Sour Espresso
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- Posts: 40
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I am at a loss. I am getting sour undrinkable shots. I have not changed anything that I can identify. I am using the usual beans I purchase from a local Italian market and 18 grams of coffee in a VST 20-gram filter. I pull 1.5 oz in 26-28 seconds. I am also getting wet pucks that I never had before. My machine is a Quick Mill Andreja Premium. Could it be time to replace my grinder burrs? I have a Rossi RR-45. I grind about 1.5 lb of beans a month, I know it's been at least 5 years since I changed burrs.
- Jeff
- Team HB
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Grinder burrs dulling seem like they would be a slow process under home use, not a "few weeks" kind of thing. As I recall, the Rossi RR-45 uses 64 mm burrs, so they probably last "years" under home use. The similar-size Mazzer Super Jolly burrs are said to have a 440 kg expected life. At 1 kg/month, that's decades.
Wet pucks, by themselves, aren't an issue. That things are different suggests that the way the extraction is proceeding near the end of the shot is different.
I'd try a couple things to try to narrow things down.
Deep clean the grinder. I'd use some brushes and a vacuum cleaner. Use a vacuum cleaner that is small enough so that when you discover you've sucked up something small and important, going through the bag won't be a terrible task. Try to keep grinds and dirt out of the body and collar threads. I'm not a fan of Grindz or rice for a variety of reasons.
Try a different coffee. Coffee is an agricultural product, that is then often hand processed. Every batch is a little different. Sometimes a lot different. The better blender/roasters do a good job of keeping it reasonably consistent batch after batch by varying the blend and roast profile over time, but there are still differences.
Wet pucks, by themselves, aren't an issue. That things are different suggests that the way the extraction is proceeding near the end of the shot is different.
I'd try a couple things to try to narrow things down.
Deep clean the grinder. I'd use some brushes and a vacuum cleaner. Use a vacuum cleaner that is small enough so that when you discover you've sucked up something small and important, going through the bag won't be a terrible task. Try to keep grinds and dirt out of the body and collar threads. I'm not a fan of Grindz or rice for a variety of reasons.
Try a different coffee. Coffee is an agricultural product, that is then often hand processed. Every batch is a little different. Sometimes a lot different. The better blender/roasters do a good job of keeping it reasonably consistent batch after batch by varying the blend and roast profile over time, but there are still differences.
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- Posts: 20
- Joined: 2 years ago
Sounds like under extracted shot, your dose + timing should be good enough though. If you're getting the beans from an italian market, I guess the beans are quite dark? I don't believe the Quick Mill Andreja Premium has a PID but if it has one, I would try to get the temp higher. Have you tried beans from somewhere else to compare? I would not worry about the wet puck.
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- Posts: 20
- Joined: 2 years ago
Also, did you change your water by any chance? If your water is softer than before, it could underextract the coffee.
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- Posts: 40
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For a year or more I have been using the water suggested by Whole Latte Love; Deionized water with the addition of sodium bicarbonate to neutralize the small amount of acidity in DI water and magnesium sulfate to add taste to the water.
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We can eliminate this factor if you didn't change your water recently.
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I would think carefully about the timing of the taste change to purchase of a new batch of beans from your source. It would be the most likely culprit, especially if the taste change came about abruptly.
LMWDP #748
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Can you elaborate a bit on the roast you're using? Light/medium/dark/dry/shiny? Perhaps you've noticed a shift in the appearance of the grind? Appearance may not be conclusive, but could hint at the propensity for the roast to go off the rails.David6FL wrote:I am using the usual beans I purchase from a local Italian market
- BaristaBoy E61
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Might the water temperature at the puck be too low?
"You didn't buy an Espresso Machine - You bought a Chemistry Set!"
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Do you use any tools to distribute grinds evenly in the basket prep?