Coffee - do you and how do you consume it?

[D!sco]

My current preferred brew profile is based on how I used to make espresso on my Flair. A slow ramping preinfusion, a low pressure soak for a medium bloom. Then the pressure ramps up until it hits a slow syrupy flow, declining in pressure to hold 1.5g/s. Like a Londinium shot, but set to ease in or move linearly like my push lever would. Shorter soaks allow for higher pressures and less acidity depending on preference. Sometimes a bit of channeling isn't always the enemy of balanced flavor. Soaking seems to reduce channeling and pressure, drawing soluble flavors out and then flushing them into the cup with the high pressure transition. These shots have such nice texture, too.

Having a graph makes dialing in shots trivial, like equalizing a set of headphones. Flow too high? Grind finer. Pressure wobbling or rising too quickly? Coarser. Flavors too sharp? Reduce temps, or increase the yield. Not enough texture? Reduce the yield or change the pressure profile. Not enough fruity flavors? Soak longer. It's not always that simple, but usually it is.

That little dip in the flow that matches the hump implies that I slightly overly compacted my puck with the pressure peak. The bump implies a re-expansion as the pressure declined, leveling to 1.5g/s as intended. I could slow down my ease-in to level this off, or drop my maximum pressure; likewise I could coarsen my grind slightly. These small bumps imply slight channeling, but the result is so good already that I choose to leave it be.

 

[thegeton]

After all of these recipes, have you developed any preferences?

What kind of flow does the Appia have? Is it flat 9 bar or some kind of flow control?

We're strictly B2B, so most of our espresso beans come from the major commercial players. That said, I have experimented with a few, shall we say "off brand" bean blends that have been magnificent. One of those is Blue Bottle. There are a couple of blends, "Winter Espresso" and "Bold," that I especially liked. Some might say that BB Bold is a 'medium' blend, but it is not. Quite dark on the Agtron scale.

Re: flow, 9 bar. I believe this is the default setting. We aren't taking advantage of any flow control adjustments on this unit, just using it in completely manual mode.

The semi-auto and super-auto machines make real-time grinder and water flow adjustments in order to keep shot times & volumes consistent. Pretty amazing.

 

[thegeton]

In 2023 we had an internal competition to see who could create the most appealing coffee brand and blend. We had to put together a business plan, brand collateral, select and source our own beans, create blend profiles, present everything, and conduct a one-on-six tasting with the judges. I did not win but placed in the top 3.

My Brand was "Unity Coffee," and my blend was "Vestidito Rojo." A slide from my presentation:

 

[rdenney]

Call it "Little Black Dress" and you'll have a winner. "vestidito negra." The logo could be interesting, too.

Rick "noting a local roaster's popular blend called '+3dB'" Denney

 

[thegeton]

Call it "Little Black Dress" and you'll have a winner. "vestidito negra." The logo could be interesting, too.

Rick "noting a local roaster's popular blend called '+3dB'" Denney

Yep, I liked that too. However, I needed a tie-in to my charitable organization.

 

[Spkrdctr]

My current "go to" situation. I know you are all jealous!

 

[rdenney]

My current "go to" situation. I know you are all jealous!
View attachment 411704

Philistine.

Rick "looking down his nose at you" Denney

 

[Count Arthur]

I drank instant for many years, but once I switched to "real" coffee, I couldn't go back.

Count "I now have more coffee making paraphernalia than a department store" Arthur.

 

[Spkrdctr]

But it is made in New Orleans! That right there says it will make great New Orleans swamp water in a cup. But I don't drink coffee black anyways. I mix Coffee Mate French vanilla powder , Splenda and a Sugar Free Caramel liquid in it to get it just right. I am an admitted coffee wimp. I like it weak. I will now report to the gallows. Off with his head!

 

[Count Arthur]

I mix Coffee Mate French vanilla powder , Splenda and a Sugar Free Caramel liquid in it to get it just right.

That's not a coffee, it's a dessert.

 

[rdenney]

Speaking of desserts (and having mentioned this already), I was exposed in the last couple of years to a dessert aperitif after a good Italian dinner. I travel most weeks and this year has taken me to some places with exceptionally good Italian food. For example, I had a trip to Providence, and I insist that Italians from Rome travel to Rhode Island to eat on Federal Hill. It was on these trips that I learned to appreciate a recommendation from a colleague, a double espresso and a glass of Sambuca, served in the traditional way with three roasted coffee beans floating therein.

