Nice report. I've always hoped that shot pulling technique could be improved to the point that there are no "brewing only" coffees. This sort of study brings that closer.

Thanks, Jim.

That thought has crossed my mind from time to time as well.. Mainly, I think about that when I am going through the list of green at Sweet Marias.. Sometimes, the flavor profile sounds so delish, but maybe a bit too acidic and bright for a SO shot by conventional standards. You know what happens next... Either you buy it and use it for vacpot/presspot, or as a blend component, <25%.

Maybe the Ethiopian was not the BEST candidate for this test,, but it was the fruitiest coffee I had roasted. The Ethiopian does pretty well as a double shot, dosed somewhere around 14-16gr. Even still, it is better as a single.. I wonder how something like a AA Kenya, or an El Salv would fair between the triple/single.

If it matters, the Ethiopian was roasted to the first thought of second crack, and fan-cooled immediately. that is kinda my current sweet-spot.. That particular coffee wouldnt have been roasted lighter if it was for brewing. But, I imagine something brighter, something more citrusy, would need to be taken at least to just before second.. Not a city or city+/++ like it would be for brewing.

Heres a thought.. I wonder how a coffee, something bright, that is "suggested" as a city++ MAX roast, would do as a single shot, if it was taken to second crack. I bet the roast level of such a coffee would have the most impact on the shot, all things being equal.

"grinding exceptionally fine"

This is a very important point if one wants to experiment with using a single basket as this embarrassed newbie found out. After reading this thread I tried pulling a shot with my neglected single basket but did not adjust the grind. The quickest shot I've ever pulled ensued. I thought the smaller open surface area would compensate for the smaller dose but it did not. Now where to find something to tamp with...

Grinding finer increases the percentage extraction (all things being equal). This will tend to pull out more sugars and heavy, mellower tasting molecules. So finer grinds can balance very acidic coffees.

On roasting: I'm roasting espresso on a dual curve, long light roasts to short dark roasts. I find this maximizes the usable roast colors, one can go both lighter and darker. For a Sidamo/Yrg, a longer, lighter roast may mellow the fruit without adding any of the astringent gree tea notes. I roast mine a little darker than for brewing, but not much, and I pull the roast before any hint of the 2nd crack.

While I dont have nearly the experience or know-how about roasting that you do, Jim, I do have some methods of madness I use..

For espresso, my roasts have gotten lighter. Its generally a SO, somethine like a Yemen, Brazil, some Guats, or a blend with some combo of braz/sumat/ethiop/yemen. But this is tailored to a double or a triple. The triples i pull are often SO yemen, compliments of JonR, or a Brazil SO. Thats pretty much what I do.. I buy the majority of my espresso from the pro roasters. The bulk of my roasting is blends or SO's for brewing

Now, after the little experiment, Im going to purposely roast a bit lighter, what I would call city+/++. Somewhere between 1C and 2C, but not hearing any snaps of 2C. Different beans too. Im going to go back and try all the stuff I didnt enjoy as a double/triple, IE, stuff I BREW with. Kenya, Washed Colombian, EL Salv, Washed Ethiopian, Costa Rican. Because I havent tried anything yet like this, Ill be sticking to the SO's for a while for singles.

To re-iterate what I said the other day.. About 45 minutes ago, I pulled a single with a very simple 50-50 brazil ipanema/sumatra lintong blend. 8 grams, mini basket only, barely tamped, fine fine fine. I pulled it as a normale, ending up with a HAIR under 30ml. It was NOT bad like the yemen. But it WAS boring. That blend, as a double(18gr) has a fair amount of dark, non-acidic fruit and cream, dark chocolate too. As a single, it pretty much tasted like a hershey bar type chocolate, nothing more, nothing less. No fruit, thin body. The thin body amazed me the most.. Pulling that as an 18gr double ristretto comes out as thick and full as it can be, plenty of figs and dark grapes dipped in heavy cream.

Some coffees should just not go near a single basket. Other coffees live there. I, for one, am glad I tried these coffee as singles.. I really like El Salv Bourbon from the vac.. Once I get some more I will be anxious to try it as a short americano.

Hi Jeff. I also like to play with the double baskets from 9.5 to 12 grams. The variations in flavor are interesting specially from 10 to 11 grams. They are easier to tamp and the body is much thicker than singles. I think it works well for non SO blends. I also use a double LM basket for this. It kind of has a round basket shape (not straight walls).

Cheers

As far as doubles go, generally I dose between 16-19 grams, using a synesso double. But thats mostly for "standard" blends.. Toscano, Belle, Leftist, etc etc.. At that dose, with those blends.. Flavors dont change TOO much. The triple basket(a 21gr LM basket) is pretty much used for Gimme! blends, Klatch Blends,& Yemen/Brazil SO's.

But, using an E-61 14gr, or even a 12gr basket, I can dose as low as 12.5ish, and as high as 17-18. Thats where I notice the biggest change in flavor.

Before I got my LM single basket(something I wanted forever) I would use a 12gr E-61 basket for the low, low doses.. I can do a 9gram shot in that basket, grinding real fine and barely tamping. Works real well for washed coffees, most notable El Salv bourbon or Costa Rican.

Come to think of it.. I only use a "traditional" tamp, about 20lbs, when Im pullin doubles at 16 or more grams, or triples. Lower dosed doubles and singles, I use the tamp to level the coffee, and use about 5lbs of force. Now, this is purely in my mind, but when I have a floral, fruity, bright coffee.. I feel like Im killing it by tamping at 20lbs or more.. Cant be crushing those delicate flowers and succulent berries!

When it comes to singles, I feel as though the tamp matters almost as much as the grind. I read over on Randy G's site a while back the difference he saw when grinding finer and tamping lighter, and since then, I have done so. But when it comes to a single shot, using the same dose, 8-9grs in the "mini" basket, the shot changes a lot if I tamp "fully" or dont tamp at all.. Way more then a double changes based on tamping. These past couple days Ive spent a decent amount of time with the single basket, and probably just under 3lbs of coffee. I am liking the singles a lot, my only gripe is that is such a small shot! But as of 2hrs ago, Im out of "single worthy" coffees until friday. It'll be almost refreshing to get back to the triple basket tomorrow morning. Almost.

I love singles, and pull them at least half the time. I never really had a good single till I got my Cremina. I believe the smaller diameter basket helps in this regard.(I'm using an Elektra single which is just large enough to accommodate my Penny tamper. The Penney, due to it's relatively shallow piston depth is PERFECT for judging level, a MUST with a single (IMO)

Grinding slightly finer for a single (versus a double) helps, as well as applying steady, but not over powerful pressure on the downward pull.
The pulls drip so evenly, even more so than my doubles, no apparent blonding (can't say that for some of my doubles )

I do NOTHING different than when I prepare a double, other than a smaller dose (to 2mm under the basket lip) and the slightly finer grind.
Could it be the slight MANUAL adjustment of pressure as well? I can almost "feel" how hard I need to pull downward, something that can't be adjusted during a shot from a Semi auto.
JMan...don't give up.

I'm sorry must be because I'm from Italy
but I don't get it why people have such an hard time and disregards of singles shots
I personally rather pull 2 singles 30 seconds apart from each other then a double
dunno must be in my blood

stefano65 wrote: I personally rather pull 2 singles 30 seconds apart from each other then a double
dunno must be in my blood

It is
But we're learning.
Like I said, seems easier on a lever.