RyanJE wrote:Also try lower doses like 15g as 18g might be much for the basket.

I tried using 15g... too much water for that amount of grams of coffee... too water down for my taste. Maybe I should have made the grind finer as well... I need to practice some more keeping dose fixed and varying grind size...

I am going to go through the steps of the link you shared. Could not do that last night as it was already too late. Will have some fun tomorrow with this. Got some fresh beans this morning from the local shop.

tohenk2 wrote:Getting really sweet coffee without sour or bitter? Well, no. Even the supersweet and chocolat-shots have something else besides just sweetness. But sometimes, sometimes you get everything just right for you*. Perfection! Bliss! And then the beans run out ...

(*tastes differ. Quality is relatively easy, buy fresh produce, know a 'little' about what you do, take care while preparing and lastly have tools as good as you like - but then you might like more fruitiness or more sweetness or ... etc. etc.. That last bit to YOUR perfection, that will get you down te rabithole )

Before I go down the rabbit-hole I want to be able to get better with the current equipment that I have. That was the reason to not return it. It was easy to decide on spending 500 vs over US$2.5K (espresso machine and grinder). Once I feel comfortable with all this and start getting some level of consistency and good understanding of all the mechanics and magical/sorcery techniques, then I will consider something else for that last bit of perfection

wachuko wrote:Thank you both for your comments and suggestions!

Not my best pull so far... but the only one I have captured on video...

Closer look at the color and texture of the crema

Your shot looks pretty good. You're in the ballpark, it's just going to take time to find the type of bean/blend you like, the temp and extraction ratios. The crema looks like the blend you're using has robusta. I think you mentioned an Italian super crema a few pages back. If that's it, you're not going to get a lot of sweetness, but chocolate, nuts and some robusta-ness (rubber, dark ash).

If you get Sweet Blue, keep in mind it's a Brazilian single origin, not a blend. It works well as a SO espresso, or any brew method. I prefer it cooler around 92C, even 91C to bring out some acidity to balance.

wachuko wrote:I tried using 15g... too much water for that amount of grams of coffee... too water down for my taste. Maybe I should have made the grind finer as well... I need to practice some more keeping dose fixed and varying grind size...

I am going to go through the steps of the link you shared. Could not do that last night as it was already too late. Will have some fun tomorrow with this. Got some fresh beans this morning from the local shop.

I'm not sure how it could be too much water.. remember you are making a recipe using brew ratios. Meaning pick a dose and ratio and fix it. I.e. 15g in 22g out or the equivalent would be 18g in and 27out. Both are a 1.5 ratio and both should take about 30sec or so. If you didn't change grind from the previous 18g dose and used the same amount of water your 15g dose would be way off.

I suggested you lower your dose because it's likely 18g is too much for that 54mm basket which creates channeling etc that you cannot see.

Trust me when I say start pulling your shots onto a scale and forget about liquid volume or eye balling your stop point. Also, with beans that dark roasted (i.e. Visible oils on them) you will be hard pressed to get sweetness, that's all but gone.

Argghhh, how stupid of me! It was late, I was tired... forgot to weigh the shot and stop it at the 22g output

wachuko wrote:<image>

Argghhh, how stupid of me! It was late, I was tired... forgot to weigh the shot and stop it at the 22g output

Happens all the time. Especially when flipping the same scale from weighing dose to weighing shot. Just burn through that coffee and learn. A professional barista is doing this all the time. At home you only do it a few times a day, unless you are experimenting and don't mind the bean expense.

I don't mind going through beans like I am doing now... wife thinks differently and is watching the orders, lol... I told her last night why I am "wasting" so much coffee... learn, dial-in, find the right coffee bean for the taste that I am after, etc. I learned to buy 1lb bags for now to test (first few I ordered I got 2lbs bags)... started to look for local places that provide fresh roasted beans, etc.

Father-in-law does not mind all this... lol... he just grabs a chair and drinks whatever I put out. He would just drink it straight, make a latte for his wife (they both live with us at home)... oh, and the bags of beans I do not like, he grabs them and is using them for his DeLonghi... nothing goes to waste!!

I will report back over the weekend as I follow the recommendations on that Espresso 101: How to Adjust Dose and Grind Setting by Taste link

Have a great weekend!!

wachuko wrote:<image>

Argghhh, how stupid of me! It was late, I was tired... forgot to weigh the shot and stop it at the 22g output

We feel ya, there's a million variables your learning. Just don't forget, you would also have had to grind finer.

Once you read that link a couple times it will click...

Welcome to the Barista Express!

Since you don't have enough suggestions to what you're searching for <jk>, I thought I'd throw another on there for ya...

I found that I get a huge flavor burst by grinding finer than for a normal shot, then increasing the pre-infusion pressure time to about 7 seconds after I see the first drip. My shot volumes are set to factory settings, but I just hold that double shot button for as long as it takes until I count to "7-one thousand" once the pour starts, then release until the shot is done. I know it is too fine if the final volume is less than 60 mils, but truth be told, I have gotten some wonderful shots that are a bit short, volumetricly (?) speaking...taste is the ultimate factor!

In order to quickly stabilize the temperature of the machine, I turn the steam wand on. After the steam starts, I turn the water spout on with the portafilter underneath. This does two things: warms the portafilter, and cools the boiler down to the operating temperature. You can control the flavor of your extractions to a degree by adjusting the "PID" control on the machine as well...but stabilizing the temperature of the whole machine is the only way that you will be able to repeat your results.

I am right there with ya on the espresso journey; just need to find the best way to convince the wife that a Ceado e37s and a Pro 800 are in our best interest as a family....

Good luck!

Forum member amagad sold me a modified portafilter with a bottomless setup and a beautiful wooden handle. I have to say... for what he charge me for it, it was more like a gift. The box I got today had an additional portafilter, two baskets, and a box of the water filters!!! Thank you amagad!!





I also received some goodies from OrphanEspresso - their OE Aluminum Portafilter Dosing Cylinder and the OE Aluminum Portafilter Dosing Funnel



But back to topic... with the new bottomless portafilter, time to look at what I am doing...

15 grams for coffee with a 22.9 grams output





Coffee beans are the espresso beans sold by local Cuban place (Zaza's)

Take one
Take two
Crema
I still need sugar with these beans... 4 grams in total for sugar.

Comments on the extraction?