Brewtus II... I can't make good espresso!

[BornAgainIn1998]

One day I told my husband that I'd sure love to have an espresso machine so that I could quit going out to buy my lattes, and such, from the local coffee houses. After my Silvia died, my wonderful husband decided to go many steps further and buy me the Brewtus II. I guess I've been a really good girl, because I now have the Mini Mazzer (to replace the Rocky), an espro tamper and the auto tamp. I also roast our own coffee with the Hottop. I have read Schomer's book, tried his techniques, messed with the temp., adjusted the grind, and have even stood on my head. I have yet to get one of those espressos that are described as sweet and yummy. I think I'd almost rather stick my tongue in the mud outside than to sip on some of these things that come out of this wonderful machine. I LOVE my Brewtus II, and all of the other toys that dwell with it, however, I've only gotten to be a pro at frothing milk to hide the taste of my horrible espresso. My goal of making good espresso has been very disappointing. Does ANYBODY have any ideas? Any Brewtus II users out there with the same problem? This is my last hope. I know my Brewtus would like to do more than make sewer water, he told me so. I'm not getting it though. I have been roasting only Monkey blend for espresso, as I have understood that it is a pretty forgiving blend. I keep the machine clean and don't use stale coffee.....I'm sure there is something that I might be missing as I know that this is only a matter of operator error. OK....anybody feel like attempting to shoot out some ideas? I'd truly appreciate it. Thanks!

[roblumba]

Maybe you can help us out by describing the espresso as it comes out and looks in the cup.

I have three initial suspects.

1. The home roasted beans are not good.
2. The temperature is not right.
3. The technique is not right (Grind, Dose, Tamp)

Of course, that covers just about everything.

Here's my suggestions.

For #1, Did you try some tried and true beans from one of the roasters that people on here boast about (Cafe Vivace, Fresco, Stumptown, etc)? Perhaps there is something wrong in the roast.

For #2, Did you do a HX flush? Did you try to lower the temperature (if it's tastes like mud).

For #3, Describe to us what it looks like as it comes out and sits in the cup. What is your technique?

Finally, have you ever liked espresso? My wife loves the milk based drinks, but even the best espresso will not please her. She just doesn't like it.

[luca]

Yep, I agree.

You are in control of a helluva lot of variables there. Time to eliminate some. This is the first experiment that I would try:

Order 2 lb of a forgiving espresso that you know the correct temperature for. Maybe something in Abe's Buyer's guide, where he mentioned some temperatures. Grind, overfill, rap down, strike off, then tamp with the Espro tamper. This should, hopefully, mean that all that you're playing around with is grind and temperature. Dial the grind in to get the pour time/length that you would like, then go for temperature. I know that it might seem wasteful to throw away so much espresso, but it's the only way that you learn. Making a handful of shots scattered across the day gets you nowhere. And make sure that you actually time and measure things.

... oh yeah, I forgot pressure. I'd be sticking with something relatively low and innocuous. 8.5 to 9 bar, maybe? But if your silvia was not modified, it is possible that you are used to massively high pressures, in which case dialling the pressure up *might* be something worth experimenting with. Besides, it gives you a chance to try the uber cool non-case-removing pressure adjustment!

It might also be worthwhile getting hold of some equipment to verify that your machine is functioning correctly. Multimeter and pressure gauged portafilter ... but I would hope that nothing is wrong with the equipment ...

Cheers,

Luca

[cannonfodder]

And we can't forget the puck. After your extraction, what does it look like? Is it wet and soupy, dry and tight, dry with little pits/divots on the surface? A photo or two during the extraction may be helpful as well. The Brewt is a dual boiler so there is no need for a cooling flush unless it has been idle for a while, then you may want to purge 3-4oz to clear out the old water and make sure the group is hot, or so I hear. I don't have a Brewt so others are more qualified to speak on that.

[ramseysingleton]

Are we to assume that up until now (i.e. while you were using silvia) you were pulling delicious shots? Or has this creation of sewer water characterized your entire home espresso career?

[another_jim]

Ramsey could have put it more politely; but he has a point -- it takes time to learn how to make good espresso. Having topnotch equipment shortens the process, since you don't have to fight the machine and grinder to get them to perform, but you still need to have enough experience to know what you are doing.

In this, with all due respect, I don't think Schomer's book is much use. He gives a lot of rules for making good shots; but following them all is no guarantee the shots will be palatable, and I, or any other competent person, could certainly break every single one of them and still make tasty shots.

I hate to beat my own drum, but I think I take a better approach in my article --
http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-guide-skills.html

1. emphasizing manual skill, i.e. learning to make espresso is a lot like learning how to chop with a kitchen knife
2. emphasizing diagnostics, that is, knowing what good espresso tastes like, and knowing what's wrong with the taste of yours

The first is just a lot of practice -- get a naked portafilter, and practice until you can grind, load, distribute tamp, and pull 30 second, 1.5 ounce shots that flow right without even thinking, and certainly without making a huge production of any part of it -- no need to taste the shots at this stage -- oh yes, ebay the auto, espro whatever gimmicks and get something that feels comfortable, or even use the tamper mounted on the doser - it's espresso, not OCD.

The second means first tasting good shots; go to several places that serve them and try. It may even turn out you don't like straight espresso at all, or dislike many excellent and highly touted blends and production styles -- excellent espresso can range from very mild, understated, and sweet - Zoka's comes to mind here, to very powerful and quite dry, like Vivace's. If one end is your epitome of perfection, you will probably dislike the other end.

It also means learning what to do if the espresso is too bitter, or sour, or thin, or overpowering, etc. etc. etc.

So I'm terribly sorry to say this; what it comes down to is that you'll have to give yourself a lot more time.