emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,721 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Thu Feb 2, 2012, 3:43pm Subject: Re: new member becoming more confused by the day
my approach is more casual. I buy my coffee in 12 - 16 oz bags and put them right in the freezer when they arrive through USPS Priority Mail (which is typically about 5 days after roast date - so they're at peak). I take a bag out the night before I need it, so it can come to room temp, and the next morning I dump the whole bag into the hopper. Yeah, the beans start to stale, but everyone quotes the rule of 15s (#2 being use beans within 15 days of roasting). I have 3-4 people in my house drinking espresso drinks daily, so we go through them in plenty of time for me to not have to worry about them staling with my method. I just have to microadjust my grinder every day or so - not a big deal to me.
ccolton Senior Member Joined: 23 Jan 2012 Posts: 132 Location: Wilmington DE Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Bezzera BZ07 Grinder: Le 'lit PL53
Posted Fri Feb 3, 2012, 8:30am Subject: Re: new member becoming more confused by the day
All,
I have been reading the literature provided through the links and the science of espresso is becoming clearer to me. Thank you.
Also, I have been comparing *$ beans with Jim's lighter and darker roasts - my favorite so far is the lighter roast from Jim at 1st Line. I like everything except the caffeine. I plan to order decaf today!
Had a strange experience with the bottomless filter - 3 tiny streams of coffee shot out in defferent directions during the extraction. Very messy. Are a couple of the holes off kilter? Did I do something wrong?
Machine is still working great! And I love it. Also, I love the grinder. If I were making coffee for the neighborhood on a daily basis instead of just one neighbor (yes, she came back today!) I would definitely want a bigger grinder. As it is, I like the Le lit PL53 It is noisy and I have no reference since it is stepless, but I like the continuous adjustment capability. I am thrilled with my set up.
Okay, beans in freezer but not yet individually packaged. I'll get the hang of this sometime!
A note about aesthetics: my wife has been using the words, "we're not in college" since we met to mean technology and equipment should be not be visible. TV and speakers hidden in a cabinet, mixer off the counter top; etc. In fact, the cabinets you see in my picture were designed to hide all coffee making equipment - espresso machine for me and drip coffee for her. Well, we have finally broken down the walls of this impractical dogma - apparently, my BZ07 is attractive enough to be displayed proudly on the counter!
drgary Senior Member Joined: 21 Jan 2010 Posts: 126 Location: San Francisco Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Amica Coffex Lady Duchessa... Grinder: Pharos, Rio Super Jolly,... Vac Pot: AeroPress Drip: Melitta & filter paper... Roaster: Heat Gun/Bread Machine
Posted Fri Feb 3, 2012, 9:25am Subject: Re: new member becoming more confused by the day
ccolton Said:
Had a strange experience with the bottomless filter - 3 tiny streams of coffee shot out in defferent directions during the extraction. Very messy. Are a couple of the holes off kilter? Did I do something wrong?
Look up spritzers/sprites. Nothing wrong with the basket. Your puck preparation technique will improve but they're not a major problem except for the mess. Some tiny holes open up and the water sprays out, but this doesn't destroy the flavor like more major channeling does.
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,721 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Fri Feb 3, 2012, 9:43am Subject: Re: new member becoming more confused by the day
Chris,
I imagine your house is immaculately neat and clean and well-organized. Although my wife is not nearly as much as a stickler about that stuff, she too likes the look of the large stainless espresso machine on display.
Funny followup to the coffee storage portion of our discussion from yesterday...I forgot to take my beans out of the freezer last night. So, this am, I put the unopened bag on top of my warmed up machine, right in front of my cups. I kept a close eye on it, and flipped it over every few minutes, or so while I did all I could to delay opening it. When I finally did open it, the beans were only slightly cool, but not frankly cold. The reason I care (for those who wonder, since one can grind right from the freezer if desired) is if water temp off a few degrees and unheated portafilters affect taste, then it follows that ground coffee temp should as well...and anyone who has ground frozen beans can attest to the fact that the resultant ground coffee is still quite cold. Also, as pointed out by calblacksmith (earlier in this post and many other threads) and many other seasoned CGs, letting frozen beans thaw in your hopper will draw condensation into your grinder...since I dump an entire 12 oz bag into my hopper at once, I dodn't want to leave them there to thaw and collect moisture.
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,679 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Fri Feb 3, 2012, 2:14pm Subject: Re: new member becoming more confused by the day
emradguy Said:
my approach is more casual. I buy my coffee in 12 - 16 oz bags and put them right in the freezer when they arrive through USPS Priority Mail (which is typically about 5 days after roast date - so they're at peak). I take a bag out the night before I need it, so it can come to room temp, and the next morning I dump the whole bag into the hopper. Yeah, the beans start to stale, but everyone quotes the rule of 15s (#2 being use beans within 15 days of roasting). I have 3-4 people in my house drinking espresso drinks daily, so we go through them in plenty of time for me to not have to worry about them staling with my method. I just have to microadjust my grinder every day or so - not a big deal to me.
That is exactly what I do except I buy in 5 pound bags and divide it into about 3/4 pound zip top bags, take as much air out as I can and bury in the back of the freezer until need.
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
ccolton Senior Member Joined: 23 Jan 2012 Posts: 132 Location: Wilmington DE Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Bezzera BZ07 Grinder: Le 'lit PL53
Posted Fri Feb 3, 2012, 3:52pm Subject: Re: new member becoming more confused by the day
With all this talk of good espresso beans, buying them fresh out of the roaster, dividing and packaging in airtight containers, keeping them fresh in the freezer, I may be ruined! I was at a local store tonight and saw that they carried CC's Toscana (o?). I picked it up and was heading to the register with my great find, I mean, who wouldda thought, when I said to myself, "I better check the date." Sure enough, 12/30/2011. I put it back in disgust! I mean, 5 days, right. About the time it takes to get here from where ever they are who roast those beans. Man, what have you guys done to me? One of my cornerstones of personal philosophy is, "ignorance is bliss." Now I know just enough to be unhappy!
All tongue-in-cheek, as Gary would say. Decaf is ordered!
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,721 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Fri Feb 3, 2012, 3:55pm Subject: Re: new member becoming more confused by the day
15 days from roast to use is the rule. 5 days is from roast to peak! I believe it has something to do with degassing, but the explanation is better left to someone smarter than me.
ccolton Senior Member Joined: 23 Jan 2012 Posts: 132 Location: Wilmington DE Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Bezzera BZ07 Grinder: Le 'lit PL53
Posted Fri Feb 3, 2012, 4:48pm Subject: Re: new member becoming more confused by the day
Hi Gary,
Thank you for the explanation - I really did think the bottomless portafilter (or, more likely, the bottomless filter user) might have developed a defect.
ccolton Senior Member Joined: 23 Jan 2012 Posts: 132 Location: Wilmington DE Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Bezzera BZ07 Grinder: Le 'lit PL53
Posted Fri Feb 3, 2012, 4:51pm Subject: Re: new member becoming more confused by the day
Hi emradguy,
Your annecdote defintiely makes sense - everything I read talks about temperature through the grouphead so it makes a lot of sense that frozen coffee would cool the extraction temp.
Funny, but no, our house is not immaculate (wife might disagree). Big things need to be hidden, but mail; etc, (not saying her stuff) can pretty well be scattered! If you understand any of this, let me know. If you're still trying, sotop!
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