Timing of shots

Reschsmooth

I am sure this has probably been answered elsewhere, but do you time your '25 seconds' from the moment the pump starts or from when the actual pour starts?

Cheers

P

BeanCounter

I believe the common wisdom suggests from the start of the pump. Regards, Gary

FreshCoffee2

Actually, if you are going to follow these "rules" to the letter, then you have to start your timing from the point at which you see the first drop of extracted coffee flow from the spout. A properly prepared "puk" will result in the pump running for quite a few seconds before you see anything come from the spouts...atleast 5 seconds before you see anything ( depending on density of puk) and as already stated, you are timing the extraction from the point at which you see the flow. If you start timing from when you start the pump it puts your other variables out (grind /tamp / dose) and you end up with a different wet coffee in the cup (& 5 seconds in a total of a theoretical say 25 second pour, is a large percentage to be "out"). Also, if your machine is rigged (and yours isnt Patrick) for "pre infusion" (as per fully commercial electronic touchbutton models), this would confuse the issue further....which is why the rules are really only a "guide" rather than a gospel to follow blindly. Regardz, FC.

mattyj

I remember reading a judge from some american barista comp saying that they (comp judges) measure the time of a shot from when the pump starts ... when the switch is flicked/button is pressed.

sharkboy

I start timing as soon as I hit the switch. The time it takes for the first drops to appear is something I want to know. If it is any longer than 11 seconds, the extraction is usually too slow for my tastes. Anything less than 5 seconds and It's headed for the sink. You don't need a timer or stop watch to know when the pour looks good and generally you can tell if its pouring too slow or fast by sight. For me it is a viscosity thing. I like an oozing pour. What I deem to be desirable visual cues tend to lead to the type of espresso I enjoy drinking. NB: This is with my E61 machine. Factors such as preinfusion and rotary vs vibratory pump may come into play. -Stephen-

Reschsmooth

I start the clock when I depress the lever, but then note when the first drops start (generally about 8-10 secs). I then normally cut the pour at about 25 secs when I have about 15 ml in the cup. So, if you follow the 25-30 second 'guide', but start the clock when you flick the switch, you are therefore going to stop the pour anywhere between the 33-40 second mark, for a 30 ml shot. P