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Horse Clocks posted:I've noticed I can't taste anything in my espresso other than the slightly fruity acid notes. Same bag? Blend? Do the beans smell the same when ground? i'd always look there first but that's just my sense of how to troubleshoot.
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Mar 15, 2016 17:50
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Horse Clocks posted:I've noticed I can't taste anything in my espresso other than the slightly fruity acid notes. It sounds like you could be under extracting, how much coffee are you putting in, and how much is coming out?
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Mar 15, 2016 20:19
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Beans: https://www.pactcoffee.com/coffees/planalto Grind: #9 on the Rocky. Two 'doses', which when tamped sits right around the clip ring on the basket. Temp: Machine turns on 30 mins before I usually wake up, and is set to 105C on the PID. Extraction: 4 seconds pre-infuse, 1 second soak, 25 second brew. Result: I measured out 4 tablespoons (2 Oz?) of water into one of my cups to see what it looks like. That's around about what I usually get. Sometimes it just trickles out and I get a bit less. I had a play around earlier with some different settings. Mainly playing with the grind size. Managed to get a cup that didn't entirely taste of Fanta branded battery acid, but the pre-infuse step was too long and resulted in liquid in the cup. Then the actual brew phase spurt out coffee like a firehose. Still has a bit of acidity to it, but I can actually taste the other flavours. Ran out of beans and broke my tamper in the process though 
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Mar 16, 2016 13:30
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Sounds like you may be overextracting originally then. I'd try grinding coarser than that #9 and maybe tamping slightly harder to balance it out. That should keep brew time about the same, but extract a little less. If you have a scale, definitely weigh your shots rather than eyeballing the volume. My scale is thin enough that I actually actually pull the shots on it and watch the weight as I pull the shot.
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Mar 16, 2016 14:28
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rockcity posted:Sounds like you may be overextracting originally then. I'd try grinding coarser than that #9 and maybe tamping slightly harder to balance it out. That should keep brew time about the same, but extract a little less. If you have a scale, definitely weigh your shots rather than eyeballing the volume. My scale is thin enough that I actually actually pull the shots on it and watch the weight as I pull the shot. Do you have The Scale? I feel like we haven't linked that in the past few pages, maybe its praises need to again be sung.
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Mar 16, 2016 16:17
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becoming posted:Do you have The Scale? I feel like we haven't linked that in the past few pages, maybe its praises need to again be sung. This is mine. It's the smaller version of the one that used to be the default recommendation. It's small, so it's not great for measuring anything larger than say a coffee cup, but I use it constantly for coffee and weighing small ingredients, usually beer brewing related. It's less than an inch thick so I can still fit it comfortably even with a 12oz latte mug on it under my portafilter. http://www.amazon.com/American-Weig...l+kitchen+scale
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Mar 16, 2016 17:30
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You motherfucker! I also hate money and am totally jealous of your progression.
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Mar 17, 2016 02:05
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Just got a Baratza Encore and a Clever Dripper. Suggestions on grind size? I've tried 20 as recommended by others online (e.g. somewhere between drip and press) and it just tastes kinda "flat". I'm using 22g fresh ground Costa Rican with 350g water, steep time of 2:30 with a 1:00 draw down. Of note, it doesn't drain completely within that last minute. Try upping to a grind setting of ~30? Or go finer with a shorter brew time? Ironically the grinder the Encore replaced (a disc burr Cuisinart piece of garbage) seemed to make a more nuanced cup at similar grind settings, despite having less grind consistency... amenenema fucked around with this message at 21:31 on Mar 17, 2016 |
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Mar 17, 2016 21:29
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amenenema posted:Just got a Baratza Encore and a Clever Dripper. Suggestions on grind size? I've tried 20 as recommended by others online (e.g. somewhere between drip and press) and it just tastes kinda "flat". I'm using 22g fresh ground Costa Rican with 350g water, steep time of 2:30 with a 1:00 draw down. Of note, it doesn't drain completely within that last minute. Try upping to a grind setting of ~30? Or go finer with a shorter brew time? The neat thing about the Clever is that you can really play around with grind size - there's no "right" answer, since it's an immersion method with a paper filter. You could set the Encore to 40, let it steep for four minutes, and then drain it, or you can pick a smaller size and shorten the steep time. I'd try going coarser and lengthen the steep time; 20 on your grinder is apparently too fine. Start coarse with a long steep time and shorten from there. Nice thing about a coarse grind is that the drawdown will be very fast.
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Mar 17, 2016 23:58
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amenenema posted:Just got a Baratza Encore and a Clever Dripper. Suggestions on grind size?
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Mar 18, 2016 01:34
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Wicked, thanks all!
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Mar 18, 2016 03:57
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Any of y'all used Joco or Keepcup mugs? Looking for something I can use to drink my caps from on the way to work.
