Ok .. back to coffee making & keeping in mind the new tougher rating system. I'm now on Day 4 after receiving and using my new shipment of Barista beans, which according to mycuppa .. would have been roasted about 3 days prior to shipping .. close enough. lets call it Day 7 (after roasting) After adjusting the grind several times using the Espresso beans (after running out of my last batch of Barista) .. I've been unable to achieve a coffee that I have been happy with. Knowing that the new Barista needs time to mature to reach its peak, and therefore won't deliver the quality expected of it for some time yet .. I figured it had to be at least better than the luck I was having with the Espresso beans? Having taken the advice from other members here .. who have way more experience than I do .. I am putting my failure to manage the changes which appear to be occurring in the Espresso beans as they age .. down to inexperience. Whilst I am not enjoying the flavour of these beans in the coffees I have been making .. I am sure more experienced Baristas would be able to produce a much better result in the cup. As with the Guatemala .. I am again wimping out, and moving on to a bean that I have had more success with .. even though I am aware that the new batch of Barista could be a bit different from the last batch, especially if the bean type used in the blend has changed due to bean availability .. which is on the cards? With the last batch of Barista .. peak occurred from Day 14 - 18 .. which, no doubt would have lasted longer had I not run out. <insert sad face .. then add happy face for the good times while they lasted ---> glass half full 😉 Espresso was received at the same time and is now Day 27 since roasting .. 1 day short of 4 weeks. I have no idea how long these beans are considered 'usable' or the level of skill required by a Barista to extract the last bit of life from beans on their last legs? 4 weeks doesn't seem that long .. and I'm sure there are lots out there who would say 4 weeks is still well within a bean's prime? As for this budding barista .. I'm thinking, why continue drinking a coffee I know I am currently disliking .. when I can easily just revert to one I know I will at least enjoy to some degree, knowing it will improve .. and simply cut my losses. Sure .. it's a waste .. only that's the 'norm' when we live in a 1st World Country. If we were stranded out in a jungle for weeks .. I'm sure I wouldn't be the only forum member who'd jump at an offer for a cup of *gasp* International Roast? We can afford to be fussy. Using the new (tougher) rating system .. the coffees I've been making using the new Barista beans have been rating around 7.8/10 If 8/10 is the minimum rating for a nice cup of coffee that I am happy with .. then my recent coffees have been falling just short of that. If a Cafe served me up the standard I am currently making .. I would not complain .. only I'd try a different Cafe next time. Recently, the pour has been running too quickly .. I've adjusted the grind finer than ever before, increased the dose to 18g and reverted back to tamping firmly, rather than a very light tamp used previously .. to achieve a 25 sec 1st lever pull pour time.. then a 2nd pull for 10 secs to get a 30ml shot with 2 lever pulls totaling 35 sec.. which has been the standard aimed for *I'm guessing that a different bean (or 2) has been used in the Barista Blend this time? .. a bean that is not as dense as the previous one? It would be interesting if mycuppa could confirm this one way or the other? 7.8/10 is in the ballpark for Day 7 after roasting.. only I need to get it to at least an 8/10 (close but no cigar) 8) But then .. Just cracked it for an 8.1/10 (on the right side of the ledger with this one .. didn't change a thing) :thumb:
