zin1953 wrote:A bit hard to do when your machine is plumbed-in . . .

All right, I'll refrain from any recommendations that aren't equally useful to every reader. On the plus side, though, Chuck is able to complete entire training sessions without a single wine anecdote.

JonR10 wrote:I used a "street 90" elbow to attach the gauge to the portafilter after removing the spout.
Use it without any basket installed.

I'm curious - why the resistance to experiment with lower pressure?
Seems like after so many trials it would be worth a go, just as an experiment....

Forgot to mention that I lowered the pressure to what my gauge shows as 8 bar during brew and will comment on taste after I give it a few tries.

The gauge on the portafilter will be a good idea anyway to see how off the actual gauge is.
The one I got goes to 200psi and is meant for water so hopefully it will work well

Marshall wrote:All right, I'll refrain from any recommendations that aren't equally useful to every reader. On the plus side, though, Chuck is able to complete entire training sessions without a single wine anecdote.

Rafael ran the session I attended, and the shots I've been pulling since are both better and more consistent. If you're in the L.A. area, I'd highly recommend it, as well as Chuck's cupping workshop. Can't wait until he adds the intermediate cupping class.

JonR10 wrote:Use it without any basket installed.

Now why did you have to tell him that? Everyone should be allowed to try a PF gauge with a basket first and find out why to use no basket for themselves!

If your 0-200 psi gage is not oil filled, you will be disappointed with the dramatic needle flutter. Try this one instead: http://www.gaugestore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=38305 . The threads on your PF are 3/8" BSPP but a 3/8" NPT ell will seal OK with about two wraps of teflon tape on the PF. You will need an adaptor or two to mount the gage.

As you simply want to check the accuracy of the existing machine gage, measuring the pressure at zero flow is fine as both gages SHOULD read the same pressure under these conditions.

So with the lowered pressure (stock gauge showing 8 bar now) the shot tastes the same (harsh!) and the puck is just as strange (with those dry parts pictured on page 2)

miKe mcKoffee wrote:Now why did you have to tell him that? Everyone should be allowed to try a PF gauge with a basket first and find out why to use no basket for themselves!

Ha, I am embarrassed to say I tried this the other day WITH the basket

Even worse, I didn't immediately realise why it was leaking!

JonR10 wrote:As for finding a class, you might look up Chris DeFerio on google and see if he'll meet with you (or maybe he's giving classes). He's a great guy in the NYC area (I believe) and you two would probably have a lot to talk about. Chris was a religious missionary before he became a famous world-class barista and latte art champion. I've been making espresso quite a few years now and I would jump at the opportunity to spend $200 for a class from him.

Chris is indeed a great guy, a talented barista and a gifted trainer. He is from my hometown of Syracuse NY, was in Ithaca for several years as trainer for Gimme Coffee and later developed and ran the coffee program at Carriage House Cafe.

He relocated a year or two ago to Muncie Indiana where he is now Training Director for the Coffee Institute.

http://host02.jumplaunch.com/~cm0308/institute/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=4

Not sure what his travel schedule is or where he might be offering classes but it would indeed be worthwhile to get training from him.

My guess at this point is that there is something wrong with the vibe. pump in the machine... would this match the symptoms?

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

Doesn't sound like a pump issue to me either. My only critique of your puck prep methods (they are pretty much identical to mine ) is your tamping of the bare basket on the piece of marble(?). I would (and do) tamp the basket in a spare, springless, double-spout PF that I never use.

This is sorta "reaching" but have you held your baskets up to light as you did the dispersion screen ?

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?

Unfortunately don't have another espresso machine to test against, but will definitely try the same beans again after rest to see the difference.

The reason I'm hesitant to accept the resting theory is because of the weird puck - whether the coffee is stale or fresh out of the roaster, an extraction like that will never taste good.

I tried different beans, including Cafe Fresco Ambrosia which I looove in milk drinks, but still have that harsh taste in straight espresso. I'm convinced it's either something in the machine, or something in the technique.

The best option would be a BYOM (bring your own machine) class somewhere nearby or if somebody who knows what they are doing wanted to stop by and see if it is indeed the technique or the machine

Ask your favorite barista if he/she will moonlight for training at home. Some do.

hperry wrote: If so and your vendor is close, I'd have them do a careful checkup of the machine, determine that it is set up properly and that there are no failed parts. If not under warranty I'd pay to have a qualified repair shop do it. Once that is ruled out it leaves the barista.

9 times out of 10 it is the barista, or as we sometimes say here "The problem is on the handle side of the portafilter." I would start there before shipping machines around and paying for mechanics.