So this will be my first post on HB, and I'm also new to making espresso at home.

I'm using a Vario and Gaggia New Baby (in hindsight I wish I would've went for the classic so I can adjust the OPV, but will have to deal with it for now). And before anyone asks, yes I'm using a normal basket and not the pressured one.

I'm using fresh locally roasted coffee (<10 days from roast), and can pull a 30g shot from 18g coffee in 30-32 seconds.

I'm liking the shots, but feel that the taste could be better. Could I be overextracting the shot? I'm only guessing this can be the case because of the dark spots on the crema (take a look at the image). I noticed that I get a few pencil lead sized holes in the puck, which I believe is a sign of channeling - but wouldn't that mean I'm underextracting?

Any thoughts?




Thanks!
Mike

No image, but that aside, tiger flaking is actually a good thing if that is what you are getting. Looking at the puck after the shot is about useless. It will not tell you much unless it is something grossly wrong with the shot or machine. Remember after your shot, the 3-way solenoid opens to vent the brew pressure. You go from 130psi to 0 in a fraction of a second. That tends to disrupt the puck when the air sucks back up through it.

Channeling will over extract and under extract. You will under extract most of the puck with over extraction where the channeling occurs. The only real way to know is to use a bottomless portafilter and see what is happening especially being new at the process.

30 grams from 18g of coffee is a very tight shot. That is just over an ounce extracted which is solidly in the ristretto range. For more information on extraction ratio's it may be worth looking at this.

Brewing ratios for espresso beverages

Beyond that, why do you think it could be better? You do not mention what kind of flavors or off notes you are getting in the shot.

Sorry - didn't realize the image didn't post. Now it should appear.

When I saw could be better, I guess I mean its flavor and body are far off from what I tasted at the cafe that roasts the beans.

I'd try a 16g dose and time the shot but keep your eye on the pour to check for blonding - when it starts - stop the extraction - also check on your timer how long the shot took. I usually aim for 25 seconds and then adjust my dose to taste. But then again taste is subjective to each individual.

I always also taste the espressos at the shop before buying so I can see what it should taste like - I can get it pretty damn close but I am still learning. Lots of practice - and keep notes of what you did when the shot comes out good

Will give it another try. Problem is that 16g leaves so much headspace between the shower and the puck, atleast enough room for 2 nickels placed ontop without it leaving an impression. Would the lower dose effect the coloration on the crema, or simply the flavor?

With a Vario, should I be worrying about using WDT or another type of distribution trick, or should I be able to just shake the portafilter to even it out and tamp down?

You could try adjust your grind. With regards to the vario - I find the clumping to be very minimal - I usually skip the WDT and just tamp the mound flat and not even bother with shaking it level. Try a few different approaches and see what works out for you. Namely dose, grind and tamping techniques. E.g. up your dose but make it coarser etc and tamp a little harder. I've never really worried about the headspace - the puck gets disrupted when you stop the shot because of the pressure release - so it doesn't necessarily mean the puck will disfigure whilst being pulled. I'm not too sure if a lower dose will effect the colour of the crema - depends on how much liquid you extract

There are so many variables with espresso it still surprises me everyday. Consistency is one of the hardest things for me, especially when it comes to flushing my hx.

MikePriz wrote:I'm liking the shots, but feel that the taste could be better.

The photo you posted look fine, but without any taste hints, I cannot offer suggestions. How did it taste? How would it taste better to you? For clarity's sake, the Home Barista's Guide to Espresso describes common taste defects:

Jim Schulman wrote:Instant coffee taste: The mark of overextraction. Grind coarser and stop darker, so volume stays the same. If the bitter taste is prickly-sharp rather than dull, also lower the temperature.

Thin and sourish: The mark of underextraction. Grind finer and stop lighter, so the volume stays the same. If the taste is extremely sour, also raise the temperature.

If you haven't read the Guide, you should do that first. The Newbie Introduction to Espresso video series covers many of the same subjects.

Thanks for the ideas - looks like I have some experimenting to do. Seems like my biggest problem is identifying the flavor I'm getting. Hard to differentiate between sour and bitter.

The photo looks fine to me, too, but I was struck by your comment that the dark spots made you worry the shot was overextracted. Typically, it's very-light colored crema that would signal possible overextraction (though not always a guarantee of same.) A mottled appearance on top of the crema (i.e., a few blotches of light against dark) often signals a well-extracted shot, but not always. The appearance at optimum extraction can vary with the coffee and brew ratio. It's more accurate to judge the color of the stream itself as the shot progresses.

As suggested by cannonfodder, for beginners a bottomless portafilter is an essential tool to determine if your distribution is OK and that there's no serious channeling or disruption of the puck. There are countless videos on this site and all over the web showing extraction of good and bad shots with a bottomless portafilter.

There are a number of visual indicators that the shot has finished, including a distinctive lightening of the color (e.g., pale yellow or lighter), thinning of the stream's consistency and collapse of the "cone" of liquid from which the stream emerges.

But bear this in mind: none of these indicators is definitive and the point to cut the shot will vary depending on the coffee and other brew parameters you've selected. You have to taste the shots to determine whether they're overextracted or underextracted (per the guidelines Dan posted). Then you have to make adjustments to the dose, grind, time, temperature, etc. and taste how those changes affect the flavor. This will give you the information you need to prepare and cut the shot for optimum taste.

Also note that while the Vario is an excellent grinder (for the price), it's not always consistent. If the grind isn't consistent from shot to shot, making these adjustments can be an exercise in frustration. With the Vario, you can get variation in the grind depending on how many beans are in the hopper. You may need to add beans or adjust the grind finer when there's less than 1/2 inch of beans in the hopper. I suggest that while you're learning you try to maintain the same level of beans in the hopper for each grind, at least one inch or more, adding beans as necessary after each grind.

One last suggestion (this might be in the various guides mentioned here): use a small spoon to intercept and taste the stream at various points during the shot. When you do this, deliberately let the shot run too long so that the stream will be bitter or tasteless by the end. Early in the shot, the stream will taste very sour. Late in the shot, the intensity of the taste will diminish and it may taste bitter. This will help to train your tongue to distinguish between sour and bitter shots, which believe it or not many people can't do, especially after a lot of tasting.

MikePriz wrote:Thanks for the ideas - looks like I have some experimenting to do. Seems like my biggest problem is identifying the flavor I'm getting. Hard to differentiate between sour and bitter.

An easy way of sharpening your taste vocabulary is pulling a shot at the extremes.

For example, a 10 second gusher espresso should be sour / dull. A 60+ second near choke should taste very harsh / bitter. Try adding 10 seconds to the first pour time by tightening the grind setting and subtracting 10 seconds from the second pour time by loosening the grind setting. Beginners often make the mistake of sneaking up to a problem in tiny steps; try deliberately overshooting the target by a wide margin and then ~halving the difference. You'll be within the sweet spot in less than 4-6 pulls (or at least understand how pour time and grind setting impacts flavor).