Add spring to new Elektra Microcasa a Leva or not? - Page 2

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#11: Post by EspressoForge »

aasemkhan wrote:Thanks for the tip. I'll look at that as well.

Have been experimenting with the grind coarseness without much success, but will keep going. It comes tantalizingly close at the beginning of the pull (or push in this case I guess), but ends up disappointing. I'll keep trying, and report back.
Grind and dose are related as I'm sure you know, but sometimes stating the obvious doesn't let us easily see the obvious. A video of your prep, extraction and how the final result looks should tell those familiar with the McaL if you're doing good or how to improve.

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#12: Post by aasemkhan (original poster) »

Very good idea. Video coming up shortly.

aasemkhan (original poster)
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#13: Post by aasemkhan (original poster) »

OK, no video yet, but I think I got it. Dr. Gary, your coarseness advice was spot on. My problem was not going too 'coarse'. Just went way past the limit (as I perceived it), and voila! Crema! Even on the re-pull.

Now I'll adjust to improve on this.

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#14: Post by aasemkhan (original poster) »

OK, finally got around to recording a video of my technique. I wanted to get some consistency with what I was doing before posting the video. I do get some crema, but it's still not much, and it dissipates very quickly.

Please excuse the shaky camera as I was alone doing this. I've had very similar results with most bean blends.

Hopefully you can spot what I might be doing wrong. Thanks in advance.

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rpavlis
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#15: Post by rpavlis »

I generally wait from three to four minutes after the "light goes out" before making the first shot. Also I normally set the cup and the portafilter on the left side of the machine and put a ramekin under the group and pull the handle down with my left hand until just a bit of steam is released. I allow the handle to come up only a bit and then with my right hand I attach the portafilter and put the cup under it. I push the handle all the way down and look at the clock. Ten second later I very slowly allow the handle to come up until a few drops of espresso appear, and then I push the handle all the way down again, and then over a second or two release the handle. The grind is extremely important with this machine!!! If you have a La Pavoni bottomless portafilter and an infrared thermometer, you can measure the temperature of the espresso as it emerges. Do not do this all the time because I suspect it would result in excess wear on the group portafilter mounting threads, as they have opposite handedness. Unless you be an octopus, however, it is a bit difficult to measure temperature this way without an assistant, though it can be done. I find that, with this machine, the ideal temperature for the end of the shot is about 90C. Strangely I have some of the very coffee from Burman's that was in the video.

Crema appears to dissipate a lot because it is mostly water vapour, and as it cools the tiny bubbles shrink as the water vapour condenses making it appear to have less volume even if the bubbles do not break up.

I have a jar of Brazilian robusta that I got from someone. Sometimes when I roast I put about 20% of it in the Arabica. I like the flavour of about that amount of robusta, and it tends to make more crema. But to me over doing the robusta results in espresso that has notes of skunks, cat urine, and burning tyres, especially if one roast it too dark.

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drgary
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#16: Post by drgary »

Aasemkhan:

The main thing I'm seeing is insufficient preinfusion, but there are other things missing that are important. First please weigh your dose while you are dialing in the machine. Otherwise you're not getting consistency. You could try starting with 14 or 15 gm. I've gotten up to 17 gm into an Elektra double basket. (Too high a dose will cause channeling, so experiment.) I also see difficulties with distribution of grounds so that the flow is uneven across the two holes in the portafilter. You might try WDT before tamping. Your grind may still be a touch fine because after 10 or so seconds I'm not seeing drops going into the cup during preinfusion. If you see maybe 6 - 10 droplets that slow down and are coming from both portafilter holes, you're watching the coffee cake get saturated before starting your pull. You'll get more volume and with that crema too. You're probably getting channeling.

Also the drip tray seems very full. If you let it overflow that way you're likely getting liquid onto the base underneath, which can cause rust.

BTW Robert's concurrent post with mine uses recocking the lever to get better pre-infusion, so I think we're seeing the same thing.
Gary
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What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

aasemkhan (original poster)
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#17: Post by aasemkhan (original poster) »

Thank you for the feedback. I'll try all of the above and adjust a bit more.

About the drip tray, it's not full. I just have a silicone cover on it to prevent scratches. Yes, I know. My friends have already subjected me to enough ridicule, but I like that chrome pristine. Perhaps elektra should have a bakelite drip grill as well like the Pavoni.

On the subject of beans, the ones I'm using are wet processed so, based on what I've read so far, I'm assuming switching to dry processed South American Arabicas will help as well. I like syrupy and sweeter flavors (I will sometimes just get the 'center cut' for only the sweetness), so any recommendations beyond the robusta blending?

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drgary
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#18: Post by drgary »

I think concentrating on what type of beans you're using (other than fresh) is too much effort in a direction that won't yield much result. Any fresh beans should yield crema once you've dialed in your technique. Also if you're defeating your drip grate, is water getting under the drip tray?
Gary
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What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

aasemkhan (original poster)
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#19: Post by aasemkhan (original poster) »

Point taken.

The drip grill just has a silicone cover that has holes. Sometimes they don't line up with those in the grill so some coffee gets trapped between the grill and cover. Nothing gets under the tray itself so there's no chance of rusting. I have found another, simpler solution to my ocd problem (other than a trip to a shrink). The plastic lid of Quaker oats fits perfectly in the drip tray. So I'll be using that as my cover :-)

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#20: Post by Balthazar_B »

drgary wrote:Aasemkhan:

The main thing I'm seeing is insufficient preinfusion, but there are other things missing that are important. First please weigh your dose while you are dialing in the machine. Otherwise you're not getting consistency. You could try starting with 14 or 15 gm. I've gotten up to 17 gm into an Elektra double basket. (Too high a dose will cause channeling, so experiment.) I also see difficulties with distribution of grounds so that the flow is uneven across the two holes in the portafilter. You might try WDT before tamping.
Also consider getting a bottomless portafilter, which will help you understand what's happening in the basket as your pull progresses. The bad news is that it's likely to cost you a bit over $50. The good news is that you'll sharply accelerate your level of knowledge. I don't think Orphan Espresso sells them any more, but I'm pretty sure espressoparts.com does (give them a call).
- John

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