For those of us complaining about the "problems" with our $$$ espresso equipment, here is another reminder why the most important tool is on the handle-end of the system. Watch Kyle pour a nice shot with a Silvia and $80 grinder after just one adjustment: http://www.boingboing.net/2008/06/20/bbtv-a-morning-at-in-1.html.

Great video. Kyle not only makes award-winning coffee, but he also seems like a genuinely nice guy.
Thank you for sharing.

Man, watching Kyle is so amazing. I think my favorite thing about him is how unassuming and friendly he is in light of his great talent. Plenty of great advice sans pretense. That's impressive and endearing.

By the way, Part 1 was a guided tour of Intelligentsia's L.A. roastery. If you watch carefully, you'll see a photo of Jim Schulman at a cupping in their Chicago roastery. http://tv.boingboing.net/2008/06/15/a-morning-at-intelli.html

I watched his performance live at WBC via ustream today.

Great performance... BUT He was soooo calm and relaxed, made me think he could fall asleep anytime during his performance. If he makes to finals he should show more "enthusiasm" or add some "excitement" to his voice (ie. Heather Perry from 2007) so far in that aspect australian barista champion did better than him (it's not only the taste, it's also how convincing and well organized you are.. that's also one of the reasons why Hoffman won against Perry though hers was the best tasting espresso in competition.. tobacco??? uh yeah, I'm a chain smoker :p )

Extraction time and look might have been fine, but how did it taste? Mark Frauenfelder's look at the end when he tried the espresso really showed how it tasted! It didn't look like he liked it much.

45 second extraction time for a 5 cup Siphon! He is getting close to an espresso extraction time. Usually a 1 cup or 2 cup can get away with 45 sec to a minute but after 3 cups needs more time.

Yah, you tell Kyle how it's done Thomas!

I actually learned a couple of tidbits from the video:
1) that a low-temp shot will contribute to crema with a yellow appearance. I recently replaced the thermoprobe in my Brewtus II and am still getting used to the changes it has brought. I have noticed lately that a blend I am using has a yellow appearance.

2) that an over-extracted shot smells like burned wheat. Unfortunately, I have not burned any wheat lately, so I am not sure how to interpret that description.

Mark

burned wheat would maybe be some burnt toast??

or get some straight flour and burn it?

how bout the bottom of a pizza from a coal oven?

i bet if it just smelt of a generic burnt smell.

jon

Dogshot wrote:Yah, you tell Kyle how it's done Thomas!

We, to be honest, just because he won the Barista championship doesn't mean that he is the best at all methods.
I am was chef previously and a very good baker (in my opinion) but that doesn't mean I was able to make every meal and every baked good better then everyone else.

We can all learn, we can all improve and find new ways of doing things. As he said, he is new to the method.

I don't mean to say that I am better then him, just that I am surprised by the way he is making it.

Yes, but what criticism of him did you really offer, that he didn't proffer himself? He described the first shot as overextracted, made a wild guess about how to temperature manage a machine that he'd never worked with before (and one that was way below what he's used to), and pulled a great-looking pour. It had one flaw that he pointed out instantly, and he would--no doubt--gladly have poured a second with his second temperature management guess (flush to 3, one thousand), and maybe gotten it right.

If your third shot ever on a Silvia was flawless, stand and be counted, right? I don't think anyone was saying he's better than everyone else. And I think Dogshot took issue with your comment because you seemed to act like Kyle didn't criticize his own shot and say what he would have tried the next time.