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i used to not have a knock box but then i got a very cheap one off amazon and now i wouldn’t want to not have one, so the message is if you don’t want to get one, don’t get one and you won’t know that you’re missing
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Mar 26, 2023 06:13
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It's another thing to clean.
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Mar 26, 2023 07:19
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Sir Sidney Poitier posted:It's another thing to clean. How often do you clean your knock box
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Mar 26, 2023 08:52
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Sweeper posted:How often do you clean your knock box Depends on how dry your pucks are, but not too often. It centralizes and contains the mess. It's a requirement for me, but I'm fine with coffee taking up a third of my counter space.
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Mar 26, 2023 15:01
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I just shake my portafilter and the puck falls out. No need for excessive violence. Why you guys gotta be so hard
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Mar 26, 2023 16:01
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I’d be shocked if I cleaned my knockbox more than once a year. It doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. They’re not expensive and are a nice quality of life upgrade. Sage/Breville Knockbox Mini is £20. Get one.
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Mar 26, 2023 17:55
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Espresso noob here. I have a Silvia with PID, DF64, VST basket, WDT, and a scale. For 20 g in, at a grind setting of 15, I get 56 g out, while a grind setting of 12 only gets me ~5 g out. This seems super sensitive given that I tried to keep everything else the same, but then again I am a noob. What are some obvious things I should be looking at? The machine had 30+ minutes to warm up before the first shot and another 5 minutes between the first and second shot.
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Mar 27, 2023 01:16
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What exactly is the problem you're trying to solve?
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Mar 27, 2023 01:30
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The answer is yes, slight changes in grind can make a big difference in extraction and extraction time
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Mar 27, 2023 01:38
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I’m assuming, when you say ~56g/5g out, what you mean is 56g/5g out in 30 seconds. The duration is important information. It’s measured from when your pump switches on, including preinfusion (not applicable to silvia.) otherwise - yeah it’s normal. try 13 and 14, and if neither of those give you good results, try adjusting dose 0.5g. i think temperature also affects flow, and it certainly affects extraction, so that’s another thing to tweak if grind and dose can’t quite get you into the good zone
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Mar 27, 2023 01:44
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bizwank posted:What exactly is the problem you're trying to solve? I was hoping to get closer to 1:2 without having to do microscopic adjustments to the grind setting. TengenNewsEditor posted:The answer is yes, slight changes in grind can make a big difference in extraction and extraction time Alright, thanks for confirming that this is normal. hypnophant posted:I’m assuming, when you say ~56g/5g out, what you mean is 56g/5g out in 30 seconds. The duration is important information. It’s measured from when your pump switches on, including preinfusion (not applicable to silvia.) Yeah, duration was fixed. The PID also has a program (pre-infusion [the Silvia does have it], saturation, extraction [27 s]) for brewing which I did not change between the two shots.
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Mar 27, 2023 01:57
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theHUNGERian posted:I was hoping to get closer to 1:2 without having to do microscopic adjustments to the grind setting. Welcome to espresso! This will be your life going forward. In all serious, yes that’s exactly how it works. You shoot for the closest you can get to 2:1 or whatever you are going for with grind setting, then make adjustments to dose, etc to get closer to what you want.
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Mar 27, 2023 05:22
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Pilfered Pallbearers posted:Welcome to espresso! This will be your life going forward. I am embracing it all. Coffee is life!
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Mar 27, 2023 14:02
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I know there are goons in here who use their Encore for espresso, but having a stepless grinder makes dialing in for espresso so much easier and you'll wonder how you managed to get a decent shot prior to owning one. Even with a grinder that can "do espresso", you'll often find that one notch finer will choke your machine, and one notch coarser doesn't allow the water to flow as slow as I'd like. The Encore SSP might be a little bit better about that, given its ability to do finer stepped adjustments, but stepless is so nice. Corb3t fucked around with this message at 14:35 on Mar 27, 2023 |
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Mar 27, 2023 14:32
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Sour espressochat: I'm putting in 18g, getting out 45g in 30s, but it's still sour. This is having started out getting out 36g but at that point I want timing it. I know it's under extracted, but what's the next direction I need to go in? Finer grind so it can only get 36g through in 30s?
