Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

I'm giving up on the IMS basket for my Sage BE (IMS B62.52TH28E). Using 18g of Rave's Brazilian Mio Microlot 1990 as a basis to test both baskets, I have found:
  • With the IMS I have to grind finer to get good pressure and a decent pour
  • IMS basket pours taste more sour / Sage BE basket pours taste pretty much ideal
  • Pucks from the IMS stick to the puck screen and basket. They come out sloppy and leave "coffee mud" in basket and on screen
  • Pucks from the Sage BE basket separate from screen and basket cleanly and with little effort
Are the VST baskets any better? My only gripe with the standard Sage BE basket is 18g of a bean like Monson Malabar sits too high in the basket. I have a mark on the puck screen where it has contacted the centre screw with 18g of Malabar. By contrast, 18g of Mio Microlot compresses a lot more and misses the shower screen/centre screw. I don't want to reduce the grams any further or we'll not have much espresso to enjoy, going by "industry standard" ratios.
 
its's got a flat base!! my IMS mine has a convex base & ridgeless, which also matches the convex tamper , LM remains mothballed.


Incorrect extraction can be caused by OPV valve - my ebay list has had a pressure gauge in it, for ever, to check it.
When my boiler needs descaling the first indication seems to be brew pressure often seems to drop; I think there is scale build up around the OPV valve ...

jpaul said:
LMexit decision .... espresso is better in IMS

Unhappy with LaMarzocco 17g ridged basket , extraction typically too fast & inconsistent with about 15g dose and also wet puck ( lot of space above coffee) so tried a change to the IMS Italian option 18g but ridgeless and also has slightly convex base.
So far getting better results, was concerned that the ridgeless might drop out, knocking out, but holds fine with pf spring and yes I guess it does help for puck ejection.

basket_zpslqjkgmm7.jpg~original
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Siliconslave said:
found this rather neat Hoffman coffee recipe calculator when making way too much iced coffee yesterday:

Hoffmann fanmade coffee calculator

mascent.github.io
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That's cool. Useful for french press which I only ever do at other people's houses :p

On that note, I'm going to a friend's house for the weekend and he has a "standard" size cafetiere. Is that likely to be 500ml? I'm going to grind and take some coffee. It's only me and him that drink it.
 
jpaul said:
its's got a flat base!! my IMS mine has a convex base & ridgeless, which also matches the convex tamper , LM remains mothballed.


Incorrect extraction can be caused by OPV valve - my ebay list has had a pressure gauge in it, for ever, to check it.
When my boiler needs descaling the first indication seems to be brew pressure often seems to drop; I think there is scale build up around the OPV valve ...
Click to expand...
I don't think there's another offering for the Sage BE from IMS. Will have to look into it. Thanks for the response though!
Getting good extractions and "perfect" pucks from the stock basket. I just fancied stepping it up a bit.
 
Looks like wogancoffee.com got a new website today.

I ordered beans from them at about 7am today, and the 2 bags have jumped from £20 and £26 to £24.50 and £28 respectively. That's some quick inflation :eek:
 
thewanted said:
Looks like wogancoffee.com got a new website today.

I ordered beans from them at about 7am today, and the 2 bags have jumped from £20 and £26 to £24.50 and £28 respectively. That's some quick inflation :eek:
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Wow. Got a bag from a local last week, iron and fire - reasonably priced. At this rate, I might be back on instant!
 
jpaul said:
thought you were in Vienna.
hoffman seems to have a video on (same?) model at SM HQ - doesn't show how you actually pull a shot though -
modern commericial lever, it seems you don't control/modulate lever descent, like I'd imagined

My Restored Vintage Lever Machine Arrives!​

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yup, thats the machine he had restored and is now (as per the end of the video) installed in Purfrock for about 6 weeks. You can do a side by side tasting of their retro italian espresso style blend against squaremile's redbrick pulled on a modern machine.

The comparison is actually really interesting, the 'Il Grifone' is like an elevated illy or Lavazza, that really deep, chocolatey dark espresso flavour without any of the sweet sharpness of a modern, fruity espresso. Lovely rich full mouth feel and a strong bitter undertone. The redbrick is, as ever, beautifully flavoursome but in comparison the fruit and sweetness really pops.

On good chunk of the lever machines, especially the commercial ones, you don't have direct control over the pressure, its more of a pumping up the pressure than just pushing the water through (like the la pavonis).


finally on coffee prices, the green beans have been sharply rising as have roasting costs, a lot of places have been trying to mask this to date (probably by working down their stock) - thats quite jump though!
 
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Siliconslave said:
Time for some retro coffee

zzURdAX.jpeg
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I think I jokingly jealously hate you. ;) I Soo want to visit Prufrock right now but cant. Not been there for a couple of Years & that machine is the reason. I tweeted on my twitter feed back in feb I would like to drink a coffee made by that machine.

thewanted said:
Looks like wogancoffee.com got a new website today.

I ordered beans from them at about 7am today, and the 2 bags have jumped from £20 and £26 to £24.50 and £28 respectively. That's some quick inflation :eek:
Click to expand...

I think I paid £7.50 for 500g of Kenyan Peaberry at the end of 2018 from them & I thought that was a bargain. I still think that £12 for the same coffee (500g) is a reasonable price almost 4 years later, you can pay that for 250g for Kenyan Coffee at some roasters.
 
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