Passing on knowledge: Correcting the bad shot.
I need some of you old-timers (time in industry) to write a blog or posting or submit a file for use...
"How to Correct a Bad Shot when it's not your bean or roast."
A quick reference guide that can be posted behind the counter for when shots go wrong. Name it what you will "Bad Shots, shame on them"... "Bad Shots How Dare they"... whatever you want. I just need a written reference, preferably illustrated or with pictures. Is that asking too much for on here?
I know for some of you this is part of your services as a consultant but there are those who just love to share everything coffee, who can't stand the idea of bad coffee in any form and who have made it their personal mission in life to eradicate all bad shots. ~80)
I need something that's quick and easy to reference if/when a shot goes bad. What does an over extracted vs an under-extracted shot look like... taste like?
Adjust the grind, adjust the tamp, adjust the time?
I know it's an art form and I'm trying to learn it but even in art fellow artists share the tricks of the trade.
I'm sure many of you have already developed something like this for when you train your new employees. Would you be willing to share?
My apologies if this is asking too much (overstepping protocol). I'm still a green bean, soon I'll be going thru the fires of opening and in time I'll be well roasted, ground and brewed to perfection. (okay, so some of humor doesn't translate via text... I'm more fun in person!)
"How to Correct a Bad Shot when it's not your bean or roast."
A quick reference guide that can be posted behind the counter for when shots go wrong. Name it what you will "Bad Shots, shame on them"... "Bad Shots How Dare they"... whatever you want. I just need a written reference, preferably illustrated or with pictures. Is that asking too much for on here?
I know for some of you this is part of your services as a consultant but there are those who just love to share everything coffee, who can't stand the idea of bad coffee in any form and who have made it their personal mission in life to eradicate all bad shots. ~80)
I need something that's quick and easy to reference if/when a shot goes bad. What does an over extracted vs an under-extracted shot look like... taste like?
Adjust the grind, adjust the tamp, adjust the time?
I know it's an art form and I'm trying to learn it but even in art fellow artists share the tricks of the trade.
I'm sure many of you have already developed something like this for when you train your new employees. Would you be willing to share?
My apologies if this is asking too much (overstepping protocol). I'm still a green bean, soon I'll be going thru the fires of opening and in time I'll be well roasted, ground and brewed to perfection. (okay, so some of humor doesn't translate via text... I'm more fun in person!)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jason Dominy on
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What does an over extracted vs an under-extracted shot look like... taste like? An over extracted shot will be watery. It will come out faster, and be under 20 seconds for an ounce and half. It will taste like a watered down shot. An under extracted shot will be thick, and dark red/brown. It will come out in dribbles, and take longer than 30 seconds to give you an ounce and half. It will taste thick like mud.
Adjust the grind, adjust the tamp, adjust the time? With an over extracted shot, you will want to adjust the grind to more fine, to slow down the water flow so that it can properly extract as much of the coffee as it can. With an under extracted shot, you will want to open the grind up a little bit, make it a little more course, so that you get a proper balance of coffee to water. Remember, and this is the real plumbline, a standard double shot should give you an ounce and a half of espresso in 20-30 seconds. That's the SCAA standard for what espresso is. Whatever you have to do to get there.
I know it's an art form and I'm trying to learn it but even in art fellow artists share the tricks of the trade. My trick is simple. I know that I need an ounce and a half of good espresso with a good head of crema in 20-30 seconds. I know that I want it to be a good balance of bitter and sweet. Watch the shot as it comes out of the portafilter. Watch for the "tiger-striping," the blend of gold and black that comes out as a good shot. Once the mixture of gold and black goes all gold/yellow, and you'll it come out thin, you can almost see through it, shut it off. You have extracted all the coffee, and are now just getting water. Over time you will know what to look for. I never use preset buttons for shots, always manual, because I want to watch the shot and turn it off when I know it's done, not when the machine's timer goes off.
I hope this helps.
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Permalink Reply by Spencer on
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I agree with Jason, and wish to add....
Use a bit of science to deconstruct your actions to determine what you can do to make your shots better. Control all the variables using exact measurements. Than begin to change/manipulate the actions to learn the posative or negative effect on your coffees overall quality.
If you change more than one variable during your quality experiements, you will never learn the real reason why flavor and aroma, acidity, body or sweetness changes.
Control: Water Temperature, infusion time, water quality, bean blend, profile roast, age of roasted coffee, grind particle size, dose, tamp, size and shape of demi-tasse cup.
Use a panel of tasters to help determine the best recipe and formula for your espresso. Remember that quality is best determined by the buyer and not the seller, thus you should incorporate your customers in your research.
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To add to Spencer, who added to me, I am making the assumption that all other variables are the same. Temperature, tamp pressure, ground amount, and portafilter. You really do need to make sure you don't change more than one thing at a time. Sometimes getting your shot dialed in is like chasing a rabbit, and as simple as you can make that process the better. (And for future fun, fill the hopper with a newer espresso, or a different espresso, and let the fun begin again! ;-) )
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Permalink Reply by Adrian Badger on
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One thing I've learned in the short time I've been doing this is that there is no "magic bullet" to fixing a bad shot.
I was at Stumptown Ace recently and watched the barista fight to get a shot right. The shots were not to her liking and she adjusted various things and tossed 5 shots before she was happy. She was getting a little frustrated, but I could tell that the challenge of getting it right was very important to her. She was NOT going to serve a shot to me that she did not approve of.
Doesn't answer your question, but I thought this story might help you understand how difficult it can be, even for an extremely skilled barista.
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Permalink Reply by Denise Smith on
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WOW, Brady that is great! Super pictures and info!
Thank you!!
Brady said:
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Thanks to all who answered I'm consolidating the info for my files. I'll make up a quick reference page so I have somewhere to start if I have a problem.
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Permalink Reply by Brady on
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One other thing not to neglect... a cleaning schedule. You can fix many shot problems on the fly, but its pretty hard to clean out the grinder throat or scrub crud off the back of the dispersion screen when there's a line to the door. I'm still improving ours, but getting it wrong has sure helped me learn how to taste when things need cleaning. That burnt/acrid flavor can really sneak up on you...
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