I'm currently trying out some decaf Redbird espresso for the first time and was curious if others had any experience or suggestions in terms of brew settings. I ordered some standard Redbird (third pound I've used) and Decaf at the same time. I must say that these two pull very differently. Although I can get a great shot with the regular Redbird, the decaf still tastes a little bright even though the pour looks pretty good with the naked portafilter. I'm curious if this is just how the Decaf version tastes. It's currently 4 days post roast and I'm using 18g to give 26g of espresso in 30s. PID is set to give 198F at the head, calibrated using the styrofoam cup. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I had good luck brewing it at about 200* dosed 18 grams. IIRC, it needed a bit finer grind than most blends. I liked the slower pours best so you really have to crank your grinder down. It's the best decaf espresso I've tasted and I really enjoyed it. Seems to age really quickly though. After about 8 or 9 days it starts to get dull. I never experienced it being "too bright".

~j

I bought two pounds this spring along with five pounds of Redbird. The Redbird had good parameters listed. Not so decaf. Emailed Jeff to find what temp he recommended. He never replied.
I usually process decaf's around 196. Could never get it precisely dialed in to my satisfaction.