How do you pull the perfect espresso shot? - Barista at Home Enthusiast - Coffee Forum
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7:54 pm
March 13, 2009
OfflineCan someone tell me the technique they use to get the perfect espresso shot?
I don't know that I have pull the "perfect" shot of espresso yet. But while breaking it down for my girls it can be as simple as
Grind, dose, tamp, polish, lock it in, pull your shots, nock it out…
Each step in the process has it's areas that need to be tweaked an controlled. With each new coffee I pull the grind will need some minor tweaking. I shoot for having my grind somewhere between the consistency of flour and sugar. I tend to dose an 14 to 18 gram double shot basket, I started out not weighing the dose and went for the full not packed filter basket… dose by weight or by volume is an ongoing debate. Tamping… "30 lbs" of pressure right? That is what we have all been taught/read, well it is important to get a great tamp to ensure even water flow and a uniform coffee bed. To light of a tamp the extraction is fast, to hard a tamp and the extraction is slow… both bad. Depending on your tamp technique you may or may not need to polish of the top of the coffee bed to ensure a smooth and uniform layer. Pre warm the group head by running a small amount of water through it, lock in the portafilter and start your extraction right away. The extraction, a double in 20 to 25 seconds is generally a good shot for me. Most home machines will pull slower just due to the pump on them being under powered so there are times that I get amazing shots that run 35+ seconds. Stop the extraction, knock out the puck and enjoy the espresso.
@DanLacher
8:32 am
The hardest thing about espresso is finding the right grind because its so variable. On my machine I have to pull at least three shots to zero in correctly. Also, the temperature and pressure on it isn't the most stable so I have to "surf" to make sure I find the sweet spot. Practice, practice, practice!
9:18 am
May 17, 2010
OfflineBOSTON STARBUCKS REB said:
The hardest thing about espresso is finding the right grind because its so variable. On my machine I have to pull at least three shots to zero in correctly. Also, the temperature and pressure on it isn't the most stable so I have to "surf" to make sure I find the sweet spot. Practice, practice, practice!
BSR what type of espresso machine are you using. I have a Silvia and I'm not sure I've ever gotten the "surf" thing right.
1:39 am
May 17, 2010
OfflineJason, if I am ever able to pull the perfect shot of espresso I'll let you know. I would not recommend that you hold your breath. I have pulled some relatively good shots in my day, but never the perfect shot. Oh, by the way, I would love to meet the person who claims to have pulled the perfect shot so that I too can learn how.
I'm claiming to pull the perfect shot. I sorta had an advantage though. I have to pull perfect shots each drink on the manual machine at the cafe. AS far as my home machine, no.
BOSTON STARBUCKS REB said:
The hardest thing about espresso is finding the right grind because its so variable. On my machine I have to pull at least three shots to zero in correctly. Also, the temperature and pressure on it isn't the most stable so I have to "surf" to make sure I find the sweet spot. Practice, practice, practice!
The grind also changes throughout the day from temperature and other variables so it is just a matter of patience and practice. Youll find it.
8:57 am
May 17, 2010
OfflineWhat a great excuse to pull more than one shot! Practice makes perfect; and, perhaps, jittery.
9:17 am
May 17, 2010
Offlinecoffeewriter said:
I'm claiming to pull the perfect shot. I sorta had an advantage though. I have to pull perfect shots each drink on the manual machine at the cafe. AS far as my home machine, no.
Maybe one day I will have the opportunity to use a commercial machine. I would love to take a run at it. Silivia takes a lot of coaxing to get a great shot, perhaps a La Marzocco would make the difference — or better yet a Slayer.
Yeah, on a given machine I first work on dialing in the grind and then move onto dosing. On the commercial machines the temp surfing is not really needed up but I do have a temp surf technique for my home Solis SL70. Depending on the humidity and temp the grind might need to be adjusted as you go.
