Coffee Bean Grinders

[ryanosaur]

I think that was me. I misspoke a little. Under high pressure, water boils at 121°C, becoming steam.

Water, when heated to 195-205°F, and the pressurized by the espresso maker's pump, raises its temperature. It's physics, see the Ideal Gas Laws that relate temperature, pressure, and volume. pV=nRT where p is pressure, V is volume, and T is temperature. n is a constant, a kind of fudge factor.

Once the superheated water passes through the puck, the pressure drops back to 1 atmosphere. Somewhere as the pressure drops, steam appears, but more of it goes into the cup as a liquid.

True, but if this were the case in an espresso machine, Steam would be what is initially released from the group head, as one experiences coming from a proper steam wand.
I have never seen this in practice, Steam from the brew group, other than what comes naturally from the heated water.
My physics days are long behind me but I do get the effect of pressure on the overall system.
Pressure does build up behind the puck over several seconds during the extraction process. However it is still water that is being forced through the system.

 

[tonyE]

Good coffee, fresh roasted costs at least $16 per pound, probably more. Green (unroasted) coffee costs $7-9 per pound. When you roast, you loose about 12-15% of the weight, mainly water.

I order green coffee from a place in Oakland, Sweet Maria's. There are many others.

Sweet Maria is indeed good. They ship.

 

[tonyE]

I am going to show off here, but having a double boiler helps with steaming milk. I use regular 4% milk, and despite my doing it for a few years, I still occasionally fail to achieve proper micro-foam. Otherwise, it's basically a cappuccino, ie: double espresso with 1/2 cup of foam. I don't add any additional sweeteners.

I'm currently using a Profitec 500 which puts out LOTS of steam. It never fails to do micro-foam. I usually warm the milk liquid with the tip under the surface, and once I "feel/hear" the vibrations (meaning the milk is ready for frothing (*) ) then I raise the tip a bit to start injecting air into the surface... and drive it up. I also vary the steam, injecting less as the milk froths and heats up.

The end result is that I finish with half hot milk and half foam. The reason why I add the sweeteners into the milk before frothing is because I want the foam to be sweet. It works really well. Sometimes, (**) I add some vanilla power too.

The reason I use 2% is because some people in my house are lactose intolerant.. so I buy the 2% from Costco and then I add a bit of half and half into it.

(*) With a thermometer, this is around 125F.

(**) I know, I know, that's not what I drink, no foo foo for Yours Truly, but others in my house swear by such drinks.

 

[ryanosaur]

LOL I wish we had some local fresh roasting.....any good sources for shipping such?

There are some really good spots in Oregon. I only remember hearing of several by reputation rather than name.
One sticks out though and I was able to go through some notes from a friend:

Spella Caffè Espresso Roasters

Spella Caffe Coffee Roasters, We Honor the Tradition of Rich, Authentic Italian coffee & hand-pulled espresso. Join our community by subscribing to our newsletter.

www.spellacaffe.com

I haven’t tried them yet but he swears by their beans. He’s also pulling shots on a Bosco. Nothing like having your own hand-built Espresso Lamborghini… err, I mean machine.

 

[cpp]

LOL I wish we had some local fresh roasting.....any good sources for shipping such?

Here is 3 close

 

[cpp]

We have some decent roasters in Fla, but I found I can get my beans from two roasters in Ga , quicker than I can get my beans from the roasters in Fla and more timely, ain't shipping great.

 

[lovinthehd]

There are some really good spots in Oregon. I only remember hearing of several by reputation rather than name.
One sticks out though and I was able to go through some notes from a friend:

Spella Caffè Espresso Roasters

Spella Caffe Coffee Roasters, We Honor the Tradition of Rich, Authentic Italian coffee & hand-pulled espresso. Join our community by subscribing to our newsletter.

www.spellacaffe.com

I haven’t tried them yet but he swears by their beans. He’s also pulling shots on a Bosco. Nothing like having your own hand-built Espresso Lamborghini… err, I mean machine.

