Intelligentsia Black Cat - Best Dose and Temperature?

[drminpa]

Hi folks, I've been learning how to make espresso for a few weeks and using Black Cat beans in the learning process. I've been using the double basket with a bottomless pf and basically filling the basket, using WDT to distribute the coffee and then levelling the basket. This routine yields a dose of 17.1 grams +/- .2 grams. I use the thermometer adapter designed by EricS to determine flush volume and rebound time. I flush to 195 F and then allow the time for the temperature to rise to 205 and fall again to 200. The thermometer adapter then reads 200 F +/- 0.5F throughout the shot. I have been using the change in blonding immediately following the collapse of the funnel as the end of the shot. These numbers correspond very closely to 6 oz of water flush (on idle machine) followed by 30 seconds of rebound time. The resulting shot has about 1.75 oz of volume in 24 seconds. The result seems reasonably good but I want to see if I can improve them further.

I read in the Buyer's guide to the Quickmill Vetrano that 18 grams of Black Cat worked well using similar conditions as I am using - I have the same machine. I have also read in some threads that Black Cat favors lower temperatures but no real recommendations.

My question is this: for those of you that have experience with Black Cat, what do you find is the best dose and temperature (or flush/rebound time) for this blend?

[ThaRiddla]

at our stores and here at the roasting works, we dose ~18g (double basket) and run the machines at 199.5. I don't know if this directly translates to home machines or not. I aim for 26-27 seconds for 1.75 ounces.

Is there a particular taste that you are getting that is off-putting?

[drminpa]

Thanks for the reply.

Is there a particular taste that you are getting that is off-putting?

No, the taste I'm getting is reasonably good. I'm just curious as to what other people with a lot more experience with Black Cat than I have are dosing at and what temperature they are using. I really haven't deviated much from the conditions I posted since I started out because I have mainly been working on consistency. By my post, I was hoping to benefit from everyone's experience to get to the best conditions without having to re-invent the wheel.

I am going to try updosing by 1 gram to match your dose, I think our temperatures are probably pretty close based on data EricS has provided on the thermometer adapter I am using.

[Bex]

While this is not an answer to the original post, my greatest current frustration with home espresso is this: when I get a new bag of Black Cat, I can smell that wonderful aroma, with the strong hint of chocolates.

My skill with my Gaggia Carezza, though, is poor, and as a result I never get even a hint of that in the taste.

Oh, for the ability to control temperature.

[drminpa]

I got chocolates

I raised the dose to 18 grams at the same grind and reduced the temperature to 199 F and the taste and mouthfeel were much improved. I'm still not really detecting the berry notes that I've seen references made to but the chocolate notes were very nice and the mouthfeel was very silky. I didn't time the shot so I don't know how the shot time/volume changed with the mods I made. This weekend I'm going to try adjusting the grind somewhat to see what effect it has. Does Black Cat favor a ristretto pull? I'm also going to try slightly reducing the temperature until I start to detect sourness so I have the sweet spot bracketed.

[woodchuck]

David, interesting, Dan Kehn and I were working on Black Cat this morning at our weekly geek retreat. We ended up at 199 on a LM GB5 and updosing a bit for the best results. Looks like a similar result to yours. The higher temperatures where pulling pretty thin without much of a base note.

Cheers

Ian

[drminpa]

Yes, that is exactly what I found - higher temperature/lower dose yielded drinkable but nothing special. A few slight changes and the coffee's real character came out. Whoever said making espresso was like balancing a ping pong ball on your finger was spot on.

I'm going to experiment some more and see if I can get the other tones that Black Cat is noted for to come out.

[avogadro]

I've had the luxury of trying BC out at two very good shops as well as drinking it as my primary blend for almost 2 years at home. We all do it differently. One shop doses 21g in synesso triples, the other 18g in LM doubles, and at home I dose 15.5 in a faema style double. Chocolate and caramels are present in all of them with some of the sweetest coming from the triple (as well as the least consistency). Berry is not something I ever find in BC although dried apricot comes through at times at home on my andreja proto. If I am patient enough to do my flush and waits properly I can get the best balance with a temp profile from 200 down to 195 (27sec, 1.75ozs).

