What is the best lighting for judging blonding point ?

by **Ton** on Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:11 am

Maybe a silly question at first sight, but my espresso machine stands in a rather dark corner of my kitchen. As a result of this it is rather difficult to judge when blonding starts, the more because I paid more attention to the timing instead of the blonding point until recently.
I already mounted a fluorescent lamp above my working space but I have the impression that with that it is even more difficult. (Maybe because of the color temperature ?)
Do you have any (other) tips ?
Ton

by **Sherman** on Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:46 am

Consistent trumps best. If you use the available lighting and consistently stop at a certain point, the next step is to train your palate to recognize the flavors for THAT bean at THAT grind at THAT temperature at THAT flow rate at THAT blonding point, producing THAT ratio.

Work on holding those marks, and I suspect that you will discover that lighting makes little difference, as long as you're not in a cave.

by **Randy G.** on Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:11 am

small LED stick-on light or strip.
Sylvania 33793
9 LED flexible strip

by **boar_d_laze** on Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:49 pm

Less important: You're not looking for perfect color values, you're looking for obvious appearance changes during the course of the pour. Any sufficiently bright, soft, indirect lighting is fine as long as it's not way too far from white. Even an old fashioned flourescent will reveal everything you need to know.

More important: Look at where the pour hits the crema instead of the stream itself, there's an obvious contrast between the two when blonding progresses too far. It's much easier to judge. Once you've taught yourself to see, you get to teach yourself to anticipate.

BDL

by **Randy G.** on Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:55 pm

I will add that color is just one indicator, and one I do not use. I find that watching viscosity of the stream a better indicator. Gradual color changes are difficult to ascertain, and a sudden blonding is an obvious sign of a problem.

by **another_jim** on Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:09 pm

+1 on both of Rich's points. -1 on the concept of a blonding point; it's not something you can miss, like a bus: "You just missed the blonding point, you'll have to wait for the next shot"

The shot flows in roughly four stages:
-- At first there is the dwell time, no flow at all, as the puck soaks and the fines migrate.
-- Second, there is an almost completely black trickle or ooze, if you taste this on its own, it will blow your palate, since it is the fast dissolving acids and light, cutting bitters, with only a little sugar. If the coffee has defects, it is sometimes a good idea to let some of this phase go into the drip tray.
-- Third, the flow then turns into what looks like the pouring chocolate of the espresso porn videos. Taste this alone and it is the caramels and chocolate flavors of the coffee. You never want to stop a shot during this phase.
-- Fourth, the flow lightens and turns translucent, i.e., it blondes. Taste this and the taste is watery and mildly bitter. You can cut this phase short if you want a more concentrated shot or extend it if you want the shot milder tasting.

by **Ton** on Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:37 pm

Thanks for your great help.

by **Ton** on Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:27 am

Randy G. wrote:I will add that color is just one indicator, and one I do not use. I find that watching viscosity of the stream a better indicator. Gradual color changes are difficult to ascertain, and a sudden blonding is an obvious sign of a problem.

And am I right that when the streams from the spouts begin to point inwards, after hanging straight down initially, this is an indication that the viscosity is beginning to decrease ?

by HB on Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:09 am

That's correct. Bob provides a scientific explanation in When did this espresso extraction go blond? Briefly, the pour shape changes because of the change in the water's surface tension.


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