JDHarding Senior Member Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 1,099 Location: WA, USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Ascaso Steel Pro PID Grinder: Nuova Simonelli MDX,... Vac Pot: None Drip: Hario v60 Roaster: Behmor, Fresh Roast
Posted Wed Apr 11, 2012, 3:46pm Subject: Re: Who can drink it straight?
Yeah, I don't think I'll be heating the cup again with a full shot of water. Next time I'll put a squirt of water in there from the boiler, put a plate on top of the cup, let it steam the insides, then dump it out and pull the shot. It'll be warm, but not scorching hot.
But even at a poorly pulled shot, and partially heated machine (I was in a hurry :P), I still managed to pull something drinkable and enjoyable. It's a pretty forgiving blend. I think that's why there's so much praise over it. Everyone, no matter machine, grinder, or skill, is able to pull great stuff from it. And the better your machine, grinder, and skill, the better the end result.
D4F Senior Member Joined: 15 Mar 2012 Posts: 1,223 Location: USA Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Classic PID Grinder: Preciso
Posted Wed Apr 11, 2012, 3:56pm Subject: Re: Who can drink it straight?
I recently started drinking Redbird and corresponded with Jeff. He was very specific that he went 25 -30 seconds timed from the first drip, not timed from brew switch. He definitely pulls longer than I was used to, and does "not feel obligated to stop at 50 - 60 ml" if no blonding.
Posted Wed Apr 11, 2012, 6:32pm Subject: Re: Who can drink it straight?
99% of the espresso I drink is straight shots with nothing added. I start the day with a pot of siphon brew shared with my wife & then drink 2-4 double shots throughout the day & maybe a decaf double in the evening. My typical shot weighs 20-28 grams tops. I pull the shot into a room temp cup, let it cool for 30 seconds or so & then drink the entire shot at once, no sipping, savoring the flavors before swallowing. On the rare occasion when I make a milk drink I add some honey to the milk before steaming as I really don't care for the taste of plain steamed milk.
JDHarding Senior Member Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 1,099 Location: WA, USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Ascaso Steel Pro PID Grinder: Nuova Simonelli MDX,... Vac Pot: None Drip: Hario v60 Roaster: Behmor, Fresh Roast
Posted Wed Apr 11, 2012, 6:55pm Subject: Re: Who can drink it straight?
20-28 grams? You're in triple territory there.
Infact, 7 grams is a single, 14 is a double, and 21 is a triple. 28 is like.. a quadruple. That's a 4oz shot there. That's if you follow the standards.
My 20 grams are really close to a triple. Maybe that's why I can pull 3 to 3.5oz before it starts to blonde.
I have triple baskets that can hold up to 39 grams of coffee, which is like.. almost 6 shots. You'd really be wired at that point. ;D
Well today's shot wasn't all that great. I don't know what went wrong, but it came out pretty sour. Heated cup, 20 grams, tighter grind, it poured sort of fast, 3oz in 30 seconds, sipped.. yuck. No chocolate, just sour. I think it might be because I pulled 3 oz, and it pulled sort of fast, so it may have blonded without me noticing. This is tricky. :/
Update:
Tried a few more shots, dialed down the dose to 17-18 grams, timed the shot when the first drops dripped into the cup, 29 seconds 2 oz, sipped, much better but still a bit sour. I'm not tasting the chocolate that I tasted yesterday. This is only 4 days since roast date, so maybe it's not quite ready yet. And the shots are turning out to be mostly crema. I think it's 1 oz crema to 1 oz espresso.
I'm get'n there. At least I've drank most of the shots so far, although some were pretty bad. ;)
I very much enjoy drinking straight espresso, BUT I find that I need to add sugar (well, Splenda - about 1/2 - 3/4 packet in a double) in order for the espresso to be enjoyable. This applies whether I am making at home or ordering at a good cafe (Stumptown, Intelligentsia, Grumpy, etc.), so I know the issue is not the espresso I am making at home. I do occasionally take a sip BEFORE adding sweetener to see what I am missing, but it has never been to my liking without. I favor predominantly nutty, milk chocolate flavors (Redbird and Veltons come to mind), and to me I find that adding a little Splenda somehow accentuates those flavors nicely.
With a grinder upgrade on the way (Mazzer Mini --> Mahlkonig K30 Vario), I may be able to better explore grind and dose adjustments that can accentuate the flavors I am looking for without the need to add sweetener.
Posted Wed May 16, 2012, 8:10am Subject: Re: Who can drink it straight?
I never add anything to espresso. I drink it straight. I really enjoy the natural sweetness. I like the shots I pull at home. I normally pull two or three doubles in the morning and make the wife a cappa. Then I brew a pour over of some sort and take it in to work with me in a nissan thermos.
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