dman777 Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2011 Posts: 236 Location: austin Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Silvia- No PID Grinder: Compak k3 touch Drip: french press
Posted Sat Feb 11, 2012, 3:38pm Subject: Blue Jaguar Espresso- How Can I Bring Out The Fruit Accents?
I just got my Blue Jaguar Espresso in. I pulled a excellent shot. 14 grams, ~28 seconds, 1 1/4 ounces. The flavor is mostly milk chocolate. How can I bring out the fruit accents: sweet orange, date, and fig?
TonyVan Senior Member Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 268 Location: Pacific Northwest Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: GS/3, La Pavoni Grinder: Macap M7K, Rocky Drip: Kone
Posted Sat Feb 11, 2012, 11:31pm Subject: Re: Blue Jaguar Espresso- How Can I Bring Out The Fruit Accents?
Occasionally, a coffee will display an overwhelming and unmistakeable streak of a particular flavor, but often the reviews or summaries that mention a "hint of x" or "overtones of y" may be speaking about subtle flavors indeed, sensed by very practiced palates (and sometimes very imaginative ones) and using upper-end setups.
It reminds me of Harry Pearson writing 25 years ago in The Absolute Sound about being able to hear Fritz Reiner glare at an errant second violinist in the fourth row 14 minutes and 26 seconds into the 1954 Mohr/Layton RCA Living Stereo recording of the CSO's Ein Heldenleben. Given a tuned listening room, golden ears and the sheer resolving power of $150,000 worth of audio gear, just maybe he could. (And even if he couldn't, no one ever wrote more convincingly or entertainingly - or as well - about it.)
Maybe those dates and figs show up only at certain temperatures and doses, and maybe they only show themselves coming through grinders and machines that can produce a remarkable degree of transparency and separation and clarity (resolving power again) of flavors. Remember, you can find arguments here and on HB about exactly which type and style of orange marmalade colored the original Black Cat when pulled through a Linea at 199.6F.
So as good as a Silvia can be, I'd suggest two alternate and more likely methods to taste sweet orange, dates and figs in your espresso. The first, cheapest - and by far the simplest - is to puree these three fruits in a blender and add a teaspoon to your cup. You don't even need Blue Jaguar - this works equally well with Costco, TJ's or Folgers (anything except Starbucks of course).
The second, more expensive but equally simple, is to locate somehow a pristine Faema President lever machine from the '50s, pull a few shots, convince yourself you tasted figs and dates and oranges - with overtones of dried sage and a hint of Madagascar vanilla pods - then blog about it. Everyone will enviously agree, I promise: no one ever dares to argue with results from a '50s lever.
jwsnyder919 Senior Member Joined: 28 Jun 2011 Posts: 87 Location: All over Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: QM Andreja Premium Grinder: Baratza Vario
Posted Sun Feb 12, 2012, 9:42am Subject: Re: Blue Jaguar Espresso- How Can I Bring Out The Fruit Accents?
I got more fruit when I ran my cooling flush a bit longer to reduce temp at the brew head (probably around 198-199). I also am using between 17 and 17.5g and pulling for about 24-27 sec. The fruit also stood out more to my fiancee when I made her an americano with the shot.
It's definitely an accent, though. the chocolate will always be the star, at least as I've played around with my first pound (and it's almost gone only 4 days after getting it).
I've been brewing on an QM andreja premium, vario grinder that seems pretty well dialed in. I'm also pulling about 1.75-2.5oz once settled (haven't let it fully sit and measured, I sip right away, so I'm guessing here). Basically, using my bottomless PF, it fills my 3oz graduated shot glass to 2.5-3oz with crema at around the 25 s mark and then settles accordingly.
dman777 Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2011 Posts: 236 Location: austin Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Silvia- No PID Grinder: Compak k3 touch Drip: french press
Posted Mon Feb 13, 2012, 12:36am Subject: Re: Blue Jaguar Espresso- How Can I Bring Out The Fruit Accents?
I placed alot more heat on the shot....pulling the shot 2 minutes after the boiler light went off rather than 7 minutes. The shot itself had alot more floral characteristics to it. I don't know if it had to do with the heat or just the beans aging a day. But when I made it into an Americano it kinda tasted watery, but then had a roast after taste after each drink.
Posted Mon Feb 13, 2012, 12:49am Subject: Re: Blue Jaguar Espresso- How Can I Bring Out The Fruit Accents?
dman777 Said:
I placed alot more heat on the shot....pulling the shot 2 minutes after the boiler light went off rather than 7 minutes. The shot itself had alot more floral characteristics to it. I don't know if it had to do with the heat or just the beans aging a day. But when I made it into an Americano it kinda tasted watery, but then had a roast after taste after each drink.
Rather than trying to extract a certain flavor profile from a certain blend, I'd advise that you find a blend that naturally makes a flavor profile that you prefer.
dman777 Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2011 Posts: 236 Location: austin Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Silvia- No PID Grinder: Compak k3 touch Drip: french press
Posted Mon Feb 13, 2012, 1:00am Subject: Re: Blue Jaguar Espresso- How Can I Bring Out The Fruit Accents?
Indeed...so far for florals I like the Classico. But I was trying out these beans which are new to me and seeing what I could do with them as what they advertise...with my lack luster skills and equipment.
The equipment is not to blame! Hundreds, indeed thousands -- tens of thousands, probably -- currently depend upon a "stock" Silvia for their daily espresso drinks with NO problems, and have done so over decades. You, OTOH, have been doubting the quality of your equipment since the day you bought it! STOP IT! Learn how to walk before you try out for the Olympic 100m hurdles! You'll far on your face far less often . . .
You don't need a DB, you don't need a better grinder. You don't need a PID for your Silvia. You need to practice. You need to understand the process. And whether if feels like it to you or not at the moment, you are getting there. There is nothing magical about making great espresso, but it does take time to "master" -- and even then, no one (not even the winner of the World Barista Championships) makes a "god shot" every time they pull a shot.
Relax a bit. Don't question every little thing. And pay less attention to the numbers -- they are a starting point, a guideline; they are not gospel -- and more attention to taste.
Posted Wed May 2, 2012, 2:22pm Subject: Re: Blue Jaguar Espresso- How Can I Bring Out The Fruit Accents?
JasonBrandtLewis Said:
The equipment is not to blame! Hundreds, indeed thousands -- tens of thousands, probably -- currently depend upon a "stock" Silvia for their daily espresso drinks with NO problems, and have done so over decades. You, OTOH, have been doubting the quality of your equipment since the day you bought it! STOP IT! Learn how to walk before you try out for the Olympic 100m hurdles! You'll far on your face far less often . . .
You don't need a DB, you don't need a better grinder. You don't need a PID for your Silvia. You need to practice. You need to understand the process. And whether if feels like it to you or not at the moment, you are getting there. There is nothing magical about making great espresso, but it does take time to "master" -- and even then, no one (not even the winner of the World Barista Championships) makes a "god shot" every time they pull a shot.
Relax a bit. Don't question every little thing. And pay less attention to the numbers -- they are a starting point, a guideline; they are not gospel -- and more attention to taste.
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