An additional reason to weigh shots was pointed out in a pretty brilliant post by James Hoffmann. Read it for yourself, but the gist of it is, you can often dial in an espresso by sticking with a fixed brewing ratio (in James' case, dose g/beverage g = 65%) and adjusting grind to taste. Irish barista champ Colin Harmon made a similar observation on his blog.

Andy, thanks so much for your very informative post. For the sake of experimentation, I will like to try James Hoffmann and Colin Harmon suggested 65% brewing ratio using a 14 grams dose. From Colin's blog, he recommends: We take that same 65% ratio and invert it to achieve a target weight. Therefore, if you invert 65% you get a ratio of 1.55. Then, if you have a dose of 20g and multiply that by 1.55 then you are presented with a target weight of 31g. So 14 times 1.55 equals 21.7. Something I am not quite clear about - if aiming for a shot weight of 21.7 grams, is that 21.7 grams BEFORE "blonding" (therefore adjusting the grinder until obtaining a 21.7 grams shot with no "blonding")?

Great points Andy. Thank you for getting me on consistency bandwagon.

AndyS wrote: Like many other commenters on this thread, I don't think one should be in the habit of pulling every shot on a scale and stopping the pump on every shot based on weight.

I think yes, on every single shot, except when you forget to tare the scale Why?

AndyS wrote:It is very valuable, IMO, to develop one's skill in assessing the flow rate

Flow rate is nothing but grams per second on scale. If you watch how espresso gets extracted and you watch the scale you get even better idea on flow rate. Try guessing flow-rate with say Vivace Dolce which froths a lot... Watching the weight raise on scale you have precise feedback on flow rate and no guessing.

AndyS wrote: texture and color of the espresso stream and ending the shot based on those cues. If you're always watching the scale rather than the stream, you don't develop that skill.

I watch both espresso stream and scale no problem. It so natural that I did not even think about this being an issue.

But with properly prepared puck that does not channel, I propose that you can completely dispense ending the stream by texture and color.

I pulled and tasted over 3000 shots this year. I tested this. My shots are amazingly consistent and I end them by weight only. And weight itself is determined by taste. I found no need whatsoever to watch color of espresso stream anymore. I only watch for channeling and I taste the shots.

For everyone reading this I say give this method 2 weeks trial and see what happens. Trust the scale
If this method results in better more consistent espresso, great! If not toss it aside.

Bob_McBob wrote:I don't think that's what it boils down to at all. We're not weighing doses and shots because we're unhappy, we're doing it because it makes better espresso.

+1

Javier wrote:if aiming for a shot weight of 21.7 grams, is that 21.7 grams BEFORE "blonding" (therefore adjusting the grinder until obtaining a 21.7 grams shot with no "blonding")?

For me, blonding is extremely subjective, and the "proper" degree of blonding varies depending upon the coffee and your taste. (Time to trot out the visual aids again. )

In general, you'd like to pull about 21.7g and adjust the grind by taste (ie, dull or underdeveloped, grind finer; bitter, grind coarser). Or alternately, try adjusting the grind to get the 21.7g in about 25 seconds and see how you like the shot.

There's a logic behind James' 65% or Colin's 1.55x "rules of thumb." With most medium-roast espresso coffees, a competently prepared shot using that brewing ratio gives you an extraction yield somewhere around 18-20%. (In other words, 18-20% of the original dry coffee solids are delivered as solubles into your cup). Experience has shown that this degree of extraction often gives a sweeter, balanced beverage.

This will vary depending on the coffee and your taste, of course.

tekomino wrote:I think yes, on every single shot, except when you forget to tare the scale

Sooner or later your scale will break, or you will be pulling shots at a friend's house where no suitable scale is available. Then you will be lost.

tekomino wrote:Trust the scale

Yes, I trust the scale, but I also regularly practice the technique I learned from my teacher Yoda: "Don't worry about the scale, trust the force."

