FloMS Senior Member Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Posts: 3 Location: London Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sun Sep 23, 2012, 5:17pm Subject: Burnt Brikka experience - despite research and experiments
Dear Forum
I can not bring my Brikka to make good Coffee. I know that the quality of the coffee depends on four factors: the amount of water, coffee that is coarsely ground and is not heaped or pressed, a medium heated stove, and to immediately pour the coffee out, while leaving the last part behind in the brikka. I adhere to the recommendations precisely but the coffee tastes burnt no matter what I do.
1) Coffee ground size for french press actually. When I put the Brikka fully prepared on the just-turned-on-and-previously-cold stove on medium heat, it takes around 8 to 10 minutes for the valve to release the coffee, which I immediately pour and leave the last bit of coffee in the Brikka. Burnt coffe.
2) Same process as before, but I manually release the valve after 2 and a half minutes. The coffee tastes less burnt than before, but still there is a noticeable burnt note to it.
3) I tried with a finer coffee, the type that goes for filter and mokka stove pots. Manually release the valve after 2.5 minutes. Still tastes burnt, but less so.
it just doesn't seem to want to work for me. No comparison to a mokka stove pot, when one removes the mokka after half of the coffee is poured out (slowly, with reduced heat after the pouring starts) and puts the mokka pot in prepared cold water. That coffee tastes so much better!
I feel Brikka is after all a marketing gag for the crema. There is always plenty of crema, three to five milimeters, but the taste of the coffee is always burnt.
Posted Sun Sep 23, 2012, 7:13pm Subject: Re: Burnt Brikka experience - despite research and experiments
I've been using a Brikka for a number of years - I always user a fine (coarse espresso) grind. I've never had a "burnt" flavour. I suspect that if the coffee tastes burnt, it is because the coffee is burnt - i.e. over roasted.
You mention that you are getting lots of crema, the other possibility is that the coffee you are using has a high percentage of robusta beans. They can also produce off, burnt-like flavours.
Remember that the Brikka will concentrate and emphasize the flavours in the coffee, good and bad.
FloMS Senior Member Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Posts: 3 Location: London Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sun Sep 23, 2012, 8:16pm Subject: Re: Burnt Brikka experience - despite research and experiments
Throughout time I used different coffee.
I just moved to the UK and coffee here is more expansive, so right now I used
-Lavazza Rossa coffee 4/5 strength roast, “ground for all coffee makers” -Sainsbury Fairtrade medium roast, coarse grind for french press
Both claim to be pure Arabica.
Previously I was buying quite good coffee, from roasters in Vienna, Austria, still I guess I preferred the Mokka back than too. I can't say anymore. For me it always was sometimes OK with the Brikka, sometimes not, and hard to figure out why, if one is not completely systematic. It seems Brikka is a science project... The coffee might be over roasted, although they are advertised as medium strong roast.
Posted Thu Sep 27, 2012, 10:31am Subject: Re: Burnt Brikka experience - despite research and experiments
You have my sympathies... Even though I'm originally from the UK, I think it is worse than North America when it comes to coffee. It seems that most people's method of making coffee at home is with a kettle and a jar of instant.
You need to get your hands on some decent coffee and have it ground for "espresso" (or mokka pot if you have the option). You may want to look in the UK forum to get some hints as to the best places to buy coffee.
One other thing that worries me is your 8 to 10 minute brew time. Is that how long the mokka takes? Make sure that the weight is free to move before you start. It can stick to the post after the Brikka sits for a while.
bassmannate Senior Member Joined: 23 Jun 2008 Posts: 41 Location: Chicago, IL Expertise: Just starting
Posted Fri Sep 28, 2012, 7:25am Subject: Re: Burnt Brikka experience - despite research and experiments
I agree that a finer grind will help. It may be counter-intuitive, but the finer grind will actually help it brew faster. I think what happens is having more surface area on the grounds with the finer grind gives the water more to climb up as it is pushed. What got me to this conclusion is that I noticed it took a bit longer when I didn't fill the basket up all the way leaving that last little bit of space that the water had to go all the way on its own.
I do a bit coarser than espresso. Or, if you will, a moka pot grind. It usually brews in 2-3 minutes for me.
FloMS Senior Member Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Posts: 3 Location: London Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sun Sep 30, 2012, 7:00am Subject: Re: Burnt Brikka experience - despite research and experiments
Thank you for the recommendations. With time I will try it to get quality coffee. That will wait until I have my grinder back, since I didn't take it due to luggage constrains :D
In the meanwhile, I find this instructions for a Mokka results in a great taste. :)
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