godlyone wrote:I was using Ethiopian Harar roasted by Gorilla Coffee in Brooklyn, NY on 5-8
But there seems to be the same harsh taste with all of the coffees I've tried
Your initial post mentioned trying home roast and a few pro roasted coffees. Do you routinely pull your shots with extremely short rested coffee? My experience most coffees aren't ready for espresso until 4 or 5 days rest and high acidity coffees more like a week and usually around 10 days better. Sounds like been attempting to diagnosis shot issues with Harar that is just today coming on 5 days rest, a coffee which may or may not have been roasted targeted for espresso in the first place (I asked but you didn't say so no idea of it's roast profile including but not limited to final degree of roast), a coffee usually with fairly high fruited acidity, a coffee if not roasted specifically for espresso is difficult to pull a smooth balanced shot without at least a weeks rest or more.
I may be off base but don't think so. Think about it, what's the bean rest most top competitors use? When Heather's straight shots were judged best in the world last year it was 10-12 day rested. Thousands of shots at my cafe bear out the need for proper bean rest. Recently was going to switch my SO grinder from Sidamo to Rwanda and a few customers where getting anxious while I was waiting for the Rwanda to rest. I caved at 4&1/2 days rest and while ok with milk straight shots were not there yet being overly acidic and CO2 soda fountainish harsh numerous dose, temp and shot times. (PID'd Linea, Mazzer SJ burrs ~100#) Two and especially three days later straight shots night and day difference mellowing and balancing out.
Which is not to say there may or may not be an issue with your Brute or relatively still new Major burrs. Do you have access to another espresso machine and grinder to compare shots of same coffee same rest?