Guys, I'm practicing my latte are. Can't seem to froth the milk consistently. Anyway here's a pic of my last attempt.
I'm also not sure the brew time should be after first drip or the moment u press the start button(inclusive of pre infusion time) This shot was made with 10s pre infusion and 30s brew/extraction time. Any thoughts?
Btw this is using a breville machine.
This post has been edited by Bigboyz: Jan 25 2016, 01:25 PM
Extraction time is from the moment the water hits the coffee. I would say it looks good overall just need some work on the pour
Foam consistency will also affect your latte art. Even if you pour the same way but the thickness of the milk if not the same will give u bad results too
Then I over extracted lio. Pre infusion 10s. Extraction 30s total 40s. But the coffee didn't taste horrible. Maybe I'm biased. Lol.
What's your dosing parameters? single/double? If you're doing a single shot latte, usually hard to tell if there's any extraction problems. A double shot latte (at least) or straight espresso is best to check on result
I'm using double around 20grams. I normally drink latte probably more forgiving too.
You could try weight measuring of shots instead of volumetric. Also, since the thickness of crema depends on the age of the bean, it can sometimes throw you off I find a 16g coffee/32g espresso much more balanced and sweet than a 16g coffee/60ml output (i could tweak to pull 55ml but try doing that manually by eye )
Weight will be precise I guess. But I prefer measuring cup as I can see the volume real time...I would imagine it'll be bitter16g coffee/32g espresso. Gotta try that.
I use a lab glass beaker .... 150ml. Cheap (RM12 each plus delivery charges), strong (heat-resistant borosilicate glass) accurate measurements (if you are targetting where the marks lie), and so very cool. The only thing about the 150ml is that it is slightly too tall for the Poemia, so have to tilt it slightly when putting in under the portafilter... should have gone for the 100ml.
Yeah man that's a great idea! 👍👍Why didn't I think of that.
Got the beaker as suggested. Will see how consistent is the yield volume. This shot just hit the 60ml mark excluding the crema. Pre infusion 11 seconds and extraction time 18 seconds. Using the finest settings of the build in grinder. Dose is around 17grams. If I wish to have a longer extraction time I'll have to dose more.
This post has been edited by Bigboyz: Jan 29 2016, 09:53 PM
Volume measurement is actually supposed to include creama too so this will be considered slightly of a lungo shot Preinfusion + brew time = 29sec is perfectly fine already, shouldn't need to tweak on dose and grind size further. Ultimately, how's the taste?
What should I look out for when tasting? I'd say it tasted yummy with milk 😁 I might experiment once my kilo of beans arrive. Noted bro, will try to achieve a nett 60 ml mark next time... See if I can taste any difference. The yield is based on my machines default settings.
This post has been edited by Bigboyz: Jan 30 2016, 12:01 AM
Feels a little fast to me. Grind a notch finer or tamp slightly harder How about the body? Does it taste watery or thin?
It's at the finest setting. Don't think I can tamp much harder coz I don't feel it compressing any more. Speaking of tamping, I have an old batch of beans, no matter how hard I temp, it flows out very fast... It doesn't taste watery though.
While chasing perfection is kinda fun but what really matters is that end of the day you enjoy the coffee. So if you like the taste, go for it Can't really help much unless you have another person drink and feedback
What grinder are you using again?
Yup, I'm enjoying the coffee but at the same trying tI learn more too 😀. I'm using the breville bes870 in built grinder.
Yes...Stale beans run fast. Grind too fine gets bitter. Milk reduces the bitterness....so maybe that's why it tastes OK. I find that the best is up dose. Tamping won't help as you have found out.
Wow, you guys are good la... after almost 2 years on my BES920, my latte art still crap, can't get a decent rosetta, most of the time just looks like volcano eruption, nuclear bomb or elephant head
Do you guys steam according to temperature? im doing it religiously at 60 Celsius, but most of the time the froth seems to be thicker, and can't pour so many fine lines...
Based on what you said sounds like too much air and less rolling.
Thanks dwRK, am testing out the 1-2cm increase, letting very little air in and more swirls, but like what you said, its challenging to get art as i utilize every drop of milk.. And I'm using a keepcup instead of a ceramic kind of cup. which I think is one of the reasons perhaps harder to tilt and do art.. So I think aim is still to get maybe around 2cm or around 3/4 jug at 60°C, then try my rosetta again.. maybe start with heart easier 20% lesser air? Im testing the approach to let in lesser air now, see how the art goes.
Yes bro jus experiment until u find what works best. Do share with us the results