DeanOK Senior Member Joined: 24 Sep 2012 Posts: 179 Location: OK Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: Crossland CC1 Grinder: Vario W
Posted Tue Dec 25, 2012, 9:41am Subject: Suddenly the crema is much thicker and lighter...why?
I have had a CC1 for close to 2 months. Been using several brands of fresh coffee, but mostly one from one roaster Got a new bag in the mail a few days ago and when I put it in the grinder at the settings I had been using for the same brand, it nearly choked the machine. It took me several attempts to get the grinder adjusted because I ended up making the grind much courser. Now when I pour a shot the crema is light and frothy. I always use a 3 oz stainless pitcher to catch the shot. When I make a shot with this latest batch, when I get about 2.5 oz in the pitcher and let it set a minute or so while I steam my milk, the frothy crema will settle and there will be about 1.5 oz in the pitcher. The coffee is not bad, just different than all of the other bags in the way it makes a shot. Could this bag have frozen in shipment and caused a change or is it just me?
Coffeenoobie Senior Member Joined: 11 Dec 2011 Posts: 2,372 Location: PNW Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: N S Oscar Grinder: Vario W
Posted Tue Dec 25, 2012, 10:09am Subject: Re: Suddenly the crema is much thicker and lighter...why?
All beans are different. Is this roast lighter than your others? Is it closer to the roast date? That would be my guess- it is a lighter roast closer to the roast date than your other beans. Some people let the beans rest for a few days before using or freezing.
Coffeenoobie
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RomeoMike Senior Member Joined: 3 Nov 2012 Posts: 7 Location: Seattle Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Alex Duetto III Grinder: Baratza Vario
Posted Tue Dec 25, 2012, 3:05pm Subject: Re: Suddenly the crema is much thicker and lighter...why?
Do you have a scale to weigh your shot? I had similar questions about the volume of liquid versus crema in my shots and was turned on to the very helpful link below.
If you can track the brew ratio (weight of coffee / weight of shot) It provides a more consistent way to compare shots.
As to why your shots are suddenly generating more crema, as coffeenoobie pointed out, every batch of beans is different (even the same blend from the same roaster). If your enjoying the shots your pulling, don't worry too much about the crema vs. liquid ratio, just enjoy. :)
DeanOK Senior Member Joined: 24 Sep 2012 Posts: 179 Location: OK Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: Crossland CC1 Grinder: Vario W
Posted Tue Dec 25, 2012, 4:15pm Subject: Re: Suddenly the crema is much thicker and lighter...why?
RomeoMike Said:
Do you have a scale to weigh your shot? I had similar questions about the volume of liquid versus crema in my shots and was turned on to the very helpful link below.
If you can track the brew ratio (weight of coffee / weight of shot) It provides a more consistent way to compare shots.
As to why your shots are suddenly generating more crema, as coffeenoobie pointed out, every batch of beans is different (even the same blend from the same roaster). If your enjoying the shots your pulling, don't worry too much about the crema vs. liquid ratio, just enjoy. :)
Yep... have a vraio W ... I am using about 18 grams in the portafilter. I brewed another shot since my original post and it it was way too much water volume using the same grinder settings that i was using earlier. Turned the grinder back down and everything is back normal... I don't know what was happening earlier. Happened several times. The worst thing is how much coffee I wasted dialing the grinder in twice. I had shots that were so far off I had to just pour them down the drain.
boyscout Senior Member Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 404 Location: Toronto Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Tue Jan 1, 2013, 10:26am Subject: Re: Suddenly the crema is much thicker and lighter...why?
Dean, is it possible your mysteriously-behaving coffee was TOO fresh? Most beans need to rest for a few days after roasting (from three to as much as ten days for some coffees). As the beans rest, their oils congeal a bit (won't help choke your machine so readily) and they de-gas, releasing CO2 (crema won't be over-foamy). Did you notice if your "thicker" crema collapsed more quickly than usual? That would be a sign of over-gassy beans.
Freezing does little or no damage to the taste of many (most?) coffees. My main coffee source is inconveniently located, so I routinely buy weeks' worth of beans at a time, let them rest in the original high-quality vented roasters bag until ten days after roasting day, and then freeze them, still in the original unopened bag. Unfrozen is better, but certainly not by miles, maybe only by inches. A whole lotta people would not notice the difference.
Possibly so. It was a new batch but I have never had any other batches do that. I am still on that same batch and it is no longer frothing up like that.
alantelfer Senior Member Joined: 3 Sep 2012 Posts: 6 Location: uk Expertise: Professional
Posted Thu Jan 3, 2013, 4:25pm Subject: Re: Suddenly the crema is much thicker and lighter...why?
i work for a coffee roaster and we regually use beans straight from roaster after cooling. if you by fresh roasted beans there is no need to freeze them keep them in cool place if unopened. once opend beans will go deterate after a two days like a food product. if they are ground the will deterate after 20 mins so only grind as you need to and only keep beans in hopper for two days. we give our coffee a four month use by date but some roasters in europe give it a year. you need to get heat into handles and group head they must be hot or that will effect the creme. 18gr is far to much you should be looking at 7gr for single shot and 14 for double. if you getting to much water in dose you grinder is set to course. extraction time for espresso should be 22/24 secs. once you have grinder set to dispence 7gr single shot time your extraction for 22/24 secs. if quicker adjust your grinder to a finer setting.i think it's always better to set extraction time using a double shot handle. cleaning group and back flushing is also inportant for good espresso. see my post on the backflush thread. hope this helps
why do you feel 18grams is far too much? is this recommendation only for the coffee you roast? i regularly dose 18grams at home and dose 19-21grams at the shop. many roasters also recommend much higher doses than 14grams.
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