Ideal pump pressure?

For generic information on making espresso alt.coffee, coffee geek, Sweet Maria's web site and many others excel at this tutorial level of information. However, if you've been there and done that but have specific questions and concerns about getting the best espresso on the S1/VII/Mini-VII/Dream/Dream T, post those topics here.
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krus

Ideal pump pressure?

Post by krus »

Just wondering what pressure settings members are using. I've been with my machine for about 3 weeks now and am thinking I might need to tweek the brew pressure a bit. thanks.

Kurt
Niko

Post by Niko »

8.2 - 9 Bars is a good range to work within.
woodchuck

Post by woodchuck »

I'm running around 8.6 Bar. Seems to work OK for the coffees I'm using.

Cheers

Ian
krus

Post by krus »

All the machines I've used commercially were set at 9 bars. Does a smaller diameter basket extract better with a lower setting, or am I missing something. Seems as though most S1 owners set their pump to the low to middle 8's.

Kurt
Niko

Post by Niko »

Do you pull ristrettos?
If you do, try it around the 8.5 Bar neighborhood or slightly higher.
If you pull longer shots, start at the 8.2 bar range and tweak higher as needed.

I got my VI firing at 8.2 Bars.
My VII is firing at 9 Bars.
charlesaf3
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Post by charlesaf3 »

My VII mini came at 10 bars, which caused problems, evidently. I've set it down to 9, and things are much better. I wonder, if tweaking it down to the high 8s would make a difference....
Vivaldi Mini II, Cimbali Max Hybrid, Rocky, Livia
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

I just checked my pressure during a backflush and it's at an even 9 bar. My guess is that with actual coffee the pressure would be slightly lower?
charlesaf3
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Post by charlesaf3 »

Hmm. I think mine reads the same on a fresh puck as it does on a backflush. I haven't been paying close attention though lately, as my eyes have been on the bottom of the portafilter and on the timed shot level. I'll check tomorrow.
Vivaldi Mini II, Cimbali Max Hybrid, Rocky, Livia
charlesaf3
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Post by charlesaf3 »

Just checked, and my pressure was the same during the shot as with the backflush disk. God shot! :D As I posted elsewhere, I was going to make a latte, but it was too good. Still is, wonderful lingering aftertaste.

Pressure is 9.2 or some such, I think I'm going to continue to tweak it lower, to 8.9 or so.
Vivaldi Mini II, Cimbali Max Hybrid, Rocky, Livia
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

Very cool Charles!

I notice you have the same grinder as I do, can I ask what setting you are using? I realize the fineness of the grind will vary and depends on many things, but for example I'm experimenting between 3-1/2 & 4-1/2.
charlesaf3
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Post by charlesaf3 »

Well, I have it set at 1 (and I notice the burrs do seem to touch at zero). I'm using an older batch of Great Barrington gold though at the moment - younger coffee would be coarser, of course. And if I drop the bar a bit more, I'll probably loosen the grind a bit.
Vivaldi Mini II, Cimbali Max Hybrid, Rocky, Livia
michael

pump pressure

Post by michael »

how do you adjust the pump pressure 8)
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

This shows you how:http://www.rimpo.org/s1v2/VII_Expansion.html
Its also in the Owners Manual CC sends out with the machines.
Aracel

Post by Aracel »

All the machines I've used commercially were set at 9 bars. Does a smaller diameter basket extract better with a lower setting, or am I missing something. Seems as though most S1 owners set their pump to the low to middle 8's.
I noticed that the grind of the coffee determines the brew pressure. I just thought of setting the grinder to a finer one than it was set previously and I got 8.8 bar from 8.2. The shot was really very good. The shot on the 8.2 bar is also good but I think, on my personal opinion, the 8.8 bar taste better. Thanks to the picture on Niko's page. I saw the shot pulling very thin and tight. I had experience a very thin and very tight shot once, and I had it on 9 bar. Out of my inexperience, I thought I screwed it up coz the double dose shot took like 35 seconds. I did not have the slightest idea that the volumetric dosing determines the volume of the shot and not on the time. Thanks too to the Admin who clarified this matter to me.
fiddlefly

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by fiddlefly »

Old post, yes...
But I am wondering... I am @ 9.5 on my V1 could it cause faster pours and quicker blonding?
My thought is yes but concretely, how does it (bar) affect the shot? :?:
JohnB

