Sharky

1 hour ago, David Chang said:

thats my partners department..

Wow - that’s more tea than I’d drink in 10 years.  And I’m British!

On 7/20/2021 at 3:14 AM, Syzygies said:

So this meter reading (just over 0.9 Bar) is as good as my VacMaster VP120 ever goes. I have the impression one can make watermelon jerky with an oil pump machine. Do they go further?

My vacuum gauge obviously needs calibrating (see photo).
Just to clarify my earlier post - when sealing liquid stock I go down to about 0.8 bar pressure (or 0.2 bar of vacuum) just to ensure a good “squeeze “ on the sealing strip without boiling the liquid. 

Hello all. This is Mark (aka “The husband”).  I am in charge of vacuum sealer capital equipment and consumable procurement as well as stock making.  I realize having read @Syzygies posts, of course is absolutely correct about the thermodynamics, that when sealing my stand-up bags of stock (about 700ml each), I am using the chamber machine in “impulse sealer” mode - I eliminate as much air as I can manually then let it pull just enough vacuum (about 0.8 bar) to squeeze the lid down and create a good double seal.  I do this after letting the stock cool to outdoor temp in the winter or room temp if that’s cooler in the summer - I have never had a batch spoil.

 The full vacuum treatment is only really necessary for freezing solids to prevent freezer burn or for sous vide cooking to prevent explosions.  The 420mm oil pump machine we have (bought used on e-Bay) is a multi tool for vac packing, I have even used it for crushing down wool sweaters to freeze and kill clothes moths.

14 hours ago, Grant said:

I’m assuming sharky is using the stones supplied in the kit.  What stones are you using Robert?  What grit progression do you use in maintaining?

I am. It came with a set of 6 boride 6” stones and a set of 3 double-sided 8” diamond matrix stones. Good enough to learn with. I have also ordered a lapping plate to keep them true. 

3 minutes ago, 5698k said:

As your stones wear, they typically do so concave, which is where inconsistencies come into play. There are several methods of flattening, a common one is simply a diamond flattening stone. Get one of these, and you’ll extend the useful life of your stones dramatically.


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Yes, thanks for the tip, I’ll definitely get a flattening stone to maintain the whetstones - it’s a bit weird that the “comes with everything” K03 package doesn’t include that. 
The convex adapter (I assume) will cut a curved edge profile on a knife - probably more for hunting type knives which we don’t use too much in the urban part of Southern England where we live. 🤣. I think some Japanese knives have a widening angle towards the edge too but I realise now (thanks to the new toolkit) that I have a LOT to learn about knives. 
The instructions with the system are woeful but I have found some useful YouTube channels - KnifeKrazy has been the most helpful but I’d welcome any other suggestions...

@tekobo’s husband here. I’m getting to grips with the K03. I think I’ve done about 10 knives now, from a 10” flexible fish filleting knife (12 degrees sharpening angle) to a heavy, thick meat hatchet (27 degrees).  
The system makes it much easier to achieve a consistent, predictable, razor-sharp edge along the whole cutting edge. This will bring some expensive and much loved knives back to life for us, as well as making them safer to use. 
I have tried both the diamond matrix and smaller boride stones, both work well.  The main difference I noticed was that the diamond stones worked faster on the coarser re-profiling cuts. Both were easy to wet by keeping the not-in-use ones in a tray of water and dipping a finger into the tray to re-wet every few minutes. 
I can see what @Syzygiesmeans about choosing how you want to miss, but when the stones get worn enough to make a difference, I reckon the angle adjustment (aided by the included digital protractor) is simple enough and fine enough to compensate very easily. Also, once I have the knives “dialled in” and have a note of their bevel angles, I won’t need to use the coarse stones for routine maintenance. There is also an adaptor to allow grinding of a convex edge which I have not yet investigated. 
So far very happy, and the paper-thin test cuts on a soft tomato, plus a couple of perfect fillets taken from a Brill this evening are making me smile. 😀

On 2/2/2020 at 3:19 PM, Pequod said:

Totally missed that! Forget the dry-ager, now I’m off looking for cat butts.

Hi all, this is Tekobo's husband.  We moved some coats at the weekend and revealed this forgotten masterpiece which may appeal to those who enjoyed the fridge magnets

45 minutes ago, Paul said:

I'd get her anything she wants!

@tekobo and I were in Italy last month and saw this 3-group SDE (software defined espresso) machine in a café. The owner said it is the “Ferrari of Espresso Machines”. 

It made a nice cup. 

The Lucca machine looks nice, and good value for a robust E61 machine with PID control.  I'm super-happy with my Rocket R58 which I notice Clive Coffee also sells at a very similar price point.

Of course, I remember now - you’re measuring the yield of espresso in real time not the ground coffee from the grinder.  I guess you weigh that too?  

I have to say your Aussie friend seems to take obsession to a whole new level - the Obiwan of Obsession!

