Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

Siliconslave said:
Flibster, how are you getting along with the Square Mile Competition pack? Struggling with the Vunga a little - really doesn't work in my Gaggia but getting a nice, but subtle sweetness from the Clever Dripper...
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Ok, me and the barista at my local coffee shop *Hermitage Rd in Hitchin, great place for food too. ;)* cracked open the Vunga this afternoon.

Not really getting what Sang Ho describes, but I am getting exactly what is on the packet. This is through a normal filter cone, nothing special.
When it cools down we are getting quite a muddy, dirt aftertaste which hangs around for a while.

It's pretty damn good though. :D Will try it as a cold brew at some point, seems like it could be massively refreshing like that.

Will be running John's espresso through the La Marzocco he has tomorrow. Probably try the other in the Aeropress too.
 
molinari said:
Coincidentally, I also tried some Jersey gold top at the weekend. Used my stove-top steamer and was able to get decent microfoam, but I thought it was just too sweet and creamy. I stopped having sugar in my coffee (and tea) a couple of years ago but this tasted like I'd added a teaspoon or two. Too much for me, I'll stick with semi-skimmed (or occasionally full fat) Cravendale.
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Been looking for a stove top steamer for a while. Where did you buy it if you don't mind?
 
molinari said:
Coincidentally, I also tried some Jersey gold top at the weekend. Used my stove-top steamer and was able to get decent microfoam, but I thought it was just too sweet and creamy. I stopped having sugar in my coffee (and tea) a couple of years ago but this tasted like I'd added a teaspoon or two. Too much for me, I'll stick with semi-skimmed (or occasionally full fat) Cravendale.
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All semi-skimmed milk is standardised at aprox 2% fat. Doesn't matter if its jersey, guernsey, holstein or what ever. The sweetness is the lactose(sugar, ie carb not fat), as the temperature increases, the solubility increases and the perceived sweetness increases. You could try finishing the milk at a lower temperature to reduce the sweetness.


Flibster said:
First impressions of Jersey milk.

It's a pain in the backside to get steaming well. I've gone through 1 1/2 litres of it today and got what I would call acceptable milk on around 1/3 of that.

Once it has steamed though, it holds itself up well. Made the other half a hot chocolate with some and she said the foam held up all the way through her drink. Taste wise, I'm not a huge milk drinker, but this is a creamier texture and seems to add a vanilla element. Will grab some more tomorrow and have a bit more of a play with some other coffee.
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Difficulty steaming suggests either a breakdown of the proteins by protease enzymes, or breakdown of fats by lipase enzymes. link. The presence of these enzymes is variable according to seasonal and other conditions at the farm level. Pasteurisation is usually sufficient to inactivate the enzymes, however if the milk is excessively agitated before this stage the protein/fat molecules are more likely to come in to contact with the destructive enzymes. I would suggest trying a different brand before writing it off completely, as the one you picked up may have been less than ideally prepared :)

I would hazard a guess the milk was unhomogonized? When milk is homogonized(like most supermarket/processed milk), some of the whey/casein protein molecules get 'trapped' inside the newly formed fat globule membranes, giving less free protein molecules in suspension giving less good stable foam. The whey protein content in particular is responsible for mega stable foam.
 
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BunnyKillBot said:
All semi-skimmed milk is standardised at aprox 2% fat. Doesn't matter if its jersey, guernsey, holstein or what ever. The sweetness is the lactose (sugar, ie carb not fat), as the temperature increases, the solubility increases and the perceived sweetness increases. You could try finishing the milk at a lower temperature to reduce the sweetness.
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I know, but what I'm saying is it was like using single cream to make a coffee and I'd never consider using single cream because it is too sweet and creamy (in coffee). I don't disagree that it is a better quality product. If I finish it at a lower temperature to reduce the sweetness, I'd still have the same same creamy texture which I didn't like. When using whole milk or semi-skimmed, it is perfectly sweet enough (for me), the texture changes but isn't too thick or creamy, and it produces lovely micro-foam. Each to their own of course :)
 
molinari said:
I know, but what I'm saying is it was like using single cream to make a coffee and I'd never consider using single cream because it is too sweet and creamy (in coffee). I don't disagree that it is a better quality product. If I finish it at a lower temperature to reduce the sweetness, I'd still have the same same creamy texture which I didn't like. When using whole milk or semi-skimmed, it is perfectly sweet enough (for me), the texture changes but isn't too thick or creamy, and it produces lovely micro-foam. Each to their own of course :)
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Ah ok :) And indeed each to their own. I would hazard a guess sweeter creamier milk works better with a more bitter roast to offset the sweetness. Steamed milk is to espresso as milk and sugar is to dark chocolate. So maybe try it in macchiato or different beans?
 
