I moved from Tampa to Chicago. I'm not sure if it's the weather, the water, or the fact I was away from pulling shots for a couple months. I have been having issues with pulling shots that in describe as flat: minimal crema, lack of profile, and has a unwelcoming bitter taste.

I have attempted klatchs Kenya SO, a small roaster Artistic Bean espresso blend, and dark matters unicorn blood. I know i have attempted more but can not remember the rest. I know the issue is not my equipment.

I currently have unicorn blood and it is know to be fluffy, full body, and sweet. I just cannot achieve this. I have played with dose (18 grams to 20 grams) and temp (201F to 204F), it's just leading to frustration with many sink shots. This is a lighter roast and smells oddly like butter popcorn when ground. I have had it at their shop and it is delicious. I am dosing at 20 grams, pulling 1.5oz in 28sec.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

IntrepidQ3 wrote:I moved from Tampa to Chicago.

Great time of year to make that move!

My first guess would be the water. What water are you using? My next guess would be temp perhaps? Is the room your machine is in colder than before? During the winter the ambient temperature sucks more heat out of my groups and my shots run cooler, I gave to more carefully manage my temp setting to avoid getting thin sour shots. Maybe measure the water temp as it exits the group to see where it is in relation to your settings.

I'm in Milwaukee which is basically the same weather as Chicago, but the traffic isn't nearly as terrible.

dominico wrote:My first guess would be the water. What water are you using? My next guess would be temp perhaps? Is the room your machine is in colder than before? During the winter the ambient temperature sucks more heat out of my groups and my shots run cooler, I gave to more carefully manage my temp setting to avoid getting thin sour shots. Maybe measure the water temp as it exits the group to see where it is in relation to your settings.

+1 on water change. That was my first thought.

I will say that Chicago water is PERFECT for coffee. Just for fun jack that temperature up to around 206. I wouldn't expect the coffee to be light/lackluster unless youre using a distilled water system.

unicorn blood likes it hot. That being said, I have had unicorn blood dozens of times and I like it but it's always very bitter to me (in a good way).

Our water does come from the lake and processed by my local city. I do cut the water with distilled water to bring down the hardness to 5.

The room is cooler then the room in Tampa, not by much maybe 5F.

I think I will raise the temp to 206F. If that does not work Ill use 100% tap water.

Try pulling the unicorn blood at 1:1 as well or less. they do ultra ristrettos in the shop. They basically want it to kind of taste like distilled alcohol.

Easy solution/test is to try a different easy coffee like nossa cycle. Unicorn blood is probably the hardest to pull coffee I have ever used (kenyans SOE also are hard if they are light). Last time I used it, I had the HGone and I couldn't grind 18gs without sweating because you need to go super fine. I also want to say that i'm pretty sure unicorn blood has robusta.

Ooooo cranked it up to 206 and it brought out a slight peanut butter taste! Well at least i think that what i was, it was much better then before. I will try to go for a 1:1. You are right though it is a good arm work out with the HGone currently and I am probably pulling around 45 - 50%, though I have not weighted it...

Do you know of any other small roastery gems in the area (i mean besides intelligentsia, who is not small)? I am sure there are a handful, i just have yet to discover them.

The best at pulling shots are gaslight coffee roasters and ipsento (who uses a slayer). They are over near Logan square. Local roasted coffee is probably passion house which is west of downton. There's a lot going on but most follow the light roast party. Maybe we can get a hb coffee crawl going has.

That could be fun!