CoffeeGeek - Espresso: Espresso Machines, Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

Espresso: Espresso Machines
Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

Rancilio Silvia - How to

Step by step guide for easy brewing and steaming with the Rancilio Silvia
www.seattlecoffeegear.com

Not Logged in:

updated topics	new posts	new unanswered
search	faq	sign up

Discussions > Espresso > Machines > Breville Dual...

view previous topic | view next topic | view all topics

showing page 57 of 218

first page | last page

previous page | next page

Author

Messages

michaelgo
Senior Member

Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 91
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Breville 900XL
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Thu Mar 22, 2012, 10:13am Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

I couldn't resist and purchased the naked PF. I pulled my first shot with it this morning and not sure of the results but it looked nothing like the shots in the videos I've seen, none of that beautiful caramel color. Is that a lighting thing? Or is there something that I should be adjusting because the pour was pretty dark. FYI, the beans I used are about 2 weeks old if that makes a difference. I was watching the screen and it seemed to fill fairly evenly and I did get a pretty good single stream a few seconds into the shot. MG

dagoat
Senior Member

Joined: 10 Dec 2004
Posts: 292
Location: santa barbara, ca
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: BDB (Breville Dual Boiler...
Grinder: baratza vario
Vac Pot: aeropress
Drip: manual
Roaster: cafe rosto

Posted Thu Mar 22, 2012, 12:08pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

deleted edited duplicate mods feel free to delete this

Posted Thu Mar 22, 2012, 12:09pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

and oops, did it again sorry and delete this one too.

Posted Thu Mar 22, 2012, 12:10pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

michael, naked PF's do not in and of themselves make a shot taste better. they are used as a learning aid, for diagnosis of distribution problems. if you're not having a fluctuating column, spritzing, asymmetrical coloring of the cone or top of the "martini glass", then you no longer need a naked PF, and your problems lie elsewhere, in the basics, bean and grind: one of the seminal articles that started the naked PF craze A recent innovation known as the naked portafilter allows you to see directly how well the extraction progresses. The naked portafilter is not the latest wrinkle in pornography, rather it is a portafilter in which the bottom has been sawed off. So, instead of being directed into a spout, the coffee exiting the sieve at the bottom of the basket drops directly into the cup. If the level and tamp are correct, the espresso will quickly collect at the center of the basket and descend as a single stream into the cup. If it is incorrect, little sprouts will squirt off in all directions making a mess. A few days with a naked portafilter will guarantee that your leveling and tamping techniques, whatever they may be, are working correctly. i'm not too worried about distribution errors in my technique, having used a naked PF for years on my much more challenging SBDU machine. in fact, i still use it on that old machine at the family vacation home. further, frankly, posting videos of "espresso pr0n", like wearing gansta style baggy pants, has been around long enough that it is now too old and passé for me (personally) to justify the cost of buying another PF. that said, if we had the choice of selecting a naked or a regular PF at the time of purchase for no extra cost, i would have chosen a naked PF, because it causes no harm either. it's just that it's not worth $80 EXTRA clams when you already have a perfectly good PF and don't have channelling issues. the only force tugging at me to go ahead and buy one is the "tool guy" effect--it's hard for a guy like me to resist collecting tools. -peter

michaelgo
Senior Member

Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 91
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Breville 900XL
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Thu Mar 22, 2012, 12:57pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

Thanks so much Peter. I was looking at it as a diagnostic and learning tool as I"m very new to all this. I've had much lesser machines in the past and with the BDB, have finally jumped to the semis if not the big leagues. My shots are alternating bitter/sour even though I'm weighing dose and pull and tamping on the scale (although much less frequently now) I head to the local coffee house now and then to get a sample of what it's supposed to taste like. LOL My concern was the color of the shot as it seems lately things have been darker than they were when I started, much less blonding. And looking at the videos (yeah, I'm with you, too many around) they just seems to be so consistently caramel colored, I thought it might be me doing something wrong. I'll keep playing but I'm with you, the standard PF works just great and if it wasn't for having to use up a gift card, probably wouldn't have spent the extra $80 either. Michael

Posted Thu Mar 22, 2012, 1:14pm
Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

michaelgo Said:

My shots are alternating bitter/sour even though I'm weighing dose and pull and tamping on the scale
Michael

