Got an ECM Technika IV Profi - have used it for 1 week now, machine is great - but I must be slightly retarded.

This is more demanding that I thought. I have yet to pull a great shot, had a few moments where I had an ah-ha mouthful - that's about it. Can't drink it straight up yet.

I am moving to a more scientific approach as recommended here - measuring dosage, consistent tamp pressure. Adjusting grind and dose.

Most of my shots are too acidic / bright with not much crema. I will say that I started with packaged Starbucks Espresso roast beans.
Moved to a pound of Sumatra from Whole Foods - was meh so I practiced on that pound.
Tried another from Whole Foods, Kenya blend - was like battery acid.
Ordered a pound of Espresso Blend from Klatch, waiting on that.
Ordered an electronic scale.

I know it takes time and I am willing to experiment. I actually made some progress with my milk frothing - cannot do microfoam yet, but I am getting closer.

Is it worth it yet? no way, but I'll get there.
The machine is top quality though - beautiful. Wife is still mad at me.

Congrats on your new machine.

monkeyboy wrote: The machine is top quality though - beautiful. Wife is still mad at me.

Then you know you've made a good choice

Which grinder are you using and do you know the roast dates of the different coffees?

Lack of crema is one sign of old stale coffee. Starbucks have only recently invaded my country so I don't know about their coffees and practices, but the stuff from supermarkets or grocery stores often live a long life on a shelf before being sold and used.
Since you're getting too acidic espresso you might also look at pulling your shots at a higher temperature.

Recommend reading the guide to espresso on the how-to page, and especially the diagnosis of extraction
problems page: Diagnosing Espresso Extraction Problems - Espresso Guide

Starbucks Espresso Roast.. bleh. I thought the problems where Starbucks' super-auto machines.. but the bean is the core. That roast is SOOOO over roasted, even buying it directly from the store with a roast date of less than 1 week prior was a bleh shot with no crema. I suggest buying a pound of Redbird's Blue Jaguar or Espresso roast, I find the espresso roast is great for straight shots, and the blue jaguar for milk based drinks. It's pretty cheap too ~14 a pound + shipping. If you find you like that you can buy a 5 lb bag for ~60 dollars which if stored right should last you a little bit less than a month depending on your shots per day and experimentation. I also enjoy the following roasts: Heartmender by Commonplace, and Black Cat Classic by Intelligentsia. I find Black Cat to be a tad bit overpriced but even 3 weeks old it still produces some amazing shots. I recently started home roasting with a West Bend Air Crazy (Purchased for 30 dollars with 10 dollar 4 pound espresso sampler pack from sweet maria's) and I am fairly confident it is the BEST bang for buck way to get coffee if you don't live around great coffee already, but it's not for everyone.

Wait for your coffee from Klatch. That will fix a large part of your problems.

Sounds like you are running against the first M of espresso making, the coffee needs to be good, roasted no more than 2 or 3 weeks ago. If you start with stale beans there is nothing you can do to make drinkable espresso.

Next M is the grinder, what are you using?

Think you've got the Machine covered.

Last M is yourself. Try getting a consistent dose and dial your grinder so that you can get a consistent shot in 25s-30s. Once you are able to get this consistency, you can start experimenting with the cooling flush and see what impact that has on taste.

Find a local roaster, use fresh beans. Your beans are super old. Since you are in ATL, why not take the barista training classes for Counter Culture. You really need more insight and that would fix your problems.

Thanks gang -
Grinder is a Mazzer Major.
Good suggestion on the training class, never thought of that..

damonbowe wrote:Since you are in ATL, why not take the barista training classes for Counter Culture.

I have taken this class in ATL and it was pretty useful for a newbie like me.

Raj

The symptoms you describe "shots are too acidic/bright and no crema" sound like they could be a temperature problem, ie brew temps that are too low. First thing I would do is to install one of Eric's thermometers. This will tell you if its a temp problem. Even if it isn't it's money well spent as it will help you figure out the best routine for the machine.

As an ECM Technika owner I went through a few months of struggling until I figured out the problem. You can read about that in this thread: Lessons in diagnosing brew temperature problems

Fixing that problem helped enormously, but I still struggled a bit with low temps particularly on the second shot until I made this modification: HX tuning an ECM Technika

If you do have a temp problem the first thing I would do is to contact the dealer and manufacturer and work with them on it. If they can't help you then you could consider the mod.

Good luck!

Got a pound of Klatch House Espresso blend yesterday.
Made drinks for the family today - the beans made a BIG difference in overall quality. Noticeable by all.
Much happier with results now.