Looking for feedback on improving my espresso

Beginner and pro baristas share tips and tricks for making espresso.
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bctgrad
Posts: 8
Joined: 10 years ago

#1: Post by bctgrad »

I'm a real newbie to espresso. I've loved coffee for years, roast my own beans and have dozens of brewing apparati but I was always intimidated by the thought of trying espresso at home. About six months ago I found a used Starbucks Barista cheap so I bought it to try out. Couldn't get anything good to come out of it so I started looking for a grinder. I found a coffee shop liquidation auction and won a Macap MX in excellent condition. The Barista did a better job with the new grinder, but I wanted something better. Then I found a Rancilio Silvia on my local CL for $70 the day after Christmas. I know a lot of you on here don't like the Silvia, but I couldn't pass this one up (and as cheap as it was, I knew I could upgrade it). I bought it, PID'd it and got a bottomless portafilter.

Still trying to figure this whole thing out and thought I'd ask you all to tell me what the video shows about what I'm doing right and wrong. I get fairly consistent shots at around 30 seconds, but I'm not sure if someone who knows what to look for can see something wrong in the video.

This was the third shot I've done with the new portafilter, the first two looked pretty similar.

I really like the taste of the lattes that I'm getting from the machine and even squeaked out some resemblance of art the other night (my wife said it looks like a leaf in a snowstorm), but I know it can be better. Your feedback would be much appreciated.


Thanks,
Brian

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Randy G.
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#2: Post by Randy G. »

You got a great setup at an even better price.
The grind may be just a little too fine (the slow start) and/or the burrs somewhat worn and in need of replacement..
BUT, how does the espresso taste straight (no milk)?
EspressoMyEspresso.com - 2000-2023 - a good run, its time is done

gingi
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Joined: 11 years ago

#3: Post by gingi »

bctgrad wrote: I found a Rancilio Silvia on my local CL for $70 the day after Christmas.
Are you serious? can I moved to your town????

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John P
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#4: Post by John P »

Great start! That looks like a respectable result.

I would try adjusting grind (and dose) as Randy has suggested.
I would also have cut the espresso at 29 sec on the video.
John Piquet
Salt Lake City, UT
caffedbolla.com

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Randy G.
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#5: Post by Randy G. »

Good advice from John P re:the dose.
And I should have mentioned that on my website www.EspressoMyEspresso.com, check out this article: 12 - EASY GUIDE TO BETTER ESPRESSO AT HOME. Also they the How-Tos here on HB.
EspressoMyEspresso.com - 2000-2023 - a good run, its time is done

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bctgrad (original poster)
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#6: Post by bctgrad (original poster) »

gingi wrote:Are you serious? can I moved to your town????
Yeah, funny story on that. It showed up on CL two weeks before Christmas for $50. I emailed as soon as I saw it with a couple questions. He replied and I said I'd take it. No reply. I emailed again the next day. He finally replied and said he changed his mind and was keeping it. I replied and said "Thanks, if you change you mind just let me know, I'll still take it". The day after Christmas I got an email from him that said I could have it. I jumped in my Jeep and hurried to get it. I gave him $70. He said he got over 90 emails and all of them said they would take it - but he got mine first. I felt a little guilty until I got home and spend 3 hours cleaning it up. It was totally clogged and a real mess. But it cleaned up real nice and works great now.


Thanks for the feedback. I thought I'd read that the flow should start about 5 seconds after you flip the switch and should last about 30 seconds. If I adjust the grind for a quicker start, wont that also result in a shot of way less than 30 seconds? Is the time a critical element or should I just go for color and taste?

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bctgrad (original poster)
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#7: Post by bctgrad (original poster) »

Randy G. wrote:Good advice from John P re:the dose.
And I should have mentioned that on my website www.EspressoMyEspresso.com, check out this article: 12 - EASY GUIDE TO BETTER ESPRESSO AT HOME. Also they the How-Tos here on HB.
Thanks, Randy. Looks like I have some more reading to do!!

darilon
Posts: 145
Joined: 15 years ago

#8: Post by darilon »

You are in the ball park for espresso (and have a really nice starter setup at a brilliant price!) In any case at the top of the Tips and Tricks forum are two sticky threads with all you will need. The video on Latte Art should help tweak your pouring technique - looks from your results like you are getting decent microfoam (possibly a bit too much stretch). If you were to consider only one variable as being the most important for espresso, it is, of course, taste. Time is a useful thing to get started, but I've had very good espresso from shots cut off anywhere from 20 to 45 seconds. Taste is the only variable that matters in the end.

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happycat
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#9: Post by happycat »

bctgrad wrote:I thought I'd read that the flow should start about 5 seconds after you flip the switch and should last about 30 seconds. If I adjust the grind for a quicker start, wont that also result in a shot of way less than 30 seconds? Is the time a critical element or should I just go for color and taste?
First, let me say you scored an awesome deal. On the one hand stories like this make me feel blah about what I paid. O nthe other hand they inspire me to look for deals of my own (I got a used Bunn G1 for a great deal recently)

A few seconds before actual pour seems fine to me. Just note that in a single boiler double use unit, the boiler might not be full of water when you pull a shot if you've steamed before. So the delay is sometimes due to the boiler filling. This is especially an issue with PID units... You want a full tank of water heated properly before you pull a shot vs having the PID heat a partial tank of water then pull inlots of cold water while pulling the shot.

I couldn't see all that well but it looked like your shot went blond quite a bit before you stopped it. Colour is a great way to know whento stop the shot. If you are stopping really early, then that's a signal that you might coarsen your grind (or if you like ristrettos, enjoy!)
LMWDP #603

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bctgrad (original poster)
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#10: Post by bctgrad (original poster) »

happycat wrote:First, let me say you scored an awesome deal. On the one hand stories like this make me feel blah about what I paid. O nthe other hand they inspire me to look for deals of my own (I got a used Bunn G1 for a great deal recently)
I got what I thought was a decent deal on the Macap also at $225, but it sure takes up a lot of real estate!



Thanks for all the great info, I guess it's back to practice!

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