Playing around with finding a nice recipe for ristretto. My LM linea mini is set for 6 bar, and I am using sensory lab steadfast which is a comfort blend usually served under milk drinks.

The last few shots have been:


98.75c 28g out in 28s. Very Sweet. No origin flavour. Not bitter but definitely over.

98c- 27g in 27s more balanced but not sweet enough. Some origin flavour. Some sourness.

98.5c- Finer grind than 2nd shot. 28g in 35s- nice and sweet. No real origin flavour. Best overall flavour.


What would you recommend changing for the 4th shot to get some more balanced origin flavour while maintaining sweetness?

What's youre dose weight in? It's possible that particular blend is just going to extract better at a slightly higher ratio.

18g in 18g vst

If I'm understanding right, you're not disliking the espresso it's producing, you just haven't found the "sweet spot", yet. You might tighten up the grind and try a shot closer to 1:1 and then go the other direction and try another shot closer to 1:2 and see the impact on sweetness and flavor.

Also, 98c seems pretty high temp. Another experiment would be to keep the same ratio you've been using and take it down to 92-94c range and see what effect that has, as well.

RyanP wrote:
Also, 98c seems pretty high temp. Another experiment would be to keep the same ratio you've been using and take it down to 92-94c range and see what effect that has, as well.

+1 on this. I was going to recommend 93C, but RyanP hit the range.

Along with a 1:2 ratio try this on attempt 4. I've had Sensory Lab Steadfast before. My daughter and Aussie son-in-law live in Sydney and sent me some a year ago. Great coffee!!!

Let us know what happens.

Out of topic but you can try the Rick Bond mod on your LMLM to have pressure profiling. The Coffee Machinist aka Rick Bond is based in Melbourne and what he can do to a LMLM is simply amazing.

Ok have my recipe nailed. Thanks for the advice. What I learned along the way is that for the lower extraction volume of the ristretto and my lower pump pressure (6 bar) that I had to throw my pre-existing ideas around brew time and temp out the window. Ended up finishing up my stock of Steadfast and moving to Sweetheart as well.

Here is my final full recipe:

Grinder: Mythos one
Espresso machine: Linea Mini - pump set to 6 bar
Brew temperature setting: 98c / 208.4 F
Beans: Sensory Lab Sweetheart around 2 weeks out from roast - freshly opened bag
Weight in: 17.8g
Weight out: 26g
Time: 42s
Tasting notes: Chocolate, sugar, praline.
Body: Thick and syrupy.
Pour: From underneath the naked pf the pour beaded evenly, then moved to a full dark colored cone with extensive tiger striping. Dropped like room temp honey. Amazingly thick.

Simon345 wrote:Playing around with finding a nice recipe for ristretto. My LM linea mini is set for 6 bar, and I am using sensory lab steadfast which is a comfort blend usually served under milk drinks.

The last few shots have been:


98.75c 28g out in 28s. Very Sweet. No origin flavour. Not bitter but definitely over.

98c- 27g in 27s more balanced but not sweet enough. Some origin flavour. Some sourness.

98.5c- Finer grind than 2nd shot. 28g in 35s- nice and sweet. No real origin flavour. Best overall flavour.


What would you recommend changing for the 4th shot to get some more balanced origin flavour while maintaining sweetness?

Interesting notes , if you are denoting " over " as over extraction then it is really unlikey that 18 > 29 in that time frame would be classified as over extraction .. Bitter for sure, but you could be in that part where you need to push through bitterness to get to more sweetness from 117-19 % as a guess.
Not that it matters the taste is the taste .