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Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge"

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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by cnhoff on Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:11 pm

Hello,

i just got my new equipment, a Isomac Millenium and a Demoka Mini Moka M203 grinder.

I am using Hausbrandt Nonnetti at the moment, most places rate it at a medium strength and more or less ideal for Cappuccino. That is what i drink most.

I am using 18grams of coffee for two Cappuccini. Extraction time is around 25 seconds till it blonds and gets a little bit transparent. Coffee is coming out like honey, quite pleasing to watch, nice crema also. I think some tiger-striping is also going on, the darker and lighter streams mingle a little bit. Machine heats for minimum 1 hour before i pull the first shot.

What am i doing wrong? The Cappuccino i get is a bit on the weak side, although not bad in taste, the typical espresso edge is missing, it tastes more like a good coffee with cream or something.

Do i overextract when waiting for the shot to go a little bit transparent?
Should i use more coffee?
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by malachi on Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:32 pm

what does it taste like when not combined with milk?
"Taste is the only morality." -- John Ruskin
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by cnhoff on Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:38 pm

The Espresso tastes good. No sourness or over-bitterness.

Combined with milk, it does not really taste like cappuccino, if you know what i mean, there is a certain "bitterness" ( i do not know how to call it other than that) missing.

It tastes more like coffee with milk or cream as i said above. Of course there are milder espresso blends also, but from what i have been reading, Hausbrandt Nonnetti is pretty good for making milk drinks.
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by another_jim on Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:12 pm

Servus,

If you are used to making or getting cappas made from doubles, then one made from a single will taste anemic. This is easy enough to check. If the double cappa using this coffee is good, the solution, is to make a pair of cortados, a Spanish milk drink made with about 50mL of milk, served in a 75 to 100 mL cup.
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by malachi on Mon Feb 23, 2009 5:20 pm

sounds like either you have too much milk to espresso for your taste - or that the espresso you're using doesn't cut through the milk enough for your taste.

easy fixes - in either case.
either change the ratio of espresso to milk, or switch coffees.
"Taste is the only morality." -- John Ruskin
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by cnhoff on Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:45 pm

OK, so you think, my espresso brewing technique might not be entirely wrong?

Right now it is 11pm here, but i will try it tomorrow.

I feel a little bit ashamed because of the "easy" answers, but coffee making on this level is both exciting and challenging for a newbie :)
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by gbovino on Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:05 pm

I'd go for switching beans.... maybe try a single origin bean. They tend to stand out more in cappuccinos than espresso blends.

Gabe
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by malachi on Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:34 pm

Not to be a curmudgeon - but as much of a fan of SO espresso as I am, I would suggest something different in this case (like simply switching to a different blend).
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by Psyd on Tue Feb 24, 2009 6:40 pm

cnhoff wrote:Do i overextract when waiting for the shot to go a little bit transparent?
Should i use more coffee?


My memories of the cappucini I got in Scwaebischland were of a bit over-extracted, and a bit of a hot pull, too. Most of what I got there were super-autos, and were trying to imitate cafe Wien. Either use a bit less milk (and remember, proper frothing will help to let the true nature of the coffee come through) adjust your technique for a less-than-stellar pull to give you that edge, or get used to the capps that you're drinking. Trying different beans could also be a good solution, and being so close to Vienna and so close to Italy, you should be able to find some great fresh roasted alternatives.
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by Phaelon56 on Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:09 pm

It will still be helpful if you can advise us of the milk to espresso ratio. If it's currently at 5 to 1 or 6 to 1 ratio then try reducing milk to a 2 to 1 ratio as a starting point and work your way back up to the correct milk/espresso balance.

That said... there are some blends that produce a smooth and pleasant espresso shot with distinct characteristics but wither and become bland or insipid with much milk.
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by CUBANERO on Thu Apr 09, 2009 4:25 am

I ve tasted Lavazza Crema E Aroma . Its the best espresso with milk i had tasted for now. The strange thing is that the coffee alone is the worst coffee i had ever drinked.
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by Phaelon56 on Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:07 am

if it tastes good to you as a straight espresso and the shots you pulled for cappas were done the same way - then as I see it there are two possibilities:

1) Milk to espresso ratio may have too much milk - and for my personal taste the right ratio is about 1.5 ounces/45 ml of espresso to about 4.5 oz/145 ml milk. That 1 to 3 ratio works well for my taste - usually.

2) The blend you're using may perform well as a straight espresso or even as a machiatto but might be too retrained and subtle to make a good cappa. I sometimes find blends that just don't hold up well in my favored 1 to 3 ratio and I just reduce the amount of milk in the drink.
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Link to "Cappuccinos are weak, missing espresso "edge""by darrensandford on Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:03 am

How soft/hard is your water?

I changed my brita filter in my aquaquell purity a couple of weeks ago, and I did the math and realised that I had it set to produce 25ppm water. I increased the softener bypass to 20% to give 50ppm, and wow, so much more body in the cup. I would rate the espresso as four times better than before.

Before, I was getting beautiful clarity of flavours, but the tongue-coating body was missing. Check your water!
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