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Mar 27, 2023 15:22
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Sir Sidney Poitier posted:Sour espressochat: I'm putting in 18g, getting out 45g in 30s, but it's still sour. This is having started out getting out 36g but at that point I want timing it. I know it's under extracted, but what's the next direction I need to go in? Finer grind so it can only get 36g through in 30s? Either grind finer or pull longer (in terms of time and in:out ratio). You're trying to get higher extraction and those are the two basic ways. Upping temp and pressure can do the same, as will lowering dose, but start with grind or time. And don't be wed to 30s - light roasts especially are hard to extract and may just need more contact time with the water.
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Mar 27, 2023 15:33
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Sir Sidney Poitier posted:Sour espressochat: I'm putting in 18g, getting out 45g in 30s, but it's still sour. This is having started out getting out 36g but at that point I want timing it. I know it's under extracted, but what's the next direction I need to go in? Finer grind so it can only get 36g through in 30s? I would try the following: grind finer drop the dose by 0.5 bump the temp up a degree, if you can if you have a bambino and you’re not currently doing anything to get the temp up, that might have the largest impact on flavor, especially if you’re using light roasts. someone posted a lance hedrick video recently which looked like it had some good tips. you could also see if you get better results with dark (not like starbucks dark) roasts. Light roasts are trending but they are challenging to extract well, especially on equipment that doesn’t give you control over temperature and pressure. e: longer pull can also be beneficial but I find there’s limits to how long you can go before you start getting more bad flavors - there are grind/dose/temp combos where no matter how long you pull, you’ll never intersect “the tasty zone.” you can try a longer pull but if you get up past 45s or much higher than a 3:1 ratio, and you’re still not getting the flavors you want, it’s a good indicator to change gears imo hypnophant fucked around with this message at 15:50 on Mar 27, 2023 |
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Mar 27, 2023 15:43
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Thank you both, I will try a bit finer and longer. I am using a Bambino Plus and I preheat, and I don't think it's a light roast but will check, it's an 'espresso blend' from a local roaster.
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Mar 27, 2023 15:46
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Sir Sidney Poitier posted:Thank you both, I will try a bit finer and longer. I am using a Bambino Plus and I preheat, and I don't think it's a light roast but will check, it's an 'espresso blend' from a local roaster. that’s likely a dark roast then. if you can talk to someone locally and tell them you’re trying to pull shots with it, they may have a few suggestions for you. One thing to note is that some roasters make an “espresso blend” which they intend for people to pull shots with, and some roasters blend theirs to try to mimic the intensity of espresso when brewed as filter coffee. If your roaster is aiming for the latter, it’s not guaranteed you’re going to like how it tastes if you make espresso out of it.
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Mar 27, 2023 15:54
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Sir Sidney Poitier posted:Thank you both, I will try a bit finer and longer. I am using a Bambino Plus and I preheat, and I don't think it's a light roast but will check, it's an 'espresso blend' from a local roaster. If it’s really fresh (roasted less than 8 days) that could also impact the ability to get a good shot. I agree with the others in the steps you should take. Since it’s likely a darker roast, I’d stick with 1:2 30 seconds for all of the following. I’d Grind finer little by little until you feel it’s over extracted, then move one or two notches coarser. If you feel it’s still under extracted, go back to the over-extracted grind and drop dose, .5g at a time. If you can’t get a good shot with that, then I’d play with ratio or time (use the espresso chart to see which way you should go based on taste. I don’t have time now, but lance hedrick has a good video on how to dial a bag that really made this process click for me, even if I don’t really like him or his content.
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Mar 27, 2023 17:18
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Corb3t posted:I know there are goons in here who use their Encore for espresso, but having a stepless grinder makes dialing in for espresso so much easier and you'll wonder how you managed to get a decent shot prior to owning one. I was one of those goons for a while. Yes, espresso came out of my machine using an Encore w/Virtuoso burr but things got much better after I started using a Eureka Mignon. Now I’ve got dedicated espresso and moka pot grinders and life is good.
