Dialing in the Leftist
Chris, Brett, and I took some time last night to really dial in our shots. With our boiler temperature in it's default state we started pulling 1oz shots in 30 seconds at 14 grams, gradually increasing the weight in 1 gram increments and swirling, swishing, and spitting into plastic cups. Actually Chris pulled all the shots while I took the notes, writing down everything we were experiencing in the cup. After we hit 24 grams we stopped and reflected on what we'd discovered so far, namely that the best shots we'd tasted so far weighed in at 19 grams.
We then took those magic 19 grams and did the same thing again, this time adjusting the temperature on our GB/5 (starting at 194) while maintaining a 19 gram weight. Shot after shot we tasted, swirled, and spit, until we threw in the towel at 204 degrees.Our conclusion? Our "default" espresso blend, the Leftist, seems to be tastiest when pulled at 19 grams and 198 degrees. This was good news. Since our boiler was set a few degrees higher than 198, we can now expect our shots to be slightly sweeter and more consistent throughout the shot. Another conclusion? Try not to start the process when it's dark outside. Even though you're spitting caffeine is water soluble. 20 shots later you're gonna absorb some no matter how much you spit.
posted by Mike White @ 4:31 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
don't worry, you can come next time.
As you moved up the scale from 14g to 24g, how much grind adjustment did it take to maintain shot timing (assuming you did maintain shot timing)?
Great question Andy. It did take quite a bit of adjusting, more so as it got heavier. As we got up into the 20 gram range we found ourselves discarding two or three shots at a time before regaining control.
I miss you Gabe.
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