I'll keep the name in mind, but that may be more a Portland area thing.

 

[lovinthehd]

Here is 3 close

View attachment 59488

Any personal experience? The two in Eugene I'll keep in mind, rarely head to Cottage Grove.

 

[ryanosaur]

I'll keep the name in mind, but that may be more a Portland area thing.

He’s in SoCal.
I get my beans from LaMill in LA-area. Currently using their Bliss espresso blend.
Nice thing is, I get a 2# bag, shipped free, and order roughly every 2 weeks at my current consumption rate. The bag I received on Friday was roasted 1/4. I just opened it today and will place my next order when I get 9/10 through the first pound of it.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I'm currently using a Profitec 500 which puts out LOTS of steam. It never fails to do micro-foam. I usually warm the milk liquid with the tip under the surface, and once I "feel/hear" the vibrations (meaning the milk is ready for frothing (*) ) then I raise the tip a bit to start injecting air into the surface... and drive it up. I also vary the steam, injecting less as the milk froths and heats up.

The end result is that I finish with half hot milk and half foam. The reason why I add the sweeteners into the milk before frothing is because I want the foam to be sweet. It works really well. Sometimes, (**) I add some vanilla power too.

Thanks for the frothing tips. I will give it a shot tomorrow (pun intended).
Profitec 500 is a Heat-Exchanger HX machine. I have Quick mill Ventrano 2B Evo - dual boiler, dual PID.

 

[tonyE]

Thanks for the frothing tips. I will give it a shot tomorrow (pun intended).
Profitec 500 is a Heat-Exchanger HX machine. I have Quick mill Ventrano 2B Evo - dual boiler, dual PID.

Your welcome, give it a try. Adjusting the steam doing the frothing is similar to doing a profile for the shot itself. It makes a huge difference, at least in my current and past machines.

HX vs Dual Boiler, pretty much the same, really from an user's perspective. I only do at most four shots on a daily basis, and I back flush it so I don't have a temperature fluctuation issue... and my machine has a big tank/heater, so it does quite well. I've done as much as eight pulls and lattes in a row and the only issue was the size of the water tank in the machine... I always had heat and steam for the coffees.

I like the heat exchanger because it is smaller, simpler and you can descale it. My next machine will be a Profitec 800.... I also like the way the Germans hide the PID when not in use. That way the machine looks pretty "classic".

My machine also has the flow control on the group head, so I have one more knob and three gauges... awesome... I really don't need no digital stuff -with those push buttons and numbers- hosing up that beautiful analog cornucopia of knobs, gauges, switches, lights... hmmm.. where have I seen that chez moi? Oh, yeah... the HT and the stereos... ;-D

The only thing I wish is for a plumbed set up. I've been thinking of building an espresso cart that holds a fresh water tank with a pump and a dump tank fed by gravity. Heck, maybe even put in a keg as well with a tap on top... I'd be set... life of the party: beer, espresso, cappuccinos, lattes... all set.

And, to tell you the truth, I avoid Italian made stuff. Those germans build things very well, and my previous Spanish built Expobar lever was also well built. Ever looked inside a Gaggia? Hmm.. plastic tubes next to electrical wires. Yep, had a leak twice... thank God it didn't burn the house down. Had some cornucopia of German and Italian consumers jobbies before. The Germans I eventually got tired of them.. the Italians eventually broke down.

 

[lovinthehd]

He’s in SoCal.
I get my beans from LaMill in LA-area. Currently using their Bliss espresso blend.
Nice thing is, I get a 2# bag, shipped free, and order roughly every 2 weeks at my current consumption rate. The bag I received on Friday was roasted 1/4. I just opened it today and will place my next order when I get 9/10 through the first pound of it.

The LaSpella thing sure looks Portland based....and listed mostly Portland area for purchases....might be down here.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Your welcome, give it a try. Adjusting the steam doing the frothing is similar to doing a profile for the shot itself. It makes a huge difference, at least in my current and past machines.