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Mar 27, 2023 17:29
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Pilfered Pallbearers posted:I don’t have time now, but lance hedrick has a good video on how to dial a bag that really made this process click for me, even if I don’t really like him or his content. It’s this one, and some of you will be surprised at his ratios: Dark Roast: 1:2 (20g in:40g out) Medium Roast: 1:2.5 (20g in:50g out) Light Roast: 1:3 (20g in:60g out) I’ve found that most roasters in my area tend to roast even their Espresso bags as more of a medium, so I typically just aim for 50g out and have been very successful at reducing my sour shots with my Bambino. https://youtu.be/6DWa3xqnWUs
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Mar 28, 2023 05:45
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Goals https://youtube.com/shorts/TyvJqHSgCcI?feature=share - looks like shorts don't embed. gently caress new tech 
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Mar 28, 2023 22:07
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The latest coffee-related Kickstarter launched today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8qKs1mIYQI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT-UtMcwRJY https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/meticulous/meticulous-espresso?ref=user_menu Metculous robot lever espresso machine ~250g water reservoir 6 temperature sensors Pressure and Flow Control Built-in Acaia-Powered scale Bluetooth/App Compatible (but not required) $1200 Day 1 Preorder Pricing ($2000 MSRP) Starts Shipping December 2023 Pretty expensive risk for a relatively new business, but they've partnered with a bunch of respective companies and the overall product looks ready to go. This plus a TimeMore Sculptor and NanoFoamer would be a pretty nice setup for $1500. I may need to come up with an extra $1100 by May. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-dxaLZTfGc Corb3t fucked around with this message at 06:52 on Mar 29, 2023 |
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Mar 29, 2023 06:13
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Corb3t posted:The latest coffee-related Kickstarter launched today: It's a really cool machine and the first true competitor for the Decent. Lance Hedrick also made a first impressions video with the Meticulous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDblFHWFKSA
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Mar 29, 2023 06:33
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Never use Kickstarter. Or pre-order anything in general. Let others be the guinea pigs.
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Mar 29, 2023 06:36
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Corb3t posted:The latest coffee-related Kickstarter launched today: That $1100 is only for the people who paid for the early bird access through their website. They’re say they’ll be email verifying, but I have to wonder if that would be violating some Kickstarter policy. Everyone else it’s $1199 for the first day with a $50 price increase every day after that till it caps at $1499.
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Mar 29, 2023 06:39
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Mu Zeta posted:Never use Kickstarter. Or pre-order anything in general. Let others be the guinea pigs. I love my Sanderson books, Frosthaven, and Genki Switch accessories, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy my discounted TimeMore Sculptor 064s and NanoFoamer Pro. 
Corb3t fucked around with this message at 07:09 on Mar 29, 2023 |
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Mar 29, 2023 06:55
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shame about your zpm machine though
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Mar 29, 2023 12:16
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hypnophant posted:shame about your zpm machine though I actually ended up getting a refund from them after the campaign ended but before they ran out of money, but most were not lucky. Don’t feel too bad, though - all ZPM backers were offered a DE1 for $1000 with a $200 credit since the project never came to fruition. I just passed on it because I was back to being a broke college student by the time the Decent was released. The fact that Meticulous is a relatively new company certainly adds risk, though, and I can’t blame anybody for not wanting to risk it. Global manufacturing and kickstarter-like projects have come a long way since the early failures of Kickstarter projects, and there’s little to no risk in backing the NanoFoamer Pro and TimeMore, but there’s always somebody out there who has sworn KS off because they got burned on a Pebble watch a decade ago. As far as I know, there’s nothing even close to what the Sculptor offers at its price. I certainty regret not having a $800 DE-1 sitting in my kitchen right now… Corb3t fucked around with this message at 14:09 on Mar 29, 2023 |
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Mar 29, 2023 13:56
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Pentecoastal Elites posted:has anyone tried pulling shots over a chilled steel ball? I've seen the technique a few times and wanted to give it a shot, was wondering if anyone had any recommendations before I go try to figure out what to buy (a metal whisky stone I'm guessing) cold steel ball espresso trip report: not something I'll do every morning, but definitely something I'll try at least once with every bean/bag the winning equipment combo was one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BL3ZTNP?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details and a 1.5" diameter stainless steel ball bearing I found at a hardware store. Stuck the ball and basket in the freezer overnight, poured directly over and into the cup (the basket juuuuust fit into the mouth of my cheap delonghi cup). You've got to drink it the minute the pull is complete because it comes out right on the very edge of being unpleasantly cool. It's definitely an interesting effect: it absolutely changes the taste and texture, just hard to say if the changes are for the better or worse, they're mostly just different. I got a lot more of the floral and fruit notes, really strong dark chocolate, less bitterness, and more acidity. Much creamier texture, too, like the crema got sort of locked in from the contact with the cold ball. That said, the deeper flavors that weren't right off the tip of the tongue were way more muted. A lot less of that deep espresso richness, which was sort of weird with a much more robust texture. anyway it's not like a life changing coffee revelation but it's very neat and at a price of about $11 all-in, the cheapest espresso thing I've ever bought. I suspect that there are beans out there that are especially suited to this setup (and some not), but at any rate it's kind of fun to be able to get a different character out of a bean you otherwise have pretty dialed in. worth it at the price, imo!
