Dialing in espresso by Gwilym Davies [short PDF]

Beginner and pro baristas share tips and tricks for making espresso.
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baldheadracing
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#1: Post by baldheadracing »

I recently had a friend ask me how I dial-in new-to-me coffees for espresso. He's got the basics down (tamping, distribution, etc.), but struggles with a new coffee or a different roast(date) of the 'same' coffee. It seems like similar situations pop up pretty regularly here, so I hope this helps those folks like it helped me.

Besides the many resources here, I generally follow the straightforward process outlined by Gwilym Davies (2009 WBC) in a two-page pdf:
https://europeancoffeetrip.com/pdf/5-LC ... ing-in.pdf

In summary, in order:
  1. Dose based on basket size;
  2. Based on roast level, get to a fixed extraction ratio (1:2, etc.) and fixed time ;
  3. Change beverage weight to combat bitterness, and/or move the balance between acidity/sweetness, and/or account for age/defects in the coffee;
  4. Fine tune from there using extraction time;
  5. Final tune based on extraction temperature (and/or flow rate)
Aside: The pdf (and others) accompanied a video series of what I'll call 'espresso-making pointers' by Gwilym created by European Coffee Trip (but does not cover dialing-in): https://europeancoffeetrip.com/gwilym-d ... languages/ H-B thread on the series: New (Free) Gwilym Davies Barista Training Videos
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada
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