FWIW... my results from the last few days of tasting.

Coffees: Ecco Caffe Reserve, Ecco Caffe experimental 60/40 blend, 4 Barrel espresso

Protocol: 3 different tasters. Espresso prepared in 3 manners ("traditional", with crema swirled to combine into cup, skimmed). Initial tests were blind (in this case using blindfold in fact). Secondary tests were not.

Preferences: All 3 tasters expressed a slight preference for the "swirled" espresso. This was true both blind and not. There was no agreement on which was "second best" - with 1 taster preferring "traditional" when blind and 2 preferring "skimmed" (oddly this flip-flopped when not blind). 1 taster expressed a strong preference for traditional over skimmed - while the other 2 felt only a very slight preference. All agreed that the difference in experience between the two was very large ("like they are different drinks and different coffees").

Weakness in testing: The primary weaknesses in the testing were: too few tasters, limited coffee selection and (most of all) sequencing. It became clear that which shots were served in which order had a huge impact on the results. If a "traditional" shot was served after a "skimmed" shot, the responses were more negative than it if was served after a "swirled" shot or as the first shot in a sequence. Finally, shots were prepared using a naked portafilter - producing significantly more crema and a different mouthfeel and profile. As a result of these issues - I feel like my results are very preliminary.

My own opinion: While my tasting was not blind, of course, I have some thoughts on the topic. First - given the coffees I used, and given that I was using a naked portafilter, I actually found the "quick swirl" a valuable tool. This removed some of the "fuzziness" that I don't like in a shot from a naked portafilter and produced a shot that was more consistent in flavour from first sip to last. I don't know if this would be true if using a spouted portafilter. I found the "skimmed" shots to be very interesting - but also very coffee specific. With the Ecco experimental blend, the resulting shot was IMHO enhanced as compared to the traditional shot. With the 4 Barrel, however, the result was unbalanced and bland. The biggest negative I found in all three coffees when preparing a shot in this manner was that sour notes started to emerge that could be off-putting. In the end, I think that the skimming approach is really valuable - but primarily as a tasting and evaluation tool. The (simplistic) analogy I would make is the obvious one - a comparison to brewed coffee and cupping. Skimmed shots, to me, allow you to clearly evaluate the coffee(s) in the espresso you're preparing and make good decisions on the result. I don't, however, feel like it's a particularly great way to simply prepare and consume the beverage (if you know what I mean). As a result, I (personally) will start using this technique whenever I evaluate a new espresso - but will then move to a more traditional prep once I start simply drinking shots. Now... when I say "more traditional" I have to admit that, going forward, I will do the "swirl" whenever working with a naked portafilter (and might well do the same with spouted ones - depending on the results of testing in the next few days).

By "crema swirled to combine into cup" do you mean swirling the cup after the pour, but not stirring? Or are you swirling the cup as the shot pours? How is swirling different than stirring?

Chris, Thanks for your detailed, if preliminary, tests.

I'll jump into the bucket by way of my own little test from this afternoon. I'm currently working through the last of my COE Rwanda Mariba, which you may recognize as Mike Phillips' WBC Blend. It's a pretty bright coffee for me, I would say the nicest shots I've had are characterized for me as sweet cherry-lemon juice with a hint of some funky stuff--the description says tamarind and ginger snaps. I sense the ginger dimly, dunno about the tamarind. Anyway, it's a great example for me of an extremely acidic coffee that's pleasurable for me inasmuch as it's really, really crisp.

So I pulled a pair of shots today, each shot being a double split with a spouted portafilter into two demitasses. The first shot, I skimmed the crema off the first sample and sampled it. Unexpected--bittersweet and actually quite pleasant in its own way. Then I sampled the skimmed shot and it was extremely acidic with a minimum of sweetness balancing it. The texture was like dense, juicy presspot--actually pretty nice, but... I swirled the second sample to mix the crema in a little and tried it. Definitely a balanced shot, though my palate enjoyed the bittersweet more than the comparatively more balanced swirled shot. So for me, the first sample got a nod to the swirled espresso, even after letting that shot sit for a few moments while I "processed" the skimmed shot.

For the second shot I sampled the unskimmed shot first. I stirred it rather than swirling. Juicy and heavy, really nice. Better than the previous shot by a bit. I skimmed the crema off sample 2, and sipped the crema. It tasted dull and slightly bitter by itself. Not as nice as the previous shot's crema, but nothing awful. By contrast, the skimmed shot was pretty nice--as expected from comments above, enhanced clarity plenty of sweetness to balance the acidity, and like before a really, really juicy texture.

I can't conclude anything yet, but I'd say my preliminary playing around with this suggests to me that this is a lot more complex than an assertion that crema is 'rubbish.' It surprises me that the coffee I used produced the tastes noted above, too--I had assumed it'd be a posterchild for what James described. I'm guessing that what Chris said is right on: skimming off crema will be a good way to try an espresso when evaluating it/approaching it initially. I don't expect it'll be something that can or should ultimately supplant enjoying espresso untouched or stirred.

i think tests should be done on split shots using the spouts to give to halves of one shot. then you either skim or stir or whatever to one of the 2 halfs. this would help remove the shot to shot variations that occur. you could even leave one half un touched and modify the other half and see what happens when you compare them.

jon

Jon, this is how I prepared my single experiment to date: pulled one double, using a pf with two spouts, and pulling the double shot into two separate cups.

* * * * *

Chris, I want to thank you also for your detailed report. I hope to add to my own tasting notes with the arrival of additional coffees this week. Your test results seem quite "predictable," not in their specific outcomes but rather in that it is a) too soon to dray any solid conclusion, and b) that the results were split -- at least between "skimmed" and "traditional." The fact that the blind and non-blind results "flipped" does not come as a surprise (at least to me). But you re-affirm the desire to stir my espresso, something I have now forgotten to do twice since this morning's post.

