The shots they have are pulling extremely inconsistently. I've tried everything from messing around with the dosing (anywhere from 17 to 19 grams) to the grind. No matter what, the shots end up with way too much crema (no matter how hard or loosely I tamp) or end up with no crema at all. The owner had no idea what crema even was, so comparing shots with the other workers is proving to be a bit of a challenge.
As for the machine, I'm working on a 2 group La Spaziale, but I have no idea what the actual model is. It looks to be an older one with 5 different settings (single shot, single long, double, double long, and manual). It's temperature has been consistent at about 195 degrees and it's keeping 9 bars of pressure.
Yesterday the owner asked me about how many ounces a shot was, and honestly, I couldn't tell her (it's been about two years since I've actually worked a coffee shop). Do we count the crema or not? Also, does high altitude (we're at 4100 feet above sea level) make a difference?
We make three different sizes: 12, 16 and 20 ounce drinks. So I was wondering about how much would you put in each drink and how should I set the above settings? I need to re-program the machine tomorrow and have no idea where to start.
Thank you!
Oh! And the beans we are using are the Mellelo Holly Street Arabica blend. It tastes amazing in the drip machine and, if the shot actually pulls, it's pretty awesome from the espresso machine as well.
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