of the things I have tried are different beans (up to about the 8th different type although the Phoenix one I got for my morning cup is so far my top choice) different grind/tamp combinations on the same beans, different milks to see how they froth (from a thread elsewhere on CS) varying the grind depending on room temp, rainy day or sunny etc.
I've got to get to doing the Mods on my grinder detailed by Ray_C in his thread to get more consistency in what it produces, but so far I have learned quite a bit.
One thing I am having a problem with - almost everywhere I buy a coffee, my long macchiato is bitter. Many places just make a long black and add a small amount of milk - not talking about them, but the ones who actually DO make me a long Macch. It comes looking great, plenty of crema with the dollop of foam in the centre - some get artisitic and deliver a 3 layer macch - black at the bottom, stained in the middles, crema and froth at the top, but almost without exception there is a strong bitterness that hits the sides and roof of the mouth.
I've been trying to reproduce that at home so I can know what causes it and be able to make smooth and strong short coffees without the bitter taste.
The closest I have been able to get is 2 x double shots, over-tamped (so the gauge rises to a bit above the max 'good' area) and with the water temp cranked up. The SB 6910 lets me change the thermoblock temp and I cranked it up above factory by 4º and for the first time got a hint of the bitter taste in my quad shot.
Do commercial machines typically run hotter than home machines like my 6910? Do they usually have higher pressure in the group head?
I've tried quite a few combos so far and I have to have both over-tamp and higher temp to get the taste - one or the other doesn't seem to do it. With the common occurrence of the bitter coffee in lots of cafes I figure it has to be something other than just a whole lot of crappy baristas (not that there aren't plenty of them
) and if I get some work as a barista I'd like to be the one that has the 'Wow!' factor in my coffee.
I realise my grinder might be a part of the issue with slightly inconsistent results, particularly seeing I am also adjusting it regularly to grind decaf for the missus as well as trying out 6 different Roaster beans and 3 different 'shop' beans (I found a cafe that let me take some of their beans to try at home and bought some at Coles a while back) I realise some of you might stop reading at this point, shrug and figure I deserve whatever happens due to not using only the premiumest of beans,
but I figure the better understanding I have of all aspects of coffee, the better barista I can be on ANY machine.
Any assistance understanding this would be greatly appreciated.
Oh... also spending a few days in Melb between 18th and 21st - any site sponsors who can give me a little time while I am there would be very much appreciated.
Some of the things I have tried are different beans (up to about the 8th different type although the Phoenix one I got for my morning cup is so far my top choice) different grind/tamp combinations on the same beans, different milks to see how they froth (from a thread elsewhere on CS) varying the grind depending on room temp, rainy day or sunny etc.
I've got to get to doing the Mods on my grinder detailed by Ray_C in his thread to get more consistency in what it produces, but so far I have learned quite a bit.
One thing I am having a problem with - almost everywhere I buy a coffee, my long macchiato is bitter. Many places just make a long black and add a small amount of milk - not talking about them, but the ones who actually DO make me a long Macch. It comes looking great, plenty of crema with the dollop of foam in the centre - some get artisitic and deliver a 3 layer macch - black at the bottom, stained in the middles, crema and froth at the top, but almost without exception there is a strong bitterness that hits the sides and roof of the mouth.
I've been trying to reproduce that at home so I can know what causes it and be able to make smooth and strong short coffees without the bitter taste.
The closest I have been able to get is 2 x double shots, over-tamped (so the gauge rises to a bit above the max 'good' area) and with the water temp cranked up. The SB 6910 lets me change the thermoblock temp and I cranked it up above factory by 4º and for the first time got a hint of the bitter taste in my quad shot.
Do commercial machines typically run hotter than home machines like my 6910? Do they usually have higher pressure in the group head?
I've tried quite a few combos so far and I have to have both over-tamp and higher temp to get the taste - one or the other doesn't seem to do it. With the common occurrence of the bitter coffee in lots of cafes I figure it has to be something other than just a whole lot of crappy baristas (not that there aren't plenty of them
) and if I get some work as a barista I'd like to be the one that has the 'Wow!' factor in my coffee.I realise my grinder might be a part of the issue with slightly inconsistent results, particularly seeing I am also adjusting it regularly to grind decaf for the missus as well as trying out 6 different Roaster beans and 3 different 'shop' beans (I found a cafe that let me take some of their beans to try at home and bought some at Coles a while back) I realise some of you might stop reading at this point, shrug and figure I deserve whatever happens due to not using only the premiumest of beans,
but I figure the better understanding I have of all aspects of coffee, the better barista I can be on ANY machine.Any assistance understanding this would be greatly appreciated.
Oh... also spending a few days in Melb between 18th and 21st - any site sponsors who can give me a little time while I am there would be very much appreciated.

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