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Mar 21, 2016 16:18
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dik-dik posted:Any of y'all used Joco or Keepcup mugs? Looking for something I can use to drink my caps from on the way to work. I was given a Joco mug for Christmas, and I like it a lot. Doesn't hold heat, which is a plus for me, and is very easy to clean. I don't know that I would buy one though over something like a Lifefactory glass bottle or something else with a seal. The top of the Joco is good enough to prevent anything from sloshing out, and has a more pleasant feel to drink from than most travel mugs, but it definitely won't prevent spills if dropped, knocked, etc.
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Mar 21, 2016 17:38
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I have a Keepcup and don't find it all that useful. It doesn't keep things hot and it's not spill proof. It's also made of glass so it's heavy and fragile. I just bring my Zojirushi thermos instead.
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Mar 21, 2016 18:54
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The zojirushi thermos line looks like a somewhat nicer version of the Thermos brand I used to use. If they're anything alike I can totally vouch for them keeping hot things hot for ages. So long, in fact, that I switched to a Contigo. The lid doesn't do a whole lot for insulating so it doesn't keep things hot nearly as long; I make some coffee, do my hour commute, and then it's cooled off enough to drink, while my thermos usually needed another hour or two (or some ice). Plus I dropped the thermos on pavement and it doesn't take well to that sort of experience.
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Mar 22, 2016 03:47
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I'm in Portland for the week. Any goon recommendations? I'm tempted to try the Stumptown Nitro even though it sounds like a terrible gimmick.
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Mar 22, 2016 09:27
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Casull posted:I'm in Portland for the week. Any goon recommendations? I'm tempted to try the Stumptown Nitro even though it sounds like a terrible gimmick. I went to Coava while visiting there last year. They were pretty solid.
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Mar 22, 2016 13:43
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Klades posted:The zojirushi thermos line looks like a somewhat nicer version of the Thermos brand I used to use. If they're anything alike I can totally vouch for them keeping hot things hot for ages. I have a Contigo and a Zojirushi, and I agree with the above. Neither leaks and both can take a beating, but the Zojirushi will hold temperatures ~forever.
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Mar 22, 2016 14:46
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Casull posted:I'm in Portland for the week. Any goon recommendations? I'm tempted to try the Stumptown Nitro even though it sounds like a terrible gimmick. Extracto is good, too.
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Mar 22, 2016 17:11
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I'd also add Heart and Barista(cafe with great selection) to the Portland stops.
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Mar 22, 2016 17:35
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Casull posted:I'm in Portland for the week. Any goon recommendations? I'm tempted to try the Stumptown Nitro even though it sounds like a terrible gimmick. Heart, Good Coffee, and Either/Or are good. I'll also toss my company Dapper & Wise into the mix.
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Mar 22, 2016 20:35
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What are your guys' preference for cold brew ratios? I've started making a batch every week so I can just grab it and go (and is nice because if I want a hot cup I can just add hot water)... I've been doing 1:6 with as coarse of a grind as my grinder will go and then diluting 50/50 with water plus ice. Sound about right?
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Mar 23, 2016 13:28
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emotive posted:What are your guys' preference for cold brew ratios? I've started making a batch every week so I can just grab it and go (and is nice because if I want a hot cup I can just add hot water)... I've been doing 1:6 with as coarse of a grind as my grinder will go and then diluting 50/50 with water plus ice. Sound about right? I think you hit the right word, which is "preference". I like 1:8 but generally mix with milk; if you're doing ice (which melts, thus adding more water), then 1:6 might be just right. Whatever tastes best to you.
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Mar 23, 2016 18:00
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So I've been trying to make Vietnamese iced coffee for the past however many months and I just can't seem to get it to taste like the ones I've had in restaurants. I bought a phin filter and everything but the coffee always tastes like regular pourover coffee. Does anyone have any tips regarding beans, grind size, condensed milk brand, etc?
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Mar 24, 2016 17:13
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You're using sweetened condensed milk, right? How much are you adding to it?
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Mar 24, 2016 21:25
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I get my Vietnamese coffee supplies from an Asian food market. The coffee is a very dark pre-ground in vacuum bags, coarse but closer to a drip grind than it is to french press. I suspect it's a really cheap robusta, tastes like battery acid if drunk straight black. On its own it's as nasty as anything on the Folgers/Maxwell House shelf in a regular grocery store. Trung Nguyen House Brand Vietnamese coffee is the least nasty of the two brands I've tried. I haven't found any differences in the sweetened condensed milk brands as long as they're Asian - Rooster and Longevity are the two I use, . I haven't measured the sugar content but I strongly suspect they might be sweeter than North American brands. Liquid icing, as someone put it. Pre-fill the cup with a quarter or less of this, drip coffee through the phin, and the results have been identical to what I've had in Vietnamese restaurants - absolutely lovely. Now I'm wondering what a very dark roast on a fresh Vietnamese bean would be like through a phin. Sounds like something to try once I work the bugs out of this home roasting thing.
