Crema de la Crema: an espresso blog

KS came over this morning. I introduced Anita to him, and after checking out the way she looks, KS is just so eager to try her out. His girlfriend, Dawn is perfectly fine about it. Hey, I don’t mind as long as I know Anita is in good hands.

Anita looks so fine, except she had all these spritzes around her body, thanks to me and my inconsistent dosing and tamping. We — KS and I took turns pulling shots from her. From this meetup, we made a few discoveries about Anita.

We kept looking for the screw depression on the puck, but couldn’t find any, so we just kept dosing more. Then I realized the blunder after a while. Anita has no screw on her shower screen!

The beans for today were Zambia, Ecafe Shilcho Sidamo, and KS Blend. KS managed to hit on an ideal grind setting on the Compak K6 after a while, which produced a beautiful 25 second pour. Still a bit bright though. But the best pour of the day was 45 seconds long. In spite of the very very slow pour, and the expected over-extracted bitterness, it was the best espresso we have tasted for the day. It was neither bright nor bitter. The beans were KS Blend of Zambia Harrar Brazil Sumatra. Although this grind setting may have been ideal for KS, it may not work for me as I DLT differently. The Compak K6 was easy to clean, especially after the mods.

We unloaded the portafilter after pulling a shot each time, and noted that the pucks were still wet, despite the OPV (Over Pressure Valve). When we finally reached the ideal grind setting though, the puck was dry. Also, the dosing was correct, as you can see a slight indentation from the rim of the shower screen.

One minus point about Anita is after using the steam and hot water wands, even with the rubberized grips, the wands are still too hot to handle. I plan to add clips to the wands.

Some points observed about Quickmill Anita are:

1) The boiler is well-insulated, thereby conserving energy. The sides do not run too hot to touch.

2) The hot water wand may be in the way of the brew lever. You may want to swivel it away before turning on the brew.

3) The 3 litre reservoir is more than sufficient. We made about 6 drinks, performing water dances prior to each drink, also to heat up the glasses, backflushing about 4 times for about 5 seconds each time. But by the time we were done, the drip tray was full to the brim.

4) The HX maintained a steady temperature. Even when the red light (boiler) comes on after the portafilter was locked and loaded, it takes at most 5 to 7 seconds before the boiler switches off.

5) The extra portafilter included with Quickmill Anita comes in handy, as you can fit a blank in one of them to backflush. In ordering the naked portafilter from Chris, I now have a triple basket, in addition to the single and double baskets from Anita.

Future posts include frothing milk, and dissecting Anita.

My Quickmill Anita has finally arrived. The Quickmill was double packed, so the inner Quickmill box was snug inside a bigger box, that would have undoubtedly absorbed all the knocks during airfreight. Thanks, Chris. Included in this shipment were 2 bottles of Cafiza, a Rancilio naked portafilter, that was nicely cut and the edges smoothen throughout. I would highly recommend getting naked portafilters from Chriscoffee. As part of the package, both a single spouted and a double spouted portafilter were included, plus a blank, and a plastic scoop with a tamper at one end were packed in a separate box. I took out only the blank.

The Anita’s footprint replaced where my Gaggia Espresso and MDF formally sat on top of a teak table. That means I have to find another table for my equally large Compak K-6. I’ve done all the quick start-up, outlined in the instructions, which consists of 7 sheets of paper stapled together. I would’ve preferred it if the original set of instructions were included, in spite of the language barrier I would have. The start-up procedures are to start up the pump for 30 seconds after filling the reservoir, turn off, wait for 5 minutes, start up the pump for another 20 seconds, the pump should automatically turn off. If it doesn’t, turn it off and call Chris.

After waiting for 30 minutes, I put in 2 1/2 scoops of Vivace Dolce, rested 4 days, Northern Italian Roast, and turn on the grinder. After DLTing (Dose-Level-Tamp), I locked and loaded the naked portafilter into Anita and turned on the pour. (I tried flushing, but I just couldn’t see any steam prior.) Too fast, plus spritzing. I felt like a virgin. First times are always too fast and spritzing. It always gets better the 2nd time around.

I hope I have enough beans tonight when I get back. Sleepless nights ahead.

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All the hours spent. All the money invested. All the knowledge gathered. All in the pursuit of…

The Godshot.

When I was talking to Chris Nachtrieb from chriscoffee.com, he asked a question, which left me dumbfounded for a few seconds. We were talking about pre-infusion, the different machines, Eric’s device, line pressure, PID, and…

Chris: “Are you ANAL?”

me: “Uh….. WHAT??”  TF (which I almost added.)

Chris: ” I mean, are you the anal sort who wants every shot to be a GODshot?”

Hmmm…. Doesn’t everyone look out for that? The GODshot. The ultimate espresso shot, the more than an inch thick reddish brown crema, the nice slow honey-like pour from the naked portafilter, tastes just the way it smelled out of the bag, espresso nirvana.

I have not experienced it. Not yet.

