Coffee Appreciation

Is a programme about the coffee industry at 8pm on BBC2, looking at the bean pickers in Vietnam and whatnot. Should be quite interesting...

I'm using a bottomless portafilter with my lever machine ... Any tips/recommended reading on how I can sort it?

What grinder are you using? I think it needs to be pretty shit hot, and your tamping firm and even, to get a nice stream from a bottomless PF.

Are you otherwise happy with all the parameters (is it all weighing/running OK apart from the fact it's not coming together into one stream)?

Sometimes when I order a Cappuccino there is so much foam left at the bottom, i'd need a spoon to finish it but sometimes this doesn't happen im left very disappointed.

What is the barista doing wrong when this happens?
What do I need to ask for to insure my beverage drinking is completely fulfilling.
I mainly drink coffee just as an excuse for foam
(not sure if this will end up being the right thread for this)

Is a programme about the coffee industry at 8pm on BBC2, looking at the bean pickers in Vietnam and whatnot. Should be quite interesting...
Thanks Jim. Will be watching.

^^ World of pain coming.
Beyond that, swish it around while you drink, integrate that shit.

What is the barista doing wrong when this happens?

Too much air put into the milk / not tapping out big bubbles and spinning the pitcher enough / using shit milk / not combining the milk with the espresso so there's too much crema left on top making all the bubbles pop.

What do I need to ask for to insure my beverage drinking is completely fulfilling.
I mainly drink coffee just as an excuse for foam

Babyccino

You WANT the extra foam? Ask for your cap to be 'dry'

Sometimes when I order a Cappuccino there is so much foam left at the bottom, i'd need a spoon to finish it but sometimes this doesn't happen im left very disappointed.

What is the barista doing wrong when this happens?
What do I need to ask for to insure my beverage drinking is completely fulfilling.
I mainly drink coffee just as an excuse for foam
(not sure if this will end up being the right thread for this)
Where do you typically get served a foamless cappuccino? A decent café shouldn't do this. You're describing just a white coffee or flat white (or Americano with milk, in Starbucks speak). If you like a lot of foamy milk, ask for a latte, or if you just like a lot of foam try asking for a dry cappuccino. It should normally have 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 foamed milk, and 1/3 espresso.

Sometimes when I order a Cappuccino there is so much foam left at the bottom, i'd need a spoon to finish it but sometimes this doesn't happen im left very disappointed.

What is the barista doing wrong when this happens?
What do I need to ask for to insure my beverage drinking is completely fulfilling.
I mainly drink coffee just as an excuse for foam
(not sure if this will end up being the right thread for this)

It's to do with the amount of air added while the barista stretches the milk. What you ask for will depend on what kind of foam you're after. If you ask for a dry cappuccino, most of the time you'll get big bubbles and airy foam, if that's what you want. The alternative, if you want that really nice creamy textured milk, like a latte etc, but just more of it, maybe just ask for thicker foam. Obviously everywhere will be different. I reckon your best bet is to communicate with the barista! Just let them know what you'd like, and they can hopefully recommend the best way to get it from them!

Oops, took too long, missed some replies...

I'm using a bottomless portafilter with my lever machine and never get a nice central stream of coffee.

Instead I get 3 or 4 smaller streams in various places (rarely any in the centre of the basket) and a lot of the time some of the coffee runs towards the portafilter handle and on occasion all the way along the handle (which is messy and annoying).

Any tips/recommended reading on how I can sort it? I don't think I'm getting channeling or cracks in the puck but something isn't right.

How many weeks post-roast is the coffee?

Are you confident that your grind is in the right ballpark for fineness?

Make sure your tamp is reasonable; fill basket, level, press evenly, stop pressing and then twist with no additional pressure. Some say that levers prefer a lighter tamp and a finer grind.

If the coffee drips towards the handle, then it sounds like the machine is uneven as you pull. Try to stop it from leaning by supporting the portafilter handle.

Also, do you pre-infuse at all?

My grind isn't great, I've only got a porlex at the moment (although I'm planning on ordering the Made By Knock Hausgrind when it's instock). The adjustment steps seem to be too different and go from too fine to too coarse in one step, maybe I could try the finer one with a lighter tamp though.

Coffee is 2.5 weeks post roast but this varies anywhere from 1 week to 4 weeks depending on when I buy/use new beans.

Pre-infuse for 10-15 seconds, and go for a few small pumps before pulling the shot.

I occasionally get great shots from it but most the time they seem to be lacking punch and flavour.

Maybe I'm just being too hopeful thinking the porlex can grind good enough...

Thanks for the pointers

Mine is going on 9 years with no issues.
I grind for stove top.
Zassenhaus Turkish Grinder

I've only got a porlex at the moment

The Porlex works more consistently at finer grinds, so try a step finer, and tamp lighter. Keep everything nice and level when you tamp. You can feel the edges of the basket as a guide to how level you are pressing.

Any fans of the clever dripper?

I asked for one for my birthday and ended up getting two. Its quite the indulgence. One for at work, one for at home.

So far I'm really impressed. Its so much easier to use than a pour over, and way more consistent. I am thinking of keeping one overnight in the fridge to use for trying cold brew too.

Yeah I really like the clever dripper, we had one to play with at work before someone broke the dripper part.

^^ I prefer a pour over/v60 but clever drippers are very clean and easy to use.

struggling with red brick, first 15s of pour is fine, abiut 10g then it reduces to tiny drips taking over minute to reach 20g out.

Happy with my tamp, is grind & or dose likely culprit? or just fiddly beans?

I'd say grind too fine if the dose is equivalent to what you would normally use.

I thought youd notice if the grind was too fine and choking the machine immediately not after 15secs

Pour slowing down might be due to fines migrating to the bottom of the basket.

Will go coarser then, ta.

Have had to back it off a surprising amount from last regular beans (Pact) so can see dialling those in again being a painful process.

^^ I prefer a pour over/v60 but clever drippers are very clean and easy to use.

Can you tell the difference in a blind test ? Srs question.

I'm interested to know what the v60 can do that the clever can't. (I'm sure there is something, and I'm sure it would take a very skilled v60 user to see its full potential).

they've changed the blend in the Red Brick about 2 weeks back, I've had to back the grinder off a bit on the new beans, slightly coarser. I'm feeling that it's missing some of the sweetness/caramel notes of the previous blend but I'll wait and see 'til I've got it dialled in

they've changed the blend in the Red Brick about 2 weeks back, I've had to back the grinder off a bit on the new beans, slightly coarser. I'm feeling that it's missing some of the sweetness/caramel notes of the previous blend but I'll wait and see 'til I've got it dialled in

good to know, ta.