Consumption: Update

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 § 0

So it's only been a few days since I started logging my caffeine consumption. But already the results have been overly surprising. Although I don't consider my self a big "milk-based" coffee drinker. I guess i've always assumed that I have my fair share of cappas and latte coffees in any given week. At least for the past few days i've been mainly enjoying drip and espresso. I'm sure this correlation is in line with the number of new coffees i've been sampling and brewing in these various methods. I just haven't got around to tasting them in milk. But i thought it was interesting. I 'm excited to see how these trends continue to develop as I blog this data over the next year. (if i can keep up with it) *Volume specifications: Drip coffee ~ 8oz (260g), Chemex/Siphon ~ (400g), Espresso ~ (30g)














Coffee Consumption.

Wednesday, February 09, 2011 § 0



I've been thinking a lot about consumption. It's february and any resolutions that people have made have probably fallen by the wayside by now. If you were going to lose weight, chances are you've paid for a gym membership that you've used and handful of times and you're still hitting up Wendy's for the dollar menu. Anyway I digress.

More specifically I've been thinking about my consumption in regards to coffee and espresso. On average, I probably have 3-5 espresso/coffee based beverages a day. After reading a post about this very topic by James Hoffman (the 2007 WBC Champion) over at jimseven.com I thought i'd give it a try. Track my own coffee consumption. I'm a nerd when it comes to data, and furthermore being able to track it. So I got super excited when I found this service (via jimseven) that does just that. Tracks data. Anything. They also have a sweet iphone app which should make tracking everything very simple.

More than just quantity I want to discover WHAT coffees i'm consuming, in which drinks, and why? I think there's a lot to say about people by their "favorite somethings" Favorite cocktail, favorite coffee, etc. So more than anything I want to see what my coffee says about me, what coffees I sample, roast, cup, enjoy. I want to see if there's any type of trend, and why. Hopefully this little study will help me understand just that.

And if nothing else. I'll get to look at cool graphs.


Andreja Rebuild Project (Part 1)

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 § 0


So it's been almost 9 months since my new machine post. It's not that much hasn't been going on in the coffee world, obviously, but rather I havent been all that involved in it. Due to a surge of opposing factors, economy, new business startup, relocating across columbus, new job etc.. I had to put the spro bar purchase on hold. And it has been... for the past 9 months. I decided i'd be alright to focus on less complex methods of brewing, and with the install of my home pourover brew station last fall, I was more than content shifting my focus from espresso to drip coffee until I felt the time was right to reopen the door to the complexity (and money pit) that is espresso.

So as the summer when on, and business picked up I kept my eyes open for a deal.. I decided to narrow my search to a more cost effective approach to yet another in-home espresso setup. Until one day i came across a used (and as I came to find "abused") Quickmill Andjrea. I've had Quickmill machines in the past and have loved them. The only difference to the andreja? mainly a flashier shell and a few fancy bells and whistles (no burn arms, curvy shell, plumbable water supply etc.) After a few emails back and forth from a geek in NC I had the new machine shipped for ~ $500 bucks USD. I figured even after an extensive "worst-case" restoration i'd still save myself $500 from the pricepoint of a new machine.

When Andreja arrived everything seemed great. The previous owner said she had a faulty brew gauge but could gauge his shots well enough that he didn't need one and as such never bothered fixing it.


As I found out. It seems as though he never "bothered" fixing, or maintaining much of anything.



The group gasket looked as though it had never been replaced nor the group head ever cleaned. So... I went to my terrific parts supplier ChrisCoffee (plug) and began ordering away. Since I assumed this machine had NEVER been serviced, cleaned or maintained in the 6 years of ownership I decided to go a bit overboard.












Replacing everything and anything that seemed to require service. New vacuum breaker valves, new tubing, full cam lever repair kit to rebuild the lever, new group gasket, group screen, pressure stat, pressure gauges, valve seats, and after some tinkering, new pump, electrical lines (after blowing one) and a few other bits and pieces.. I decided since I didn't know the full history of the machine to also completely tear down the machine and do a full descale bath of all the parts including the boiler and element.

I decided to go with a citric acid bath since i havent had any experience with descaling and it seemed the safest route. Over all I was very pleased with the results. Everything came out copper shiny clean. After reassembly I decided to order some new Melamime insulation to replace the old crusty and brittle hard foam boiler insulation that comes factory on these machines. More to come...


Upgradeitis: Race for the cure.

