coffee society journal — brew better
Dialing in isn't a ritual, it's three shots and one rule: change one thing at a time. Start with our recipe, taste, adjust the grind, and taste again. Ten minutes and one bag of beans usually gets you there on most home machines.
01the starting recipe
Set the grind so a shot lands near this, and try not to chase the seconds. Chase the taste instead.
02read the shot
- Sour, thin, fast. That's under extracted, so grind finer and change nothing else yet.
- Bitter, dry, slow. That's over extracted, so grind coarser.
- Sweet, then a little sour. You're close. Go a hair finer, or add two grams of yield (espresso in the cup).
- Sweet with a clean finish. You're done, so write the grind number on the bag.
03the three mistakes
The first is changing two things at once. If you change grind and dose together, you learn nothing. The second is pulling shots on cold gear, so warm the portafilter and run water through the group first. The third is using old beans. Espresso wants beans between five days and four weeks off roast. Ours ship the day after roasting, so wait a few days before you start.
04common questions
Start at 1:2. That's 18 grams in, 36 grams out. You can go longer, up to 1:2.5, for lighter roasts, or shorter for a heavier, syrupy shot.
About 25 to 32 seconds from the first drop is a normal range, but taste matters more than time. A sweet 22 second shot is fine.
It's usually under extraction. Grind finer, make sure the machine is hot, and check that the beans aren't too fresh, since very fresh beans can pull sour too.
beans built for this recipe
Our americano and latte subs are chosen for espresso on purpose. Every lot is 85+ and roasted to order in Berkeley.
americano sub latte sub beans for the breville barista procoffee society · specialty micro roaster · berkeley, ca · est. 2023