No Stupid Questions Thread

[lancruiser]

This looks like a good place for my question. When roasting a blend do you roast different beans separately then mix them together or do you mix green beans then roast? Or is there another method?

The following articles provide a discussion of pre- and post-blending of coffees that may help you understand one over the other.

https://legacy.sweetmarias.com/library/blending/

https://perfectdailygrind.com/2018/0...coffee-blends/

My research suggests that commercial roasters post-blend for efficiency if they roast to fulfill both single origin and blended coffees. Another good reason to post-blend is if you have beans that require different profiles and a compromised profile is not possible. I have a blend where Brazil and Kenya are part of its composition. The Brazil requires gentler heat and possibly a longer roast. The Kenya can take a bit of heat and can be a faster roast. I also roast them to different probe temperature. I like each coffee to pull its own weight in the blend. Hence, post-blending works for me.

Pre-blending works if the component coffees of the blend have similar roast profile or you can develop a compromised profile that gives you good flavour. Pre-blending will also be more efficient in this situation. If you use a popcorn machine, pre-blending might be for you unless you want to roast your component coffees to different roast level (colour).

[level3ninja]

Thanks Ninja. I only roast in a popcorn popper so either method sounds easy enough to achieve. Is there one you would recommend over the other?

No idea! I've never roasted, I just asked a roster the same question once. I would imagine roasting separately will give the best results because each component can be at their best. Sounds like it's worth an experiment!

[PeejayGong]

I wish there was an easier way to test both temp and pressure, on older machines that don't have gauges or PID etc

The main thing you hear and read about is brew temperature for getting good shots (once grind and tamp is dialled)
And the point of a decent espresso machine is to get 9 bars of pressure to extract all the good oils etc from a bed of coffee.

Super frustrating as a newbie, with limited $$$'s

[PeejayGong]

*best user name I've seen Barry O'speedwagon...!
In to old cars as well?
As you said 'as long as it's not out of whack', that's the point right there...
How do you measure your boiler pressure range?
A gauge?
Timing the boiler indicator light switching on/off?

I'm now on the hunt for a group head temp sticker *of which I'm sure they don't make for my machine!!!
-slaps self on forehead

[level3ninja]

If you google "Thermax® 8 Level Temperature Strip Labels" you'll find one with a temperature range 71-110°C, will give you a bit of an idea. There are ones available from overseas that do 90-120°C but I couldn't find any locally. eBay item 231458660166 for example

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

PeejayGong,
The Cremina has a pressure gauge, so I just look at it (I've adjusted the pressurestat when I first bought it so that it ranges from about 7.5bar-9.0 bar but pull shots at around 8 bars). That, combined with the temperature sticker on the group (I make sure it is at 80 degrees before every shot). If I didn't have pressure gauge, I might do as you suggest and try to pull shots at a consistent point in the boiler on/off cycle, and work from there.

The Speedwagon (REO) was a firetruck actually.

Cheers

[fatboy_1999]

So, I might as well ask this one here.
I've had a bit of a leak develop during the shot which poking around has led me to believe that the valves and/or seals in the group require attention, so I've ordered the E61 Grouphead maintenance kit from CoffeeParts and some other bits and pieces.
I had a look at the mushroom the other day and whilst it does not have much scale on it, it is black, which I gather is not ideal (I know, should have taken a picture but forgot to )
The question is, what is best to clean the black layer? Just citric acid solution? Light scourer pressure?

Cheers.

[roosterben]

The mushroom valve if you have it removed soak for overnight or for a few hours in citric acid and warm water. If it is the inside of the group you could put some citric acid and warm water to soften then scrub with a scourer or group head brush. On the inside of groups I use a drill bit wire brush attachment to clean. This has been linked before on the forum a few time checkout this video from Rick Bond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C0VdpfGXhc

[fatboy_1999]

Yes, I saw the video, it's excellent. I was just wondering if soaking overnight could be too long.

[matth3wh]

Something I’ve been wondering lately ... When is Tony Abbott going to “shirt front” Vladimir Putin? Obviously a few years in the making now. Probably forgotten. But surely it will be happening soon?

[matth3wh]

File photo:

[saeco_user]

Putin: "Tony who??"

[shortblackman]

"How do you iron the front your shirt so well?..................... Can..... I... iron your shirt?"

[FTMAN]

Hi - found my way here via whirlpool forums and having trouble figuring out where to start so would appreciate any guidance! Now that I'm working (and drinking coffee) more frequently at home, I am considering stepping up from a bodum french press, supermarket (lavazza) ground and (embarrassingly) microwaved milk to something more sophisticated. Keen to understand what grinders and entry level brewing equipment I should begin to look at to have a better experience. Mthks in advance!

