My em6910 and 'that sweet spot'

prydey

Hi guys,  i did a bit of a search but didn't come across anything really specific to my situation. 

I'm not a numbers guy.  i don't get hung up on measuring dose by weight or anything like that.  i did the 5c test when i bought the machine and took note of the level of the tamp in the basket, and then just dose to that level as consistently as i can.  i'm not in to experimenting a lot, trying different dose levels etc.  i just like to do things to a set technique and then thats it.

anyways, thats the dose part.  now to the 'sweet spot'.  i did the test with the single double wall basket and my guage was about 10 o'clock.  the problem (well it may not actually be a problem at all) is if i grind so that the guage sits about that spot or slightly above, the shot is all over in about 10sec and pretty much blonde straight away.  to get a shot that gives 'around 30ml in 20-30sec', the guage ends up at about the 12 o'clock position.  the pour is also quite thin although it does achieve the right sort of volume in the right sort of timeframe. 

i find if i grind any coarser, the shot starts before the guage has even stopped moving.  is this an issue?  should the guage have settled before the shot starts?

i understand the guage doesn't actually mean a whole lot but i just use it as a reference point.  a couple of times i have messed about with the grind etc but always seem to end up back at the same point.

i also read on here (have been reading a lot on here, hurting my brain) that the 30sec time should be timed from starting the shot, not when you start to see the pour coming out.

i guess the most important thing is, the coffee tastes ok.  mind you, it may be able to taste a whole lot better.  my wife and i both have it with milk and aren't ultra fussy (as long as its not bitter) so even a gusher doesn't get wasted.  eww. i hear you say.

i guess the thin pour could also be a characteristic of the beans?  yes? no?  beans are 2 weeks old from coffeesnobs (espresso wow - sorry if mentioning CS is taboo).

anyway, that should get some discussion going.  anything else you need to know to just fire away.

to recap a little

should i be fiddling with dose and grind to try to get that guage to read somewhere closer to the 'sweet spot'?

is a thin pour telling me i'm too fine on the grind even though the volume x time is roughly right.

should the guage have stopped moving before the shot starts?

cheers
Rob

askthecoffeeguy

Hey pryday How are you storing the beans? Are they in an airtight container? And are you adjusting your grind to compensate for age?  If the pour is too thin then conventional wisdom has it that you should be fining the grind Otherwise try some different beans and see if you get a different result Sounds like the beans might've dried out a bit which could be a storage issue Cheers Pat

prydey

beans are stored in the bag they come in, with the valve.  i actually have a couple of smaller 250g bags that i fill so as not to keep opening the 1kg bag. as they age i do find i have to grind finer, but even when fresh, the pour is pretty much the same. what i do now, having come across this from someone else, is just use the manual button instead of the 2 cup button.  i was using the 2 cup button manually anyway (manually ending the pour by pressing again), so its not really any different, except the pour does look a bit better, which is the same result as the person who recommended it.  obviously the 1 and 2 cup buttons are volumetric, so not sure on what is different on the inside of the machine, but for some reason, the result looks a little better when just using the manual button. i guess the other thing i could try is digging out the double floor basket and re checking the 'sweet spot' as the guage calibration may have changed.  otherwise, for my machine, it appears best results are some '2 hours' past the sweet spot. the coffee tastes good, so i'm not overly fussed.

Koffee_Kosmo

Hey Prydey All times (25/30 sec) are just a guide that works pretty well for broad tastes Yes the time should start from the time you press the on button I personally stop my shots in a range of 18 to 22 seconds as that's my personal sweet spot  As a general KK rule - I say the grinder is king  :exclaim: The grinder needs to be capable of producing the required grind to accomplish the task at hand So it may not be you or the machine If you feel that the grind needs to be finer and the grinder can't do it - just try a few strokes in a mortar and pestle as an experiment A note for reference A single basket will require a finer grind than a double basket due to its lack of substance in thickness KK 

prydey

only ever use the double basket.  if i'm only making one, i either make a larger one, have a double or let it go to waste. grinder isn't maxed out.  it will choke the machine on its finest.  i realise its very entry level but it will do me. if you say the shot is timed from the pressing of the button, then perhaps i could go a couple of notches coarser on the grind as generally i'm seeing about 20sec of actual pour. the only thing with that is, if i go coarser on the grind, the pour normally starts before the pressure has stabilised.  is this ok?  ie, the guage is still moving up when the pour starts. might have to play around a bit more.  talk about forever learning and honing the skills

Rider

Hello Had one of these for a number of years. Great machine and not entry level at all. Plenty of great coffees poured by a Sunny or a thousand. You are not a numbers man, so forget the numbers  :thumb: The gauge is also only a guide once you have your head around your own gauge... they all read slightly differently. You have done the 5c test. Good. That only lets you know dose so that you don't damage the collar. You mention that the gauge only goes to 10, but some of your best coffees are at 12 - ish. My gauge showed 1 for a great coffee, so again, don't let numbers interfere. As mentioned, the 5c test provides coffee depth only in my mind. You can do a 5c test on your finest and coarsest and the impression will be the same, but one cup will have liquid and one won't, yes? Now concentrate on the pour. If it is thin and short, move finer. If it is choking, move coarser. BUT, only make very fine adjustments. You haven't told us grinder, but I am assuming EM0480. You can move those half a click if you are careful. A dark starting, luxurious, honey like pour around the numbers area, that basically makes you wet your pants...  :laugh: From here we get into tamper, grinder as KK mentioned etc etc etc... Hope it helps Rider

prydey

Cheers Rider.  sorry, thought i'd mentioned the grinder at the top.  its the breville bcg800 (smart grinder).  had the em0480 to start with but too messy and too big a jump between settings. whilst the pour does 'look' thin, it still delivers roughly the right quantity in roughly the right timeframe so like you say, fine adjustments.  i may not get into all the numbers but i understand most of the principles (i'm just lazy ;-)) and i also believe in adjusting just one thing at a time so you know which adjustment achieved what. perhaps the best advice i read was to cut out a little cardboard circle and stick over the pressure guage.

derrilex

on 1352407471:

perhaps the best advice i read was to cut out a little cardboard circle and stick over the pressure guage.

Yes ! :thumb: