Ethiopian Sidamo and Medium / Medium Dark Roast. 20g, 1.4 turns in Jx Pro, 46.4g out and took a little longer at almost a minute. The group was set 93C and the brew was set at 99C. Took 18s for the first drop into the cup. This is too long. I thought the cup isn’t going to be good. It was so good, I drank straight as an espresso. Fruity citrus and lemon grass for me. It will definitely benefit from loosening the grind. This bag will be very good for brewing for sure, which is what I will do later today. https://imgur.com/a/vTgy8Be

@"LMSC"#p1024 The beans look well roasted for a medium dark roast….who was the roaster?

@"DavecUK"#p1035 Clumsy Goat. They stated both the Peru and this Ethiopian are medium roast. I did not think so. I reckoned the Peru was medium dark / dark. That bag was ok; I was never happy with that Peruvian Bag. This Ethiopian is very good and sweet. I was erring more on the medium dark; I didn’t think it’s a dark roast, looking at the dark yellow / light brown colours at the crevice of the beans; I thought they may have been taken out just before the second crack, not at the second. Obviously, I lack a roasting experience and still learning to differentiate the roasts. 😊 You won’t call it as a dark roast, would you ? Thx

> @"LMSC"#p1039 You won’t call it as a dark roast, would you ? Thx I would call that medium dark…it's about as dark as I like to go, normally I'm in the medium or medium light camps. as my personal preference and that of my roast sharers. That roast was nowhere near 2nd crack and I would guess it's about 30-50 seconds after first…not roasted too fast because I can't see any oil and no charred chaff lines, indicating the burners going off before 1st crack and the roast allowed to coast into it. My guess for what it's worth…anyway, they did a good job.

Crown and canvas - first light Brazilian and colombian blend. Bag states dark chocolate, hazelnut and red berry and I have to say it delivers! Espresso 16g in 32g out: really rich dark chocolate and hazelnut (think greene and blacks) and a gentle acidity to finish. Lovely mouthfeel and long lasting. As a flat white everything’s sweetened up and it really pushes the hazelnut flavour. Delicious. Off to make another 😉

@"Baldrick"#p1770 Hadn't heard of Crown and Canvas before. Having looked at their website and following your positive recommendation I think I will be giving them a try.

@"Dumnorix"#p1793 very popular roaster and some great coffees by all accounts. If you check our commercial directory, you will find some good and reliable companies to use. https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/d/52-commercial-members-list

@"DavecUK"#p1796 Many thanks for the link.

Origin Colombia Estate Café Granja La Esperanza Farm Potosi Varietal San Juan Process Natural Altitude 1,800-2,000 masl Harvest January - April I got it from my local shop. It's got a really nice sultana smooth taste. Currently brewing it in a Aeropress 1:15 and diluting up to around a 320g cup. Really enjoying it at cooler temps.

Crankhouse, Cordillera de Fuego, anaerobic natural Caturra & Catuai - Initially hesitant & bracing myself due to the pungent, farmyard aroma off the beans, but absolutely delivers in every aspect on the flavour in cup. Complex, good perception of sweetness. Delicious! Like a coffee equivalent to mulled wine. I'm not big fan of naturals, nor Cost a Ricans generally, but I love this. 13\.6g ground at 32 on Wilfa flat, V60 02 with can strainer, 40g every 40s (each pour taking about 13s), 1st 2 pours direct on to the coffee bed, last 3 via can strainer. Dry bed 3:15 for this brew.

Mikari AA (Washed) (Kenya) from Coffee by the Casuals - two ways. Moka Pot - really rich, lots of peach. Very smooth. Pre-boiled water and AP filter, but no 'bloom'. CCD - 18g + 300g - 32 on Niche. Still steeping, but based on brews this week, flavour is more balanced, not as in your face (as expected) - not much pineapple, but more acitidty alongside the peach.

What’s in your cup this morning ?

Cuprajake

Was a nice even cup, not to acidic, smelt very nice, grind and in the cup, I got the sweet candyfloss style smell.

I will losen the grind a tad and see.

