Espresso

[Lucky Phil]

4 hours ago, audiomick said:

That makes a big difference. I have observed that freshly ground coffee that is "left over" in the grinder is not as good the next day, or even several hours later, as really freshly ground. It's not like that resulting coffee is really bad, but there is a certain something that apparently gets lost very quickly if the ground coffee sits around for a while before being brewed.

Even with my old doser grinder I never ground more coffee than what I was going to immediately use. The beans are kept in a sealed container after opening and I dont fill the bean hopper, only about 1/4 full at a time.

Phil 

[docc]

When we started grinding our own beans for better coffee, we would buy a five pound bag from a "whole foods" distributor and keep them in the freezer. Years later, a couple people smarter and better informed than I am (my children) revealed that freezing coffee is ungood. Something to do with adverse effects related to carbon dioxide.

There are a number of interesting solutions to store small quantities of fresh roasted beans in airtight containers to limit oxidaton. Some are pretty over the top, but this "Airscape" with the inner purging lid is pretty nifty . . .

https://planetarydesign.com/product/airscape-coffee-canister/

[Lucky Phil]

15 hours ago, activpop said:

The more I delve into this, the more I realize how little I know. I got a not so good conical burr grinder and great beans for Christmas and pulled shots today after reading and watching some stuff. I think they were great. Wonder if I got lucky or what I used to make was so shitty that anything made now would be better. Went from canned espresso to fresh ground. 

I guess you pick and choose your complications these days. Life's a lot simpler and just as satisfying when you "dont know what you don't know". As a kid in the supermarket I had a choice of 3 tomato sauces and was happy as a clam with that. Now when I go into the supermarket I'm faced with at least 50 choices of meat sauces and apart from choice anxiety there also the anxiety of thinking that maybe I made a wrong choice. All that matters is you enjoy what you now have. 

[audiomick]

1 hour ago, Lucky Phil said:

All that matters is you enjoy what you now have. 

Wiser words were never spoken.

 

and in this

1 hour ago, Lucky Phil said:

I guess you pick and choose your complications these days.

there is a truth that cannot be denied. Very Phil-osofickal.

Edited December 26, 2024 by audiomick

[activpop]

22 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:

I guess you pick and choose your complications these days. Life's a lot simpler and just as satisfying when you "dont know what you don't know". As a kid in the supermarket I had a choice of 3 tomato sauces and was happy as a clam with that. Now when I go into the supermarket I'm faced with at least 50 choices of meat sauces and apart from choice anxiety there also the anxiety of thinking that maybe I made a wrong choice. All that matters is you enjoy what you now have. 

I have no anxiety about any of this. I am just enjoying this new taste journey and learning something new.  There are little tweaks I am learning that make small improvements, but none like switching to grinding fresh. My current grinder seems to be just fine for now. I never expected my wife to plunk down $500 for a Gaggia. That's my department.

[Gmc28]

On 12/26/2024 at 1:18 PM, docc said:

When we started grinding our own beans for better coffee, we would buy a five pound bag from a "whole foods" distributor and keep them in the freezer. Years later, a couple people smarter and better informed than I am (my children) revealed that freezing coffee is ungood. Something to do with adverse effects related to carbon dioxide.

There are a number of interesting solutions to store small quantities of fresh roasted beans in airtight containers to limit oxidaton. Some are pretty over the top, but this "Airscape" with the inner purging lid is pretty nifty . . .

https://planetarydesign.com/product/airscape-coffee-canister/

 i have an airscape container or two, and use them now and then, but that "world champion barista" fellow... i forget his name, and of course there are many of them (an english guy...) did some youtube station testing of the storage bins, and concluded it didn't matter that much.  basically the beans off-gas, and (usually) are best a few days after roasting up until roughly 2 weeks later, give or take a little based on a few variables, and storage options didn't have much effect on that.  But yes, freezing is bad :->