CwD wrote:I've had a lot of really good luck with lighter roasts, even at really tight ratios. Been pulling some light African beans at 16.5g in and anywhere from 18g-20g out. 8 second lever raise, 16-30 second preinfusion, and 30 second pull.

I was stuck for a while on the notion that I need to pull a much longer shot with lighter roasts to tame the acidity and that cerainly seems to work with some beans, but it was pulling shots at a tighter ratio with long preinfusion where I've been really pleased with the results as it seems to walk the line between balance of flavor and acidity and intense bright fruits. I've been pulling closer to 16.8 in and 26-30 out and my pulls are more in the 45-60 second window. I'm going to play with the variables more, though, and try your approach next time.

I feel like the more I use this machine the better my ability to salvage a shot gets. Dialing in some coffees on the EG-1, I was way too coarse for the kind of shots I like to pull at first. But seeing how little resistance there was in preinsusion, a much softer pull and a larger shot were able to make something pretty tasty from what would have otherwise surely wound up in the sink.

Once I'm dialed in I can pretty much get what I'm looking for, but a bit of practice with different styles can save even something wildly off settings.

So I've been pulling the rest of the water through the puck after pulling a shot into my catch cup since I thought it would keep mess down.

I decided to disengage the portafilter after just the shot volume was pulled. Not a drop of water gets out, even with no wait time. Puck has just a lil water on top, but not near enough to make a mess of anything. Screen had even less grounds to wipe off than normal too, and pulling the lever the rest of the way with the portafilter off was enough to flush it.

So if you've been pulling the rest of the water through the puck, stop. It's so much easier without doing that.

I've taken a video of the full shot routine with the CT1 and EG-1, since there seem to be some people interested in the workflow for both. It's a pretty simple and easy process. Dangerously so, I've been finding excuses for "one more shot" since I got it.
The basic parameters are:

• Input of 16.3g of Kenya Nyeri from Sump.
• Output of 18g over 30 seconds.
• Temperature set to 197°F, the CT1 was part of the way warmed up before the video started.
• Grinder set at 1 notch finer than the 0 numeral, which is a good ways off true zero, and 600rpm.

And the full routine is as follows:

1. Turn on machine, insert thermometer. Usually I'd lock the portafilter in at this point but I forgot to.
2. RDT on frozen beans with shaking between spritzes. The freezing seems to cut down on static even over normal RDT. I recommend giving it a try.
3. Flip on grinder and drop beans in. Grinding into Blind Shaker.
4. Get portafilter ready to load with funnel and shake Blind Shaker. Put the shaker on the funnel and pull the bottom out to fill portafilter.
5. Thwack it on the table a couple times to settle everything and tamp.
6. Mostly just waiting for it to come to temperature at this point, prewarming cups and so on to not just be standing there.
7. Lock in portafilter and place cup under it on the scale.
8. Sloooooowly raise lever.
9. Preinfuse, then pull shot. I'm not usually hunched over like this for the shot, but taking a knee for it like I usually do framed weird with the camera position.
10. Stop shot at 18g output for a 1.125 ratio.
11. Drink shot. This was a good one.
12. Disengage portafilter and clean group.
13. Clean up the rest of the workspace.
14. Done!

CwD wrote:I've taken a video of the full shot routine with the CT1 and EG-1, since there seem to be some people interested in the workflow for both. It's a pretty simple and easy process. Dangerously so, I've been finding excuses for "one more shot" since I got it.

Nice video and work flow, Mitch. I'm still dialing in the EG-1, without the Streitman, but can't wait to get back to it. Thanks for including the details of dose, grind, and pull.

I've been using 14 grams dose with the 15 gm baskets, but that may change with the EG-1.

One minor modification to your routine for my morning flow...repeat x 2!

I LOVE this place! 4:20 from start to sip to produce one (delicious) espresso. It just goes to show how many ways there are to get to coffee nirvana. I'm a grind and go guy...45 seconds from grind to sip.. (either K30 Vario or Sette), quick distribute, tamp, inset PF and basket, pull shot.
I do have to say the ability to really stretch that pull says two things..the grinder really gives you a very excellent result, and the CT1 has enough "feel" to it that the confidence level is high. Nice video.

CwD wrote:So I've been pulling the rest of the water through the puck after pulling a shot into my catch cup since I thought it would keep mess down.

I decided to disengage the portafilter after just the shot volume was pulled. Not a drop of water gets out, even with no wait time. Puck has just a lil water on top, but not near enough to make a mess of anything. Screen had even less grounds to wipe off than normal too, and pulling the lever the rest of the way with the portafilter off was enough to flush it.

So if you've been pulling the rest of the water through the puck, stop. It's so much easier without doing that.

Why not just pull the lever up less far. I know Wouter thinks you need to pull the lever all the way down because you can pull coffee up through the piston when stopping the shot like you do and strongly advices against it. I also did it this way when grinding way too fine but just on a couple of occassions and not every shot. You can indeed stop the shot very easily and pull the portfilter out with the Strietman.

I just let the rest of the water run in the driptray, flush the coffee off of the driptray when flushing the screen and wipe it clean. Also works very well. I stopped using a catch tray because it makes the whole routing so much easier. Not pulling up the lever all the way will need a bit of experience of learning how far you need to pull it up but once you get the hang of it it's very easy and keeps the mess down.

This is my routine

IMAWriter wrote:I LOVE this place! 4:20 from start to sip to produce one (delicious) espresso. It just goes to show how many ways there are to get to coffee nirvana. I'm a grind and go guy...45 seconds from grind to sip.. (either K30 Vario or Sette), quick distribute, tamp, inset PF and basket, pull shot.
I do have to say the ability to really stretch that pull says two things..the grinder really gives you a very excellent result, and the CT1 has enough "feel" to it that the confidence level is high. Nice video.

I definitely fall into the camp of taking a much more leisurely approach to making espresso. I hand grind. I wait to get the water temp right where I want it. My shots right now are often 30 sec preinfusion and 45 sec pulls. I don't mind taking the time to pull a 2nd shot if I don't feel like I got it right. I always get a kick watching the vids of people preparing a shot at home like they're training for nascar pit crew. I think my pace would drive many on here crazy

RyanP wrote:I definitely fall into the camp of taking a much more leisurely approach to making espresso. I think my pace would drive many on here crazy

Yeah, I'm one of the many! Seriously, you keep doing what works for YOU! You see, I'm just getting older by the second.

+1, keep on doing good shots. I thought my work flow was slow and that was leading to my grey hair, but maybe not...