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by JohnB »

fiddlefly wrote:Old post, yes...
But I am wondering... I am @ 9.5 on my V1 could it cause faster pours and quicker blonding?
My thought is yes but concretely, how does it (bar) affect the shot? :?:
A higher pressure could cause faster pours unless your able to grind finer to compensate. 9.5b is too high for the S1. Get it down to 9 or slightly lower (8.5?).
RapidCoffee

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by RapidCoffee »

JohnB wrote:A higher pressure could cause faster pours unless your able to grind finer to compensate. 9.5b is too high for the S1. Get it down to 9 or slightly lower (8.5?).
Well... Andy Schecter and others have tested this. Some results are posted on H-B. It appears that maximum flow occurs (surprise!) at about 9 bar. Both higher and lower brew pressures resulted in slower flow rates. Nobody really knows why.

Regardless, I agree with John: 8.5-9.0 bar is the recommended brew pressure setting on most pump machines.
fiddlefly

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by fiddlefly »

Thank you good people! ;-)
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

RapidCoffee wrote:8.5-9.0 bar is the recommended brew pressure setting on most pump machines.
Does the type of pump make a difference? Do those of you with a rotary pump use the same pressure settings as those with a vibratory pump?
Endo

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by Endo »

MichaelN wrote:Does the type of pump make a difference? Do those of you with a rotary pump use the same pressure settings as those with a vibratory pump?
I also use 9 bar on my Mini.

Even though the peak pressure is the same, the pressure ramp up is different depending on the pump. The lower capacity vibe pump takes longer to build up pressure (about 4 to 6 seconds). The higher capacity rotary pump increases pressure much quicker.

Many people feel the more gentle vibe pump profile is superior to the rotary pump, allowing the pressure to increase gradually over 5 seconds (also known as progressive pre-infusion) and reducing channeling by lowering pressure shock to the fragile puck.

The rotary S1 uses stepped pre-infusion, as do some other high end machines. The pressure increases in 2 steps; line pressure for a certain time, then quickly up to full pressure. While this is not as ideal as the vibe pump (or a rotary with mechanical pre-infusion), it does offer a big benefit in that the pre-infusion time can be adjusted, or even stopped completely (as some people prefer for certain blends).
JohnB

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by JohnB »

Endo wrote: Many people feel the more gentle vibe pump profile is superior to the rotary pump, allowing the pressure to increase gradually over 5 seconds (also known as progressive pre-infusion) and reducing channeling by lowering pressure shock to the fragile puck.

Evidently Kees agrees with you as the spring loaded piston inside the preinfusion cylinder on the Speedster mimics the slow ramp up of a vibe pump somewhat but takes it a step further.
From the manual: "The spring allows the water to first fully saturate the coffee grounds in the filter basket. Only then the pressure will build up slowly & progressively to start extraction of the warmed & softened fats & oils." Of course you also have the option of completely manual line pressure p/i if you chose.
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

JohnB wrote:Only then the pressure will build up slowly & progressively to start extraction of the warmed & softened fats & oils.
Is there perhaps some modification that I can perform on my S1 that will dampen the initial pressure step-up with the rotary pump? For example, I've seen little spring loaded cylinders in the plumbing stores designed to reduce knocking in pipes in a home. I imagine that if it were properly sized, installed and tuned that it could absorb some of the initial pressure build up to provide a more gradual and gentle ramp for the puck.
Endo

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by Endo »

MichaelN wrote: Is there perhaps some modification that I can perform on my S1 that will dampen the initial pressure step-up with the rotary pump? For example, I've seen little spring loaded cylinders in the plumbing stores designed to reduce knocking in pipes in a home. I imagine that if it were properly sized, installed and tuned that it could absorb some of the initial pressure build up to provide a more gradual and gentle ramp for the puck.
Why? Are you getting channeling?

What you are describing is the mechanical pre-infusion device sold by Chris Coffee. I have it on my Mini but it's essentially useless since as mentioned, the vibe pump ramp-up is already fairly gentle. It does seem to lengthen the time until you see your first drops by a couple extra seconds, but I can't say I notice any difference in the cup or in terms of reduce channeling.