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Mar 31, 2023 16:11
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Appreciate the trip report! I've been curious.
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Mar 31, 2023 16:24
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Kyle Rowsell tried the whiskey stone thing a while back. I couldn't remember who it was when this initially came up, but here you go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-eCcaNyZqY
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Mar 31, 2023 16:31
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I've tried putting my espresso cup in the freezer before brewing with my Robot, and I'm honestly not sure if it really improved or changed anything. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't suddenly way better than other shots I've pulled.
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Mar 31, 2023 17:36
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I bought an Ember Mug and while I couldn't recommend it to anyone that is not an idiot with their money, I am using it for the first time right now and it's pretty great. I have stomach issues that coffee isn't particularly kind to, so being able to drink my coffee really slowly helps that out, and now I don't have to keep it in a Yeti with the lid on, which blocks the aromas. This is good poo poo if you like overpriced coffee garbage
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Mar 31, 2023 18:20
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My espresso truck brews at 208° (97.5° C). The piping hot espresso is so good. It doesn't seem like any flavor is sacrificed. If I had a temp control on my machine I'd try to push it as high as I could get it within the proper range. I cool shots immediately if it's going into a cold drink but I can't see doing it otherwise. Pentecoastal Elites mentioned doing maybe it once per bag as a learning exercise though and it makes sense there as a means to an end
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Mar 31, 2023 18:26
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yeah I want to stress that I didn't find it better (though I could imagine it for specific beans), but it did clarify a lot of the top-level notes that I "should" be able to detect in the coffee, if that makes sense, at the cost of tasting less like the shot I'm used to and enjoy.
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Mar 31, 2023 18:33
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Pentecoastal Elites posted:yeah I want to stress that I didn't find it better (though I could imagine it for specific beans), but it did clarify a lot of the top-level notes that I "should" be able to detect in the coffee, if that makes sense, at the cost of tasting less like the shot I'm used to and enjoy. So I have one of these HyperChiller HC2M Patented Iced Coffee/Beverage Cooler, NEW, IMPROVED,STRONGER AND MORE DURABLE! Ready in One Minute, Reusable for Iced Tea, Wine, Spirits, Alcohol, Juice, 12.5 Oz, Mint Blue https://a.co/d/45jaPXW With espresso volume, it chills to ice cold in less than 30 seconds. It’s very very fast. It’s so fast that sometimes the espresso will freeze on the walls if I don’t get it out quick enough. The only issue is most machines wouldn’t have the clearance to brew directly into it. But if you think it’d preserve the effect if you pull the shot and directly dump it in there it might be worth the $20 it costs. For iced pour over it’s the best thing ever.
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Mar 31, 2023 19:36
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I have the same thing and I can’t wait to use it in the summer again. It is a little bit of a pain to wash. The alternatives are like plastic sticks containing ice. I think James Hoffmann tested a few on his channel. This works for me though.
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Mar 31, 2023 19:42
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| # ? May 12, 2024 17:22 |
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James Hoffman tried the new Starbucks olive oil drinks and he doesn't hate them and actually finds them intriguing. Though he's tasting them at their flagship Reserve Roastery in Milan. I'm sure it will turn to poo poo by the time it comes here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XewgO7j6y-E
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Mar 31, 2023 20:23
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