HX vs Dual Boiler, pretty much the same, really from an user's perspective. I only do at most four shots on a daily basis, and I back flush it so I don't have a temperature fluctuation issue... and my machine has a big tank/heater, so it does quite well. I've done as much as eight pulls and lattes in a row and the only issue was the size of the water tank in the machine... I always had heat and steam for the coffees.

I like the heat exchanger because it is smaller, simpler and you can descale it. My next machine will be a Profitec 800.... I also like the way the Germans hide the PID when not in use. That way the machine looks pretty "classic".

My machine also has the flow control on the group head, so I have one more knob and three gauges... awesome... I really don't need no digital stuff -with those push buttons and numbers- hosing up that beautiful analog cornucopia of knobs, gauges, switches, lights... hmmm.. where have I seen that chez moi? Oh, yeah... the HT and the stereos... ;-D

The only thing I wish is for a plumbed set up. I've been thinking of building an espresso cart that holds a fresh water tank with a pump and a dump tank fed by gravity. Heck, maybe even put in a keg as well with a tap on top... I'd be set... life of the party: beer, espresso, cappuccinos, lattes... all set.

And, to tell you the truth, I avoid Italian made stuff. Those germans build things very well, and my previous Spanish built Expobar lever was also well built. Ever looked inside a Gaggia? Hmm.. plastic tubes next to electrical wires. Yep, had a leak twice... thank God it didn't burn the house down. Had some cornucopia of German and Italian consumers jobbies before. The Germans I eventually got tired of them.. the Italians eventually broke down.

My machine had both tank and plumb in options. I had a quote for $500 to run a flex pipe to it, a bit too much. Maybe I could do it myself with some quick connect T junction from sink.
I am not too worried about descaling since have a whole-house water filter/softener - makes a huge difference for coffee, tea, and a whole heap of other things involving water.

 

[cpp]

Any personal experience? The two in Eugene I'll keep in mind, rarely head to Cottage Grove.

Well I don't buy coffee that far away unless its directly from the Big Island for Kona. What I do with a new roaster, is see if they have a 0.5 bag or some kind of sample collection. Best to call

 

[lovinthehd]

Well I don't buy coffee that far away unless its directly from the Big Island for Kona. What I do with a new roaster, is see if they have a 0.5 bag or some kind of sample collection. Best to call

I've got a little list to check out.

 

[tonyE]

Well I don't buy coffee that far away unless its directly from the Big Island for Kona. What I do with a new roaster, is see if they have a 0.5 bag or some kind of sample collection. Best to call

Cottage Grove "away" from Eugene?

We just drove up and down the 5.... SoCal to the Puget Sound.

Although on the 23rd of December it was harrowing. I actually spun out just South of Centralia, but I recovered it... doing 40 mph, kept going forward as the car lurched left and right. Thank God I caught it.

The drive North of Eugene was terrible... lots of semis off the side, lots of lights... 30F.. and then it got worse. 24F, iced up from the Woodland to North of Vancouver, WA.

Thankfully very few drivers ventured out and they were careful... except for the fool that was doing 30 mph on the fast lane just north of Eugene. Forcing everyone to bunch behind her. Finally she moved over... and almost knocked out the Corolla on the slow lane.

 

[lovinthehd]

Cottage Grove "away" from Eugene?

We just drove up and down the 5.... SoCal to the Puget Sound.

Although on the 23rd of December it was harrowing. I actually spun out just South of Centralia, but I recovered it... doing 40 mph, kept going forward as the car lurched left and right. Thank God I caught it.

The drive North of Eugene was terrible... lots of semis off the side, lots of lights... 30F.. and then it got worse. 24F, iced up from the Woodland to North of Vancouver, WA.

Thankfully very few drivers ventured out and they were careful... except for the fool that was doing 30 mph on the fast lane just north of Eugene. Forcing everyone to bunch behind her. Finally she moved over... and almost knocked out the Corolla on the slow lane.