You could install this on the regular S1 as well, but you lose your programmable pre-infusion. Still, if you are curious. For $80 you can find out if it makes a difference. If you were really ambitious you could "outboard" this cylinder with a movable plug in the end of the tube and try different volumes/times or even pressure slopes by changing the spring.

All this being said, I would not worry about it. If you are really that picky about ramp-up pressures and pre-infusion, you're better off buying a paddle group machine like the paddle GS/3 or Slayer. The Vivaldi is not in this league.
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

Endo wrote:Why? Are you getting channeling?
If you are really that picky about ramp-up pressures and pre-infusion, you're better off buying a paddle group machine like the paddle GS/3 or Slayer.
The Vivaldi is not in this league.
No, I'm not getting any channeling at all. In fact I am very satisfied with the quality of the shots that I am pulling already. But, when JohnB explained the difference in the initial pressure profiles of the vibratory vs. rotary pumps it became clear that my rotary pump may be at a slight disadvantage.

I have had the great fortune of enjoying a once-weekly shot of espresso, pulled from a GS/3. It was instantaneous true love at first sight and again at first sip; therefore I can really appreciate your comment Endo. Unfortunately it is out of my league. My home procurement officer (aka the Mrs.) informed me that a GS/3 would cost me 50% of everything that I own. Thus the S1.

My hope is that with practice and learning from skilled aficionado's such as yourself Endo and others here on S1Cafe, that I'll someday start consistently pulling shots 90% as good as those from a GS/3.

Michael
oton

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by oton »

MichaelN wrote:
I have had the great fortune of enjoying a once-weekly shot of espresso, pulled from a GS/3. It was instantaneous true love at first sight and again at first sip;
Whats the difference between your S1 shots and the GS3 ones you drink once a week?

... are you sure is due to the machine? ;-)
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

oton wrote:Whats the difference between your S1 shots and the GS3 ones you drink once a week?
... are you sure is due to the machine? ;-)
Oh, I have no doubt whatsoever that the majority of the current difference is due to my shortcomings and not those of the S1. That is what I meant when I said that with practice and help from those on this board that I'll be able to close that gap over time. The truth is, I've never had a "God Shot" off of an S1 before. I have however had one from an S3 at Caffe Greco in San Francisco. I would put that on par with those from the GS/3 that I've tried.

Mine currently are in the neighbourhood of 70 - 75% as good as those. Which places it well above a Starbucks, and about equal to or slightly better than an illy Espressamente cafe.

Michael
Endo

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by Endo »

If the "god shot" is your goal, you should try and not to get distracted by subtle machine details (like pressure ramp-up). I'm sorry if I gave you the impression this was an important factor. In actual fact, it's very far down on the list.

Your first goal should always be to get the best and freshest beans you can find. If your machine and grinder are half decent, this will get you 80% of the way there.

The next comes grinder. A Vario or Mazzer Mini is the minimum, in my opinion, for the Vivaldi.

Last but of almost equal importance is technique. The dose size is of particular importance. Get a small $10 scale, weigh your doses to 16.0g and leave it there until you develop some taste consistancy. Similarly, set the temperature at 94C and leave it there until things get consistant. Also of importance in the technique department, grind fine and tamp with a consistant pressure of about 20 lbs (I find a little PF settling and nutation helps compact the taller 53mm puck making for less channeling). Get a timer and aim for shots around 30 seconds and about 1oz of liquid.

Beans, grinder and technique, are what make up 95% of the "God shot". The last 5% is equally split between machine variables and "magic".

Hope that helps.
oton

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by oton »

Ha! Basically Endo has wrote in a few lines what I had to discover in more than one year. :roll: Almost perfect advice I'd say.

I'd only add the use of the naked PF. If you don't have one. Get it. For me it's the only way to know what the hell is happening when a shot is being extracted, and therefore the only way to check channeling and distribution & tamping faults.
Last edited by oton on Fri Apr 30, 2010 6:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
JohnB

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by JohnB »

Some good advice in there but why leave the machine set to 94*C which is too hot for most blends? IF I was going to leave it set to one particular temp (which I wouldn't) I'd go with 92*C on the Vivaldi. Also why shoot for a Ristretto like 1 oz in 30 seconds. Why not 1.5 oz in 25? ect?
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slo
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Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by slo »

JohnB wrote:IF I was going to leave it set to one particular temp (which I wouldn't) I'd go with 92*C on the Vivaldi. Also why shoot for a Ristretto like 1 oz in 30 seconds. Why not 1.5 oz in 25? ect?
I fully agree with John here. But be careful of the offset temperature setting. 92 C on the display is not necessarely 92 c in the basket. I have measured and ajusted such that I actually have 92 C in the basket. This is what currently works best for me.

