A simple guide to adjusting your espresso machine for a new coffee
Whether you're a seasoned barista or a coffee enthusiast looking to perfect your home brew, the right settings on your espresso machine can make all the difference. Today, we'll walk through a simple guide using the Sage Barista series, such as the Barista Pro, to help you achieve that perfect cup of Fission and Bloom coffee.
In addition to the Sage machine, these instructions make use of a small digital scale.
1. Preparing Your Machine and Coffee
Grind the Beans: Measure 18 to 19 grams of ground coffee for the 54 mm single-walled filter. This quantity ensures a rich and balanced espresso and is the capacity range for this filter basket.
Tamper Your Grounds: Firmly press the coffee in the portafilter to create a tight and even puck. This helps in achieving a uniform extraction.
Pre-warm Your Machine (Optional): Run a single cup cycle with no coffee to heat the machine's components. Discard the water.
2. Brewing Your Espresso
Set Up for Extraction: Place a digital scale under the portafilter and a cup on the scale. Tare the scale to zero.
Start the Extraction: Press the double-cup button. Aim to stop the extraction just before you hit 36 grams of espresso. This accounts for the few seconds of drip following deactivation, ensuring you don't over-extract.
Monitor the Time: Note the time it takes to reach 36 grams, aiming for a 20 to 30-second extraction.
Note, a ratio of 1:2 coffee ground to espresso extracted between 20 and 30 s is the range generally regarded as a good starting point from which to work from.
3. Adjusting Your Settings
Fine-Tune the Grind: If the shot pulls too fast, grind your coffee finer; if it pulls too slow, grind coarser.
Adjust Based on Taste:
Sour: If the espresso tastes sour, it's under-extracted (for your liking). Increase the brew ratio (e.g., from 1:2 to 1:2.5 or 1:3), allowing more water to pass through the coffee.
Bitter: If the espresso tastes bitter, it's over-extracted (for your liking). Decrease the brew ratio to reduce the shot, softening the harshness.
Note, during the production of the shot, the perceived flavour of the output changes from intense and sour at the beginning to watery and bitter towards the end. It is by adjusting the yield (1:2, 1:2.5, 1:3, etc.) that allows us to tune the final product according to your preference.
4. Experiment with Temperature (Optional)
Adjusting the water temperature can also impact your espresso's flavour profile. Higher temperatures boost extraction, which can be particularly beneficial for lighter roasts.
Conclusion
Each batch of Fission and Bloom coffee comes with its unique characteristics and deserves the right brewing method to shine. By following these steps and making adjustments based on your taste preferences, you're well on your way to brewing professional-quality espresso right from your kitchen.
For those who are more visual learners, I watched several videos on YouTube to find the most concise and helpful demonstration of the above method. Thanks to Lifestyle Lab for the excellent instructional video. I provide a link to the video below.
Lifestyle Lab: Dialing In Breville Barista Express | Dose, grind, yield, time
