Barista Magazine

APR-MAY 2016

Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005

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EVER SINCE I BEGAN working in coffee, one brew method has fascinated me much more than all the others: espresso. Everything about it is mystical—the crema it produces, the enigmatic contraption with a rich history that brews it, the way it cascades like beer, and the sheer strength of the substance. The more and more proficient I become at making espresso, the more one thing becomes blindingly clear: Espresso is incredibly frustrating. How has something that is so volatile found a permanent place in our specialty-coffee shops? Why is it that something so difficult to control has become our mainstay offering? I'm just not satisfied with scapegoating inability with, "Oh, it just changes." In what other specialty-food environment is that OK, especially with a staple offering? If your standby moneymaker changes without your consent day-by- day, or even hour-by-hour, it's time to go back to the drawing board. Yet, we can't put aside espresso—it's too damn good! This deceptive, puzzling beverage that sings when it's right and punishes when it's wrong has charmed its way into each of our shops, regardless of its inherent flakiness. Despite these frustrations, we are at a point in espresso's history where technology and best practices are the most accessible. Numerous coffee blogs are available, ranging from the informative, such as Brian Jones's delightful Dear Coffee I Love You, to the technical—James Hoffmann's academic Jimseven remains the most well-respected. Although we may be years away from being able to approach espresso with a complete scientific understanding, we are able more and more to control variables, and approach espresso with a science of process. Needless to say, there are countless parameters that influence the way espresso tastes and reacts, ranging from the adjustable to the unknown. To make the myriad minutia more approachable, I'll present a methodology of tackling espresso with three topics: controlling flow rate, optimizing extraction, and balancing taste. With controlling flow rate, we'll examine the mechanics of the extraction process. Next, we will explore systems for making the brewing process more efficient by optimizing extraction. Finally, we'll discuss modes for fine-tuning espresso extraction in order to influence its most important aspect: taste. Evenness and Consistency Before diving into these subjects, I want to introduce two themes that are universal with coffee: evenness and consistency. Evenness relates to each fragment of ground coffee being treated similarly, and consistency refers to your ability to replicate results. It's doubtful that one can make great coffee without abiding by these guidelines. Preventative Maintenance Performing routine preventative maintenance (PM) on all your equipment and keeping it clean is an important factor that is often overlooked. Keeping grinders clean, replacing burrs and filters as necessary, minimizing scale buildup in your machine, and following proper PM will aid in optimizing espresso extraction. Controlling Flow Rate One thing is for sure when considering flow rate: it changes, sometimes abruptly, and mostly unexpectedly. What causes it, and how can you adjust for it? For the most part, there are four general areas that contain variables that affect flow rate. Some contain variables that can be proactively controlled, and some are variables that require reaction by adjusting the grinder. While there are many variables that have at least some effect on flow rate, such as water temperature and ambient temperature, pressure and humidity, the following variables appear to have the most correlation with flow rate. Grinder Weight on burrs: The less coffee in the hopper, the less weight on the burrs and the higher the flow rate. HOW HAS SOMETHING so FOUND A PERMANENT PLACE IN OUR SPEcIALTY-COFFEE SHOPS? VOLATILE 97 www.baristamagazine.com

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