I’ve read about people attaining it. The reviewers of the La Marzocco GS3 definitely had it; the way they were talking about getting better shots of finickiest Vivace than they’ve ever tasted at Espresso Vivace. Now, this probably means all the rest of what they thought were Godshots in the past, were merely goodshots.

We are in pursuit of the Last. The Godshot that cannot be bettered.

    Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
    And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
    Sunward I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, – and done a hundred things
    You have not dreamed of wheeled and soared and swung
    High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
    I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
    My eager craft through footless falls of air…
    Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
    I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
    Where never lark, nor eer eagle flew –
    And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
    The high, untrespassed sanctity of space,
    Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

                                             — John Gillespie Magee, 19, RCAF

Rest is very important. Especially in the case of freshly roasted coffee beans. Grinding and drinking straightaway after a roast is a no-no and a waste of beans. Pulling a shot at this time will most likely give you so much crema you will taste the baking soda effect. Plus, it might taste lemony. This crema also will not last as long as the crema made from well rested beans. It tends to clear out in just a minute. The beans need at least 3 days of rest in an almost vacuum container with a one-way valve to let the carbon dioxide escape. Here is a discussion of why coffee needs to rest on home-barista.com.

And on the 3rd/4th day, when you finally unzip the zip-lock bag, you will be well-rewarded with the fragrance of the fresh roast. And if the espresso you pull smells and tastes the same as this fragrance, all that work and rest and money invested in equipment just might be worth it.

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You know you’re a Coffee Geek when …

You think of performing mods to your coffee grinder that you just laid your hands on.

Which was what I, with KS’s help, did this morning. We modded both the new grinder on the block, the Compak K6 and the Gaggia MDF. We performed the Sweep mod on the K6 and removed the finger guard on the MDF. I first read about the sweep mod from Teme’s blog, Espresso Passione when he modded his Compak K10 grinder.
 
K6 Sweep Mod

The Sweep mod is easily reversible. Disassembling the K6’s dosing chamber also gave it a much needed cleaning. The fabric tape was IMO too thick, I should’ve bought electrical tape instead. I also left out the dosing sector when I reassembled the doser to facilitate easy clean-ups.

The difference was huge. I will post pictures soon. The dosing chamber of the K6 is divided into 6 sectors. By the 6th pull of the doser, the chamber was almost clean of grounds, only leaving behind grounds stuck to the top of the dosing star knob, which can be easily amended by the “inverted cup mod“. 

Gaggia MDF Finger Guard removal

This mod was entirely performed by KS, as I was busy with the taping, and had no prior experience disassembling the MDF. The 2 rubber caps covering the screws on the hopper were first removed. Then, the rest was basically working on slicing off the finger guard with a soldering iron. And then, the edges were smoothed with a file, and the MDF is reassembled.

(Unfortunately, we were busy modding the grinders, so no pictures were taken.)

The finger guard removal is just the first phase.

The next mod project will be the inverted cup mod on the K6 and the Sweep mod on the MDF.

This is a must-have mod if you have an exposed E-61 grouphead on your mid to low-end espresso machine. High-end machines would normally have PIDs to measure and control the brew water temperature

This device is “to facilitate the measurement of brew water temperature about 1.25″ away from the puck during a real brew cycle.” In an email, Eric also added that “while it is true that the devices (either thermocouple or digital thermometer) measure the temperature of the brew water 1.25″ upstream of the puck, an EQUALLY important function is to provide the user with a “number” that is VERY REPRESENTATIVE of grouphead temperature.” This thermocouple adapter replaces the allen head screw on your exposed E-61 grouphead.  A shortened digital thermometer (also available from Eric) is then inserted into this adapter. While a thermocouple and temperature meter combo would be more accurate and gives faster readings, the digital thermometer kit is a better option if you (like me)

    a)  have limited workspace, and don’t wish to have wires in a mess

    b)  are not too handy with electronics
 
    c)  want a simple digital display you can read the temperature from

Full details of this device are found here

To place an order, download this word document, Pricing_Inventory_ordering.doc

Discussion and reviews on Eric’s Thermocouple Adapter can be found here on Home-Barista.com. Or do a search on “eric thermocouple”.

The digital thermometer kit with a stainless steel adapter can be had for under S$100 if you buy now when the US$ is at an all-time low against the S$ (US$1:S$1.499). Incidentally, the adapter heading my way in a month’s time will be Eric’s first sale to Singapore.

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I just bought a used Compak K6 grinder. Shown below is the stock photo.

And a photo of the burr assembly below:

I’ve been searching for a grinder that

  a)  has stepless grind settings

  b)  have big burrs and not overheat easily

  c)  easy to clean

  d)  has a doser to unclump the grounds

  e)  is an upgrade from my Gaggia MDF

So far, the Compak K6 seems to satisfy all the above requirements. This thing weighs 20 pounds. Thanks to KS and Dawn for giving me a lift. It would’ve been sheer torture to lug it all the way home. I’m not looking forward to lugging 60 lb Anita.

Stay tuned to this blog for a new category: MODS.

