I live a mile from a coffee shop that gets regular shipments of beans from Batdorf and Bronson. I have had a standing order for 1-2 bags of beans every week, and have worked my way through their espresso blends- Dancing Goats, Vesuvio, Capitol Blend and Whirling Dervish (formerly Timbales), and am ready for a change. Has anyone used any of their SO coffees for espresso? Any advice about a good one to start with? The shop gives me a good price- cheaper than buying the beans online (with shipping) by a fair amount, so if they have some tasty SO beans for espresso, that would be very convenient.

Having not heard anything, I will just have to take the plunge and try some; I will post impressions here in case anyone is interested. Starting with the Guatemala Antigua Finca El Valle. Should get it at end of week (order Monday, roasts Tues., arrives at shop here Fri.).

On a side note, have been reading and watching videos about HX flush/ brew temperature, and I think I'm more confused than when I started. Probably will have to break down and get the Eric S. E61 thermometer accessory. Welcome any advice from other Andreja Premium jockeys out there.

BrianinAZ wrote:On a side note, have been reading and watching videos about HX flush/ brew temperature, and I think I'm more confused than when I started. Probably will have to break down and get the Eric S. E61 thermometer accessory. Welcome any advice from other Andreja Premium jockeys out there.

The Eric S. thermometer is highly recommended, but in the meantime, try this routine for getting in the temperature zone on the Andreja Premium:
1. Allow at least 45 minutes warmup time (with the portafilter locked in)
2. Flush 1-2 ounces from the grouphead or until just after it stops sputtering
3. Wait about 30 seconds
4. Lock in the portafilter and pull the shot

Thanks. That was kind of what I was doing before I started looking further into it here. I would allow an hour warm up, then I would flush for 15 seconds (usually a second or two after the sputtering would stop), then waited 25 seconds before starting the shot. I have no idea how I came up with that procedure, though. I have been using only espresso blends, but now that I'm trying to expand my horizons, thought I might need to learn how to adjust the brew temperature by playing with the flush amount/ recovery time (until I save enough for a GS3/ Cyncra/ Slayer- so basically for the rest of my natural lifetime).

BrianinAZ wrote:I have been using only espresso blends, but now that I'm trying to expand my horizons, thought I might need to learn how to adjust the brew temperature by playing with the flush amount/ recovery time

Keep in mind that the thermal mass of (a) the e61 grouphead, (b) the portafilter, and (c) the coffee itself all have an impact on the effective brewing temperature. So pinpoint accuracy of the water temperature coming through the heat exchanger tube is not critical, in my opinion. Just follow a basic flush regimen to stay in the zone. (And don't flush much or at all if you're keeping the machine busy with back-to-back shots).

When it comes to dialing in single origin espresso, I prioritize dose and yield -- variables that are easy to control with a scale that directly impact the extraction percentage. For example, if you're pulling a single origin and it tastes sour, instead of attempting to increase your temperature by a degree, increase your yield instead. For light-roasted single origins, I usually start at a 1:2 ratio (i.e. 18g:36g) and go as high as a 1:3 (i.e. 18g:54g) until I find a place where the flavors are balanced.

Thanks! Looking forward to putting your recommendations into practice this weekend. Will let you know how it goes.

B&B was my favorite roaster till I started roasting my own beans..
IMHO I would buy SO Coffees most of the time..
All the others are blends.. They mix different coffees to try and get the flavor of their blend..
SOs are like fine wine.. You may only be able to fine it for a few months.. Then next years crop of beans my be nothing like the previous years..
Try some of the African coffees they usually score higher than most other countries..

Thanks for the recommendation. Looks like they have a Kenya and an Ethiopia, so will make sure to give those a try. I opened the Guat today (5 days post roast), roast looked lighter than their Whirling Dervish blend, but darker than the Nossa Familia Full Cycle blend. First shot came out ristretto- about 20g in 34 seconds- and tasted good, but I will need to tweak the grind a bit tomorrow, because I'm pretty sure I can do better.

Will be trying Colombia and Nicaragua on next order. Still working on finding the best recipe for the Guatemala. It's quite good at about 1:2 at 28 seconds, but I goofed up one shot that came out closer to 1:1 at 34 seconds that was incredible- what I would imagine a Slayer shot might be like: thick body, sweet and complex. Still working to try to recreate that magic again.

Just a quick update. Have tried the Guatemala, Colombia and Nicaragua so far. None are particularly light roasts, so have been getting good results in the slightly less than 1:2 yield at about 30 second range. Of these, I would say so far I like them all as straight espresso, but that the Colombia tasted better in milk drinks. The flavors have really matched the notes described on the website and bags for each variety so far. I have to admit it's fun playing with new and different beans, especially with a good new grinder.

It amazes me how two beans that look similarly roasted can require fairly different grind settings to get in the zone- when I switched from the Colombia to the Nicaragua I had to tighten the grind two full turns on the MDX, and the Nicaragua was roasted a week later. I forgot to change my order for this week, but that will give me more time to experiment with the flavors and yields with the Colombia and Nicaragua. I'll make sure to order the Kenya and Ethiopia next week.