Thursday, September 10, 2009 § 0


Every once in a while every barista, or home coffee enthusiast goes through what is coined "Upgradeitis." Being constantly overwhelmed in the world of new equipment, new brewing technologies, Pid'd and frankenstiened' Lineas, Speedsters, Cyncra's and machines that blur the line between functionality and fine art, there comes a time when we all feel the need to re-evaluate our "set-up." We look at what each machine and grinder has given to us and what we have given back in the form of TLC. The season of upgradeitis is now upon me and this time heavier than ever. In my time within the specialty coffee industry, I've been fortunate to have had the opportunity to play around with much of today's higher end equipment, toys, and other pieces of gear that give us all espresso envy, while at same time developing a deeper respect and appreciation for the benchmark equipment that has expanded my knowledge of specialty coffee, brought the industry thus far, and that which has buried me this deep into this "obsessive quest", this fascinating and financially draining industry.

For the past year and a half I've been rather happy with my setup. A shinny E61 chrome box called Quickmill Anita purchased from fellow friend and now CoffeeGeek Moderator Robert Jason (IMAwriter) of Nashville, TN. Paired with a refurbished Mazzer Super Jolly, duranium burrs and doserless assembly mod this delivered what I then perceived as my ideal setup, the cream-o-the-crop (or cup :) of HeatExchanger setups. However, pretty common, nothing too fancy in the coffee world. Prior to this, my first machine ever was the Rancilio Silvia. A benchmark machine that many a geek have modded, customized, PID'd and tailored in pursuit of temperature stability from a rather economically priced home machine. Evertheless, amazing setup, rock solid reliability.
Then with the arrival of the La Marzocco GS3, and other dual boiler temp controlled machines of it's kind my entire perception of what was possible, and affordable in the home all changed.

For the past 6 months I've been reading, researching, envying, and reading some more. With any major purchase, especially one like this, you gotta research. And over researching is never a bad thing, a trait inherited from my father.

For this upgrade I've narrowed my selection down to two main categories. The "Conservative Budget", and the "I don't care, I must have one budget!".

My requirements are fairly straight forward: a Dual boiler, PID, adjustable brew temp profiling, adjustable preinfusion, plumbable, and big steam boiler... Although I consider myself mainly an espresso driven enthusiast, i like my latte art, a big boiler, and my milk like thick wet paint. (not too picky right? :) . Here are my selections thus far:
_________________________________________________________

"Conservative Budget"

Vibiemme Double Domobar Electronic PID Plumb in - $2,299.00

Features:
• Based upon the original Domobar Super.
• Double boilers
• PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) temperature control of the coffee boiler .
• Polished stainless steel body panels
• Commercial-grade motor and rotary vane pump with direct water connection.
• Electronic Dosage
• True Faema E61 grouphead
• Professional grade brass portafilters
• Boiler pressure gauge to indicate steam boiler pressure
• Pump pressure gauge to indicate brew pressure during espresso extraction
• 110V 15amp.




La Spaziale S1 Vivaldi II Dual Boiler Plumb in - $2,195.00
(Not sure if i can deal with a 53mm PF, used one last night, wasnt a big fan at all, again just aesthetically, performance I hear is good)

Features:

• Dual Boiler
• Programmable Passive Pre Infusion
• Programmable Offset Differential
• Swivel Stainless Steel Steam Arm
• Direct Plumbed
• Rotary Pump
• Volumetric Dosing
• Volumetric Dosing Adjustable Through Touch Pad
• One Degree Group Temperature Adjust ability Indicated by LED Display
• Group Temperature Adjustable Through Touch Pad
• Electronic Boiler Refill
• Built-in Safety Thermostat
• Semiautomatic Hot Water Delivery
• Dual Manometer
• 110 volt
• Functions in either 15 amp or 20 amp


_________________________________________________________


"I dont care, I must have one budget!"


La Marzocco. GS3 - $4,200-$5,500
This "dreammachine" I have to have for a variety of reasons, I understand the pricepoint is quite high, but then again, I feel it might offset my upgradeitis for much longer than the two mentioned above, if not indefinitely... well maybe not indefinitely. Again, still a lot of money, but seemingly worth the investment. There are a couple of key features I'm really fond of (i.e. temp stability, HUGE dual boilers, programable brew temp within .1 degree, volumetric dosing, programable temp on water tap, programable pre-infusion, plumbable, programable semi-automatic/automatic,... and it's one gorgeous La Marz. In addition to functionality aesthetics are a huge factor in my decision (I'm and artist/designer, what can I say) This has been one of the drawback of the other two above, in comparison to the GS3. Although i'm still in love with the "E61 shiny box" aesthetic, i'm sorta looking for a change aesthetically.
Features:

• 3.5 Liters internal water reservoir
• “Cool Touch” Stainless steel steam wand and hot water wand
• Multifunction keypads
• Digital LCD display
• Omni-directional steam wands
• Hot water dispenser
• Internal volumetric pump
• Brew water pre-heating system
• Programmable pre-infusion
• Programmable temperature increments of .1 Degree F
• CE & NSF Approvals
• Plumb-inable
All-in-all I hope to have a decision made by the beginning of October, in preparation for the transition into my new place :) ...with a stellar espresso bar to boot.