It is very hard to control temperature very closely and I am one of those that considerer that the temperature can vary significantly (+/-1 c as measured in the basket) before I actually taste much of a difference. Maybe having the temperature at the lower end reduces the effect? I am still experimenting on this.

But one must take all the setting proposed in this with a grain of salt. There is no one dose, temperature pressure tamping force and technique that works every day. Regardless of your taste. If you factor in your taste buds; it is unlikely that anybody else setting will work best for you.
Vivaldi II, Multiple (a collection really) Lever machines
Currently on deck grinders: Mythos and MXKR
Backup grinders: Robur, Major.
Toper Cafemino Electric and Poppery 1 roaster

I have a serious problem ... Can you guess what?
oton

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by oton »

JohnB wrote:Some good advice in there but why leave the machine set to 94*C which is too hot for most blends?
It's curious but I usually leave or start at 94 ºC as default temp too. I'm tired of sour shots. I can cope the bitterness, but sourness has been my Achilles heel since the very first shot. (Done by the technician and he said the same - sour). So I usually I do what I can/know to avoid it.
Also why shoot for a Ristretto like 1 oz in 30 seconds. Why not 1.5 oz in 25? ect?
Perhaps Endo means a 1oz normale. At least is what I usually drink...
JohnB

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by JohnB »

oton wrote:
JohnB wrote:Some good advice in there but why leave the machine set to 94*C which is too hot for most blends?
It's curious but I usually leave or start at 94 ºC as default temp too. I'm tired of sour shots. I can cope the bitterness, but sourness has been my Achilles heel since the very first shot. (Done by the technician and he said the same - sour). So I usually I do what I can/know to avoid it.
...
If you are saying that everything pulled under 94*C (201*F) tastes sour I would be highly suspicious of your offset setting.
oton

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by oton »

I'm at +3ºC :grin:

Well, as I said I'm tired of coffee sour like vinegar; plus lately I'm brewing coffee from Squaremile, so I'm following their recomendations; and, moreover, I'm getting obsessed with overdosed style coffees, so lot of times I end with an underextracted cup due to the amount of coffee to extract (I think) lol. :roll:

Have I ever told that you (and rest of the forum) are practically the only people than I can talk about this coffee crazy things? The other day some friends ask me about why I have a botomless PF (well, "that thing without spouts"), so I began to talk about shots analysis, channeling, spritzes, timing shots, distributing, stockfleths move, tamping pressure, blah, blah... and they looked at me as if I were a psycho or something.... :laughing6:
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slo
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Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by slo »

oton wrote:Have I ever told that you (and rest of the forum) are practically the only people than I can talk about this coffee crazy things? The other day some friends ask me about why I have a botomless PF (well, "that thing without spouts"), so I began to talk about shots analysis, channeling, spritzes, timing shots, distributing, stockfleths move, tamping pressure, blah, blah... and they looked at me as if I were a psycho or something..
At least they asked! All my friends could not care less. They all think that I am stupid and that their Mokita does just as good with pre-ground coffee. They like my coffee drinks but somehow I never feel like a coffee at thier place... :twisted:

Ignorance is bliss...
Vivaldi II, Multiple (a collection really) Lever machines
Currently on deck grinders: Mythos and MXKR
Backup grinders: Robur, Major.
Toper Cafemino Electric and Poppery 1 roaster

I have a serious problem ... Can you guess what?
JohnB

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by JohnB »

slo wrote: They like my coffee drinks but somehow I never feel like a coffee at thier place... :twisted:
My friends have made it clear that they will never offer me a coffee when I visit & for that I'm very thankful. :lol:
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

Endo, JohnB, slo, oton and others on this board whom I've read your posts. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

WOOOO HOOOOO - after 3lbs of coffee and countless vulgar curses I'm now pulling near-perfect shots 7 times out of 10.

