New home barista searching for a good shot
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- Posts: 106
- Joined: 9 years ago
Hi,
I invested in a new machine and grinder. Now I am searching for a good coffee experience. I am trying different coffees, grinds, and temps. Like many posters on this site I find my shots to be very bright and citrusy. I think it is the roasts more than technique and equipment so the quest continues.
My wife enjoys every one of my coffees but they are all milk drinks. I enjoy milk drinks as well as espresso. I hope to contribute as much as I can to the community here and enjoyed the posts that I have read the last couple of months.
I am currently drinking Stumptown Hairbender. I don't think this will be my house coffee though. It is too bright for my tastes. I am contemplating my next purchase and think I may go back to the Velton Bonsai Blend. I did not have the right grinder with the first bag that came free with my machine and I want to give it another try.
I invested in a new machine and grinder. Now I am searching for a good coffee experience. I am trying different coffees, grinds, and temps. Like many posters on this site I find my shots to be very bright and citrusy. I think it is the roasts more than technique and equipment so the quest continues.
My wife enjoys every one of my coffees but they are all milk drinks. I enjoy milk drinks as well as espresso. I hope to contribute as much as I can to the community here and enjoyed the posts that I have read the last couple of months.
I am currently drinking Stumptown Hairbender. I don't think this will be my house coffee though. It is too bright for my tastes. I am contemplating my next purchase and think I may go back to the Velton Bonsai Blend. I did not have the right grinder with the first bag that came free with my machine and I want to give it another try.
Dr. Strangebrew: Or how I learned to stop worrying and love milk and sugar
- dominico
- Team HB
- Posts: 2007
- Joined: 9 years ago
There are a few ways to reduce acidity of a coffee that you would normally like but is "too bright". You can try downdosing and grinding finer, or brewing at a bit higher temperature, or both. I have better luck downdosing and grinding finer. What is your current dose size / brew temp?
If you decide it simply isn't the coffee for you, you can try Paradise Roasters Espresso Nuevo, or Redbird Blue Jaguar or Sweet Blue. They are popular here for HBers that prefer non bright, chocolaty-type shots.
If you decide it simply isn't the coffee for you, you can try Paradise Roasters Espresso Nuevo, or Redbird Blue Jaguar or Sweet Blue. They are popular here for HBers that prefer non bright, chocolaty-type shots.
https://bit.ly/3N1bhPR
Il caffè è un piacere, se non è buono che piacere è?
Il caffè è un piacere, se non è buono che piacere è?
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- Posts: 106
- Joined: 9 years ago
I have tried all of those techniques, albeit on a limited basis, but the lemony notes still come through. Generally speaking I was going with 18g and 200 degrees. I followed Stumptowns recommendations on dose and brew time as well. I think it is in the coffee(roast). I appreciate the coffee recommendations and will give them a try. They might be the coffee for me or at the very least if bright notes come through I know it is technique.
Early on I had tried lavazza, illy, mainly from convenience, Velton, which was before I had the right grinder, and most recently a Nicaraguan and Brazilian SO from Sagebrush, but the lemon kept coming through. I felt like I was drinking coffee with Early Grey tea mixed.
I have even mixed leftover beans into one canister making my own blend with all of the above. It wasn't bad, mainly because the lemon notes were down played, probably by the Lavazza. But, lemony notes still came through.
I am ready to go to the French press on the Hairbender and see how it tastes and order one of your recommendations for espresso. I have been reading about some of those roasts as well. The thread with the "favorite" coffee sellers has proven useful for that.
Edit: I just saw the banner ad for Paradise Roasters and ordered the Nuevo Espresso!
Early on I had tried lavazza, illy, mainly from convenience, Velton, which was before I had the right grinder, and most recently a Nicaraguan and Brazilian SO from Sagebrush, but the lemon kept coming through. I felt like I was drinking coffee with Early Grey tea mixed.
I have even mixed leftover beans into one canister making my own blend with all of the above. It wasn't bad, mainly because the lemon notes were down played, probably by the Lavazza. But, lemony notes still came through.
I am ready to go to the French press on the Hairbender and see how it tastes and order one of your recommendations for espresso. I have been reading about some of those roasts as well. The thread with the "favorite" coffee sellers has proven useful for that.
Edit: I just saw the banner ad for Paradise Roasters and ordered the Nuevo Espresso!
Dr. Strangebrew: Or how I learned to stop worrying and love milk and sugar
- dominico
- Team HB
- Posts: 2007
- Joined: 9 years ago
If you are getting lemony notes from Lavazza or Illy, then there is something very strange going on; neither of those two coffees should be producing bright flavored shots.
https://bit.ly/3N1bhPR
Il caffè è un piacere, se non è buono che piacere è?
Il caffè è un piacere, se non è buono che piacere è?
- dominico
- Team HB
- Posts: 2007
- Joined: 9 years ago
Well here's hoping you like the Nuevo, I've found it a very forgiving coffee to work with.
https://bit.ly/3N1bhPR
Il caffè è un piacere, se non è buono che piacere è?
Il caffè è un piacere, se non è buono che piacere è?
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- Posts: 1293
- Joined: 10 years ago
OP is using the Breville SG, I feel like the small conical burrs could be the culprit.. but I haven't used the newest "pro" version, which he told me he has in a PM.dominico wrote:If you are getting lemony notes from Lavazza or Illy, then there is something very strange going on; neither of those two coffees should be producing bright flavored shots.
Nuevo and Redbird are both great.
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- Posts: 106
- Joined: 9 years ago
I hope it's not the grinder, that will be disappointing. It is the Breville Pro version, which I thought with the extra adjustments could get fine enough. Maybe I should go finer on the grind as previously mentioned. Maybe that will help.
Dr. Strangebrew: Or how I learned to stop worrying and love milk and sugar
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- Posts: 106
- Joined: 9 years ago
I am not great at posting to respond to Dominico, but no bright notes from the Illy or Lavazza at all. What I was saying I mixed up some leftover beans including some Lavazza, and others that "masked" some of the brightness of the other beans and was more to my taste.
Dr. Strangebrew: Or how I learned to stop worrying and love milk and sugar
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- Posts: 1293
- Joined: 10 years ago
A common misconception with grinders, especially at the domestic level, is that as long as it goes fine enough, it will work for espresso. This is not the case. A Mazzer Mini goes as fine as a Mazzer Major, but the Major tastes exceptionally better, this is due to clumps, fines, and all sorts of other problems some grinders have with consistency. IE, some grinds are more fine or less fine than others.
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- Posts: 1293
- Joined: 10 years ago
Also, Stumptown Hairbender is known to be a challenging coffee to work with, it really shouldn't be that bright. I can pretty confidently say the Smart Grinder will be a pain for that coffee.. I would also urge a beginning home barista to start out with a coffee like Red Bird, or Nuevo. Once you get comfortable with those coffees, I think you could pursue those more challenging coffees (A la hair bender)