Somewhere on here I read about a guideline that stated something to the effect that a 100% ratio shot should take so many seconds and as it gets more ristretto it should take so many seconds longer and a lungo should be so many seconds faster. Anyways I have been searching and I can't find the damn thing, any help.

My second question is how is shot timing effected with a vibra pump, I assume the standard times are based on a rotary pump, does a rotary pump produce a faster shot because it builds pressure faster, i have never used one? My set up takes about 5-7 seconds to build up pressure.

Thanks for the help

Try these

When do you start to time the shot?

Brewing ratios for espresso beverages

Found it, it is Al's Rule, thanks for the help.

It really doesn't matter when you start timing the shot as long as you time your shots consistently (the same way every time). Shot times are a way to describe flow rates, which is really describing the grinder setting. Once you get the hang of managing flow rates, you won't be tied to the timer. I don't watch my timer at all. I do watch the flow and the scale as I pull the shot.

I don't agree that it doesn't matter when you start timing the shot, as long as you time it the same way every time. During pre-infusion, the pressure may not have built up to full bore, but hot water is contacting the grounds and extracting coffee from them.

You should always start timing the shot from when you push the brew button. Otherwise, you miss whatever variation there might be in the time it takes the first drops to appear. That time is highly depended on the coffee, grind setting and dose, so it will vary. Ignoring that time has never made sense to me -- it's part of the total contact time, and it varies, so it matters.

Also, bear in mind that most published espresso recipes assume the time starts when you begin brewing (i.e., push the brew button), not when the first drops appear. So, if the recommended shot time is 28 seconds, and you start timing from when the first drops appear, and that occurs at the 7 second mark, you'll let the shot run 7 seconds longer than recommended. Note that machines with a built-in timer start the timer when the button is pushed.

Mitch isn't quite right about the flow rate translating to grind setting. It's actually the grind setting and the dose amount that define the flow rate.

I agree with Mitch that you don't necessarily have to look at the timer once you've gotten familiar with flow rate, but until you do you should use the timer. For example, if you grind coarse enough, you can pull the target beverage weight at the correct blonding point in 15 seconds. But the drink will be extremely under extracted and will taste horrible. Mitch can eyeball the flow when it starts and tell right away that it's too fast. You may not be able to do that without looking at the timer. In general, you should be in the 25-35 second range (from when you push the brew button) to ensure the right amount of contact time for a balanced extraction.