Trouble dialing in Red Bird...

by **Javacat** on Sat Sep 10, 2011 4:11 am

Lots of straw and tobaccoey nuances, but little else. I'm guessing that I need to pull it hotter. Any suggestions? I'm presently dosing around 17g in a standard double basket, 199F, getting 1.75 oz in 23-28 sec. The shots are nice and well balanced with incredible flecking, but just lack sweetness.

by **drgary** on Sat Sep 10, 2011 6:45 am

How long since it was roasted? I find it seems to take at least six days to reach its peak.

by **Javacat** on Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:45 am

It was roasted on the 1st. You're right, though, on the rest time. It was far too astringent and gassy up until about 2 days ago. The pours are so nice with plenty of flecking. It likely could just be my taste buds. My doctor recently changed my sleep meds and I think that might be throwing off my sense of taste in the morning

by **aecletec** on Sat Sep 10, 2011 9:00 am

1.75oz in 23s is a bit quick but otherwise the stats are comparable to what others are doing... if you've already ruled out channeling, have you tried slowing it down?

by **jmreeves** on Sat Sep 10, 2011 9:25 am

i have also found that redbird requires a finer grind than some others-food for thought.

by **Javacat** on Sat Sep 10, 2011 9:17 pm

Yea, that is my shot time, but I'm also pre-infusing for 6 seconds, so I guess the total shot times would be closer to 30 seconds. I did try grinding slightly finer and down-dosing a bit and it definitely pulled much better, but still rather flat tasting.

by **caffe1nated** on Sun Sep 11, 2011 12:49 am

Been messing with RB also.

Red Bird recommended brew parameters

My palate is not as trained as most on HB though so my descriptions are sub-sub-par.

by **drgary** on Sun Sep 11, 2011 2:30 am

Javacat wrote:I did try grinding slightly finer and down-dosing a bit and it definitely pulled much better, but still rather flat tasting.

I think it needs to be pulled just about ristretto, so updosing and loosening up the grind may be more your ticket.

by **jmreeves** on Sun Sep 11, 2011 8:05 am

Drgary and another_Jim seem to have the same approach-

From the sticky on dialing in coffee

How to adjust dose and grind to fix the balance for most coffees
If the coffee tastes too bland, the caramels and sugars are masking the flavors. Increase the dose, and coarsen the grind to keep the flow the same. This will reduce the proportion of sugars, while keeping the acid bitter balance the same.

Of course it's the opposite of what I originally suggested :shock:

by **drgary** on Sun Sep 11, 2011 11:48 am

jmreeves wrote:Drgary and another_Jim seem to have the same approach-

Drgary is using another_Jim's approach ... :wink:

And for Red Bird in particular, I think the expert reviewers on this site, malachi included, suggested that it gets away from you if you don't pull it at or near ristretto. (Correction: This last statement is wrong. The HB crew and malachi in particular haven't reviewed Red Bird.) When I do that it's quite good. (Add: I still like it that way, but it's a personal preference on my Microcimbali.)


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