Author Topic: What's caffeinating you today? (Read 131169 times)

Rhys W · « **Reply #150 on:** 29 December, 2011, 11:40:38 pm »

I opened the Jailbreak first. First shot was bordering on a gusher so I've wound the grinder down a notch. As a first impression it doesn't get close to the couple of Happy Donkey blends I've tried (noticeable in the lack of in-your-face aroma when opening the packet) but it's early days.

"Citrusy and acidic" is not what you want in an espresso, is it though?

Tewdric · « **Reply #151 on:** 29 December, 2011, 11:57:10 pm »

Quote from: Rhys W on 29 December, 2011, 11:40:38 pm

"Citrusy and acidic" is not what you want in an espresso, is it though?

Not for me generally although it depends on your expectation I guess. I'm boring and like mellow chocolatey caramel coffeeish espressos! I still enjoy citrussy shots too though. Good coffee strikes me as being like wine - there are lots of different ways it can be good, although we're all bound to have a favourite.

Maverick · « **Reply #152 on:** 11 January, 2012, 07:01:22 pm »

Union Revelation has just gone into the grinder. First espresso was really nice and very different to the Has Bean blends I've been drinking. Used my standard starting point settings - 14g ground on No.8 on the Rocky and brewed at 104 on my Pid'd Sylvia. Came through a bit fast so maybe a finer grind required. Any tips?

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #153 on:** 11 January, 2012, 07:39:02 pm »

If you've had a fast pour check the puck for holes before tightening the grind....it might have been channelling and not too coarse a grind. 14g is fine, I'd say.

I found Revelation to be quite tolerant and reliable, it's a dark dusky brew. The beans are quite oily so you'll find you need to tighten as they get older.

I know you've got your PID set to 104c, but of course that isn't necessarily the temperature of the water coming out of the brew head. If it was you'd be asking for trouble and a bitter cup, as the normal range is about 94-98.

AndyH has got my PID Silvia now, but they are brilliant machines.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #154 on:** 11 January, 2012, 07:49:33 pm »

I have about 20 bags of coffee in ATM. Some of which was the result of over exuberant ordering, and the rest a birthday present. I now have all Hasbean's espresso offerings. I'm a little reticent about opening the Kicker as I think it might be another of these fucking acidic light roasts again.

I'm pretty convinced this is a fad with the proponents looking for something new. Sooner or later everyone will realise it actually tastes horrid, despite our best intentions to liking it, and we'll see a return to darker roasts.

I've got a bag of 'Mocha Java' on the go at the minute. I love it for its blend of fruity Ethiopean bean with darker heavier Indonesian. Its great with milk, especially macchiato that I am OD'ing on every morning. A dark dense single shot, with a dollop of dense dense creamy microfoamed milk, such that it stays distinct in the cup from the coffee and doesn't just turn into a mini latte. It's surprising just how much a tiny amount of thick milk can calm down the espresso, and the only downfall is that you only get half a mouthful which is just not enough.

Try it, but you have to get the milk perfect, like double-cream. I've only just got the hang of this and realised that for years I was over-stretching the milk thinking that the frothier the better.

Maverick · « **Reply #155 on:** 11 January, 2012, 08:46:35 pm »

The puck was fine, maybe a bit on the wet side. I use a pre-tensioned tamper so grind and quantity are my variables - so either a little more coffee or finer grind. it was only a little fast - around 20sec rather than the 25 I always aim at. I'll probably try dropping the boiler temp to 103 first to see what difference that makes to the taste.

I fitted the PID after 3 months of struggling to get any consistency - every brew was a lottery as I never really got the hang of temperature surfing. Since the PID was fitted I've only had the odd disaster, normally when I'm not paying sufficient attention. I have worked my way through most of Has Bean's espresso offerings. Favourites were Jailbreak and the Brazilian Espresso Perfitito to my taste.

I have found a boiler temp of between 103 and 105 works best, no idea what the temp is at the head as I have no means of measuring it.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #156 on:** 12 January, 2012, 11:00:37 am »

Bit more coffee then

If it tastes good then you've found the right mix of variables

Re:PID, sounds like you've found the right temp then, and of course it doesn't matter what the readout is compared to anyone else's rig. PIDs have an offset on the reading anyway

Fab Foodie · « **Reply #157 on:** 12 January, 2012, 11:21:12 am »

I'm just into my first ever 'Breakfast Bomb' via the Porlex Mini and Aero-press .....

citoyen · « **Reply #158 on:** 12 January, 2012, 11:47:31 am »

Quote from: Hot Flatus on 11 January, 2012, 07:49:33 pm

I'm pretty convinced this is a fad with the proponents looking for something new. Sooner or later everyone will realise it actually tastes horrid, despite our best intentions to liking it, and we'll see a return to darker roasts.

