jonj Posted March 4, 2019 Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 @Sharky Welcome! I use an R58 as well. It's morning here; time for another double shot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pequod Posted March 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 Really loving having solid data to tell me how to refine a shot. The first pic is the same as above. Ground too fine, flow nearly choked, and pressure shot way over any reasonable target. Over-extracted. Loosened the grind just a tad, and suddenly all is right in the world. Snickers bar in a cup. Someone at the Decent Espresso forum posted a profile for a Londinium R that they claim is a near perfect replica of that machine (they have one for side-by-side comparison). Looking forwarded to trying that since I've always wanted a Londinium R. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pequod Posted March 6, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2019 (edited) Another day of software defined espresso. One of the more popular profiles at the DE forum is for an extremely long, very low flow shot. Target is between 0.5-0.8 ml/s, with the entire shot taking around a minute. The result is an incredibly full bodied, smooth, yet intense shot of chocolate in a cup. Very close to a God Shot. And what's cool is...it's repeatable. Would be extremely hard to repeat this profile in any other machine. Edited March 6, 2019 by Pequod 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted March 6, 2019 Report Share Posted March 6, 2019 Looks delicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 And I thought that I had an obsession with BBQ. I got nothing on you people. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pequod Posted March 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 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... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 (edited) In 1995, dawn of the internet, I heard that individuals authored web pages themselves, and gave it a try with something I knew. For a time this page was one of few in this niche. Coffee: Resources for home espresso Looking the page over now, I am most struck that I knew then about the idea of getting a home argon tank for preserving wine. I've also understood "scale" for a long time: There is a huge difference between producing steam for bread by pouring 350g of water onto 30 lbs of hot steel, and "oh my I'm cooking now!" spritzing 10g of water into the oven. People actually buy $300 argon wine systems that depend on cartridges the same size as mountain bikers use to fill one tire tube. As in manufacturers really think we're that clueless about scale. 350g of water turns into enough steam to replace the volume of a home oven or 23" KK several times over. 30 seconds of argon trickling from a tank that comes up to my knee will replace the volume of a 750ml wine bottle several times over. Doing less is kidding oneself. In both cases I can taste the difference. So why did I wait two decades to get home argon tanks for saving wine? It works. Any local Airgas can set one up easily. I'll never get those two decades back again. "Did you argon the wine?" has become a verb for us. Edited March 7, 2019 by Syzygies 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonj Posted March 8, 2019 Report Share Posted March 8, 2019 You have leftover wine? 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pequod Posted March 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2019 (edited) I added a bluetooth scale (Skale 2) to my machine, which means it now plots the weight in the cup and, even better, allows me to specify the stopping weight in the profile. An update to the Low Flow profile above, which was pressure driven. This is an "Advanced" profile which has 4 steps with criteria specified to transition from one step to the next. In this case, it starts with a 6 bar pressure profile and then transitions to a 0.6 ml/s flow profile (letting the pressure adjust to maintain that rate) when flow rises above 0.6 ml/s. Stopping weight is 32g (18g in the portafilter basket). This was even smoother than the one above. Edited March 8, 2019 by Pequod 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonj Posted March 8, 2019 Report Share Posted March 8, 2019 That is an impressive machine! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pequod Posted March 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2019 What's really interesting -- to me at least -- is how you get direct feedback on pressure, temp, flow, and now weight throughout a shot. And how that feedback relates to what is in the cup. And how it informs you of problems in your technique -- grind, puck prep, etc. When I see a trace going wonky (like in the pressure overshoot above), I can see and taste the impact. Without such data, I'd never really know why some shots seemed to pull and then taste differently. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 Pequod, are you getting any sleep these days? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharky Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharky Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonj Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 After reading Pequod’s reports, I re-energized my espresso making, ordering a VST precision filter basket for my Rocket. Now calibrating grind and flow but it so far seems a worthwhile addition. However, I have to make a bean run today as I went through quite a few yesterday. The last shot was a definite improvement from what I have been accustomed to making. I think it’s good to periodically step away and approach a technique or habitual behavior anew and refreshed. Thanks, Pequod, for the nudge. And this new KK Shoping Channel excursion was only $29. Pretty cheap for this neighborhood. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pequod Posted March 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 2 hours ago, Sharky said: Spot on. And I think @Pequod must be the High Priest. I'm still pretty inexperienced in the espresso game. The ritual part doesn't go away, but changes a bit with all the tech. Now I have even more knobs to turn that help me find all the ways to make bad espresso, but also have diagnostics that help explain WHY. And when everything comes together into one exquisite shot, the odds of repeating that shot go WAY up. Now I'm wondering if there's such a thing as software defined brisket which would guarantee my success each and every time. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 8 hours ago, jonj said: After reading Pequod’s reports, I re-energized my espresso making, ordering a VST precision filter basket for my Rocket. Now calibrating grind and flow but it so far seems a worthwhile addition. However, I have to make a bean run today as I went through quite a few yesterday. The last shot was a definite improvement from what I have been accustomed to making. I think it’s good to periodically step away and approach a technique or habitual behavior anew and refreshed. Thanks, Pequod, for the nudge. And this new KK Shoping Channel excursion was only $29. Pretty cheap for this neighborhood. You might also want to consider a Competition shower screen and a silicon E61 Group head gasket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonj Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 We are on the same page, MacKenzie. I replaced the gasket with silicone a few months ago. I’ll check out the Competition shower screen. Thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharky Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonj Posted March 11, 2019 Report Share Posted March 11, 2019 On 3/9/2019 at 3:28 PM, MacKenzie said: You might also want to consider a Competition shower screen and a silicon E61 Group head gasket. 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! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
