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Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time using

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  • Dimal
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    Hey Greg,

    Youve got plenty of supporters here on CS, we know why your tampers work so well and thats why in my case at least, Ive bought three of them over time. Going from the standard, horrible, under-sized plastic thing that I started out with to one of your little beauties was like opening a new door on the world that is espresso. It brought my consistency up to such a high level that the act of tamping became second nature such that I could focus my attention on other aspects of the process that need improvement.

    Sure, a solid s/s tamper or of other plain material will do the job as well, but why should utilitarian and function take precedence over beauty when we can have it all with one of your tampers. Thats my $0.02 worth anyway,

    Mal.

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  • gregpullman
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    Id agree an aesthetically appealing tamper isnt necessarily going to do the job any better than a cheapie. As I said in my previous post, a Silvia or an Audrey should be able to produce acceptable results in standard form and that includes the tamper. But that doesnt mean theyre perfect in standard form; ultimately what were trying to do is eliminate variables, and I cant see how you can get repeatability tamping multiple times with a tamper thats 3-4mm too small. I have three reasons for this:

    1. An undersized tamper requires several tamps to flatten all the coffee. With a proper fit you only need to do one tamp, which is far easier to repeat than half a dozen
    2. With multiple tamps youre much more likely to get uneven pressure pockets
    3. Anecdotally, a number of independent testimonials on my site note the improvement in espresso by using a tamper that fits properly, that being the only factor that has changed. E.g:

    "When I first received my tamper, the improvement in the shots I was pulling was immediate, no way could I refute the benefit I was seeing - this was not a change in anything I was doing, but purely the result of the ____ tamper over the plastic one that came with my Silvia."

    There are no magic bullets if barista techniques are wrong, and a tamper or fresh beans or fresh water isnt going to fix anything if there are other problems. But conversely, the best technique isnt going to get the best results out of sub-standard equipment. Paul Bassett could probably make a better espresso from a $100 Breville than I could, but Im sure hed make a much better shot from a Silvia or Giotto. So technique and proper equipment are both necessary.

    Others may not agree with your opinion, but ultimately you need to do whats best for you not someone else. At the end of the day what matters most is the user is happy with what theyre drinking, not necessarily whether its produced by the best machine or by a technically perfect method. My Napoletana isnt the best machine on the market but its fine for what I want. If the standard Silvia works for you, so much the better.

    Leave a comment:


  • robusto
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    I derided the plastic tamper which came standard with the Silvia. I could not understand why a heavily-engineered machine would then ship with a lightweight cheap plastic tamper too small for the basket....

    But (after getting a "proper" metal tamper) months later I started warming to it.

    Its likely to be used as much as the "proper" tamper.

    I think many of us see a finely-crafted, rosewood handle etc tamper as a must have accessory which must match the machine in looks.

    Its often regarded as the magic bullet which will fix underlying problems with barista technique.

    That wont necessarily be the case --- and even an ugly duckling tamper will do the job if the wrist action is right.

    Robusto

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  • gregpullman
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    Originally posted by vast524 link=1164264822/0#10 date=1164343572
    Thanks for the thoughts. I can see why the tamper is important. As Greg said. The plastic one is about 3-4mm to small in diam. This means you need to push around the edges and the middle seperately. Not ideal I would think.
    Its not ideal, but if youre doing everything else right you should be able to get passable results. The main difficulty youll have is repeatability, which as 2mcm suggests is paramount. Its pretty hard to tamp exactly the same when you have to do 10 individual tamps to get it all looking level, and in any case the pressure at different points inside the puck will vary.

    Im not going to contradict 2mcm but the Audrey should be capable of producing acceptable espresso out of the box given good beans and operator technique. Things like deep baskets and good tampers can help take things to the next level, but if youre getting shocking or particularly inconsistent results in its standard form its probably technique more than anything else, and equipment upgrades arent going to help that.

    Leave a comment:


  • TC
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    Originally posted by vast524 link=1164264822/0#10 date=1164343572
    Thanks for the thoughts.  I can see why the tamper is important. As Greg said. The plastic one is about 3-4mm to small in diam. This means you need to push around the edges and the middle seperately. Not ideal I would think.
    I am filling the PF to the top with the grind, scrapping the excess of using the back of the knife so it is level and then tamping. Is this not the correct way?  I will get a slight imprint from the screen screw.
    I am not measuring the amount of beans that I am grinding.
    I live in Hervey Bay and I doubt there are any Barista courses here
    Andrew
    Andrew- I suggest that you try popping in a bench tap to settle off the ground coffee before you level off. This increased dose will probably help. BE CONSISTENT in that you tap the same number of times etc...thinkg need to be repeatable...Also, grab a deep basket form Coffeeparts if you dont already have one...

