Yirgacheffe and Chaff

[grigden]

Hi there,

I have been a big fan of the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe for years now.
Just got a new batch, smaller beens than the previous years order.
Anyway, after my first roast (admittedly over roasted - CS 10 pushing 11) - I found a lot of chaff seems to stick to the beans.

When I made my espresso I found the pour really really slow. Even when I did a course grind (gritty texture) the pour was super slow.

My question is - can too much chaff on the bean cause issues with getting a good extraction?

Thanks in advance.

Glynn

[DesigningByCoffee]

Hi Glynn
Most coffee when roasted to that sort of level if it is CS11 is likely to end up a bit dry & powdery (and bitter!), and give a slower extraction. I doubt that the chaff will impact much.
I love the Yirg too. I roast it (and most africans) slightly faster to 1C than normal, and drop at the first whiff of 2C. Much further than that and it starts to lose the lovely sweet floral lemon flavours. I'd try another batch and see how it compares
Cheers Matt

[coyote]

Whats brew temp for Yirgacheffe is the best one for you. Medium roast. For me,less temp is better..maybe 92c.

[kwantfm]

My brew temp is 92 for most beans

[grigden]

Thanks guys.
Good to know about over roasting - that will help.

My machine pours at 95, I might try lowering...

Glynn

[Dimal]

Yep...

92C is a safe starting point for all espresso shots, and will rarely need altering. Sometimes though, it is very handy to be able to move this up or down to match a particular roast/bean to your palate. For instance, I've discovered that it is worthwhile on occasion, to reduce the brew water temp. as the roast batch ages, say starting at 94C and then moving down a little at a time to even as low as 90C for some beans/roasts.

Always worth experimenting yourself rather than doing what someone else does...

Mal.