I had to be persuaded--I do not like licorice. But something about being 40% alcohol makes the anise flavor work

I still refuse to insert anything into coffee, but I've concluded I don't mind something in a separate glass.

Rick "so, what booze do you guys drink along with coffee, and Bailey's Irish Cream is too obvious and it doesn't count" Denney

 

[Doodski]

Speaking of desserts (and having mentioned this already), I was exposed in the last couple of years to a dessert aperitif after a good Italian dinner. I travel most weeks and this year has taken me to some places with exceptionally good Italian food. For example, I had a trip to Providence, and I insist that Italians from Rome travel to Rhode Island to eat on Federal Hill. It was on these trips that I learned to appreciate a recommendation from a colleague, a double espresso and a glass of Sambuca, served in the traditional way with three roasted coffee beans flowing therein.

I had to be persuaded--I do not like licorice. But something about being 40% alcohol makes the anise flavor work

I still refuse to insert anything into coffee, but I've concluded I don't mind something in a separate glass.

Rick "so, what booze do you guys drink along with coffee, and Bailey's Irish Cream is too obvious and it doesn't count" Denney

I drink rye, whiskey, rum, Grand Marnier and bitters with my coffee. Grand Marnier with a shot of whiskey is delicious.

 

[pablolie]

I drink rye, whiskey, rum, Grand Marnier and bitters with my coffee. Grand Marnier with a shot of whiskey is delicious.

I still love a Carajillo, Spanish style... Brandy (cognac basically) and strong espresso. Leave the cinnamon or any spice out of it for me.

 

[ryanosaur]

Quick update:

Severely disappointed in the Normcore Blind Shaker. The parts do not fit together even remotely close. The center post rattles just sitting in the cup; no amount of spinning, wiggling, will seat it properly. The lid does not close around the perimeter (perhaps because the center post doesn't seat?) and I can see a visible gap between the lid and the cup.

Fired. Unused and rejected. Buh-bye.

Quick update pt ii:

The Weber gear is SEXY. Dunno whether it will actually work, and they don't take returns, so...

Regardless, the milling is beautiful. Super solid Basket and Buck Portafilter. Photos will follow.

Quick update pt iii:

I updosed to 21g and this has helped some of my issues in the old basket. Still fighting this tendency toward extreme perimeter channeling. For the life of me I cannot seem to solve it which is why I keep complaining about the change in beans because this was happening prior to the new grinder.

Anyway, the Ratio blend from LAMILL just shipped, so I should see that soon. It is a light espresso, Ethiopia and Guat. If that gives me trouble, I will hit my local buddy and try his beans which have always been super solid on my old gear. Much more traditional profile.

Cheers!

 

[D!sco]

You can have my MHW blind shaker, @ryanosaur. No easy way to use it with my grinder so it’s been sitting. Quite nice and simple except that coffee clings to it, like every model.

I bought the normcore calibrated palm tamper and I am very happy with it. Not convinced it’s better yet but the experience of using it is strangely reassuring.

Normcore / Coffee Palm Tamper (Built-in Spring)

NEW Normocre’s The Palm Tamper comes with a spring that provides consistent tamping pressure, so as to compress the coffee grounds tightly and evenly.58.5mm Diameter: Ensuring a snug fit for most '58mm' baskets including VST, IMS, etc. It fits the standard size for the majority of home and...

www.normcorewares.com

The Behmor is hitting peak output with the addition of a suction cooling tray. Before, making a half pound took a few minutes to preheat, 11-13 minutes target roast time, and 5-10 minutes to cool down. Now I get to skip the cooldown, cut down on preheat time, and roll batch after batch.

 

[ryanosaur]

You can have my MHW blind shaker, @ryanosaur. No easy way to use it with my grinder so it’s been sitting. Quite nice and simple except that coffee clings to it, like every model.

Aw shucks. Thanks, but that's the first one I tried and fired. It was well designed except for one thing: the inner rim of the cup left a large trough when transferring grind to the PF. It required more work to fix than should be necessary.

Coffee - do you and how do you consume it?