Interestingly, there's a similar trend in beer, the current fad being for new varieties of hops with an intense citrus/passionfruit flavour. Now, I like a hoppy beer, and I like the citrussy flavours up to a point, but a lot of these beers have no balance and are just aggressively one-dimensional.

d.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #159 on:** 12 January, 2012, 03:30:57 pm »

Yes I'd noticed that there seem to be 'summer' ales sprouting up everywhere. They are tasting more and more like Hoegarden.

With regards to these lighter roast acidic coffees, it might be that my technical proficiency is lacking. There are ways of adjusting a few things to change taste but it can't push it far enough to make it palatable. I've got a bag of trendy London coffee at home and after much tweakage I got a shot that had a truly wonderful after-taste, like ripe cherries, but the actual taste was horrid.

I think, in the end, the proponents of this will come to the conclusion that the Italians were right.

citoyen · « **Reply #160 on:** 12 January, 2012, 03:55:14 pm »

Quote from: Hot Flatus on 29 December, 2011, 11:39:02 pm

Back to the SM coffee I had, one of the bags was called 'Guji Espresso'. What it was, was very good quality Yirgacheffe, that prepared in a filter with a comparatively low dose was absolutely lovely, but espresso? No, sorry, it just isn't.

This is the thing, in this drive to get more and more flavour from these coffees by up-dosing massively and putting them through an espresso machine with a tiny output of liquid they are missing the point that sometimes less is more, and the subtleties are easily lost. Espresso is not the only way to prepare coffee, but this deconstructed Starbuck's generation can't quite see beyond it yet.

I predict the next fashionable thing will be filter coffee

Gosh - that would mean I'm ahead of the trend for once. Highly unlikely.

I've just been down to Monmouth to replenish my office supply and have come back with something called Guji Gorbiche from Ethiopia, which I presume is the same thing. Very light and zingy and great as a filter coffee, but no, I can't imagine it being good for espresso at all.

Talking of Italian espresso, I reckon the best espresso I ever had was from a cart in Florence station, about 18 years ago. The memory of that thimbleful of opaque black heaven has stayed with me.

d.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #161 on:** 12 January, 2012, 04:53:33 pm »

I think I'm right in saying that Guji is the place where the coffee is processed, and they are particularly good at it. It will be from the same region for sure.

I've just go home and about to go through my evening ritual. One double pour into two cups, and espresso cup and a Capp cup. The Capp will be a flat white. The espresso will get a blob of carefully steamed milk to turn it into a macchiato, my favourite drink by a long way

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #162 on:** 12 January, 2012, 06:41:53 pm »

Well, I got home and got out a bag of Hasbean Blake. "Good" I thought as I read on the packet that it was 80% Indonesian, but when I opened the packet what did I find? More fucking coffee roasted too light, and the 100% predictable result?

Another cup of vile sourness that went straight down the sink.

Maverick · « **Reply #163 on:** 12 January, 2012, 07:03:25 pm »

I have to say that after 5 months of Has Bean espresso blends this Union Revelation is, well ... a revelation - lovely rich dark chocolate flavours with a hint of fruitiness is what I'm getting at the moment. Bouncing off the walls a bit tonight - think I might have over-indulged today

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #164 on:** 12 January, 2012, 08:56:13 pm »

It's just nice isn't it.

I've opened three different bags of Has Bean espresso, all ones I haven't tried and they are all shit. Under-roasted leading to a nasty sour cup.

I'm not sure I can be even bothered to try with it.

dasmoth · « **Reply #165 on:** 12 January, 2012, 09:02:45 pm »

I tend not to go for more than the slightest hint of acidity in an espresso cup, but usually find Blake a pretty safe bet (some of the other Has Bean blends less so). I hope there's not a bad batch out at the moment -- there are two bags of Blake in the order I placed this morning!

What temperature are you brewing at?

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #166 on:** 12 January, 2012, 09:23:15 pm »

95 on the PID, which works with everything else.

I can't believe anyone would like the taste of what I'm producing but there is always the chance I'm getting something wrong. What struck me is this I'm sure I read that Blake is meant to be a darkish roast. What I've got is medium roast at best.

dasmoth · « **Reply #167 on:** 12 January, 2012, 09:30:14 pm »

Quote from: Hot Flatus on 12 January, 2012, 09:23:15 pm

95 on the PID, which works with everything else.

You could maybe try dropping that a degree or two? 94 on my machine seems to suit Blake well (of course, I have my suspicious about how comparable temperature scales really are between machines...)

