Brewing Parameters for Various Terroir Espressos

[Marty L.]

Hi all.

I'll be trying some of these single origin Espressos from Terroir for the first time soon, and am curious if members have any recommendations for brewing paramaters (i.e., temperature, dosage, shot volume, and timing):

Konga Cooperative, North Italian Style Espresso

Matalapa, La Libertad, El Salvador

Sumatra Mandheling, South Italian Espresso Roast

The folks from Terroir previously suggested (in an answer to an email query) the following brewing parameters for the Daterra North Italian: Temp between 194-197 degrees F, 13-14 gram double, extraction time between 25-30 seconds.

In that email, they also advised that the Daterra South and most of their other espressos fall in the same realm, with the exception of the Daterra Calabria, which they said is amazing as a triple ristretto (18 grams), with an extraction time that should be a little shorter.

I'd love to know if members have any other suggestions. Thanks in advance.

For reference, I am using a Mazzer Mini (doserless mod) and a Brewtus II. I use the WDT and have a bottomless portafilter with ridgeless 14g, 18g, and 21g baskets. Generally speaking, I have found it easier to get consistently good results in the cup (with other blends) with the 18g or 21g basket and dosages in that range, and I tend to be more likely to get channeling or spritzing when I use the 14g basket.

[JohnB.]

I normally use 91*C with all their Espressos & dose 14-15gr/25-30 seconds except with the Calabria where I use 17-18gr but go longer not shorter (35+/1.5 oz). I had several nice doubles with the Konga Co-Op today & will be trying the Matalapa again tomorrow. After a failed first attempt to get good tasting shots with the Matalapa I put it aside for a few days to age. If my first attempts are any indication it needs a finer grind then the Konga.

Interesting about the channeling with smaller doses as its usually the opposite. From my experience the Konga does not fare well flavor wise in heavy doses.

[Barnstormer's~Betty]

I tried George Howell's Terroir Coffee for the first time a couple months ago. These folks not only know how to roast to perfection, but the bean characteristics are described with surprising accuracy.

I like to call them the Willy Wonka of roasters. That's a compliment. The Calabria really tastes like a chocolate-covered cherry, and the Sumatra Mandheling tastes like wild blueberries. Don't get me wrong-It's not like the novelty flavored coffee blends you see at the store. Terroir customer service (whom Rocks, BTW) said that these characteristics are completely natural in the harvesting and roasting of the bean. I now have a subscription, recurring every 4 weeks...2 (12 oz) units of each mentioned roast. June

Note:I'm not affiliated with the company mentioned before the clip. They just had a working YouTube (perfect for this post).

[timo888]

It's been a while since I had roasts from Terroir, but my advice would be to give a relatively low temperature a try if one can control temp. One of the best cups of espresso I've ever tasted was with Terroir Honduras Mira Valle Farm S.O. at 195°F. Terroir used to have a recommendation on their website in this regard, though last time I looked I couldn't find it.

Regards
T