From the start the shots that I was pulling were significantly better than what I was getting out of my Breville machine. However, I knew that things could improve significantly. I followed everyone's advice on here, a special thank you to Endo for that wonderful summary a couple of weeks ago. I also picked up a bottomless PF so that I could see the extraction. Well, its a good thing I wear glasses, let me tell you. What an F'ing mess I was making at first. Who knew that such subtle changes in water pressure, tamping pressure, tamping style and of course grind could make such a difference in the final results. Add in how fussy and fickle the beans are to time since roast and exposure to air and you'll have a mathematical equation that will keep an actuary up for several nights trying to figure out the formula.

I tell you, I would have thrown in the towel if it wasn't for this board and all of the regular contributors!

Now I'm just pulling shots to watch the beauty unfold.... and the flavour, mmmmmmmmmmm.

Ummm, has anyone on here have a good antidote for a caffeine overdose? I can't get the room to stop shaking.

Mmmichael
oton

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by oton »

:smile: I'm glad that my little advice has been helpful.
Ummm, has anyone on here have a good antidote for a caffeine overdose? I can't get the room to stop shaking.
:lol: I have to tell you that I was searching in google for something like that and I did not find nothing.
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slo
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Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by slo »

MichaelN wrote:Endo, JohnB, slo, oton and others on this board whom I've read your posts. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Glad to hear that I have contributed to your overdose... :-P
MichaelN wrote:Ummm, has anyone on here have a good antidote for a caffeine overdose? I can't get the room to stop shaking.
For my part I find that a glass of wine (just one) has the exact opposite effect to caffeine. Don't know exactly why but wine, which is as much a passion for me as coffee, has always relaxed me. Not so with the other type of alcohol.
Vivaldi II, Multiple (a collection really) Lever machines
Currently on deck grinders: Mythos and MXKR
Backup grinders: Robur, Major.
Toper Cafemino Electric and Poppery 1 roaster

I have a serious problem ... Can you guess what?
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

Endo wrote:Your first goal should always be to get the best and freshest beans you can find.
You were not kidding at all about the freshness of the beans being the most important thing.

I bought some fresh beans (3 days off roast) but burned through them very quickly as I was experimenting with my technique. Unfortunately the local roaster is only open for a couple days a week, so when I ran out I was forced to buy some off the shelf. First I tried my old favourite, illy, but was very disappointed compared to the shots that I was pulling earlier. Then I tried some Intelligentsia Black Cat, but it was roasted back in January and was awful (and I paid $16 for a 12 oz bag). Finally I tried some Starbucks beans, which were better than the previous two, but still nothing to write home about. I found that these pre-packaged beans were extremely fussy and even with the same settings and technique provided very inconsistent results.

I was at first blaming improper settings and/or my technique. It wasn't until the local roaster, Detour Coffee, opened again later in the week that I bought some fresh beans and everything came together again. Shot after shot of picture perfect tiger-striped cones with tons of crema and wonderful flavours in the cup.

I have purchased my last off-the-shelf, pre-packaged coffee! I'll buy what I need weekly from the local roaster and vacuum pack and freeze a reserve stash to use in case I ever run out of the fresh.

Does anyone have any advice on freezing freshly roasted beans? I'll be getting them about 2 days off roast; should I freeze immediately or let them de-gas a bit first?

Thanks;
Michael
JohnB

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by JohnB »

You can do it either way but it really depends on the blend. I find most Espresso blends & S/Os don't really hit their prime until day 7 & I seldom would be pulling shots from any of them until at least day 5 or 6. I vacuum bag & freeze (-5*F storage freezer) my espresso after it has aged up to 1-2 days before prime. If you freeze it 2-3 days after roast you will just have to let it age on the counter unless you enjoy it that "young".
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Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by slo »

JohnB wrote: If you freeze it 2-3 days after roast you will just have to let it age on the counter unless you enjoy it that "young".
I agree with the rational of John's post. The only caveat that I will bring, is that "prime" is really a matter of taste. For the same roasted batch I may find that it hits prime at a different moment than John or anybody else. So, I would suggest freezing about 24 hours after roast (or as soon as possible) and do the aging after you thaw the beans. This at least, until you get familiar with the particular roast and can really predict the aging in relation to your taste.
Vivaldi II, Multiple (a collection really) Lever machines
Currently on deck grinders: Mythos and MXKR
Backup grinders: Robur, Major.
Toper Cafemino Electric and Poppery 1 roaster

I have a serious problem ... Can you guess what?
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

Thanks John & Sylvain; I'll follow both of your's advice. The standard espresso blend that they make peaks at about 6 - 7 days, therefore I'll freeze it on day 5 or 6. They are making a special once-in-a-blue-moon, espresso roast of a dry-processed Yirgacheffe next week and I have no idea what its aging profile is like. Therefore i'll freeze it young and will figure out the profile later.

