Hi,
I've been trying this weekend to perfect a new light-medium roast that I bought at Pacific Bay Coffee Company in Walnut Creek. I've just had the Pavoni for about a month, but I was able to pull great shots with a roast from 49th Parallel (quite sure it was Epic Espresso - a gift). I do believe the epic is a dark roast. I've read through some of light coffee posts on here, but I still have a few questions.
The crema has looked good, there has been no bitter, sour or burnt taste; the shots have just not had much in the way of body. At first I suspected the beans, so I went back, ordered a shot (quite good) and satisfied, bought a 1/2 lb of the same roast (Espresso Obsesso). I figured that if they could do it, so can I. Where do I look in my process when the body is lacking? I will say that I haven't finished experimenting, and where 12.5g of the 49th was great, my taste buds are leading me to 14.0 with the Pacific coffee. Is there a post here, or elsewhere, that is something like a diagnostics of taste manual for espresso? I want to be able to taste a shot and say, 'Oh, I've got this taste, I should be changing parameters in this area..' I know I can do this to a certain degree already, but help would be appreciated.
Secondly, there are instances where I've prepared two or three pulls exactly the same (or so I think), but the pressure needed to pull the shot varies greatly! On order from a 10 second pull, to one that takes 25 seconds (same quantity, same tamp..) Then tonight, while experimenting, I had to pull more than half-way through before the coffee started to flow - any ideas?! Sink shot, try again, back to normal.

Thanks for the help,
phillip

-will the expensive Illy book, Espresso Coffee, Second Edition: The Science of Quality help in diagnosing problems?

Good questions.

The Illy book is a must buy. It is a beautifully produced, company subsidized text book on coffee and coffee technology. But it has little information on the nuts and bolts of coffee making.

For lever machines, changing pressure or temperature is usually problematic; but you can change the dose and grind setting. Higher dose shots will intensify the high-bright and deep bitter flavors at the expense of the middle caramel flavors. Faster, coarser ground shots will intensify the bright flavors, while slower, finer ground shots will intensify the bitter flavors.

Levers also allow one to vary the dwell time (how long the puck is exposed to low pressure water). I have no information on the effect of this, cet par, on shot taste. Does anyone know?

Thanks, Jim.

Higher dose shots will intensify the high-bright and deep bitter flavors at the expense of the middle caramel flavors. Faster, coarser ground shots will intensify the bright flavors, while slower, finer ground shots will intensify the bitter flavors.

That was very much what I was looking for. For other newbies that may run across this post, first, I found this helpful piece as well: http://www.home-barista.com/espre...tion-problems.html AND
http://www.sweetmarias.com/espresso-crema.html

I'd love to hear some thoughts on the pre-infusion time.

-phillip

Thanks Phillip!

Appreciate the links. Do you have any other coffee roasters here is the bay area? I noticed you are from SF but you are going all the way to WC. Is PBC worth the trip? It isn't very far from me so I would have an easy trip (Oakland) but I was just curious since I figured there must some really good places in SF to get beans.

Jeff

Here are some highly regarded local roasters:

Blue Bottle:

http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/C...ok?category=Coffee

They ship Tuesdays so I guess that's when they roast. Orders need to be in by noon PST Sunday prior. I think you can pick up from there, call and find out. You may be able to pick up freshly roasted coffees at their locations in SF.

Other coffee roasters in the area, Four Barrel in SF (375 Valencia St (at 15th St)San Francisco, CA 94103


Ritual Coffee Roasters:
1026 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 641-1024

My favorite:
Barefoot Coffee Roasters:
5237 Stevens Creek Blvd Santa Clara, CA 95051 (408) 248-4500

May be a bit far to travel from Oakland unless you happen to be in the area anyway.

