FWIW...

This is standard practice for (good) commercial baristas.
When you open at the bar, the first thing you do is pull 2 quick sink shots. The first is truly a sink shot. The second is a sink shot where you evaluate flow rate. Then you taste a shot or two to tune flow.

I follow the same protocol on home machines but with only 1 untasted sink shot.

For me it comes down to three things:

1 - gets rid of residual detergents and oils
2 - coats metal surfaces with a little fresh oil
3 - improves temp stabilization

We've covered the first point to death here but suffice it to say that the combination of doing a detergent cleanse each day and then pulling a sink shot first thing yields the best results (to my taste). And believe me when I say I've experimented in this area (a lot).

The second point hasn't been mentioned much, but the idea is that a small coating of fresh coffee oil can be beneficial. This is particularly true with traditional spouted portafilters. Again... much experimentation behind this statement though it's to my taste of course.

In terms of the third point... on the commercial machines I've used you can see (using a Scace hooked to a data logger) the temp profile change over the first 3-4 shots. With home HX machines the change seems to take place more quickly (2 shots for the modified Mia for example). With the commercial machines the change is a bit more subtle, but with the home machines I've tested the change can be pretty dramatic.

Day 3;
2 clear blank shot followed by 1 shot with 8.5g of about 2.5 of scrap and the rest fresh ground, poured right into the drip tray.

There might be hope for the theory. There was little to no difference between the first and second and third shots. The fly in the ointment, is that I have been using a new coffee blend. Now 4 days old. I tuned the grinder and shot size yesterday afternoon but still there is a lot of variables that may invalidate the result.

Result so far: 3 days, 2 negative and 1 positive; 97 to go.
"Negative" means; no perceived improvement in the difference between 1st and 2nd shots.

malachi wrote:FWIW...

This is standard practice for (good) commercial baristas.
When you open at the bar, the first thing you do is pull 2 quick sink shots. The first is truly a sink shot. The second is a sink shot where you evaluate flow rate. Then you taste a shot or two to tune flow.

I follow the same protocol on home machines but with only 1 untasted sink shot.

For me it comes down to three things:

1 - gets rid of residual detergents and oils
2 - coats metal surfaces with a little fresh oil
3 - improves temp stabilization

We've covered the first point to death here but suffice it to say that the combination of doing a detergent cleanse each day and then pulling a sink shot first thing yields the best results (to my taste). And believe me when I say I've experimented in this area (a lot).

The second point hasn't been mentioned much, but the idea is that a small coating of fresh coffee oil can be beneficial. This is particularly true with traditional spouted portafilters. Again... much experimentation behind this statement though it's to my taste of course.

...

Thank you for the input. I fully understand all your point and agree. Allow me to still ask a few questions.

On your first point. I am sure that the vast majority of Home users do not detergent backflush every day. I do detergent backflush once a week, and when I do, I sink the 2 first shots following the clear water rinses and backflush. We are more concerned with the value and effect of doing a sink shot following a significant idling time, not involving detergent backflush. Otherwise I think that the discussion is moot.

On your second point, I certainly understand the concept for spouted p/f. Do you think that you would see the same benefit for bottomless p/f. Have you experimented and seen a difference. If you did than you probably already pulled the 100 shots that Doug and I have surmised as valid sampling. (May take a while...)

Finally, not linked to your statement, would you do a backflush with coffee as a pre-first shot? Curious to get your opinion on this.

Whale wrote:On your first point. I am sure that the vast majority of Home users do not detergent backflush every day. I do detergent backflush once a week, and when I do, I sink the 2 first shots following the clear water rinses and backflush. We are more concerned with the value and effect of doing a sink shot following a significant idling time, not involving detergent backflush.

I think this is accurate. People with day jobs are not inclined to include a detergent backflush as part of their bedtime routine. Nor will people who pay retail intentionally sacrifice two or three shots of prime coffee to the sink each morning.

But, this made me think: what about keeping a can of pre-ground Folger-type coffee on hand for a morning sink shot?

