Flat_Eric

PortafilterProcrastinator I can’t remember what I used to brew in it, so would be interested to hear peoples methods.

My method is: 18g medium fine grind coffee, into Aeropress with single paper filter. Pour in off the boil water until almost full making sure all the coffee is wet. Agitate for 15 seconds (back and forth, not round and round or else you end up with a cone of grounds in the base). Place plunger in top of Aeropress. Wait 2 minutes, press gently for about 30 seconds into a large mug until I hear the hiss then stop. Top up mug with hot water if needed.

That is with new batteries. I shoot RAW, use the screen and have the performance setting turned on. I rotate three different batteries all from different suppliers because I thought my first one was a duff. Still love the camera though, my Nikons are just sat in the drawer doing nothing now, really must get them out and get motivated to use them again.

CoyoteOldMan Still very much enjoying my X100S - though having looked at the F and V, I am kind of tempted to upgrade…

I still use my x100t every day. I would consider upgrading to the x100v if they were available only because the battery life on the t is poor, even with new batteries I only get around 50 shots per battery!

Cuprajake Yes, it works fine with JPG. RAW just gives more scope for editing.

This is the main man I follow for Darktable tutorials
https://www.youtube.com/@audio2u/videos

Cuprajake Question is back in the day I had a ‘copy’ of photoshop, but now have no clue what to use for editing.

Is there a free software?

I now use Darktable, it’s free and open source. It does take a bit of getting used to after Lightroom and PS, but there are some excellent tutorials on Youtube. I find it to be a very powerful editing tool, especially for RAW files, now that I know my way around it!

Three months has now passed and I’ve just walked down to the roastery and bought my first bag of freshly roasted beans since Covid.

For a good month or so I couldn’t stand coffee at all, after that it tasted like bad coffee so I just drank instant. after a while I began to get some sort of taste back and bought several bags of supermarket beans to keep me going and try to develop my taste buds. This week I finished a bag of Lavazza and one of Tesco’s Finest and felt I was ready to move up. So tomorrow morning I will be opening a bag of Carringtons DogHouse Espresso beans. It’s been a long time!

drdre89 Yes, I had all three!

I’ve had a headache, and been sneezing and coughing like an asthmatic seal all weekend. I tested positive for covid. I don’t usually enjoy coffee when I have a cold, so it was no surprise that I have been off the caffeine for a few days now. This morning I felt a little better and made my usual big mug of Aeropress black coffee. It neither smells or tastes of anything, it’s like warm dishwater. Please tell me my taste will come back; what is your experience of coffee after covid?

LMSC I never noticed that! No, it’s whole bean.

This months roaster’s choice from Pennington’s of Kendal

Aeropress and a big mug for lighter roasts and for first thing in the morning. Espresso with water for darker roasts later in the day.

Today I was wandering around Wilkinsons looking for various things and I spotted a Brita Filter Jug with filter reduced to £12. It appeared to be the only one left so it was a no brainer for me, I can try a few tests with it and see what it’s like. Watch this space!

I’ve never had to do that job yet, but a socket set should have a socket to fit the nut, a universal joint to deal with the angle and a long extension for the reach.
I’ve seen a video somewhere of a guy bending a spanner to fit through the top of the boiler to hold the nut and turn the whole steam valve to undo it, but that doesn’t sit well with me. I think I would prefer to remove the heating element and do the job from the bottom.

Tap water TDS reading of 45 ppm

Carringtons Coffee Club monthly subscription

and a TDS test from Ebay

MediumRoastSteam Four weeks is exactly how long the filter lasts. I live in a soft water area and my water quality is very close (but not exactly) to what is specified by Rancilio and Lelit. Therefore I’m thinking that if I monitor the TDS I could use my tap water in whatever machine I decide to purchase. I’m thinking that the addition of a Brita or a BWT filter jug would be an additional safeguard.

There’s a new cafe opened up near me so me and nurse went for lunch. I asked for an Americano and the girl just froze. She looked at the menu then asked me if it was just a black coffee. She wrestled the portafilter out of the Eurobar machine and pressed it into the grinder. Just then another member of staff came through and the girl serving me asked her “what do I do next ’cos coffee is all piled up in the handle and I don’t know what to do with it.” The other girl said, “have you squished it yet? You need to squish it with the thing sticking out of the machine!”
I knew that I was in for a terrible cup of coffee, and it was! I didn’t complain, she was a young girl doing her best. Things have got a lot better now as we regularly visit and have got to know the owners. They are starting a new business in difficult times, money is tight, good staff hard to find, trying to train on the job. I have made the point of telling them that the coffee is getting better, a little bit of encouragement goes a long way!