Lockman,
I should probably change that to SF Bay Area - I'm over in the East Bay, Danville to be specific (I figure SF is better known than this small town). With that bit of geography, Pacific Bay is not far away. I find their shots better than the average cafe, but I haven't been able to pull a great one with the one roast I've tried - though I've had some very good. As you'll soon learn, I'll travel to SF or Oakland to buy the Blue Bottle roasts.
Yesterday, I visited Blue Bottle for the first time - that was damn good espresso; especially the single origin from Mexico on their Bosco piston-lever machine; heavenly - about a 40 second pull and a quite short ristretto - smooth and bright. Most surprising too me was the temperature - not nearly as hot as my Pavoni shots - and in a good way. Secondly, BB is nice (read, invaluable) in the way that they label (or simply know and will tell you) prime temperatures for extraction, I bought a 1/2 pound of their 17 foot blend - or something like that. Regardless, one of the baristas suggested that it works best at 202F! Sure enough, I tested it out this morning and had fantastic results. I tried 12.5g and 14g, and 11g - 12.5g was the best. Oh, and I worked hard to pull it with a low temperature - definitely a pleasant improvement.
When I first ordered an espresso, I asked if they pulled any blends on the Bosco - they don't, just single origin. On the second round, I asked if they would pull the 17 thousand blend that I had just bought. After some barista consultations, the same woman that pulled the first shot agreed to try the blend on the Bosco lever. According to at least two baristas, this was the first time they had tried pulling a blend on the Bosco. If I worked there, I'd try everything lever versus semi-automatic. I tasted, she tasted, and then she pulled it on the semi-automatic. Short story: both had the same brightness, but the lever had a subtle roundness and fragility that the semi lacked (I think this was the low temperature - wish I had of asked for specifics).
As for when they roast, my bag was labeled Jan 18 (bought 19th). I can't wait for tomorrow morning to roll around for another shot.

Rawman: Ritual is next on my list - didn't know about the Santa Clara joint.

Maybe there is another place in the forums to post this, but speaking of great cafes and roasters. Are any of you aware of a place that in San Jose called The Coffee Bug?
http://www.yelp.com/biz/coffee-bug-cafe-san-jose

Most regrettably, it changed owners a couple of years ago (and is now closed). Before that the proprietor was a Ukrainian or Russian named Constantine - actually, he may have been Belorussian. Regardless, this man is the most knowledgeable coffee person I have come across - but I lost track of him when he sold the business. Any ideas?


-phillip

Has ether of you tried this one? http://www.sweetmarias.com/ More of a green coffee joint but does some roasting as well. Very high on the yelp index. http://www.yelp.com/biz/sweet-marias-coffee-oakland I am thinking of doing some stove top stuff to start with green beans.

I know we're kind of going way off topic for the lever forum, but since you asked...

Phillip, Everyone knows Danville now, since that's the hometown of the hero pilot! You should also add Four Barrel to your list. The 'Santa Clara joint' Barefoot is well worth the trip. That's where we're going to have the lever meet and greet so you'll be checking them out when you come down. It's worth it. Never heard of the coffee bug.

Lockman,

Sweet Marias is known in most coffee circles and is considered by most to be one of the best / most reputable sources for green coffee. The fact that you are in the next town over from them means there's no reason for you not to stop by and check them out. I've never tried their roasted coffees. Their greens are a bit pricey, but known for quality.

I guess I need to check around. I thought they (Marias) were cheap (exspecaily compared to Blue Bottle at $20 a lb). I am drinking some Peets espresso which is tasty but a little south of a vienna roast (or is that north?) i.e. some oils showing. Certainly drinkable and now as burnt as I though it would be in flavor.

Hey Phillip, are you packing the bowl, er, tamping? I am going lighter then 30 lbs and it seems to work well but not much crema from the Peets. I have yet to taste any thing bitter or sour out of the Pavoni. Maybe if I try harder.

Lockman:

I am going lighter then 30 lbs and it seems to work well but not much crema from the Peets. I have yet to taste any thing bitter or sour out of the Pavoni. Maybe if I try harder.

If we meet at the Bay Area Lever Convention - I'll show you bitter from a Pavoni . Lighter tamp is my next try - but I think I need a finer grind (see my other posting above).

As for Sweet Maria's, I really want to go down the green bean trail, but I've got enough variables to keep track of for now.

-phillip