Whale wrote:I am sure that the vast majority of Home users do not detergent backflush every day. I do detergent backflush once a week, and when I do, I sink the 2 first shots following the clear water rinses and backflush. We are more concerned with the value and effect of doing a sink shot following a significant idling time, not involving detergent backflush. Otherwise I think that the discussion is moot.

Actually... it's not moot at all.
If you read through what folks like James Hoffman and I have been saying for years now - we believe that home baristas should detergent backflush every day and in fact it is one of the most significant and consistent differentiators between home and pros shots (more than 90% of the shots I've had from home baristas from their own rigs have been dirty tasting to my palate).

Whale wrote:On your second point, I certainly understand the concept for spouted p/f. Do you think that you would see the same benefit for bottomless p/f. Have you experimented and seen a difference. If you did than you probably already pulled the 100 shots that Doug and I have surmised as valid sampling. (May take a while...)

Yes.
100 shots is a lot for a home barista, but you're talking probably 2 hours on a busy bar.

Whale wrote:Finally, not linked to your statement, would you do a backflush with coffee as a pre-first shot? Curious to get your opinion on this.

Probably not.
I see no need given my existing protocol. As I understand it, the logic is to avoid "wasting" coffee. As I've said many times before, IMHO sacrificing some coffee for better shots is something I'm more than willing to do.

Marshall wrote:I think this is accurate. People with day jobs are not inclined to include a detergent backflush as part of their bedtime routine.

My total morning routine (including cooking breakfast and eating it, making two double espresso and drinking them, making one double capp, pulling 2 sink shots, dialing in the grind, and then breaking down and cleaning the machine including detergent cleaning for the group and the steam wand, and doing the breakfast dishes) takes less than 40 minutes. And then I go to my day job.

malachi wrote:If you read through what folks like James Hoffman and I have been saying for years now - we believe that home baristas should detergent backflush every day and in fact it is one of the most significant and consistent differentiators between home and pros shots (more than 90% of the shots I've had from home baristas from their own rigs have been dirty tasting to my palate).

I'm sure you're right. WARNING: more name dropping to follow. When I was making my final decision about the GS/3, I had a long talk with Kyle Glanville and Stephen Morrisey. They both said one of the top problems with home barista coffee was failing to keep everything above the shower screen as clean as possible, including at least a daily detergent backflush.

Unfortunately, this is like advice from the doctor or dentist. Something you know you should do, but find hard to carry through.

Fullsack wrote:Of course it is all only speculation. After the results repeat about a 100 times maybe we can make some claims.

I did have another superior shot this morning using Ian's technique, 97 more to go

Whale wrote:...If you did than you probably already pulled the 100 shots that Doug and I have surmised as valid sampling. (May take a while...)

Sorry Sylvain, this was a bit of an inside joke. Occasionally, there is criticism when an H-Ber discovers a new technique and shouts it from the rooftops after only testing the technique a couple of times.

Whale wrote:On your first point. I am sure that the vast majority of Home users do not detergent backflush every day. I do detergent backflush once a week, and when I do, I sink the 2 first shots following the clear water rinses and backflush. We are more concerned with the value and effect of doing a sink shot following a significant idling time, not involving detergent backflush. Otherwise I think that the discussion is moot.

malachi wrote:Actually... it's not moot at all.
If you read through what folks like James Hoffman and I have been saying for years now - we believe that home baristas should detergent backflush every day and in fact it is one of the most significant and consistent differentiators between home and pros shots (more than 90% of the shots I've had from home baristas from their own rigs have been dirty tasting to my palate).

I totally agree with what you said but I was saying that if everyone would detergent backflush every day than we would probably not have this discussion.

Fullsack wrote:Sorry Sylvain, this was a bit of an inside joke. Occasionally, there is criticism when an H-Ber discovers a new technique and shouts it from the rooftops after only testing the technique a couple of times.

Don't worry I should have put a smilie there. I didn't think that 100 shot was necessary... Nor did I want to report daily for the next 3 monthes... Just kept the number high enough to ensure that no one would say it was too small a sample.

But I am not pretending to understand the joke though...