2 hours ago, Pequod said:

Forgot to mention the 3D printed parts I have on order to build a drip tray that integrates my Bluetooth scale. 

@Pequod. This implies that you have a 3-D model of your coffee corner and grinder!?

Niche Zero looks really interesting - looking forward to user review.  

It’s funny how you are (self-confessed) out of control in your quest to be totally in control of producing the perfect tiny dose of coffee....

13 minutes ago, jonj said:

Okay, MacKenzie. Amazon just dropped off my IMS E61 Precision Group Shower Screen so I had to try it out. For @Sharky, this now makes the third tweak to my R58 (red Cafelat Silicone gasket, VST basket and aforementioned shower screen). I just had the best shot I have made with this machine. I'm very happy right now (and wide awake).

Thanks MacKenzie!

Jonj. That’s really encouraging, I can’t wait for my upgrades to arrive!

I have also ordered new baskets - IMS ridgeless precision - and I was contemplating a replacement screen so I’ll make that move plus the gasket now. 

I like the concept of standing back and resetting everything. I’ll do that when the upgrades are here and install everything together. 

On 3/3/2019 at 2:23 AM, MacKenzie said:

I think a big part about making espresso is the ritual, anyone agree?  

Spot on.  And I think @Pequod must be the High Priest.

On 3/7/2019 at 1:08 PM, Pequod said:

The difference between BBQ and espresso is that it is possible to make decent BBQ on a cheap grill. It may be more work, not be as fun, lacking features, and/or missing something (like moisture!) relative to a KK. But it can be done...we've all done it. With espresso...there is "meh"...Starbucks and cheap, low end espresso machines. And then there is..."Oh! I didn't know coffee could be that good!" To achieve the latter is a quest that requires 1) Good barista technique (yes, I watch them in coffee shops and note their mistakes), 2) Great beans (specialty roasters or roast your own), 3) A top of the line grinder with a perfectly dialed in grind, and 4) a suitable machine that can pull the profile you want. Getting those 4 in balance is exceptionally difficult to achieve without spending some cash.

Obsessed? Not at all...

I struggle with the number of variables with my fixed pressure Rocket R58: Beans, roast, grind, tamp, air humidity, time of pour etc.  Plus I am mostly making cappuccino so I have the variability of the milk to deal with too.  I will enjoy software defined espresso vicariously for now i think!  Can’t wait to find a cafe with one of these machines fitted so I can experience the effect of some different profiles for real though.

On 2/28/2019 at 11:35 PM, tekobo said:

This is so funny.  I am not sure whether it would be a good or a bad idea to show The Husband this thread.  When the commercial coffee man came to plumb in my husband's coffee set up, they got into a conversation about extraction rates.  Apparently, when they started discussing fractions of seconds my husband said "I'm not anal about it or anything".  The coffee man looked at husband, looked at kit and said, "that ship has sailed".  I don't know what will happen if I show him this thread.  He might be happy to find someone more obsessed than him or, oh no, he may try to fit even more kit into his coffee corner!!

Hello all.  This is "The Husband".  I have zero KKs, although I enjoy a lot of great food from the 2 I bought for Tekobo's significant birthday a year and a bit ago.  I also love the vicarious enjoyment of following the adventures of a bunch of people who care deeply about getting it right.

Now the subject has switched to coffee I feel I can join in...so here we go:  I love my morning coffee and I am also quite keen on my afternoon coffee; evening coffee doesn't work so well now I have reached semi-advanced years.  My personal benchmark that I strive to reproduce at home is that cappuccino that is served in a not-too-smart marketplace cafe in Italy but somehow just hits the spot. I am getting good but nowhere near expert yet.  

I buy my beans from HasBean (https://www.hasbean.co.uk) where owners Steve and Rowland go out of their way to ensure a good deal for the producers and deliver superb and varied single estate coffee.; I get through about 1kg of beans a month (friends know where to come for a cup but Tekobo doesn't drink the stuff!).  I upgraded a few years ago to the setup that "The Wife" describes being plumbed in by Ieuan "the Coffee Man" in her post above.  I went for a Rocket R58 espresso machine and a Mazzer Mini Electronic Grinder.  As happens with these things, it was then necessary to buy a commercial stainless bench to set the things on and run a water line with filter from the basement.  Photo attached:

I am still very much a student in the art of the perfect espresso shot.  Why is it that the first one in the morning is always so "tight" and comes out like a ristretto? What do I need to do to my tamping technique to be able to use the bottomless portafilter without spraying coffee all over the surrounding area?

I am a happy boy and I have to say that having different but complementary obsessions helps to keep "The Husband" and "The Wife" sane and content.  I am looking forward to when the posts move on to wine, cocktails and home technology - I believe I have plenty to contribute in those areas!

Pequod - I am loving how you managed to score a direct hit in the coffee and technology intersection in the Venn diagram of "good things"!!

Cheers!