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I went by the Starbucks branch at Shaw Tower on Beach Road a few days ago. They carry this neat rubberized milk frothing thermometers, that fits nicely into a plastic tube. Starbucks also has a rubberized brushed metal scoop that measures out 2 scoops of coffee. Each of these retails under S$15.00.

Upgrade fever is inevitable, especially when I started with a budget machine like the Gaggia Espresso. I’ve learnt a lot since then. And I feel I do need a better machine, what with all these fine coffees in my collection. Self reassurance, I know. I won’t be doing the award winning Sidamo, the Cup of Excellence Colombians justice.

The Dream Machine:

Quickmill Anita

Features

* High-quality stainless steel construction #304
* E-61 commercial group
* Lever-action semiautomatic — no expensive group solenoid to ever replace
* Two complete 58 mm portafilters (one single and one double)
* Built-in heat exchanger (so you can brew coffee and steam milk simultaneously)
* Thermo siphon circulation (maintains consistent brewing temperature)
* Ulka 52 watt vibratory pump with thermal overload protection
* Precise magnetic sensor switch controls water tank level does not cut power to pump — only to the heating circuit. (This eliminates the possibility of the pump stopping during the middle of pulling a shot)
* High-quality vacuum breaker allows you to put machine on timer with no vapor lock
* Resettable Hi-limit to protect the heating element
* High-quality expansion valve for easy adjustment of brew pressure
* Easy-to-remove outer shell makes for easy service if necessary
* Access port to easily adjust pressure stat without removing outer shell
* Extremely heavy duty 1,400 watt heating element
* Access panel directly under heating element makes for easy removal if ever necessary
* Boiler size 1.6 liter
* Insulated boiler keeps your kitchen and internal electrical components cooler
* Water reservoir 3 liters
* Large pull-out stainless drip tray with 50+ ounce capacity
* Weight 47 lbs.
* Cup warmer
* Hot water and steam nozzles
* Boiler pressure gauge
* Group pressure gauge
* Automatic water level control
* Stainless Steel Blank for backflushing included

[info extracted from chriscoffee.com]

I started out wanting to get a PID’d machine, a PID’d Quickmill Alexia actually. But given the price being so close to a HX machine, I’ve decided on the Anita instead. I may not want a PID because I want to have manual control over my coffee and milk. THE authoritative article on HX can be found here.

Reasons for getting the Anita (in no particular order):

1) Steaming milk
Why HX when I don’t even steam milk with my Gaggia? The reason I don’t steam milk with the Gaggia is because I fail miserably, and have given up on milk drinks. The Gaggia steam wand leaks, and I’m not able to get micro froth I need. Having a HX machine means I can finally learn how to steam milk properly, something my mom would definitely appreciate. I’ve watched and read about the numerous signature drinks from World Barista Competitors that I’ve also thought of making my own milk based signature drinks.

2) Barista Competitions
I’m looking to join at least one barista competition. This HX machine will definitely give me the practice I need, having the capability of pulling shot after shot, and steaming milk simultaneously.

3) The end of upgrade fever
I’m not looking to get a Rancilio Silvia for this reason. And I’m not going to scrimp on the dollars only to regret later on.

4) Passion
“You’ve got a blog on coffee??!!” My friends think I’m nuts. My parents too, until they met the CGSG coffee group during the 2nd meetup. To witness a bunch of adults gathered around a naked portafilter, watching and narrating every step of an espresso pour, using terms like tiger-striping, funnel, blonding, extraction, honey, fast, slow, restricted, to describe what eventually becomes a cup of espresso. And people wonder why we are so meticulous and particular when it comes to coffee. You can’t blame the people working in cafes for not coming up with an espresso worthy of our standards.

5) The distance
Both Steve and Kai Seng live quite far away. The taxi fares I chalk up will easily pay for this machine in the not-so long run.

6) Attendance
No more excuses for not turning up at meetups hosted by yours truly

7) Finger pointing
If the coffee’s still pig swill, there’s only one variable to blame.

Self-reassurance. Justification. Big smile.

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This Ethiopian beauty was roasted to a rolling 2nd crack. This particular bean has a long 1st crack, starting from 2:00 to 4:30 minutes. And 2nd crack comes only 30 seconds later. I wasn’t listening out for a 2nd crack, I was still waiting for 1st crack to stop, which was my mistake. The roast came out with oily patches, which I feel is a bit overroasted.

After resting for 1 day, I pulled a shot, which was far too acidy. That, and because I kept my grinder setting at 2 from my previous batch of Vivace Dolce Malabar blend.

After the 3rd day of rest, and setting my grinder at 4, the coffee has almost peaked. The bean is extremely oily. ARRRGGGHHH! U can whiff out the floral scents of the Sidamo. This Ecafe winner scored a cupping of 90.2. I can see why. With the more floral coffees like the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Sidamo, I like to drink the first half of the double shot as an espresso, and the 2nd half as an americano. The taste of an espresso is complex. Nothing like adding water to a wellpulled espresso to broaden the taste spectrum. Of course, this tasting will be nothing compared to when we arrive at the next topic. (Drum roll)

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