    Once you have a good consistent dose, adjust your grind for your palate...

    regards

    Chris

    Leave a comment:


  • vast524
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    Thanks for the thoughts. I can see why the tamper is important. As Greg said. The plastic one is about 3-4mm to small in diam. This means you need to push around the edges and the middle seperately. Not ideal I would think.
    I am filling the PF to the top with the grind, scrapping the excess of using the back of the knife so it is level and then tamping. Is this not the correct way? I will get a slight imprint from the screen screw.
    I am not measuring the amount of beans that I am grinding.
    I live in Hervey Bay and I doubt there are any Barista courses here
    Andrew

    Leave a comment:


  • gregpullman
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    Well said FC. You cant build a sturdy house without a good foundation.

    Leave a comment:


  • Fresh_Coffee
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    Andrew,

    sounds like you are not filling the filter.

    You wont get any of this right unless you fill the filter. Only when you fill the filter, will you get the correct indication of whether your grind is correct or not.

    The most common mistake, is when people dont fill the filter ( ie use the correct dose of grinds), then if their flow is too fast, they slow it up by grinding finer, which is the wrong way of going about things.

    Someone above mentioned getting a lesson or getting the book. Its a good idea, you need the fundamentals, no point in worrying about how many seconds a pour is supposed to be for a particular volume of brew, if you dont have the fundamentals.

    The seconds amd mls come after the fundamentals like knowing you need to know what a correct dose is, first, otherwise the total equation does not work.

    Regardz,
    FC.

    Leave a comment:


  • gregpullman
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    Originally posted by robusto link=1164264822/0#6 date=1164319413
    Andrew, I wouldnt worry too much about the tamper --- Why do you say it is useless?
    The fact its 2-3mm too small and stops you getting an even tamp would be the first reason. Silvias are the machines I most commonly sell tampers for, and while theyre probably also one of the most popular machines on the market, I still doubt this statistic would prevail if there was nothing wrong with the stock tamper.

    Leave a comment:


  • robusto
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    Andrew, I wouldnt worry too much about the tamper --- Why do you say it is useless?

    That aside, there is no one grinder setting. It will vary according to a range of factors including the variety of beans, freshness, and atmospheric humidity. You may waste some coffee in the process, but just try different settings until you are satisfied.

    Not enough crema.... Are your beans fresh? Is the water temperature hot enough?

    Happy experimenting
    --Robusto

    Leave a comment:


  • vast524
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    Well there you go. I learn something everytime I get on here. I hadnt realised it was a total of 60ml. I am now trying to get the grind fine enough so that I get only 60 ml in the 25sec. I am down to 5 but it still seems to fast. I am not getting much creme though. What causes this?
    My tamper is the plastic one that comes with the Sylvia. Pretty useless. Too small! Will need to fix this up.
    Andrew

    Leave a comment:


  • Gonzo_150
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    oh yeah almost forgot. theres a really good book written by a past forum sponsor..cant see his name on the sponsor list anymore. Think u used to be able to get it ( the book) through this site from the site admin. Pretty sure its called Barista Techniques ( but could be wrong)...Ive got one at work, its very good, written by a trainer, very well set out, clear, simple, big words, diagrams, a good read.

    Maybe you orta look it up.

    G.

    Leave a comment:


  • Gonzo_150
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    undoubtedly the best way for u to work it out is to get a demo or take a lesson so suggest you cut to the chase or youll be at it forever:

    1) go back to your retailer and ask for above;

    2) failing that find out of any snobs live close by and spend a saturday arvo with them...could be a great possibility for a little meet n greet or get together hehe...

    3) failing that find a trainer and pay for a lesson.

    A picture (or a practical session) is worth a thousand words, particularly when the words are typed on a little green screen like this. All this talk of seconds and milli litres is makin my head hurt and my eyes water.

    G.

    Leave a comment:


  • Thundergod
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    A single shot (single basket) is 30ml in 25/30 secs.
    A double shot (double basket) is 60ml in the same time.

    I like a double shot in my mugs. They are 260ml.
    My wife sometimes likes a single shot in a mug when she feels like a weak coffee.

    Leave a comment:


  • muppet_man67
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Audrey grind settings. First time usi

    is that a total of 120ml? 1 shot is 30ml so a double is 60ml in 25-30 sec and a single is 30ml in 25-30 sec as for filling your filter basket dose straight into the basket till its full. level it off with a finger or the back of a knife similar to how you would with flour when baking a cake. and then tamp. the measuring spoon is useful for portioning out the beans before you grind.

    Leave a comment:

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