Sweet little app from Glasshouse apps

Thursday, March 19, 2009 § 0


There are many little things in life that make me smile. One of which is the knowledge of quality coffee slowly spreading to the masses, especially when it comes in the form of a sleek little iPhone app like Barista from Glasshouse apps. Although there are many improvements that could make this app awesome, it's a great learning tool for any aspiring barista. Barista, gives a simple clean interface with step by step instructions on making many traditional espresso based drinks as well as cleaning, and proper grinding and temp surfing sections. A section on tips and advice, a coffee talk menu with a fairly extensive list of espresso and coffee related terminology, and even the option to attach your own photos to the list of drinks to track your own barista progress. Overall this little app is a great for the beginning barista and those who like the accessibility of step by step instructions and other related coffee info at the touch of a finger. However all of this information and much much more can be found on many of the existing coffee sites. i.e. Coffeegeek.com, Home-barista.com, coffeed.com etc. Major drawbacks of this app is the limited list of more advanced drink builds, the lack of a expandable user section with the ability to upload custom drink builds, a featured equipment section (or just a recommended section in general), and a micro blogging feature to bring a bring a more social interface to the app. Looking forward to what Glasshouse Apps plans to feature in future updates.

Yama Tabletop 5 Cup Vacpot

Wednesday, January 07, 2009 § 2

Thought i'd take a few minutes to write a quick review on the Yama Tabletop Vacpot. I'm not going to get into brew times, temp or grind specications (there are plenty of great resources for that out there for that; i.e. coffeegeek) but I thought it'd be nice to write a brief summary of my experience with the newest member of my brew posse. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Vacpots (coffee siphon/vacuum brewer), the basic principle is a two chambered coffee brewer that functions off of the physics of vacuum pressure to draw the brew water up into the upper chamber and contact the grounds in a full immersion brewing technique. I tend to really enjoy vacpot brews. The cup is much cleaner than that of press pot brew methods, although they can tend to be a bit finicky. Luckily Yama® has an incredible gasket system providing a solid seal resulting in a very reliable, almost stall proof brewer. Their price point is nice too. This 5-cup model retails for right around $60, significantly less than it's more expensive counterparts. Yama currently makes a few different types of vacpot brewers in all different cup sizes including a stovetop model. Personally I tend to favor the stovetop model for all practical purposes. Although the tableop model is a nostalgic representaion of early 20th century design and brew technology. As for the heat source, the stock heating element makes this model a bit time consuming.
The current heating element that is shipped with the Tabletop model is a wicked alcohol burner that is fueled by either Isopropyl or Denatured alcohol. Although effective, this fuel source is not all that efficient. As an upgrade, a small adjustable butane burner can be purchased to maximize the potential of the brewer. In my opinion this is a must have if you plan to use this brewer to it's full extent. The adjustable butane burner allows you to fully maintain great brew temperature throughout the entire siphon process, by adjusting the size of the flame to maintain the rate of boil and vapor production. As for the filter element, the Yama tabletop ships with a cloth filter assembly (w/ extra filters) that is common among most vacpot brewers. They do a great job and I typically grind slightly finer for these and adjust my brew time accordingly. Although these cloth filters work well, they're one more thing to clean, and if not stored properly can accumulate mold growth. (If used, store in the fridge). However, the current filter element I use in all my vacpots including this tabletop model is a glass Cory filter rod. It you hunt around on ebay, CG, or even craigslist you can generally find these at a reasonable price. They're basically a glass rod that that has a spherical base with an array of tiny glass nubs. These little bumps allow the coffee to pass around the nubs back down into the bottom chamber while restricting the flow of the grounds. The best part? They're a snap to clean and they never wear out. Just rinse them off and you're good to go. Overall, I'm really impressed with this small tabletop model. As with all my Yama brewers, I've rarely had any issues or stalled pots, and it makes a great cup, and one hell of a conversation piece. Build quality on the Yama Tabletop is pretty adequate given it's price point. It's about 1/4 the price of a Cona Vacpot brewer and therefore the build quality has a slightly cheaper feel to it.

Coffee to get ya going... and going places.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009 § 1

Our caffeinated addictions may source yet another useful byproduct... Scientists at the University of Nevada turn to spent grounds n' pucks to provide an abundant source of biodiesel. Check it.

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