Thanks;
Michael
Endo

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by Endo »

MichaelN wrote: Does anyone have any advice on freezing freshly roasted beans?
Sure. I got advice. Drink more espresso! :grin:

Actually, my consumption went up about 3 times since I got my Vivaldi (and Behmor).
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

Endo wrote:Actually, my consumption went up about 3 times since I got my Vivaldi (and Behmor).
I know exactly what you mean. I used to have 2 cappuccinos a day; a can of illy coffee (about 1/2 lb) would last at least a week. Now I'm going through 3 lbs in a week, both from my increased consumption PLUS all of the friends, neighbours and family that keep dropping by to have cup or two. I also think that my grinder is vapourizing some of the beans as I swear that less comes out the doser than what goes down the hopper.

The question about freezing beans has to do with the fact that I live in a small town and the local roaster has a standard espresso blend that they always have, and then some unique single origin coffees that they get in only from time to time. I absolutely love the dry processed Yirgacheffe they brought in, and unfortunately next week's roast will be the end of the batch and I want to stock up. Blueberries, lemon and honey, mmmmmmmm.

Michael
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

MichaelN wrote:
Endo wrote:Your first goal should always be to get the best and freshest beans you can find.
You were not kidding at all about the freshness of the beans being the most important thing.
It amazes me the difference that a day makes. I had everything perfectly dialed in and was pulling picture perfect shots through my bottomless portafilter. 24 hours later following the same technique and with the exact same set up using the same beans as the day before I found that the shots were taking significantly longer to pull through. I had to dial one full turn courser on the worm gear of my Macap M4 in order to get the same results from the day before.

You can definitely taste the results in the cup. We had lots of family over last night for dinner; most of them had two cups before dinner and then another two or three afterwards. If this keeps up I'm going to have to start buying the beans and my milk wholesale.

Michael
Endo

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by Endo »

Sounds to me like you need to buy a Behmor home roaster! Almost as much fun as the espresso machine with the added "danger" of a fire (to make it extra exciting). :grin:

Don't get me going on berry flavours though. I bet I could fool 95% of espresso drinkers if I gave them a cranberry instead of a blueberry....let alone taste it in the coffee. :lol:
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

Endo wrote:Sounds to me like you need to buy a Behmor home roaster!
So long as "Detour Coffee" is importing and roasting fresh beans every week then I'll continue to use them as they are really outstanding and only 5 minutes down the road. They also happen to be right across the street from where I get my fresh, premium bottled milk, produced by very happy cows; AND right next to the place that makes the best chocolate croissants outside of Paris. I'll only get into roasting my own if Detour moves out of town.
Endo wrote:Don't get me going on berry flavours though. I bet I could fool 95% of espresso drinkers if I gave them a cranberry instead of a blueberry....let alone taste it in the coffee. :lol:
When they pulled a shot for me on their GS/3 I could taste definite blueberry and lemon; the honey was too subtle for my palate to notice. When I made some at home 15 minutes later on my S1, I could only notice berry and citrus; which validates your comment above. Of course I'm still a newbie ironing out my technique (along with my shirts), and I have yet to get my resin filter installed. Hopefully by the time my Yirgacheffe is ready for me this Friday, I'll be ready for it and will be able to get the most out of it.

Michael
oton

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by oton »

MichaelN wrote:
When they pulled a shot for me on their GS/3 I could taste definite blueberry and lemon; the honey was too subtle for my palate to notice. When I made some at home 15 minutes later on my S1, I could only notice berry and citrus; which validates your comment above. Of course I'm still a newbie ironing out my technique (along with my shirts), and I have yet to get my resin filter installed. Hopefully by the time my Yirgacheffe is ready for me this Friday, I'll be ready for it and will be able to get the most out of it.
Next time ask they with how many grams fills the basket. Updosing sometimes can maximize flavors.
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

oton wrote:Next time ask they with how many grams fills the basket. Updosing sometimes can maximize flavors.
I did ask them that oton. They start off with 16.5 grams when it is a few days off roast; then they gradually increase the dose to 18 grams as it ages over the course of the week.

