Intelligentsia Black Cat and Kid-O brew temperatures and rest times?

[Italyhound]

Just got a sample lb of each. Roasted Tuesday. Pulled a good looking shot of BC at 93. May need a day of rest - a bit bitter. What about rest times after roasting for both?

Figured I would ask what are suggested/tested Kid-O and BC brew temps. I am using a Spaziale Vivaldi 2.


Thanks

Evan

[ThaRiddla]

Hi Evan,

I would suggest letting the coffee rest to 3-4 days out.
If you are getting "bitter" then there is something a bit off...dose, volume, time, etc. When cat is young it does tend to be a bit more astringent and lively, but not bitter. The fruitiness tends to present more than the deep chocolate, caramel or cocoa flavors. This settles with age.

We're actually in the middle of doing some extensive testing on a Dalla Corte 3 group with their individual group temperature settings. Initially, we've found 93 C to be a favorable temperature. 95 C tends to kill the sweetness. On the Marzocco, we have our PID set at 199 F here at the Roasting Works. I'm not completely convinced yet that the temperature settings between a 58mm basket and a 53mm basket will be the same. I'll be sure to post again with more conclusive findings.

[Italyhound]

Hi Evan,

I would suggest letting the coffee rest to 3-4 days out.
If you are getting "bitter" then there is something a bit off...dose, volume, time, etc. When cat is young it does tend to be a bit more astringent and lively, but not bitter. The fruitiness tends to present more than the deep chocolate, caramel or cocoa flavors. This settles with age.

We're actually in the middle of doing some extensive testing on a Dalla Corte 3 group with their individual group temperature settings. Initially, we've found 93 C to be a favorable temperature. 95 C tends to kill the sweetness. On the Marzocco, we have our PID set at 199 F here at the Roasting Works. I'm not completely convinced yet that the temperature settings between a 58mm basket and a 53mm basket will be the same. I'll be sure to post again with more conclusive findings.

Bitter was probably the wrong word. Astringent seems more appropriate and actually this morning the shot was way better. I knocked the temp down from 94 to 93 as well and I am using a 53 mm PF. I look forward to tracking the flavors over the next few days and comparing/contrasting to the Kid-O. I will also play with the temps a bit more - on both blends.

Keep us posted with your results.

Thanks

Evan

[edwa]

Evan, its been a week since your last post. Where did you end up on temp for the Kid O? How did the flavors change over the week?

[Italyhound]

I settled on 93 for both blends although I may bump the kid-o to 94 for another look see. Black Cat is a definite 93 for me given its potency. Things definitely came into balance after a day or so extra rest. I think going forward, I might use Kid-O as my go to because it tastes sweeter and is less robust on the palate. Both are very good and I will still double order for a spell before I ultimately convert to 1 type shipped automatically.

Evan