[AndyS]

Pulling Black Cat this morning, the best results were at 199F. I used 13 g coffee to yield 15-16 g espresso (approx 84% brew ratio). Flavors were toasted nut and malt with a black raspberry chaser. Nice! The coffee was 5 days post-roast.

[avogadro]

Alright, no one scream.... 199F at the shower screen?

Toasted nut and malted milk I get from time to time at home (usually more like choc covered malt balls), more often at a shop I frequent (they run a bit cooler than I do at home) but black raspberry... perhaps that is from the lower dose?

[AndyS]

Alright, no one scream.... 199F at the shower screen?

Toasted nut and malted milk I get from time to time at home (usually more like choc covered malt balls), more often at a shop I frequent (they run a bit cooler than I do at home) but black raspberry... perhaps that is from the lower dose?

199F measured with Scace device. I haven't tested the dose vs. raspberry relationship yet.

[racen1]

Hi all - longtime lurker, first time poster. Just ordered 2 lbs of Black Cat last week, roast date was 1/25. I either have a serious issue with dose and temp, or a wildly different taste preference than anyone on this forum. I don't want to speculate as to a potential roast issue, if I got a bad batch then others will have this complaint as well.

Roughly 3/4 lb into the first bag, and not a single drinkable shot. PID'd Silvia, anywhere from 195 - 205 brew temp, started with 14-15g dose and then after reading this forum updosed to 18-19g. Same issue with all variations: a horrid bitterness in the shot, none of the silky body described, no chocolates (maybe a hint in the aftertaste of one shot).

Equipment is clean, and I have several years on the machine so I'm familiar with quirks and inconsistencies. Having used other coffees with great success, what's wrong with my Black Cat?

Any suggestions?

Currently: ~200F brew temp, ~20lb tamp, grind set for 1.5 oz in ~25s, ~15g dose. Getting nice even extractions in the bottomless PF, shots look great but are literally undrinkable.

PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS AS MY INDICTMENT OF THE BLEND; I'M SURE IT'S EITHER OPERATOR PROBLEM OR BAD BATCH!

Thanks,
-Nathan

[HB]

I either have a serious issue with dose and temp, or a wildly different taste preference than anyone on this forum.

That's always possible. Would you name 3-4 well-known blends you really like and why?

Currently: ~200F brew temp, ~20lb tamp, grind set for 1.5 oz in ~25s, ~15g dose. Getting nice even extractions in the bottomless PF, shots look great but are literally undrinkable.

Your pour specs sound reasonable, certainly nothing stands out that would lead to an undrinkable espresso. Are other blends performing well on this same equipment? You may want to contact Intelligentsia; although I've not heard any reports of a "bad bag", it never hurts to call.

[racen1]

Thanks for the follow-up; just logging in to post my own! The issue was with my PID. I pulled out some SM Puro Scuro blend that I had roasted last week and had similar issues to those with the black cat.

Disconnected the PID, reverted back to temp surfing (egad...) and problem was gone. Reconnected the PID and things seem to be working properly again. It appears the TC mount screw had backed out and the PID was having to raise the actual boiler temp to get adequate TC temps; in any event, as I suspected it was operator error. Beware blind faith in digital readouts...

Thanks,
Nathan

[ThaRiddla]

Glad you figured it out. Let us know how you like BC.

[AndyS]

Let us know how you like BC.

Hi Matt, just wanted to say that the Black Cat I got a couple weeks ago was really excellent. As I said a few posts back, along with the usual rich nut and malty stuff it gave me some black raspberry-like flavors that were subtle but very welcome. Considering you guys must have to source and roast ten gazillion pounds of this stuff every year, it is impressive coffee.

[/lovefest]

Kudos to everyone at IC.

[racen1]

Let us know how you like BC.

Quite good, though probably past peak by the time I figured out my problems. Lots of chocolate, hints of fruit, but no real chance to play with temps and dose in a meaningful way. I'll have to order some more to give it a fair shake

Thanks,
Nathan