I have been experimenting with all kinds of ways to increase my consistency with my espresso and milk drinks. I have tried all kinds of "crap" but I think I have definitely hit my stride, with all sorts of things from how to get the most out of my grinder, to pouring milk.

I have been trying all different ways to find a CONSISTENT way to stop my shots, from pulling directly to a scale, to timing, to trying to spot that magic blonding point.

The best way I have discovered is stopping a shot 20 seconds after the first drop hits the cup. It kind of works "magically" for my set up and has some advantages I have found.

First, If the shot is running a little fast the dwell time will be short so, lets say you are trying to pull a ristretto but happen to get a normale, the dwell time (for me) is about 6 seconds, plus the 20 equals 26 seconds, about perfect for a normal

If you are trying to pull a normale and it is a little too tight, the dwell time might be 12 seconds, for a total time of 32 seconds, about perfect again.

Now this is all fine and dandy if it works but the most AMAZING part I have found is that the level of blonding for all these shots are the same. I have found I like to stop my shots a little on the early side, so 22-23 seconds after the first drop is when the cone from my naked has puckered and blonded, for me 20 seconds is right when the cone is collapsing, thats just what I have found that i like. I don't know why it is but it was suggested by jim in his somewhat older article some aspects of espresso extraction that for whatever reason after about 18-20 seconds after the first drop, extraction basically stops (slows down greatly), and it seems that I have observed a similar thing

There is an advantage for me compared to pulling to a time from the start of the extraction. Lets say you are shooting for 60% in 28 seconds, if its running fast it will blond a few seconds before you cut it and it will be somewhat ruined, or vice a versa if its too slow. A similar problem happens when pulling on a scale to a specific weight.

It is somewhat of a fail safe as your time automatically changes to help compensate for the shot. Now it doesn't mean that the off shot doesn't need to be adjusted, it just means that it was stopped at a much better point, and will be a much better shot, than if you tried to do it another "automated" way. All my espresso has gotten more enjoyable, especially those "dialing in" shots. I have tried it with my double and triple basket from 16-22g and it works the same.

I still either pull on a scale or weigh the shot after, especially when dialing in. The weights correspond to the somewhat official brew ratios we have round here.

It works for me and it might work for those who have a tough time judging blonding, or don't like crouching down and staring at the extraction and would rather be steaming milk at the same time. If anything the 20 seconds I have found is probably dependent on equipment but I am curious if others have, or will, find a similar "phenomena"

As a note, for milk drinks I start the shot, then once I get the first drop, I start the timer and then start my milk, i have 20 seconds to stretch the milk and get it spinning, the timer beeps and i kill the shot as my milk is still spinning and is a few moments away from being done, all ready to pour a terrible looking rosetta .

Either way, I would like to know what you all think, and would like to encourage others to try it if they are so inclined.

Interesting. I'm certainly willing to give it a "shot."

Ha Ha!

Shot timing has been discussed over and over on this site:

HB wrote:This question comes up a lot. Below are a few of the previous discussions:

• When is the start of extraction time?
• Timing of extraction starts when?
• Timing a double shot
• What is the correct method for shot timing?
• When to start timing shots from naked portafilter?
• Pour time begins when...

The majority agree the timing starts when the water first makes contact with the coffee, i.e., when the pump starts.

Timing options include:
1. first contact with coffee (when you start the pump)
2. fully saturated puck (when the first drops appear, your so-called discovery)
3. split the difference (Jim Schulman's suggestion)

There is nothing sacred about precisely 25 seconds (or whatever magic number you choose). It's merely a reasonable guideline. If you enjoy slightly longer or shorter pulls, go for it.

I know timing a shot isn't new or amazing.

I was just sharing what I have found what works for me and why. I've read all those threads, I don't recall anyone mentioning why timing a shot from the first drop works in the manner that i did, if so I missed it.

I also stated that it wasn't just the fact that it takes 32 seconds for a ristretto or whatever, but that it got my shots to a similar amount of blonding when using a timer in this method.

There is a little taboo round here about saying that you use a timer to stop your shots while using a scale is a precise accepted method, when in reality they are similar methods. If you dial in to get 30g in 28 seconds, whats the difference in pulling to 30g or pulling for 28 seconds.

I was of course joking when I was using the terms, amazing, and magical and what not. There is nothing magical or amazing about it, it just helped with my consistency.

I am certain I am not the first person to discover this, maybe its so obvious everyone knows it so they never bothered to write about it, it just wasn't so obvious to me.

If you think about it, what we are talking about is "automatic". In process control, automatic means there is some sensor feedback that controls a process. The simplest example is your HVAC thermostat. If there is no feedback loop, it isn't automatic.

Not automatic:
Timing the shot.

Automatic:
Measuring a shot's volume
Measuring the shot's mass
Visually monitoring the blonding (your eye becomes part of the feedback loop, you could also use a camera sensor)

In an ideal world, I think you'd have some sort of taste sensor that stop the shot when the flavor begins to decline! Sounds funny, but isn't that really what we are trying to accomplish using all the other methods?

To geekishly clarify Dan's point: measuring volume or mass in the cup is feedback control (it compensates for puck wetting), the so-called "automatic machine's" measuring of volume at the input is not feedback control.