I avoid 5 as much as possible....and to get to CG from where I am is possible on forest roads, but a bit tedious, but far more interesting than the highway 58/I-5 choice The really bad drivers are in Washington, tho

 

[tonyE]

I avoid 5 as much as possible....and to get to CG from where I am is possible on forest roads, but a bit tedious, but far more interesting than the highway 58/I-5 choice The really bad drivers are in Washington, tho

When we're doing the 5 drive we don't have time to get off the Interstates... we've been forced to go around Portlandia a few times, but other than taking the 99 from the Grapevine to Sacramento the rest is all on the 5. It's bad enough to have to detour on the 99E and 205 from Salem to Vancouver on account of the mess in Portland (*). IMHO, they ought to build express lanes from Salem to Kalama, WA. No exists.... perhaps only one in Vancouver and another 30 miles south of Woodburn.

In the late 70s and throughout the 80s Oregon drivers were better than Washingtonians... but in the last 20 years the crop of drivers from Eugene to Portland are the worse I've encountered anywhere.... sure they got bad drivers in Seattle, but nowhere do I see entitled, slow, drivers with zero situational awareness as in the run from Eugene to Woodburn on the 5. Must be all the students... I don't know, but they are bad, bad, bad, slow, drivers...

Washingtonians are a lot faster.

To give you an over all idea. It's 1200 miles from Orange Cty, SoCal to the Puget Sound. In the three seasons we do it in a non stop 16-17 hour trip. Trying to time Oregon in light traffic... I will usually top off the tank at Weed, CA or Kalama, WA and drive at 75 mph through Oregon (**) on CC. If I'm lucky. In the winter we stop off at Weed, CA for the night. The drive from SoCal to Weed is ~670 miles which can be done in quick time, assuming we don't get hosed on traffic in SoCal or a big booboo on the 99. The drive from Weed to the Puget sound is only 540 miles but it takes longer than the southern leg of the trip because OR is so slow.

We used to stop at Casey's in Roseburg for lunch/dinner but no more, we just want to get through it ASAP... mind you from South of Eugene to the Siskiyou it's fine, if a bit slow, but the flow is good. It's just that by the time we got there, south, we're beat and tired from the Portlandia experience.. and on the way North we're steeling ourselves for the mess ahead.

Two years ago we drove through Portland at 3:30AM. It was fine, except for the idiot driving a loaded gravel truck trying to do 80 mph on the 5 across the bridges... he was F'ing nuts!

The only good thing about that run is that our car, a Honda, has a good sounding system and it will generate an ersatz surround field from stereo. I got 500GB of storage in my cell phone and 500+ Tidal HiRez (and some Redbook) downloads, so we can do all of Oregon on one band.... I recommend the Grateful Dead.

(*) I don't think those people have built a new freeway in 25, 30 years!!!
(**) By way of comparison... we cruise at 85 mph in California and 79 in WA.

 

[highfigh]

This?

Moka Pot Pump

If you appreciate fine coffee; if you can tell the difference; if you think of it as a craft and like to make it yourself... a moka pot with our AeroPump could be your instrument of choice. Prevent scalding and select your preferred brewing temperature.

www.thecoffeepurist.com

Interesting... we do have two moka pots.

That's the one.

 

[highfigh]

@highfigh , I think it was you that commented about brewing a pour over with some tamping pressure applied. I learned early on to stir (first add a little hot water to bloom the grinds, then pour in to fill the cone and stir the grounds). I’ve since seen other techniques, too.
In the end, I think this just comes back to determining what works on the individual level and the only limit is how far you are going to go for consistent repeatable pours. In a coffee shop obviously you want it to be the same day after day. At home?… as long as you enjoy it you did good.

I went to Starbucks (which I NEVER do) to use a gift card from a cousin and while I waited (far too long, for what I ordered), the guy started blathering on about the new machine, how expensive it was and how it was the best in the industry. A young couple entered the store and as they stood at the counter, I asked the SB guy about the temperature of the water and he asked why I wanted to know. I replied "It's for the lawsuit" and he gave up on his presentation speech.