Newbie here with first post. Moved up recently to a V3 Silvia with a Pid and a Le'lit PL53 grinder. I drink milk drinks and not straight Espresso yet. I started with the stock pf, and now am using a bottomless with the stock double basket, or a ridgeless double that holds more grinds. (just depends upon how much caffeine I want.) Haven't tried any fancy coffee blends yet and am just sticking with fresh roasted beans from Peets cafes. (day 3 and later, not from grocery store btw.) Ok so blah blah:

Pid is set between 205 and 220 depending as I'm still fooling around, yet my shots *always* start jet black for the 1st second or so. Have tasted this black and it's very acrid/bitter and ruins the taste of my morning Lattes. If I let this black go to the drip tray, then they are excellent! I'm hugely pleased with them! The crema almost touches the bottom of the glass cup then slowly dissipates, so pretty sure I'm on the right track.

Question: Is it normal for a shot to start black? If not what causes this?

Thanks. Jay

Congratulations, you've rediscovered an old Italian technique for improving dicey coffees. You get lots of extra points for tasting the early part of the shot too.

But while your instincts are great, your data is erroneous -- it's normal for shots to start black for a the first few seconds.

If you use a medium or lighter roast than Peets, you'll still get a very powerful taste when you taste the first few drops, but it will taste more balanced, and you'll get more blah shots if you let it go into the drip tray. However, caramelized sugars, which create the sweetness in espresso, are less soluble than some of these acidic and bitter fractions, so the first few drops will never be fully balanced.

Peets is not really state of the art for home espresso. Our favorite roasters are listed here.

Thanks for the help Jim.
J

newbeej wrote:Newbie here with first post. Moved up recently to a V3 Silvia with a Pid and a Le'lit PL53 grinder. I drink milk drinks and not straight Espresso yet. I started with the stock pf, and now am using a bottomless with the stock double basket, or a ridgeless double that holds more grinds. (just depends upon how much caffeine I want.) Haven't tried any fancy coffee blends yet and am just sticking with fresh roasted beans from Peets cafes. (day 3 and later, not from grocery store btw.) Ok so blah blah:

Pid is set between 205 and 220 depending as I'm still fooling around, yet my shots *always* start jet black for the 1st second or so. Have tasted this black and it's very acrid/bitter and ruins the taste of my morning Lattes. If I let this black go to the drip tray, then they are excellent! I'm hugely pleased with them! The crema almost touches the bottom of the glass cup then slowly dissipates, so pretty sure I'm on the right track.

Question: Is it normal for a shot to start black? If not what causes this?

Thanks. Jay

Most probably black start comes from the remaining old ground coffee in the grinder. Discard 3-4 grams of ground coffee regularly before you fill the portafilter.

Lots of great roasters in San Francisco and Santa Cruz that can get you high-quality coffee delivered to your door a day or two after roast. Some of the local roasters also have a selection of their coffees in local Whole Foods, though check the roast dates of what you find on the shelves. Enjoy your explorations!