Anyone got any tips for pulling a decaf

I made some lattes for some friends and the general feeling was that it was good but could be stronger.

25 seconds shots with the rest milk.

I guess that I should use a double and go for 20 seconds (rather than split up a double to 2 singles @ 25 seconds for each side)

I thought that might be the answer

When you are used to regular coffee, and you try decaf for the very first time, it seems it can never be as strong.....

But you are obliged to have it, as many people only drink it

thanks,

misterdoggy wrote:Anyone got any tips for pulling a decaf

I don't drink a lot, but recommend pulling ristrettos to emphasis sweetness. The grind setting will be much finer than regular, 2+ notches on a Mazzer. If mixed with milk, stick with macchiatos/mini cappuccinos.

Dan,

I tried it and thought it was awful, but you have to have it for friends who drink it.

Thanks for the advice.

misterdoggy wrote:Dan,

I tried it and thought it was awful, but you have to have it for friends who drink it.

Thanks for the advice.

You need to get a different decaf. Seriously. And if you're roasting it yourself it likely isn't the raw materials fault, decaf takes a different hand at the roast. While personally I don't drink decaf I roast and pull a fair amount of it. I've been told many times my decaf is very good. And truth be told I've QC tasted many decaf straight shots that were ridiculous, as in had no right tasting as good as they did. Dial in a decaf same way you would any other coffee adjusting dose/volume/time/temp to taste.

Funny thing happened the other day. Opened a bag of decaf to top off the decaf hopper and was rather pleased and once again surprised by the very good fragrance. Called Ben over (one of my experienced barista who's way into coffees) and had him take a whiff without knowing what it was. His comment that smells good, what is it? He too was surprised it was my decaf.

Remember too decaf has a shorter life once roasted than regular beans. So if it's been sitting around a while between friends requesting it that would be a major problem.

miKe mcKoffee wrote:Remember too decaf has a shorter life once roasted than regular beans. So if it's been sitting around a while between friends requesting it that would be a major problem.

MIke

This is good info

I don't roast, but there is a very good roaster in my town. They offer a large variety of roasts, but when it comes to decaf, they only offer 100% Arabica Colombian. More probably the Colombian is not to my taste as I really enjoy Moka Harrar...

So if the shelf life of a normal roasted bean can be up to a month, I have heard say, then what is the shelf life of a decaf bean. ? I see my decaf sitting around and should buy smaller quantities then ...

misterdoggy wrote:MIke

This is good info

I don't roast, but there is a very good roaster in my town. They offer a large variety of roasts, but when it comes to decaf, they only offer 100% Arabica Colombian. More probably the Colombian is not to my taste as I really enjoy Moka Harrar...

Unless it's a more rare specially selected Colombian lot I'd tend to agree they tend to be boring. But if that's the only decaf you have access to for espresso play with it when it's fresh and dial in the best shots you can.

So if the shelf life of a normal roasted bean can be up to a month, I have heard say, then what is the shelf life of a decaf bean. ? I see my decaf sitting around and should buy smaller quantities then ...

Couple weeks normal storage. Since it's only around for occasional use I'd suggest sealing it air tight and freezing it. This will extend it's useful life many many months. When needed take out what you anticipate grinding and immediately put the rest back in the freezer. Ideally let what you've taken out of the freezer defrost before grinding but truth be told I've been known on occasion to grind and pull without letting it thaw. Since I'm pulling with an HX I just surf to start my shot about 1f higher.

misterdoggy wrote:So if the shelf life of a normal roasted bean can be up to a month, I have heard say, then what is the shelf life of a decaf bean. ? I see my decaf sitting around and should buy smaller quantities then ...

I typically get just about 7 days (from roast date) of normal life for a decaf. I can sometimes tease a few more days out of them by down-dosing to avoid channeling, if I'm in a pinch.
On the other hand, I've served decaf to people who swore they couldn't stand decaf, and most couldn't tell the difference.
-Ed

Hi Ed

On the other hand, I've served decaf to people who swore they couldn't stand decaf, and most couldn't tell the difference.

I have heard some say that Decaf was great, so I will try to work on my Decaf skills.....

7 days ain't long, and I can have 7 days where no-one comes by for a decaf. I just have it in case.

I think I will put some beans in the freezer and take them out when needed, as I can't keep buying new beans every week "just in case" someone shows up.

We're drinking normal latte's so the beans are circulating at a good pace, but the decaf is holding in the ready, but, just the idea of running out once a week to keep the supply of decaf topped off doesn't really work for me.

7 days, that means the life expectancy of the bean is greatly curtailed by being a decaf bean.??

misterdoggy wrote:7 days, that means the life expectancy of the bean is greatly curtailed by being a decaf bean.??

I haven't tested every decaf that I've tried for maximum usable life, but 7 or 8 days is usually when I detect a distinct turning point. I have a small flat-burr grinder, and for regular beans I only get 10 to 12 days of good life. (I've often wondered if a large conical grinder would get me a couple of more days of life.) So for me, decaf is roughly two-thirds the life of regular beans. I'm in the opposite mode of most people, my regular beans often get frozen, but my decaf gets consumed rapidly.

-Ed