But thank you for bringing that up, as I still have yet to get a dosing scale. Later this week I'll be picking one up at Lee Valley that weighs in 0.1 gram incriments for only $18.

Thanks;
Michael
Endo

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by Endo »

It's been mentioned a few times already on this forum, but for all you newcomers, this scale is very compact and just awesome. Only $10. Does 0.1g increments. Has tare option. Goes up to 1kg so you can use it to weigh with the PF (or for roasting). Arrives to Canada in 1 week and shipping is free. Can't beat that!

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1165

You can see a picture of it in this post on my bumper tamping stand (counter saver).

http://www.s1cafe.com./viewtopic.php?f= ... a39#p14987
JohnB

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by JohnB »

I've got two of those scales & if you shop around you can find them for as little as $7 inc. shipping. As to the S/O Yirgacheffe I've found that they need a good 7-8 days to peak. 1 or 2 days early & they can be extremely acidic. Of course since you are buying local you can get good info directly from your roaster on when they start pulling shots.
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

Endo wrote:It's been mentioned a few times already on this forum, but for all you newcomers, this scale is very compact and just awesome. Only $10. Does 0.1g increments. Has tare option. Goes up to 1kg so you can use it to weigh with the PF (or for roasting). Arrives to Canada in 1 week and shipping is free. Can't beat that!

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1165
No, you can't beat that. In fact, I wonder how they do it? I mean, even if their cost for the scale was $0.01, how can they possibly afford to process the order, package the product, write out the shipping label, walk it over to the "Out" bin and then pay for shipping on top of that? That is really working hard for $10, and that doesn't take into consideration the value of the scale which apparently is pretty high considering your recommendation. It doesn't add up; which leads me to the following question: How often do you check your credit card bills for "skimming" or suspicious activity?

I dropped into Lee Valley the other day to buy that $18 scale that I mentioned, unfortunately that scale had been recalled by the manufacturer due to some faulty wiring inside. It won't be available for another 3 to 4 weeks at the earliest.

So, it looks like I'll be ordering the one that you suggested. Thanks again for the link!

Michael
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

JohnB wrote:As to the S/O Yirgacheffe I've found that they need a good 7-8 days to peak. 1 or 2 days early & they can be extremely acidic. Of course since you are buying local you can get good info directly from your roaster on when they start pulling shots.
Thanks for the tip John. I picked up my dry-processed Yirgacheffe today, it was just roasted this morning. I pulled a couple of shots of it for the experience and concur that it is very acidic.... but I still enjoyed every drop! I have 5lbs of it that I intend to let stand until the weekend when I plan on vacuum packing it into small lots and then freezing. I don't have a vacuum packager yet, but I'm off to Costco as I recall seeing one there last weekend.

Cheers;
Michael
JohnB

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by JohnB »

Typically those scales ship from Taiwan although the last one I bought for $7 was shipped from a U.S. location. Think of it as doing your part to prevent child unemployment in China!! After all when you can only have one you want to put them to work as soon as possible.
MichaelN

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by MichaelN »

slo wrote:I find that a glass of wine (just one) has the exact opposite effect to caffeine.
I work from home about 3 days a week; I'm pulling shot after shot experimenting with different settings during my endless conference calls. My problem is that by 10:00 AM I'm completely wired on caffeine and can't have a glass of wine, both because of the hour and the fact that I am working.

A friend suggested drinking lots of water to combat the caffeine. Combining a diuretic with lots of water had me pissing like a race horse all day long. However, even after about 10 shots of espresso I didn't get jittery or feel any other ill effects from the caffeine.

But, I’m with you on the wine staring around 5:00 PM. :drunken:

Michael
JohnB

Re: Ideal pump pressure?

Post by JohnB »

Bananas(Potassium?) are supposed to help with caffiene jitters as does eating a meal (at least for me). As for the wine/beer I'm probably better off buzzed on coffee if I expect to accomplish anything during the day.
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