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Originally posted by Fresh_Coffee link=1102516331/0#7 date=1102626449
Franjae,
You should then get some crema no matter how old the beans are, and no matter how undrinkable the brew might be!
Hope this helps,
FC.
It may be worth mentioning at this point that robusta beans will continue to produce crema long after arabica beans have gone "flat". The taste will not be palatable but it may look nice!
There is another way yet, as there is no reason why the MM should necessarily be at fault.
Assuming every other variable has been covered as above, have you tried setting the grinder to the finest setting. The coffee thus ground should be too fine for your machine to pump water through the puk. If this is the case, reset the grinder to grind more coarse and try again. Keep trying this until you get a decent cuppa out of the thing (others above mentioned number of secs pour VS quantity of liquid) by which stage, you should be getting a crema (again, assuming all other variables are properly controlled).
there are degrees of "staleness". Suffice to say that if it were only a question of staleness as in "age" of coffee beans & nothing else, and if all other variables are taken care of properly, then you should be getting some kind of crema and you would therefore know that you are in the ball park with your grinder setting (& method of brewing).
Coffee that is "ruined" rather tha just stale and wont produce a crema even when all other variables have been taken care of, would be for example coffee beans that have taken in moisture during storage ( ie an open container in the fridge), or coffee beans that have been heated up during storage ( ie left in direct sunlight), or if the group handle has been left on the group with fresh grounds in it for a few minutes before brewing (this heats up the puk of grounds, & destroys any oils that might have made you a crema).
Suggest making sure your technique for loading and tamping the group handle with correct quantity of coffee is correct, brew immediately the group handle is fitted to the group on the machine, then try different grinder settings to work out which setting is best. Obviously, use the same technique every time, varying only the grind.
You should then get some crema no matter how old the beans are, and no matter how undrinkable the brew might be! When you get some fresh coffee to try, you will most probably have to vary the grinder setting a little to compensate for the greater density of the fresh beans...again, trial and error using the same technique every time.
Warren, heatguns are dangerous things in the "wrong hands"!
I think you are right Mauricem, Ive just tried a shot without that rubber thingy and got some black liquid without any trace of crema! So that crema enhancing rubber thingy works!! Or was that melted rubber in the coffee before? LOL!!
Originally posted by franjae link=1102516331/0#3 date=1102553253
Thanks guys.
the freshness of the beans would contribute as I buy them off the supermarket shelf. I guess they will be good for practice!
As for home roasting.........I wont go there as it would be me
The gaggia MM will need upgrading but Ill bet the beans are your main problem. Supermarket beans are already stale and incapable of decent espresso or crema. Get some fresh roast from a local supplier and prepare to be amazed at the difference.
btw you will soon "make" time for a coffee each morning
I will try without that rubber thingy and see what happens. I am almost certain it is the grind, which I cant do anything about with my current grinder. The freshness of the beans would contribute as I buy them off the supermarket shelf. I guess they will be good for practice!
As for home roasting.........I wont go there as it would be me that will get "roasted" by you know who!!
Originally posted by franjae link=1102516331/0#0 date=1102516331
Can someone tell me what the rubber thing with two holes at the bottom of the portafilter is and what is it for?
Rich is right ... Its a crema enhancing disc. Best thing is to throw it in the bottom of the cupboard and forget about it or plug it and use it as a backflush disc. :-/
Lux is a good grinder and will keep up with your Junior quite well (I use one myself and have owned a Junior). If youre going to be in this caper for a while Id probably dig a little deeper into the pocket and get the Cunil though. Far more robust grinder with bigger burrs that should survive home use almost indefinitely and is pretty good value for money. Theyve been going for about $300 on Ebay.
You say your crema suffers? Aim for about a 25sec pour for 30ml from your single basket and 25sec for about 60ml from your double basket which is in line with the right grind and tamp.
How old are your beans? Old beans and poor warmup times on your machine will contribute to poor crema.
Best thing I would suggest to you would be to read more of this forum and start home roasting your own beans.
Its probably the biggest single improvement you can make as several people on this forum would attest.
Im not familiar wih Imat but id say the rubber thing is part of a Crema enhancment system. If it comes out easily you could try pulling a shot and see what happens.
How long does it take to pour a 30mil for a single shot? You should be aiming at 20 - 30 secs.
Have you tried adjusting your level of grind?
Also the freshness of your coffee can play a big part in the amount crema produced.
Im a newbie and just bought a used Quaha Junior. Can someone tell me what the rubber thing with two holes at the bottom of the portafilter is and what is it for? Im thinking it is to slow down the flow of the water going through the filter. If the grind is tamped adequately, will I need it?
So far, I am getting very weak creama and I am putting it down to the grind I am getting from my Gaggia MM. I know, I know, I should have done more research on grinders, but I thought that would suffice until more money is in the bank. This is not working and Im thinking of getting a Lux or is this a waste of money. Should I spend more and get a Cunhill?
BTW, I dont have time for coffee every morning, so it is mainly a w/end thing, so the wife is wondering why I need to spend any more $$$ !!
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