LMSC

Cuprajake I was thinking if I should loosen the grind a click or lightly tamp, which isn’t possible with Bravo.

Glad, you liked the cup.

Alpesh

LMSC

Just opened the Black Cat Blueberry Candy after resting for over two weeks and pulled 18g in 36g out in 32s but at 93C as a flat white and didn’t get the Blueberry notes I was hoping for. Was a little bitter so I think I need to drop the temp. What ratio did you pull and would you suggest changing anything else?

LMSC

Alpesh a flat white and didn’t get the Blueberry notes I was hoping for. Was a little bitter so I think I need to drop the temp.

I pulled at 90C for the group and 96C brew boiler. I would drop the temp, by a couple of C, as you suggested you would . It’s (medium) darkly toasted, at least for me.

Please remember that as a flat white, the blueberry flavour will be muted unless you drink as a black. The notes will be on the milder side.

I was not as pleased as I was initially with this Nicaraguan. I could never completely rid the mild tart / bitter notes at the finish even on Clever and V60 - this was the first time on my brew. I only have another 3 shots left, which I will as an espresso and not as a filter. Let me know how you got on

Edit:

Started at 1:2:5 dosing 17.6g and now 1.2 on 17g. I only ordered a small bag.

LMSC

Opened the Blackcat’s Natural Ethiopia - 88 cup score

17g, 39.2g liquid, 1.10 mins, 91C group and 97C brew. Dialled at the default settings used for their Rwandan. This was a little darker and easier to grind than the Rwandan (temp for Rwandan is now at 91/97).

The shot time was too long; but got a rich, creamy and sweet espresso. The puck was too fluffy and I would dose at least 0.5 - 0.75g lower and perhaps loosely tamp using the Torr Tamper than loosening the grind. Why bother reducing the shot timing, if it tastes very nice? I wouldn’t mind putting up the temp by 1C!

It had a Cocoa bitter finish as an espresso but it disappeared, as a short black, to leave just a pleasant trace of cocoa after taste and aroma . The flavour was blueberry and the acidity was mild.

A nice coffee, which should cut well with milk. They are also suggesting filter. I am not sure I would brew this, as my filter preference is on the lighter side.

https://www.blackcatcoffee.co.uk/collections/coffee/products/ethiopia-yirgacheffe-beloya-natural

LMSC

Smith Street Washed Anaerobic Columbia

3 shots - tasted somewhat sour and meh.

1st shot, 17g, 42g out, 91.5C/97.5, 20s and default grind setting. Tasted sparkling, red fruit and mango acidity. A bit sour cup. Disappointed

2nd shot, 17g, 42.7g out, 90C/96C, 23s and finer grind setting than the 1st shot. A bit sour and silty cup. Disappointed.

3rd shot, 17g, 41.8 g out, 90C/96C, ground coarser from the 2nd shot, 22s. A bit sour cup. Pretty bland and tasteless cup with milk. Disappointed.

The video is the 3rd shot. Not sure, I will pull anymore espresso with this. I will try to brew this.

prezes

LMSC I quite enjoyed mine as a cortado but temp set at 95.5

MediumRoastSteam

LMSC 17g, 41.8 g out, 90C/96C, ground coarser from the 2nd shot, 22s. A bit sour cup. Pretty bland and tasteless cup with milk. Disappointed

these shots seem way to fast for that type of coffee and ratio. I’m not surprise you are getting those results!

Grind finer, increase the temperature.

LMSC default grind setting

What’s a “default” grind setting? Surely it means nothing and makes absolutely zero sense what so ever? I’m baffled!

LMSC

prezes 95.5C That’s your brew boiler temperature, is it not ?

LMSC

MediumRoastSteam these shots seem way to fast for that type of coffee and ratio. I’m not surprise you are getting those results!

Of course, it’s too fast. It should not be surprising at 1:2.5. The trouble is grinding finer (2nd shot) has neither improved the shot time nor the taste. I ended up with silty cup.

MediumRoastSteam Grind finer, increase the temperature.

