Hey guys,

I'm having a difficult time getting a good tasting shot all of a sudden. I have only been using fresh beans from counter culture as well as veltons. The shot taste very bitter but look great. I even pulled a few shots with a commercial machine near my home with my grinds they tasted identical to my shots. The grinds are coming out warm even when only using the grinder for 30 seconds. I never had this problem with my Macao. Thanks,

Felix

I am almost certain that it is not my machines temperature since I have installed Eric's thermometer, and as stated before I also pulled shots using another machine.

Its not your grinder. Most likely the beans.

I wish it were the beans. I had the same exact beans at the coffee shop and it tasted great. Tomorrow I will grind using the shops grinder to make certain its not the machine.

Is there anything that I could try in regards to my troubleshooting checklist? Shots are being extracted at the proper variables and look great. I just don't know what else it could be. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Change your temp and dose. A new grinder will require you to dial the coffee/machine back in. Changes in dose, flow rate and even temperature are often required. If the flow is good, timing and volume good I would cut the temperature to start.

- Is the grinder new or used?
- If it's a used grinder then are the burrs new or are they the existing ones?
- Has any other variable changed?

I don't think that using the same beans ground on the cafe/shop's grinder and then pulling shots on your machine will yield conclusive results. I assume they are using a commercial machine and their results in the cafe may be radically different than what you get at home. Some blends - e.g. Gimme Coffee's Leftist - are very tricky on home machines yet Gimme delivers consistently good shots in their cafes.

If you are in Manhattan I suggest checking with Third Rail or Ninth Street to see if either of them has Counter Culture Aficionado available for retail sale. far less chance of bitterness on a home machine with that blend than there is with Toscano. You might also check Joe to see if they have Ecco Caffe espresso blend in stock.