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To fill or not to fill the Sunbeam pf

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  • To fill or not to fill the Sunbeam pf

    My question relates to the amount of coffee in the portafilter.

    We have been using our Sunbeam 6910 and so far, so good. We have been filling the pf, so the double holds 19-20gm coffee. We have worked out our grind, tamp etc to get the 30 ml in 20-25 secs.

    But would we get a difference if we use less coffee, finer grind, and/or heavier tamp to achieve the 30 mls in the same time? We are generally happy with the coffee, but there is often a taste, and I dont know the word, perhaps bitter/sour? and wondering if further tweaking would change this.

    Or is it that it is the nature of the beans, roast etc are what matter.

    I will try adjustments over the weekend, but I was wondering if there were any comments from the coffee experts.

    Grinder is a Macap, so it should be able to cope. However was hoping for some comments before we start turning the drive too much and lose count!

    Thanks

    kay

  • #2
    Re: To fill or not to fill the Sunbeam pf

    General opinion is that the 6910 is best when dosed with more coffee not less.

    The Macap will certainly not have a problem.
    I use a pencil mark on the collar of mine for a reference point.

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    • #3
      Re: To fill or not to fill the Sunbeam pf

      you use the double filter to get 30ml of coffee, you like a strong coffee (probably more a ristretto than an espresso).

      As TG has said, the 6910 likes to be fed lots of coffee. Less coffee and a finer grind will plat havoc with the puck. IIRC the group head sits quite high and if the coffee is underdosed, the puck will not expand to touch the shower screen. I found when underdosing, that the machine often surged / pulsed.

      I know the taste you are describing, almost lemony right (that hint of sourness that hits you in the front of the mouth).

      There is a review somewhere where the reviewer swapped out the oversized sunbeam baskets for some more normal sized baskets (thus reducing the volume of coffee from 19 - 20g to 14g) and he seemed quite pleased with the results (more balance in the shot). I cant remember where the review was though sorry

      Sen

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      • #4
        Re: To fill or not to fill the Sunbeam pf

        Youll get a brighter shot, more stable crema if you lower the dose with a finer grind. All depends on the blend, the origin (if drink SO)

        Sourness can come from more places than one.

        I say give it a go and try it for yourself.

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        • #5
          Re: To fill or not to fill the Sunbeam pf

          Oops, 60 ml for a double! Im susceptible to caffeine as it is!

          Thanks for the replies - I shall chase up the alternative baskets. And try a bit less coffee.

          Kay

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          • #6
            Re: To fill or not to fill the Sunbeam pf

            Senator, that would have been Coffeeco (Alan Frew). But that was with the first batch of Em6900s... The Em6910 is a tad different.

            kay, bring your temp upto 94 or 96 and pull an updosed shot.

            as long as you see the showerscreen screw imprint and a flat puck - youre doing well.

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            • #7
              Re: To fill or not to fill the Sunbeam pf

              I just tried a double with slightly less coffee and and a finer grind.

              The poor look OK on the guage but the flow looked a little (not much) faster than usual.

              The resultant shot tasted fine. Maybe a little bright. Not sure as I dont usually drink it as espresso.

              But the puck....broke when trying to remove the PF and stuck to the showerscreen.
              It appeared to be quite sloppy.

              Ill be going back to full doses thanks.
              What a mess!

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              • #8
                Re: To fill or not to fill the Sunbeam pf

                Yes, it will fall apart when you drop the dose.. but it is good to experiment with different dosing levels to see what works best...

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                • #9
                  Re: To fill or not to fill the Sunbeam pf

                  Originally posted by kay link=1210732317/0#0 date=1210732317
                  But would we get a difference if we use less coffee, finer grind, and/or heavier tamp to achieve the 30 mls in the same time?  We are generally happy with the coffee, but there is often a taste, and I dont know the word, perhaps bitter/sour? and wondering if further tweaking would change this.

                  kay
                  Hi Kay,

                  When experimenting, establish constants and change one variable at a time.

                  Sourness/bitterness can be caused by under or over extraction.

                  You might like to try this:

                  Establish a consistant tamping routine, consistant amount of coffee (other posts have been correct about the full basket and imprint of screw on puck) consistanly tamped.

                  The 20-30 second stuff is a useful guide, not a rule. Likewise the gauge on the sunbeam provides some information, which you may find to be useful from time to time. So be aware of the guides, but use your senses!

                  Pack a basket, hit the manual pour button and watch. Stop the pour when the colour changes to a much lighter (some say blond) colour. What does it taste like?

                  Do it again, except change the grind about half a whatsit. Do the tamp and the pour exactly the same. What does it taste like this time?

                  Somewhere I read that it is useful to imagine your tongue to be like a see-saw. If the taste is sour on the front of your tongue, then the coffee is under extracted. Make your grind finer and taste again. If the coffee is bitter on the back of your tongue, it is over extracted, grind a bit coarser and try again.

                  Rinse your mouth with water between tastes.

                  Sourness can also come from contamination by stale coffee oils. So flushing, cleaning portafiller etc is importnat when making coffee, as well as backflushing, cleaning group head etc after use.

                  Doing these experiments can use a lot of coffee beans. I use my own roasts, but usually exoeriment with beans that are a few weeks old, or left over or I cant remember what they were. So I set out to extract the best flavour I can from the beans I have.

                  Oh yes, I done drink every pour! But I tell you, the sink is fairly buzzing by the time I am happy with my coffee!

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