Quote

I can't believe anyone would like the taste of what I'm producing but there is always the chance I'm getting something wrong. What struck me is this I'm sure I read that Blake is meant to be a darkish roast. What I've got is medium roast at best.

Has Bean aren't the darkest of roasters, but I'd certainly expect Blake to be darker-end-of-medium, at least. I don't actually have any in the house right now (gave away my last half-bag when I sold my old Silvia at the weekend!), but will take a good look at the new batch which will hopefully be turning up on Saturday.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #168 on:** 12 January, 2012, 10:01:50 pm »

I'd be interested to know how you find it in comparison to previous batches, especially as you have obviously got some good results with it.

As for PIDs, I agree, and I think they are only of use when comparing to themselves rather than other machines. It is unlikely that your 95 is the same as my 95, especially as PIDs have a factory set offset. Have you got a Vivaldi then? Being able to select your temperature is a bit of a luxury. I suppose I could try lowering the temperature, but my natural inclination would be to raise it, low temps favouring sourness, and high tending towards bitter.

I'm doubly annoyed because I've just finished a free sample of mocha java that came with my grinder. It doesn't retail at much at all but was wonderful, especially in milk. You could taste both beans, and the tastes were clear and distinct.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #169 on:** 13 January, 2012, 08:55:21 pm »

Well I raised the temp in steps by 5 degrees. It took a bit of the acidity away but still not enough to make it something I'd want to drink.

Balanced cup? My arse.

Maverick · « **Reply #170 on:** 14 January, 2012, 07:43:32 pm »

I'm in coffee heaven

Mastered the Revelation today and it is sublime. One step coarser grind, slightly larger dose, really heavy tamp and slightly lower temp did it. I'm thinking now 'why would I drink anything else?'

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #171 on:** 14 January, 2012, 07:52:32 pm »

Its lovely isn't it. Its like good old fashion Italian style blends but no nasty surprises and loads of quality flavours. I think it was Tewdric or Dasmoth that first brought my attention to it, how I survived befor I just don't know. (by the way, if you want something along the same lines but half the price try Happy Donkey Brazilian)

I, on the other hand, have opened and tried all of the five Hasbean 'espresso'blends that were sent to me as a present. They are all horrid...really horrid. It is quite instructive in a way because the last time I bought any Hasbean stuff was about 3 years ago, and it was green bean for home roasting. I can't remember when I last had coffee roasted by him, but in the meantime he has obviously got carried away with this utter nonsense of light roasting espresso using inappropriate beans with the inevitable result of a small cup of rancid dogwank. All the woolly-clothed hipster-sheep in their wanky east London coffee bars will be rubbing their chinny beards and congratulating themselves on how clever they are being able to enjoy this shit whilst the rest of us who have a bit of integrity simply know that these light roasts are like 1980's haircuts..... in a year or two, nobody will admit to ever having liked them.

Maverick · « **Reply #172 on:** 14 January, 2012, 10:48:10 pm »

That's a tad harsh on Has Bean

.... I found some of the blends ok, all of them took a fair amount of experimentation to get the best out of them (and 'the best' was only passable in some). The Brazil espresso perfetio was pretty good, and we sink a large jug of Breakfast Bomb every morning but I've not tried that as an espresso. The only truly undrinkable ones were some revived Premium Blend they did for Xmas - it kept Ms M in latte for a couple of weeks - and Jabberwocky. They are very different from revelation though. Thanks for the Happy Donkey Brazilian tip - I'll try it alongside the revelation.
I'd sit back with a few cups of revelation and relax if I were you

cuddy duck · « **Reply #173 on:** 14 January, 2012, 11:02:02 pm »

Camp Coffee.
With condensed milk.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #174 on:** 14 January, 2012, 11:17:47 pm »

Quote from: Maverick on 14 January, 2012, 10:48:10 pm

That's a tad harsh on Has Bean .... I found some of the blends ok, all of them took a fair amount of experimentation to get the best out of them (and 'the best' was only passable in some). The Brazil espresso perfetio was pretty good, and we sink a large jug of Breakfast Bomb every morning but I've not tried that as an espresso. The only truly undrinkable ones were some revived Premium Blend they did for Xmas - it kept Ms M in latte for a couple of weeks - and Jabberwocky. They are very different from revelation though. Thanks for the Happy Donkey Brazilian tip - I'll try it alongside the revelation.
I'd sit back with a few cups of revelation and relax if I were you

Right, so of the five Hasbean espresso blends, two were undrinkable, one was nice, and the other two needed work but the best you could get was something 'passable' out of them.

Praise, indeed.