meshkaffe wrote:Don't tell me crema bar and gran bar are sold out before it's even here and no chance of purchasing.

I checked CC site over the weekend and wasn't available to purchase and now that I check they're gone. I'm about to move on with my life and not bother with this anymore.

Yeah- he opened them Monday instead of the stated weekend so I understand your frustration - but if you sign up for email notifications that'll let you know when inventory is added and you can grab it ASAP.

Hi everyone, I'm sorry that the ordering process has been especially difficult for the last two batches. It's definitely been a challenge trying to get a handle on the inventory issues, especially since I'm always trying to maintain the freshest coffee possible. For example, when I placed the order for the coffee that was just delivered, I was expecting it to arrive about 2 weeks ago, in which case I'm sure we wouldn't have sold out so quickly.

I'm working with Saka to get on a more consistent shipping schedule going forward, which I think will largely resolve the worst of the inventory issues.

I'm also looking into the possibility of pre-orders and subscriptions.

Nice work buddy! I love these bean sooo much!

Received. It's good! I started with Espresso Bar, and ran my now-typical lever emulation. The pressure was slightly low compared to my usual roast, and that's because it's older so I'll have to find griner.

For those of you drinking these (EspressoBar, GranBar) on a regular basis, what is your ideal brew temperature?

I tend to use temps <85C for dark roasts like these, actually I use the 80s espresso profile on my DE1PRO- it starts at 82C and declines really low to 72C although I've never seen it hit 72C. Ratios usually <1.5. However, i've not tried it at higher temps to see if matters.

I just use boiling water in an un-preheated Robot which, from past measurements, typically goes from about 90-92°C and declines to around 80°C in the 35 seconds my shots usually run. I've tried using cooler water and wasn't convinced it made a big difference. But I can't say with any real confidence that I'm doing it the best way.

The main thing I throttle is ratio. Crema Bar and Espresso Bar I go with 16g in and 19g out, give or take. With Gran Bar, Top Selection, Positano, Ravello I'm closer to a 1:2 ratio.

FWIW.

Ok, ground it finer and lowered the starting temp to 187F. Followed the lever-emulation process from that point forward.... Significant improvement. Much closer to what I was imagining, much closer to what folks have described previously.

Edit, so I don't create unnecessary posts: the GranBar is good... but the EspressoBar is awesome. Thick thick dark crema, rich flavor. Will order this again.

I do 188F for both Top Selection and Crema. Definitely made both of them smoother at the lower temp. As noted earlier, the ratio can also make a big difference. I do 1:1.5 for Top Selection and 1:1 for Crema. I suspect the other blends would have similar results at lower temps and tighter ratios.

Any word on the next shipment? (just signed up for the newsletter)