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Mar 25, 2016 01:26
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ChickenArise posted:I have a Contigo and a Zojirushi, and I agree with the above. Neither leaks and both can take a beating, but the Zojirushi will hold temperatures ~forever. When I had a Zojirushi, I literally brought a disposable cup with me to pour into because I could never drink straight out of the Zoji. Found Contigo strikes a nice balance between retaining most heat for long periods of time with also letting me drink the drat coffee without scalding my mouth.
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Mar 25, 2016 01:39
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The Polish Pirate posted:When I had a Zojirushi, I literally brought a disposable cup with me to pour into because I could never drink straight out of the Zoji. Found Contigo strikes a nice balance between retaining most heat for long periods of time with also letting me drink the drat coffee without scalding my mouth. I find my contigo autoseal or whatever it's called has the scalding issue. If I put pourover in it, it's basically undrinkable for an hour. It's great after that though. I just wish there were a vent you could open to cool it a bit at first. If I have time I leave the lid off for a while but if I'm on my way out the door it's a problem.
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Mar 25, 2016 03:45
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The Polish Pirate posted:When I had a Zojirushi, I literally brought a disposable cup with me to pour into because I could never drink straight out of the Zoji. Found Contigo strikes a nice balance between retaining most heat for long periods of time with also letting me drink the drat coffee without scalding my mouth. It's freaky when I've got iced water/coffee in there and it still has solid ice after some time in a hot car.
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Mar 25, 2016 15:27
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I'm thinking of getting a Lido grinder. It's $200 but they can now do espresso.
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Mar 29, 2016 06:31
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Mu Zeta posted:I'm thinking of getting a Lido grinder. It's $200 but they can now do espresso. $200 for a hand grinder?? Good gravy.
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Mar 29, 2016 14:27
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What's the going not too expensive recommendation fora Turkish capable grinder?
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Mar 30, 2016 12:05
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Cymbal Monkey posted:What's the going not too expensive recommendation fora Turkish capable grinder? "not too expensive" isn't very descriptive. What's your budget? You probably want a hand grinder, which will help keep costs down. You might be able to get away with a Porlex or a Hario Mini Mill. This one is well reviewed: https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/turkish-coffee-grinder
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Mar 30, 2016 17:32
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The significant other is now whole hog on coffee-crazy. Well, I should say she's allowing me to be the avatar of said crazy, but she's stopped reeling me in. Me: Hey, if you wanted me to start roasting again, the break-even on a Behmor is 26 weeks based on our current consumption rate (bought beans vs roasted). Her: Hmm... that would let you do a variety of beans again, right? Me: Yep. We could start with an 8lb sampler from Sweet Marias and go from there. Her: Ethiopian? Me: Yep. Her: Do it. Our local roaster is fantastic, but we really only like one bean from them, and when I've roasted in the past she's loved it. I think she's wanting to push some super fresh through that Technivorm. It showed up yesterday, beans show up tomorrow. Whee!
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Mar 30, 2016 17:35
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becoming posted:"not too expensive" isn't very descriptive. What's your budget? Seems like about what I'm looking for, should have specified in the UK though.
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Mar 30, 2016 18:07
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Alleric posted:The significant other is now whole hog on coffee-crazy. Well, I should say she's allowing me to be the avatar of said crazy, but she's stopped reeling me in. My mom just bought a Behmor and I went to her house for Easter and got to play with it. Man, it's a pretty nice machine for 350 bucks. I really dig it, I'm curious to see what the new control panel is like if it ever comes out. I'm the only coffee drinker in my house so my Whirly pop works for me, but it does have me thinking about making the upgrade.
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Mar 30, 2016 18:13
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bengy81 posted:My mom just bought a Behmor and I went to her house for Easter and got to play with it. Man, it's a pretty nice machine for 350 bucks. I really dig it, I'm curious to see what the new control panel is like if it ever comes out. I have a Behmor with the new panel. And it is awesome. I had the original and the new version gives me a ton more control, from temperature to timing and its got a nice safety feature that keeps me from setting it on fire (so far).
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Mar 31, 2016 01:53
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I thought the Official Thread Position was the plus was bad?
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Mar 31, 2016 14:30
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dik-dik posted:I thought the Official Thread Position was the plus was bad? I haven't read far enough back to see this, but can you elaborate? I thought it was a neat machine based on the one roast I did on it. I don't know if personally I would buy one, I also don't know if I would honestly consider anything below a Huky either. Even that would be a hard sell IMO, I feel like for 1200 bucks it might be worth watching EBay and CL for a used sample roaster or a small batch pro machine, and maybe spending a little more money. Maybe I'm not that experienced with the different gear and different price points to make that call.
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Mar 31, 2016 17:15
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I've been using the Behmor + for several months now and I enjoy the amount of control I have. It only took a few tries to start churning out drinkable stuff, I give this machine a thumbs up.
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Mar 31, 2016 18:10
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