Coffee Beans what's in your grinder ???


 
Keith P said:
That is the opposite of what I would have expected (sour taste). Sour is a characteristic of under extracted coffee and a hotter brew temp should yield a higher extraction. Were there any other variables that might have changed ?
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Nope nothing. I only changed the brewing temp up 5 deg. Could not believe the change to the worse. Especially from a bag of coffee I have been so thoroughly enjoying
 
Keith P said:
That is the opposite of what I would have expected (sour taste). Sour is a characteristic of under extracted coffee and a hotter brew temp should yield a higher extraction. Were there any other variables that might have changed ?
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Good observation...that said, it is pretty common to hear "sour" reported when the result is perhaps bitter...particularly with coffee. A common occurrence I have heard 1000 times over the last 20 years... Bitter will usually be "felt" or indicated on the tongue towards the rear, while sour will be felt more on the sides of the tongue.
 
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LMichaels said:
Nope nothing. I only changed the brewing temp up 5 deg. Could not believe the change to the worse. Especially from a bag of coffee I have been so thoroughly enjoying
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I just boil water on the stove top when making coffee and only “control” temp by how long off the boil. With your experiment I have to think my approach must be leading to inconsistent cups. Makes me think about getting a temp controlled kettle. Wouldn’t be the first (or last time I suspect) that reading this forum has encouraged me to go get some new toy !
 
GrantT said:
Good observation...that said, it is pretty common to hear "sour" reported when the result is perhaps bitter...particularly with coffee. A common occurrence I have heard 1000 times over the last 20 years... Bitter will usually be "felt" or indicated on the tongue towards the rear, while sour will be felt more on the sides of the tongue.
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No it was definitely "sour" tasting to my taste buds. Tomorrow I will go back down 5 deg and leave everything else the same, and report back. I have enough Kirkland Espresso beans to accomplish this.
 
Well, I set the temp right back where it was, did not touch any other setting on brewer, grinder, amount of beans, even down to the same number of water spritzes I gave the beans prior to grinding to keep static down. Coffee was smooth as a baby's bottom, not sour. Just great coffee. Go figure. I must have that Breville "dialed" "right on" it's sweet spot.
 
LMichaels said:
Well, I set the temp right back where it was, did not touch any other setting on brewer, grinder, amount of beans, even down to the same number of water spritzes I gave the beans prior to grinding to keep static down. Coffee was smooth as a baby's bottom, not sour. Just great coffee. Go figure. I must have that Breville "dialed" "right on" it's sweet spot.
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Yeah, but you always have to fiddle in an attempt to improve...just like grilling.
 
LMichaels said:
Well, I set the temp right back where it was, did not touch any other setting on brewer, grinder, amount of beans, even down to the same number of water spritzes I gave the beans prior to grinding to keep static down. Coffee was smooth as a baby's bottom, not sour. Just great coffee. Go figure. I must have that Breville "dialed" "right on" it's sweet spot.
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Just to be sure you may want to try 5° lower to see what happens. What temp have you been brewing at?
 
199-201 was my sweet spot. 204-206 became my "sour" spot. I don't think I have enough of the Kirkland Espresso beans to make a valid test again. And honestly unless my local Costco begins stocking them, I don't think I will bother ordering them again. They're good but not $6-$7 more good than the Kirkland House Blend which is exceptionally good especially considering the $10.99 price.
Also for the record, one setting on the Breville I did not disclose and even though I did not change it I think it's important to note. I can set the following parameters on it. "Bloom time, brewing temp (IIRC from a low of 175 up to 210), flow rate (slow, med, fast, though I have never timed them). During this little experiment I had not mentioned I am using the "slow" flow rate"
There are 3 presets. Fast, Gold, and Strong as well as Over Ice, and Cold Brew. Since I have no interest in Cold Brew, or Over Ice brew, I have never paid much mind to them. And one other curious thing I've noticed. In Gold setting, the machine does not do a "bloom". Rather treating the bed of beans (as does Moccamaster) to some initial "agitation" to stir the bed up. As to what "flow rate" I am not sure but when I "temp" it, it seems to hover just over 200 (between 200 and 205).
But I don't know and none of my research shows what flow rate the brewer uses on Gold. Though I suspect it's somewhere close to (if not) the medium flow rate, given the turbulence I see in the bed of grounds when through brewing
 