Bottom of the shaker. Dosed, unshaken. Shaken. And the result after dropping the dose into the basket. Right now I’m leaning heavily toward returning it. After 4 days of working with it, the only tangible benefit I am identifying, the change to the mouthfeel, isn’t worth the hassle. To...

www.audiosciencereview.com

This was amazon points and really just curiosity as I had seen some reviewer gushing over Normcore's other products. Among which, he really liked their adjustable Tamper. But I have no need or desire to switch from my trusty Barber Tamper.

 

[Titurel]

You can have my MHW blind shaker, @ryanosaur. No easy way to use it with my grinder so it’s been sitting. Quite nice and simple except that coffee clings to it, like every model.

I bought the normcore calibrated palm tamper and I am very happy with it. Not convinced it’s better yet but the experience of using it is strangely reassuring.

Normcore / Coffee Palm Tamper (Built-in Spring)

NEW Normocre’s The Palm Tamper comes with a spring that provides consistent tamping pressure, so as to compress the coffee grounds tightly and evenly.58.5mm Diameter: Ensuring a snug fit for most '58mm' baskets including VST, IMS, etc. It fits the standard size for the majority of home and...

www.normcorewares.com

The Behmor is hitting peak output with the addition of a suction cooling tray. Before, making a half pound took a few minutes to preheat, 11-13 minutes target roast time, and 5-10 minutes to cool down. Now I get to skip the cooldown, cut down on preheat time, and roll batch after batch.
View attachment 412150

Fun, ain't it? The next step is probably an Aillio Bullet roaster. I started with a Behmor, but my coffee addiction is severe: 1/2lb batches weren't cutting it for me.I bought one of the first Bullets and have had several years of excellent and trouble free roasting from it, and no more messing with a blazing hot basket. It's not perfect, but what is? And you can let your home computer display, manage, and save your roast profiles - handy for multiple batches.

 

[xray]

I bought the normcore calibrated palm tamper and I am very happy with it. Not convinced it’s better yet but the experience of using it is strangely reassuring.

I know what you mean. Many of these tools/gadgets don't necessarily improve the coffee but if it improves the experience and isn't priced like snake oil then why not?

 

[D!sco]

The flat head on the calibrated tamper is probably unnecessary after all of the calibration setup, but I no longer agree with the idea of a big lever on top of a surface flattener. It's too easy to tip the flat surface with small wiggles, and I can't see any advantage to it. Just a big puck unsettler. Even one with a wide castle top (imagine a stumpy chess rook) would have all of the spinning points and grab surfaces necessary for use.

Fun, ain't it? The next step is probably an Aillio Bullet roaster. I started with a Behmor, but my coffee addiction is severe: 1/2lb batches weren't cutting it for me.I bought one of the first Bullets and have had several years of excellent and trouble free roasting from it, and no more messing with a blazing hot basket. It's not perfect, but what is? And you can let your home computer display, manage, and save your roast profiles - handy for multiple batches.

Someday. The extra zero on the end of the price tag was the only thing keeping me from having a bullet in my house years ago. I'm very happy learning on the Behmor and my roasts are quickly becoming the best I've ever made. There's so much more sweetness in every cup that hadn't come through before with natural processed coffee in particular. My last buy from Sweet Maria's was 1/2 natural. I also have 10lbs of decaf to figure out and the Sweet Maria's information is super useful for understanding why it's unfortunately all guesswork. I'll probably start darker for dessert drinks by finding second crack and stopping, then working backwards from there.

 

[ryanosaur]

Quick update pt iv:

Burrs are aligned. Now I'm not gonna say they were in bad shape before I started, and I don't know if it was the previous owner or somebody else who attempted said alignment, but to my untrained eyes, these are pretty d@mn tight, now.
*pats self on back

Quick update pt v:

For whatever reason, every time I update my bean subscription, LAMILL seems to get really upset and out of whack. Beans shoulda shipped Tuesday, but they shipped Wednesday. And now UPS is all out of sorts because somebody at LAMILL is clearly having a bad day, and UPS is going to take until next week to drive my Beans up from LA to Wine Country.
Clearly, its all my fault.

Rant aside, I will now be gambling with time and whether my current supply will hold me through Monday morning. If not, Its off to see Casey for a bag of his.

Quick update pt vi:
I do like the Weber Unibasket and Portafilter. As I said, this wasn't about trying to solve any problems, just curious and treating myself with an early b-day gift.