[Digitalis]

if you line a baking sheet with bread, you can create a heat map of your oven by finding out how evenly it toasts.

That is exactly what I did. Works a charm.

I just tend to reduce my tamping pressure to accomodate moisture variations (such as humidity or as the beans dry out a bit).... to try and keep the extraction time consistent.

I don't like to fiddle with my tamping pressure too much, I use a hand tamper. Our bean grinder has a plastic plunger but I find it is unable to evenly distribute the needed pressure. I think the problem I have been experiencing has to do with the odd filter baskets we have, we have two group handles, and several baskets from previous espresso machines - I'll have to figure out if that is causing the problem. And then there is the espresso machine at work, which is different altogether. I spent an afternoon teaching photographers assistants how to make a good espresso - they aren't just learning a skill, they are learning a trade! (the problem is that I learned all that stuff while I was in Germany) teaching them how to get the milk textured just right is the tricky part.

[rawr]

i use a rancilio silvia

Great little machine. Almost bought one.

All things considered, since beans are a perishable, using fresh, quality beans is the best start to the process of making great coffee. In this regard, it's certainly nice to live in a coffee-growing region of NSW.

[sculptor666]

it's certainly nice to live in a coffee-growing region of NSW.

woah, lucky!


i ended up making my own tamper... bottoms out at 30lbs exactly. at first i machined it a little too close to the edge of the basket (which is tapered a little like a funnel) and it was actually creating a little bit of a vacuum, and the beans were lifting out of the basket with the tamper. shit picture though.

[stevebrot]

Well, not all of them actually.

Actually, if you already know how the FA 77 performs it would be tempting to think that this thread is a form of trolling. OTOH, perhaps you have no knowledge whatsoever?


Steve

[stevebrot]

So if we were assessing the taste quality of a particular cup of espresso, one could score it by the following simplified formula:

TQ = [{{S/C *H*W*P}-D}+ {B*R*E}]

I totally agree, though I now drink French press and pour-over almost exclusively.


Steve

(...Love it when some threads get totally subverted...)

[micromacro]

...and I scrolled the page to the top to make sure I'm in the right thread about 77mm
Nice coffee addicts talk btw.

[drypenn]

I used a thin parchment paper to map out our oven temperature, aside from putting six (yes, six!) thermometer in there just to find the hot spots.

Drinking coffee is such a therapeutic "activity". I can easily lose two hours, making myself a brew.

My experiment lately is doing a perfect cocktail of coffee and Stolichnaya. I'm more or less, happy I've figured the correct mix with Bailey's for my taste.

---

Last edited by drypenn; 03-12-2016 at 08:40 PM.

[6BQ5]

I only post full res samples of test shots, since I consider anything else to be worthless, I guess I am foolish.

I shot these here two years ago (default LR raw sharpening, lowest output sharpening for screen):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/karlknipser/16157603725/sizes/o/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/karlknipser/15970162868/sizes/o/

In that folder there is more FF tests.

Fantastic work! Thanks for taking the time to make these photos and post them on Flickr ... at full resolution!

[Digitalis]

i ended up making my own tamper

That is awesome!

My experiment lately is doing a perfect cocktail of coffee and Stolichnaya. I'm more or less, happy I've figured the correct mix with Bailey's for my taste.

If I'm making a corretto i'll use galliano - some people use sambuca, or amaretto but I find the vanilla notes from Galliano go really well with lightly roasted beans. Baileys.... no. There is something in it that just doesn't agree with me.

[noelpolar]

What's the 'hot air gun with bread machine' roasting?

Like this......

You Tube

You Tube

My gear is set up on an old cleaners trolley.....I open my shed door and roll it out to the letter box and roast there....

[Digitalis]

For the love of god, I wouldn't let anyone do that in my kitchen...what a mess!'

how would you hear the beans cracking with that racket going on?

[noelpolar]

For the love of god, I wouldn't let anyone do that in my kitchen...what a mess!'

how would you hear the beans cracking with that racket going on?

I'll take a picture next time.....I do it outside......noise is no issue.....cracks are easily heard.....no problemo!

I have a largish duct fan on the trollley as well....blows the chaff up the street and then i use the fan to cool the beans down at the end. Most people wonder what i'm doing.....

[monochrome]

Some people wonder why you're doing it.

Most people wonder what i'm doing.....

[drypenn]

That is awesome!



If I'm making a corretto i'll use galliano - some people use sambuca, or amaretto but I find the vanilla notes from Galliano go really well with lightly roasted beans. Baileys.... no. There is something it that just doesn't agree with me.

Now, I've got to look for Galliano. I'm a sucker for vanilla, and I always enjoy "chasing" vanilla flavour in my taste buds.

Thanks!

[Kerrowdown]

don't expect me to be the usual ray of sunshine

Your comments usually make me smile... with or without your caffeine.