Dosing: 14g, 18g, 19g, 20g, 21g, 22g? What do you use, and why (taste) - Page 2

Beginner and pro baristas share tips and tricks for making espresso.
kris772 (original poster)
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#11: Post by kris772 (original poster) »

Thanks all. Well I got some interesting input there. And learned some things:


I tried the wider bottom common basket and found out... The flow for the same 18.4g beans is MUCH faster and tightening 4 clicks on my 80 step and it's still way sour. Gross! (edit haha - see me a couple posts down - perfect for ~21g!)(later edit - good taste w 18g and a bit tighter)

Yes, I don't consider 7g as I doubt I could pull one w/o channeling. Same with 14 which is why I have so far avoided it. Thanks for that input, though!

Yes, grinding single dose at a time, nothing left in hopper, this RR45 came with a doserless-from-factory spout/funnel and even if I thunk it I get almost nothing, and no static cling. Watched it with the top off the funnel and it throws very nicely (unlike some Mazzers I had). So, very little retention.

Yes, beans are "fatter" when it's humid out and you have been having a spate of weather out there. Not much here at the moment and inside an AC controlled building. So I will notice a little change but not a lot.

I was wondering if some folks would jump in and say they tend to use 22 or 21 because the flavor is better, or deeper, or something, but didn't see any. That was a part of my curiosity in posting the question. (edit, again, see me a couple posts down, haha)

So I went back to the left hand in picture above basket and with a bit of fiddling got a quite drinkable cup. So I guess the answer to me about the basket is simply that it is a whole different thing requiring a much finer grind. This last bit was all with 6 day old Tarazzu. It is drinkable but I won't buy it again.

I did eyeball that ridgeless basket and assuming that that is what you get, it seems to me that the holes on the bottom of the basket exclude about 1/4 of the circumferential area of the basket so any grounds in that outside quarter would be extracted quite differently from the rest of the grounds. Not a simple or obvious change, but correct me if I am wrong. I think if you need ridgeless you would want one where the holes on the bottom go out almost to the edge. Those run $30 or so. Not something I would lust after at the moment.

Yes, of course I could easily vary my dosing by 0.1g, but there is a grossness, here, with my machine, with brew temperature, so I have been simply looking for a range of acceptable (to my palate) behaviours-when-pulling with relatively the same dose-wgt-grind-method. KISS! Don't vary too many things at once...

Thanks again all!!!
Life is too short for bad espresso! - Thunk-ed, NOT stirred!

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iploya
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#12: Post by iploya »

kris772 wrote:Dosing: 14g, 18g, 19g, 20g, 21g, 22g? What do you use, and why (taste)
I am happy to pass along something I recently learned from someone on another forum and have been applying the last few weeks. That 14g basket, it turns out, is great for Italian/dark roasts that could be overpowering in larger dose. I don't know why exactly, but when you drop the dose down to 14g, drop the temperature, and pull a short, ristretto style shot (less than 18g out) you can dial in a very pleasant shot around that, that preserves the roasty notes while keeping them in check.

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kris772 (original poster)
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#13: Post by kris772 (original poster) replying to iploya »


That makes perfect sense! Thanks!!! I can't apply it at the moment having only light roasts on hand but will keep it in mind.
Life is too short for bad espresso! - Thunk-ed, NOT stirred!

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MNate
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#14: Post by MNate »

cafeIKE wrote: For any and all coffees, year round :shock:
I know, right? So boring! But...

THERE ARE SO MANY VARIABLES WITH ESPRESSO, AAAAHHHH!

So it's nice to have one constant. I feel like people go higher doses to make it punchier but I prefer smoother, less in your face. Or they think that they can get more espresso out of one shot of effort. I don't mind making more drinks though!

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cafeIKE
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#15: Post by cafeIKE »

iploya wrote:That 14g basket, it turns out, is great for Italian/dark roasts that could be overpowering in larger dose.
Or not. I like coffees like that in a 'triple' at ≈21.5g± with a bit lower temperature pulled so it's like treacle.

kris772 (original poster)
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#16: Post by kris772 (original poster) replying to cafeIKE »

Ian, this gave me an idea... Took the other basket, 21.4g, at about 197(i have tamed my temperature). Thick like syrup, nuts, fruit, bright. Almost 1:2 VERY slow. maybe tamped too hard. (7 day Tarazzu) This is like food. Very delicious, very flavorful. Excellent!!!

in other words... Just keep talking guys!!! These are the ideas I was hoping for!!!!!!!!!!
Life is too short for bad espresso! - Thunk-ed, NOT stirred!

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cafeIKE
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#17: Post by cafeIKE »

Don't worry about tamping as long as it's level and consistent. It's the very bottom of things that make a difference. Once you've got it dialed, you can fogeddaboudit.

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kris772 (original poster)
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#18: Post by kris772 (original poster) »

:)
Life is too short for bad espresso! - Thunk-ed, NOT stirred!

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iploya
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#19: Post by iploya »

cafeIKE wrote:Or not. I like coffees like that in a 'triple' at ≈21.5g± with a bit lower temperature pulled so it's like treacle.
Care to share a baseline recipe for your 21.5g dose (grams out and temperature)? I played around with 18g dose at a range of different ratios and nothing was drinkable straight. The step down to 14g was a breakthrough. This was specifically for an Italian roast, a big departure from how I pull other, medium and light roast beans. (Edit, though I experimented this morning with an 18g dose but kept it at 1:1 and 190F and it is working pretty well at least in milk.)

exidrion
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#20: Post by exidrion »

It depends what I'm making. espresso/cappuccino = lower dose, 14-18g. Latte/americano = 19-22g.

It doesn't make sense to me to change dose in order to change flavor and balance unless you are low on coffee or don't want to adjust grind.