3:32 pm
March 13, 2009
Offline@DanLacher I can't wait till you break down some of the skills for everyone in your post.
7:39 pm
May 18, 2010
OfflineIn over 18 months on my current machine, 3 years on the previous and another 3 or 4 years with various junk machines, I have pulled the proverbial 'god shot' precisely once. Consistency is the name of the game and I try to do exactly the same things each time out.
Cold, filtered water. Freshly added to the tank (alas, no plumbed in equip, yet).
Measure your beans (some swear by weighing beans, but I haven't quite gone off that deep end yet).
Grind. This takes daily adjustments, sometimes even during the course of a day. Ambient temp, humidity, age of beans and quality of beans all mean tweaking your grind setting. With a proper and consistent tamp (see next point), you want 2 ounces / 25 ml of espresso in roughly 22 to 28 seconds. "2 in 25" is the mantra.
Tamp – I use an Espro tamper which has a clutch that 'gives' at precisely 30 pounds of pressure. My routine is one light push to flatten the grounds, one push to just past the clutch point, then 4 light and twisting tamps to polish.
Time your shots.
Taste and reflect; tweak as required/desired. Some of the data for me may not work for you or your machine.
The god shot was prob a little longer in the pull that I was aiming for. Might've been 27 or 28 seconds. I don't recall it pouring picture-perfectly, either (tiger stripping in mid pull, just before blonding). But the crema, body and taste were otherworldly. The finish was clear and lingering. Even the empty cup, 10 minutes later, smelled wonderful. No bitterness, no acrid smoke or acidic nose.
In time, I will upgrade my roaster, my grinder and my espresso machine, but I may never pull another perfect shot. I am OK with that. It's a damned fun game, where even near-misses are terrific.
11:46 pm
May 17, 2010
OfflineI don't know that after even a year with my Silvia that I have managed to dial in my grinder. My shots look great, tiger striping and everything, but they are often sour — though they come in right at the 24 – 26 second mark. If any of you have any tips or tricks I would love to learn.
I used to have a Gaggia Espresso and I pulled some pretty good shots with it, but I have never pulled what I would consider to be a truly great shot with the Rancilio.
12:45 am
May 18, 2010
OfflineAofE – are you using a Rocky? Maybe it's your grinder (though the timing sounds right)?
1:05 am
May 17, 2010
OfflineNo. I have a Nuova Simonelli MCI doserless. You can see it just to the left of Silvia in the avatar photo.
8:09 am
March 13, 2009
OfflineAofE aka Neil – What are you using for espresso? origin wise or does it always vary?
8:19 am
May 17, 2010
OfflineI roast one of two blends. One is from Burman Coffee Traders and is simply called Espresso Blend – Special prep and the other is from OurCoffeeBarn and is called their Raging Bull blend. As a result I really have no idea what type of beans are in the blend. I would guess a typical base of a Brazilian or Guatemalen. Who knows what the rest is.
I do want to learn enough to practice creating my own espresso blend. I also want to do more experimenting with SO espressos.
9:49 am
March 13, 2009
OfflineSO's are always my favorite. Do you think maybe the acidity is being brought out so intensely that is comes off as sour? I only say this because everything you are doing sounds right…
10:34 am
May 17, 2010
OfflineThe one variable I have never been absolutely certain about is brewing temperature, and I know that can be an issue on Silvia. I'd like to think it may be the acidity of the coffee, but I can't be sure. Also, I don't recall the last time I tried and SO in the Silvia, always someone else's blend, I am thinking it is time to get back to SO's.
In addition to adjusting the grind throughout the day, have your tried differnt dosing? Sometimes overdosing makes the espresso flavors fuller.
Remember that different coffees each have their own personal "sweet spot" to be a "god shot" depending on grind, origin, and bean size.
Also, unless you plan to drop $6k on a commercial grade home roaster, buy a Mypressi Twist etc. don't count on producing"god shos", very often. It is possible, just a lot more variables than at a cafe.
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