AndyS wrote:Sooner or later your scale will break, or you will be pulling shots at a friend's house where no suitable scale is available. Then you will be lost.

That is common misconception that I would like to address. What gets discounted is the amount of learning, visual memory develoment, you make just by watching your shots flow while using the scale. I pull for example all my shots on my levers without scale to test this and I definitely do not feel impaired. I think that nailing the target weights using the scale actually improved my ability to judge flows without the scale.

And what is a better way to learn what certain flows looks like than watching both flow and scale?

I don't have much to add, except that I've benefitted massively from adding weight into how I brew and think about espresso (and, on occasion measure it too).

Those benefits include:

- more consistent preparation
- massively decreased frustration with espresso in general
- increased control of brewing
- increased understanding of espresso brewing
- better communication with others (in my company, in my industry, with my customers)

Of course YMMV, no one is saying you have to do this. I am just reporting what I have experienced. I shall finish with one tiny anecdote.

Tim Wendelboe came to visit us a few months back. Time came to brew him an espresso. Thanks to scales I was able to brew him an espresso that I was 95%+ sure would be very delicious. (Or at least an espresso I considered delicious). That is a wonderful, wonderful feeling.

tekomino wrote:Flow rate is nothing but grams per second on scale. If you watch how espresso gets extracted and you watch the scale you get even better idea on flow rate. Try guessing flow-rate with say Vivace Dolce which froths a lot... Watching the weight raise on scale you have precise feedback on flow rate and no guessing.

"Flow rate is nothing but grams per second on scale." - this says it all imho. if anyone is really gonna buy into this brew ratio business, then this is really the only way to look at it. you're not looking for volume/sec, you're looking for mass/sec.

~j

This thread helped move the US economy by at least $20 as my new scale arrived a few days ago

Instead of sacrificing my mesmerized stare at the bottomless extraction, I just tare the scale real quick before placing cup on drip tray, and then weigh it afterwards... it's the best of both worlds -- perhaps one day when my knees go bad, i won't be as eager to get down there and watch every second of the shot.

It is handy already, giving me a way to try some of the higher brew ratios suggested here with more control (and gaining better understanding of grinder changes).

I know I'm being a slight dissenter again, but I have a another question. Do they make scales that audibly chirp when they reach a specific weight. That way, one could stare at the espresso stream to their heart's content without worry of overshoot. Or more importantly, steam milk at the same time without ever missing their desired weight.

I'm sure it's not hard to keep an eye on the scale, but such a device would make it even easier. I love equipment that simplifies things.

The problem with weighing the flowing coffee is the reading speed of the scale. For my gear, it doesn't work well; and I weigh shots after finishing and only when making adjustments or testing, using volume otherwise. Also, my experience is that a 1/2 gram change in water weight has nowhere near as dramatic an effect of taste as a 1/2 gram change in dose weight. So a fast reading and robust 1 game scale may be the way to go for a way of permanently weighing shots

The scale read-out and espresso stream are in the same field of vision, so I don't think a beeper is needed.

cannonfodder wrote:So after 5 pages of debate, what does all this boil down to? If you are unhappy with your espresso, try using a scale to improve your consistency. If you are happy with your espresso, dont worry about it and drink up.

Bob_McBob wrote:I don't think that's what it boils down to at all. We're not weighing doses and shots because we're unhappy, we're doing it because it makes better espresso.

I don't think that's what it boils down to at all. We're not weighing doses and shots because we're unhappy, we're doing it because it makes better espresso.

Not really. If you are unhappy with your espresso (making better espresso), chances are your consistency is off. So get out the scale and take some measurements to help improve the consistency which will in turn improve the coffee. Everyone has their opinion and none of them are wrong or right, just different. To me, weighing everything is the equivalent to training wheels. You do need them when learning. After a few (or 10) years of experience, you can put the training wheels away. I still get my scale out when I am trying an unknown coffee or working on a new machine as they do aid me in consistency and hence the improvement of the coffee. After a little practice I put them back away and run without.