[FTMAN]

appreciate your inputs, fatboy! certainly helpful in pointing me in the right direction
so, safe to say i'll settle for a single boiler, but i might hold off on the brewer for now given the budget limitations and focus initally on a better grinder. I'm seeing a bias in threads in the grinders section towards either the Baratza Sette 270 and Eureka Mignon, which are roughly the same price as the Compak K3 (c. $500). Prefer the look of them, too...!

[Javaphile]

Have a look at our For Sale area where you can frequently pick up a grinder that will last you for decades for the price you're looking at paying for a plastic disposable one. Good prices can typically be found on better than disposable espresso machines as well.


Java "It pays to shop around" phile

[FTMAN]

ok, so I think I've got my head around the grinder aspect, thanks for the head-start! Now I'm keen to delve into the machine, but feel like the choice is even more complex...what things should i be looking for given my preference for milk-based drinks and what differentiates a con/prosumer appliance from (semi)-commercial/non-appliance in that respect?

For example, with grinders, I've understood the key differentiators are to do with the burrs - i.e. flat vs conical and the size. In the case of the machine, I'm guessing the size of the boiler and PID - am I getting warm (*edit* pun unintended!)? I think a double boiler would be overkill for my needs and not something i'm willing to pay for (in lieu of other features), but will I notice a difference between a single boiler and a HX? And throw thermoblocks in the mix, too!

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Something I’ve been wondering lately ... When is Tony Abbott going to “shirt front” Vladimir Putin? Obviously a few years in the making now. Probably forgotten. But surely it will be happening soon?

I think the Mad Monk decided he didn't need to after watching Russia's promo for the Sochi Olympics.

Not sure whether it had much to with coffee though.

[chillipaste]

Am I the only one that washes their portafilters and baskets daily? I would take them apart and wash them with regular dishwater detergent. But it appears general guides suggest washing these weekly, and simply rinsing them with the espresso machine hot water. Does everyone else simply rinse them out?

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Yep. I use a naked portafilter, which makes it even easier to keep handle and basket clean. Every few weeks I might soak the basket in Cafetto.

[chillipaste]

Another one from a newbie. What are the essential cleaning consumables and replacement parts someone should keep on hand for an e61 machine? - Espresso machine cleaner - grinder cleaner (grindz) - descale liquid??? - food grade grease - gasket replacements? What other spare parts? Looking to do a bulk buy.

[level3ninja]

I pull the baskets out and rinse thoroughly every time but don't soak every day. The more you rinse them the less soaking they need.

I wouldn't bother with grindz, open your grinder up to clean it.

[simonsk8r]

Am I the only one that washes their portafilters and baskets daily? I would take them apart and wash them with regular dishwater detergent. But it appears general guides suggest washing these weekly, and simply rinsing them with the espresso machine hot water. Does everyone else simply rinse them out?

Nope not the only one! I give the basket and in the portfilter a quick scrub with detergent (one if those sponge tubey things that holds detergent). If I use the double spouts, I'll even use the machine bristles to give the pathway of the spouts a bit of a scrub. Doesn't take long, much better to not have any residual coffee oils for your next shots!

[barri]

Me too! I wash baskets, portafilter and milk jug with detergent every day!

[Westy5]

Another newbie question. I’ve started looking into upgrading from a popper to bread maker for roasting. I see a lot of people say they need to modify their bread makers to prevent it from shutting off after a set time on the knead setting.
How long would the average Corretto roast take? Would a 15min timeframe be enough or would the bread maker need modifying?

[Dimal]

You'll need to have some time up your sleeve with a Corretto so a kneading time of at least 25 minutes would be ideal...

[bakhoatran]

Hi All,

Pretty new to the world of espresso, so am full of questions... First off, an E61 naked portafilter should fit all E61 machines right?
Also, would there be significant differences between standard filter baskets & precision ones, provided that the coffee weight is measured by a scale?

Cheers

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

RE the portafilters, most will fit quite a range of E61s, but best to check with the merchant.

Re the baskets.....be prepared for a flood of opinions. It also depends what you mean by 'precision' baskets (VSTs, EP Precisions something else?). But these non-standard baskets can definitely make a difference (in either direction), because the distribution and size of holes in the base can affect the extraction of the coffee. Put it this way, changing the filter basked wouldn't be the first thing I'd do when learning how to make coffee.

[chillipaste]

To minimise scaling, will running the hot water dispenser of a heat exchanger on a weekly/monthly basis help? Say dispense half litre. My theory is it refreshes the water tank with water, and dispenses some of the "harder" water that's left over after continued steaming.

[flynnaus]

Yes, refreshing the water in any boiler is good practice. Also recommended to reduce scale build up is the use of filtered water, especially in areas with hard water.

[CoffeeHack]

The trick I learned from this forum is to 'warm the cups' from the hot water tap daily as part of the routine, to ensure fresh water is drawn into the boiler on a regular basis.