Karl Quist said:
I'm a week into my first bag of Kirkland French Roast. It is definitely not as good as the KS House Blend, and I dare say may not even be as good as my very basic fallback of Folgers pre-ground. Meh.
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Yeah, kinda my thought on it as well. Really surprised Costco puts their name on it
 
Karl Quist said:
I'm a week into my first bag of Kirkland French Roast. It is definitely not as good as the KS House Blend, and I dare say may not even be as good as my very basic fallback of Folgers pre-ground. Meh.
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Yeah, I too was completely underwhelmed by it. I believe it's the least expensive whole bean coffee they sell though. But for $2.00 more, the House Blend is far better. Just opened another bag of Peet's Major Dickasons...the most expensive at the local Costco but probably my favorite. It's just very good. I think it's about $18 for the 2lb. bag now. I'm more than happy with the House Blend the Colombian Supremo or the Peet's and they consistently stock all three.
 
Joe Anshien said:
Project Farm just did a video on coffee makers. I never thought to use a TDS meter.
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It was a cool idea. I have one. However didn't we have a discussion somewhere about how distilled water can skew tastes and even over extract? But, I guess if all are doing the same thing, it could be a valid test. But also level of TDS in an extraction, does it equate to flavor?
 
LMichaels said:
It was a cool idea. I have one. However didn't we have a discussion somewhere about how distilled water can skew tastes and even over extract? But, I guess if all are doing the same thing, it could be a valid test. But also level of TDS in an extraction, does it equate to flavor?
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We use RO water for almost all our personal consumption. I believe most coffee places also use RO water. We have been drinking either distilled or RO since I was a teen as my parents had a distiller. Interesting coincidence is that my wife's family also had a distiller.
 
Yet in every maker I've bought they caution against distilled or RO. Also, it's rather "flat" without a device that adds mineral back into it. In any case I think my coffee now is overall a bit better since I added the new filtration system. But, again, we're pretty blessed in this area to have really nice well water. It's all the added crap they put in that's not good. Plus any "pollution" that seeps in. Which is why I also added in the VOC filter. In any case with the system cleaning it but leaving the "good" stuff in it, it's as good as any bottled water you can buy but at pennies instead of big $$$$$$

Another interesting twist I've done. Since getting the espresso machines, I have been making smaller batches of auto drip. and the giant Breville is not as well suited to small batches (in terms of keeping the coffee warm in the carafe) and I really dislike re-warming (even in the m-wave). It sends the flavors "off".
So I switched out the Breville for the smaller OXO Brew 9 cup. It's got the much smaller carafe, and smaller neck so much more heat stays in the brew in there. And it does brew one fine pot of Joe.
 
LMichaels said:
Yet in every maker I've bought they caution against distilled or RO. Also, it's rather "flat" without a device that adds mineral back into it. In any case I think my coffee now is overall a bit better since I added the new filtration system. But, again, we're pretty blessed in this area to have really nice well water. It's all the added crap they put in that's not good. Plus any "pollution" that seeps in. Which is why I also added in the VOC filter. In any case with the system cleaning it but leaving the "good" stuff in it, it's as good as any bottled water you can buy but at pennies instead of big $$$$$$

Another interesting twist I've done. Since getting the espresso machines, I have been making smaller batches of auto drip. and the giant Breville is not as well suited to small batches (in terms of keeping the coffee warm in the carafe) and I really dislike re-warming (even in the m-wave). It sends the flavors "off".
So I switched out the Breville for the smaller OXO Brew 9 cup. It's got the much smaller carafe, and smaller neck so much more heat stays in the brew in there. And it does brew one fine pot of Joe.
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If you do a Google search for "RO Coffee" over 90% say use it as it protects your machine from scaling and having to demineralize it. Personally I never get mineral build up and just have to give it a gentle cleaning every so often. From what I have read most of the minerals in the water are not absorbable in your body.
 
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