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I just wanted to endorse Hasbean as the best supplier by a mile again. Currently chatting to Steve (the MD of the company!) about how to get the best fruity flavour out of my Ethiopian coffee. The guy really doesn't have to but he is helping me with the exact weights of water etc.

Service really is second to none.
 
It's not my favourite type, but I've had some that I like. This was just foul, no coffee taste at all, just rotten straw.
 
By natural do you mean things like "xxx pulped natural" and the like? If so, most of the ones I've tried have been great. Tend to be amongst my favourite bean types :)
 
They don't have any more of the superb Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama Bourbon Pulped Natural - this is one you can't possibly not like, a fantastic espresso. Goes well in latte/flat white too, especially so if you like a chocolatey sweetness to the cup. Fingers crossed it makes another appearance soon. I'm now on to some El Salvador Finca La Fany Washed Bourbon.

Youstolemyname said:
My fave Ethiopian Yiragachaffe has now sold out :(
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Just noticed that, this is currently my morning AeroPress coffee. Not one I'd normally choose but it's really quite nice especially for a natural coffee. The hints of blueberry and fruitiness make it quite refreshing for a cup of coffee.
 
Hey All,

Well some exciting news (for me atleast) regarding my setup.

Yesterday I upgraded from buying shop bought preground coffee, to a Eureka Mignon Doser grinder (currently with sainsbury beans which I used to test the grinder. The grinder appears to be around 4 or so years old and has some minor costmetic issues along with a missing lid, but for the price I paid I wasn't too bothered. I couldn't even buy a new ibertal mc2, and most other similar grinders were selling closer to 200.

Sometime next week I will be upgrading from my french press/moka pot to a gaggia classic which I ordered last night (price drop to 169.99 plus my student discount = final price of just over 160). Some people may say I should have waited for it to hit the magical 150 but I have been waiting a few months now and figured I would just get it as a graduation (hopefully) present to myself.

I am looking forward to pulling my first "shot", and am currently looking into non-pressurized baskets. I understand the shipping pressure is 15bar due to the Classic being pod compatible. Is there a way to lower this without invalidating the warrenty?

Thanks all.
 
Finally!!!! :D
Great that you've got a quality grinder to go with the Classic and £160 is a decent price. You'll soon forget about a tenner when you start ordering freshly roasted coffee!

Because the recent Classics accept pods, you are correct in that the pressure is higher than ideal for espresso. Mine was 12 bar before lowering it to 10 static. If you're buying it from Amazon, you could probably take half the insides out and they would still honour your warranty so I wouldn't worry about that. Joking aside, adjusting the OPV won't leave any signs of having opened up your machine and tinkered with it as long as you take a bit of care.
 
Thank you for the quick reply.

That is great news; I am definately capable of being careful (i.e. not damaging insides or screw heads), I was more concerned if there may be warrenty void stickers such as that you get on a laptop; it sounds not though!

I will keep the machine as is for the first week or 2 just whilse I get to know the machine, and to make sure it is functioning properly. Following this I will get the bits and bobs needed for the opv mod. I am very excited to say the least, over the past year or so my interest in coffee has got bigger and bigger!
 
Unless they've changed things, they don't come with any seals or stickers that need to be broken. Just a couple of philips screws to take the top cover off and the OPV is a 17mm nut.

I'm more than happy to send you the gauge and adapter you need to measure the pressure as long as you can send it back when you're done. :)
 
Thank you for the offer hamster. How much do you think postage to me and back would cost? It may be cheaper for me to just buy the parts due to the recent RM price increases. If you know the weights I can work it out, thanks again for the offer!
 
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