Coffee Appreciation

Have just been to the Eastern region heat of the UK barista championships.

It was coffee porn heaven but definitely feeling a bit jittery now.

I just got back from there too. Good job Howard for sweeping the board

Got some ammo for the tractor thread on the drive to Norwich.

Just been to visit a coffee plantation on Kauai in Hawaii, very interesting, the flowers on the coffee bushes smell and look a little like Jasmine and the fresh beans kinda smell like string beans....

Will pop some photos up when I am back

Coffee from The Window just keeps getting better and better. I've been doing a tour of Columbia - Gaitana, San Antonio and now Oporapa, which is the next level shit. Sweet, strongly fruity, full flavoured, chocolate heaven. I'm normally an americano but this has converted me to espresso just to better experience its complex notes.

I just got back from there too. Good job Howard for sweeping the board

Got some ammo for the tractor thread on the drive to Norwich.

Judging? Selling? Presenting?

Glad to see that Alex, from Stangers Cafe in Norwich, came second. Boy done good.

Coffee from The Window just keeps getting better and better. I've been doing a tour of Columbia - Gaitana, San Antonio and now Oporapa, which is the next level shit. Sweet, strongly fruity, full flavoured, chocolate heaven. I'm normally an americano but this has converted me to espresso just to better experience its complex notes.

Hayley's espresso is always good.

Maybe when Sparky's back next we will have to do a Norwich forum coffee ride?

Judging? Selling? Presenting?

Glad to see that Alex, from Stangers Cafe in Norwich, came second. Boy done good.

I was just cheering on Alex who runs the pop-up thing I set up in Northampton. Met some nice people, wish we'd had a chance to take a look round the city, I've heard it's nice.

Is it a second hand machine? If so, yes, descale it using tartaric acid or the Gaggia descaler sachets.

Try to always fill it with filtered water. A Brita jug will do fine.

descale looks to have improved flow, thanks for tips.

p.s. been given a bag of cafe rebelde zapatista from Mexico. anyone tried? pre ground, "organic", and funding the revolution...

do the bags still have skulls on them?

^ skull zapatista carrying a copy of viva zapata

Need to descale this week, been using unfiltered tap water since the new year... How often do you folks descale?

4-6 weeks usually - although in fairness mine is overdue.

I'm doing the Silvia once a month, along with a backflush. Any more of either procedure seems OTP for the amount of use it sees.

After descaling, the machine 'sings' for a few days. There's a resonant frequency that's triggered by either the vibration of the grinder, or the brew pump. It's quite pleasant (and a common occurrence, apparently).

I did mine last week when it arrived. I'll do it again this time next year.

Our water > Your water.

Inline filter. My water > your water.

No filter required.

I'd get in to a regular routine of backflushing tho Andy

Will do.

what is back flush? i have been using mineral water to avoid scaling. I don't know if this is the right thing to do though!

Tika - you get a build-up of oils on the grouphead [the bit you put the portafliter in]

Back flushing involves putting a blank ie. doesn't have holes in it basket in your portafliter, with some backflushing crystals and then operating the machine - this forces the chemicals and water back up into the grouphead and cleans it of the stale oil that has been building up - I tend to do this once a month

do they sell their blank baskets?
Thanks Wayne

After displaying the usual newbie error (spending money on machine, not grinder) I've stumped up several pounds for one of these:

http://www.orphanespresso.com/OE-Pharos-Hand-Coffee-Grinder_c_392.html

Needless to say it will get stuck at customs and require bailing out, but I'm really quite excited. The reviews on Home-Barista etc. are gushing - although it seems there is a bit of adjustment time needed.

do they sell their blank baskets?
Thanks Wayne

they do, but a cheaper option is to get a blanking disc. It is a small black rubber disc that fits in your existing basket and serves very well. I have one, only a couple of £ off ebay and it works a treat. Nothing comes through when I use it. And it saves swapping the basket every time.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RUBBER-BLANKING-BACKFLUSH-DISC-COFFEE-MACHINE-/220603024805?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item335cf705a5#ht_1619wt_1187

No filter required.

You say that now..