Considering the silts as described above, I would risk more silts. Can give it a go and try pulling at 93-94C for the group.

MediumRoastSteam default” grind setting

Where I normally pull a shot for these of roasts / beans - I refer my excel notes. I don’t usually have to make too many changes with those grind settings.

I am already at the lower end of the espresso settings. Of course, they are just reference points.

Are anerobic means relatively less soluble like decaf requiring finer grind?

prezes

LMSC I’m using Vesuvius so my understanding is this is group temp. 15g-41g in 35 sec with 10 seconds pre infusion

Cuprajake

I’ve just opened the black cat blueberry candy

LMSC

Cuprajake black cat blueberry candy

and?

MediumRoastSteam

LMSC Are anerobic means relatively less soluble like decaf requiring finer grind?

No idea. I treat each coffee as their own, and adjust grind size, temperature to give me the usual 1:2 ratio (or thereabouts) at roughly 33-35 seconds.

If you don’t want a silty cup (not sure why that would be the case, but maybe shortcoming in prep or equipment (read:grinder), you can always cut an aeropress filter to fit the bottom of the basket. Results are a very clean cup.👍

Edit: on the fun side, I just opened some Cherry Cherry Espresso, but didn’t change settings because I have no clue about that coffee, so I left where the Swuare Mile Red Brick was:

40g, 23s, at 90C. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 - a classic sink shot. But life is too short to not drink sink shots (read: I don’t like wasting food or drinks, specially when I paid for it), so I drank it, neat. Meh. Needs a finer grind for sure! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Cuprajake

LMSC I’m liking it more than the previous black cat I opened.

I’m getting the blueberry.

I’ve been playing with the pre infusion pressure. But the machine deffo prefers the 2 to 3 bar region.

LMSC

Cuprajake Good to hear. For me, the Rwandan and the Ethiopian are very nice; the Nicaraguan BB Candy is good but not as good as the other two for me. Because, across all 3 brew methods, I couldn’t rid the mild tart / mild bitter after taste.

MediumRoastSteam The AP paper is useful but don’t use it to avoid extra work flow. I don’t think I can improve my puck prep anymore, but I always wondered if my hand grinder produces a lot more fines than what ever is the normal range. The only way to find is to sieve and find the % of fines. I know it’s about time I go electrical!

My default grind size is not the previous bag’s grind size (😊)! Enjoy your not so light roasts! — 🤣🤣😊

LMSC

MediumRoastSteam Tightened the grind, upped the temp to 93/99 for similar dosage and ratio like yesterday. The shot lasted 33s. Medium red fruit / mango acidity. It’s not for me. :-)

MediumRoastSteam

LMSC Medium red fruit / mango acidity

Well, at least now you know. And, more importantly, seems like you’ve managed to get exactly some of what says on the tin? That’s impressive. I seldom (if ever) manage to pick up tasting notes. 👍

On that note LMSC, have you tried that Road Rash from Dark Arts? Would be interested in knowing what you think. (Apologies if you already commented on it)

LMSC

MediumRoastSteam that note LMSC, have you tried that Road Rash from Dark Arts? Would be interested in knowing what you think. (Apologies if you already commented on it)

Did! It was fantastic - all types of brews and also as a flat white. 😊

LMSC

Smith Street’s Natural Columbian

No sooner I opened the bag than I remembered Foundry’s Natural Columbian Jairo Arcila, which oozed Cherry Balsam and Rose Water.

Plenty of aroma (a combination of intense rose water and fruits), fruity medium acidity (apple/passion fruit) and mild rose water / almond flavour. I am drinking now as a short black, while my wife hated the coffee flat white). She didn’t like the Jairo Arcila either. It is very rare she has such strong reservations about coffee or any food. I won’t be serving her this bag.

It is a good coffee (well, a bag costing £30 has got to be good).

92C/98C, 17g powder, 40.6g liquid and 30s.

prezes

LMSC both my partner and me enjoyed this one a lot !

MediumRoastSteam

LMSC It is a good coffee (well, a bag costing £30 has got to be good).

It has not necessarily been my experience, sadly!

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