Cheers,
Jason

I did one double shot each of three different coffees at 14.5 gram doses yesterday, and one each at 16.5 gram doses today.

The coffees were
-- Yemen Anesi, a dry processed, fairly clean coffee with strawberry. chocolate and a small hint of leather when the shot is good.
-- Fraijanes Agua Tibia, a wet processed coffee with cherry, chocolate and peaty notes when the shot is good
-- Cappa blend consisting of 50% dark roasted Kenya with some medium roasted Bourbon or Typica, this time a Yellow Bourbon Brazil. The flavor is nuts, caramel, and a big clove kick (I'm not really recommending this, the flavor is probably more nostalgic than good)

Each shot was divided into two singles. I swirled the first one and drank some. Then I skimmed the second and drank some of that. I rated the second skimmed shot against the first on sweetness, body, high, middle and low flavors, and overall. I also took some short notes.

The results are as follows: the plusses and minuses refer to the skimmed shot, so a plus means that it was better.

Effect of Skimming the Crema
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Coffee       Overall Sweet Body  Highs Middles Lows   Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Anesi 14.5     --      -     --    =      -     -   weak, awol
Anesi 16.5     ++      +     =     +      +     =   winey intense
Ag Tib 14.5    =/-     =     -     +      -     +   less complex
Ag Tib 16.5    =/-    =/-    =     +~     =     =   both sucked
Cappa 14.5      -      =     --    NA     =     +   watery, clearer
Cappa 16.5      -      -     =     NA     -     -   mocha pot taste
--------------------------------------------------------------------

The Agua Tibia is clearly a low dose SO, with the high dose shot tasting like peanut lemonade. For the 14.5 shot, I felt that most of the complexity was in the middle flavors, and these were enhanced by the crema; this is why I gave the edge to the crema shot. However, the highs and lows were cleaner and clearer on the skimmed shot; but the body was less. It behaves similar to the way James reports for his coffee, except that the middle flavors on this one may be a lot cleaner than on James's

The Cappa blend has no highs, and the crema shot performed similarly at both doses. The skimmed shot was watery at the low dose and had that over concentrated mocha pot taste at the higher dose. Here, I think the crema acts like a balance wheel, and the brew seems unstable without it.

The Anesi is a head scratcher. At 14.5 it behaved conventionally, the crema shot was very good, and the no crema shot was a watery joke. At 16.5, the regular shot was cartoonish and not well integrated. The skimmed shot tasted brilliant, like a complex wine. This coffee brews beautifully at a lighter roast, and I'm guessing it would do real well as Turkish coffee too. I have no clue why the skimmed tasted better. If a shot is already cartoonish and not well integrated with the crema, one would have expected worse without its buffering effect.

The shots don't show any consistent pattern except for body. At low doses, the crema adds to the body and mouthfeel, at higher doses it does not. Since taste clarity increases with lower doses; it could be that skimming the crema is something that is more likely to work well at higher doses: there the body is less affected, while an increase in clarity is more telling.

Whether one likes a shot more or less with skimmed crema is not as interesting as the rather non-obvious and irregular effects it can have on the taste. Our assumptions about what crema does for the taste may need to be looked at more closely. Sadly, my results don't not suggest a general rule of thumb on this. Do anyone else's?

Yah see? That's why I like Jim. Not afraid to call a spade a spade. No pretentions, no, holier palate than thou...
When both shots suck, he simply writes, 'both sucked'.
Thanks Jim, that provided a well need chortle this afternoon!

malachi wrote:Have any of you actually tried this (ie pulling a shot "standard" and tasting it, then pulling a shot, skimming it and tasting it -- and then comparing the two)?

Or is everyone just talking out of their a**es?

After watching the video blog, it prompted me to try the skimming method on both espresso and americano. The details are in my blog. I'm using a Quickmill Anita, naked portafilter, double dose, w/ Eric's Thermocouple (the start/end temps are listed). I'm using SO Brazil Moreninha Formosa, Full City +, 4 days old.

My results are that the crema only cup gives off Esmeralda-like tastes, esp. in the americano taste test. It's not truly americano 5:1 ratio, more closer to 2:1 or 1:1. But the crema for Brazil FC+ tastes really good, almost as if the coffee was roasted to a degree before 2nd crack.

One additional data point; no conclusions.

I prepared a double, split into two cups. Having already decided yesterday that, with this coffee (Vivace Dolce), I prefer my shot with crema than skimmed, I tried today "traditional" versus "stirred."

The "stirred" shot was certainly different than the "traditional" one. I'm not sure if "better" or "worse" applies. I know I preferred the traditional shot, but I cannot discount the fact that I am also used to the traditional shot. Thus it was "difference" that stood out, not a distinct "plus" or "Minus" -- just "different."

This morning, I repeated the experiment of skimming off the crema vs. a "traditional" shot, this time with coffee from Klatch Roasting (2008 Competition Blend), as opposed to Vivace (Dolce).

Same methodology; same results. As I said above,

zin1953 wrote:To my palate, Cup A ("skimmed") tasted much more like a great sip or two from a press pot, and not like an espresso. Yes, it does lose some body; yes it is lighter and a bit sweeter on the palate. But it also misses something on the mid-palate and has a more delicate, cleaner finish. Cup B ("traditional"), on the other hand, was a classic, rich, full-bodied espresso -- not overly bitter, yet there is a detectable, balanced note of bitterness to compliment the inherent sweetness (no sugar added; both cups were consumed "straight"), the mouthfeel was fuller, more velvety than silky, and the finish much longer, richer, and more lingering.

Cheers,
Jason