Posted March 22, 2012 link

have you been fiddling with temperature? one of the REALLY AWESOME things our cool BDB's bring to the table, possibly as well as any machine at any price, is very precise and accurate temperature control. and temperature has a BIG effect on taste. you put bitter and sour on either side of a slash--it is important that you be able to distinguish bitter from sour because they are opposing problems in the espresso world. as a generalization, if your shots are bitter, you might try lowering the brew temperature, and if they are sour, you might try raising the temperature. on lesser machines, people don't have that ability and have to pull other stunts to fix their shots. but we have the ability to control temperature precisely, so use it man, use it. :) not sure how to address the fact that yours are alternating. do they alternate bitter-to-sour one shot to the next? with no changes in between? if so, i am at a bit of a loss...

imho, tamp pressure is one of those things that does not have to be exact--like dose weight or temperature has to be. if you're close to 30# but not exact, i wouldn't sweat it. in fact, some pro baristas barely tamp at all--the key is to do whatever you do, the same every time, so you can fiddle with other variables and make valid evaluations of the effect.

-peter

michaelgo
Senior Member

Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 91
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Breville 900XL
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Thu Mar 22, 2012, 2:24pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

Once again my thanks. I've been fiddling with the temp a little but I'm not sure my palette is good enough to tell much difference. And no, its seems I'll pull one day bitter, another sour. I think that might have more to do with the beans and grind. Seems some days, even though I don't touch a thing, a pull will be many seconds longer than it should be. I do find that I have to grind finer as the beans age in the hopper (I know, should only be putting in what I'm going to use over a day or too) and that might have more to do with things than the temp. But I'm sure having fun fiddling with it. I raised the temp to 202 this morning and the shot was good. Tomorrow, I'll lower to 198 and see if I can tell a difference. And I've pretty much stopped tamping on the scale now that I have a feel for what 30# should be. I have to say tho', it's easier to tamp with the naked as it lays flat on the counter top. Michael

michaelgo
Senior Member

Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 91
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Breville 900XL
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Sat Mar 24, 2012, 1:01pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

Well this morning I just decided that I'm getting way too obsessive about this. Weighing, measuring, timing; all I want is a decent cup of espresso. So this morning I just allowed my SmartGrinder to do it's thing, tamp, stick it in the machine, hit the manual button, waited about 35 seconds on the clock and guess what? A very decent cup. Just pulled another and it's quite tasty, neither bitter nor sour, I can taste some ctirus notes and a little nuttiness. I guess all the fiddling I've done over the past couple of months has paid off in that I'm comfortable just doing what feels right. Two good shots in a row. I'm so impressed with myself. LOL I've learned a lot from all the contributors here and you all have my thanks. Michael

JohnLyn
Senior Member

Joined: 15 Aug 2011
Posts: 230
Location: Golden, BC, Canada
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: La Spaziale Mini Vivaldy
Grinder: Vario
Drip: Bonavita
Roaster: Toastess popper

Posted Sat Mar 24, 2012, 5:27pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

Nice work Michael... isn't it is so good to just be at home, or get home, and walk up to the machine once it is warm and pull a shot that rivals all but the best cafe's.... (and even them sometimes...)

michaelgo
Senior Member

Joined: 21 Jan 2012
Posts: 91
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Breville 900XL
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Sat Mar 24, 2012, 10:30pm Subject: Re: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Owners Thread

It is good and the best part is that I've got the routine down through all that practice and weighing and timing. I've got a better feel for what's actually happening rather than just going through the mechanical steps. Went to the movies and dinner with friends tonight, came home and pulled a few shots before sending them on the long drive back home. Great to know they enjoyed it and I wasn't ignoring them while paying more attention to the machine. The BDB is really working for me as I don't think I would have come along and had this confidence otherwise. Michael

showing page 57 of 218

first page | last page

previous page | next page

view previous topic | view next topic | view all topics

Discussions > Espresso > Machines > Breville Dual...

updated topics

new posts

new unanswered

faq

Not Logged in: log in
Discussions Quick Jump:
Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post

Forum Rules:
No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards.
No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum.
No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum.
Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards.
Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics.
Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies.
Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies.
Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts.
Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.

Rocket R58 Double Boiler

Rocket Espresso R58 Double Boiler - Everything you need for the perfect shot!
www.seattlecoffeegear.com