# Rave Colombia Suarez Espresso problems



## HBLP (Sep 23, 2018)

So I just got in a kilo of Colombia Suarez today, I'm based in Germany these days so it was roasted on the 15th and so has been degassing for 6 days already. I'm trying to pull it as an espresso today on my La Pavoni and it's proving imposible to dial in. I have found the grind setting that gives me 12g -> 24g in 30 seconds, but it comes out both sour and bitter. I've tried adjusting a little either way with no luck. Everything is in order with my grinder (Lido E) and machine (aforementioned La Pavoni Professional, pre-mil) - other beans are still fine (both lighter and darker than this bean) and easy enough to dial in. It looks perfectly good with nice crema, and tastes quite sweet when made into a flat white (with perhaps a hint of bitterness), but I bought it primarily for espresso and would like to work it out for that. Is there something I'm doing wrong? I did some googling and found a handful of people saying that they struggled with making it into an espresso until it had been degassing for 8-9 days. Do other people find this too or can anyone think of anything else I might be doing wrong here? I tried distributing with a metal stick as well as my usual method. I don't have a bottomless portafilter yet but it was quite smoothly coming down centrally (using portafilter with spout removed so I can mostly tell if it's channelling, though not as well as with a naked portafilter). I know some people might say to just wait 3 days and try again but I'm a bit impatient as my other beans are nearly done and I will have some coffee friends round on Friday so would like it worked out before then.


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## Dr Forinor (Jul 30, 2018)

https://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?47078-Rave-Colombia-Suarez-Issues


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## Iris (Oct 29, 2018)

Contact Rave, let them know is your having issues. This particular bean is my go to bean that I drink 1kg of per month, I have never had an issue with it. I usually drink about day 10 post roast.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

What do you mean ? adjusted little ? have you changed the ratio ? How much finer did you grind ?


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## HBLP (Sep 23, 2018)

I saw the linked post. I will try it in aeropress tomorrow and see how that tastes. I won't go into contacting rave until at least another week with no success though, in case it's a degassing issue


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## HBLP (Sep 23, 2018)

Mrboots2u said:


> What do you mean ? adjusted little ? have you changed the ratio ? How much finer did you grind ?


I tried pulling shorter in 30s, 12g in / 20g out (this was based on what some other threads on this sub had said from last year). I tried pulling 1:2 over 25 seconds, 35 seconds too and similar issues still exist. Any longer is noticeably more bitter.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

HBLP said:


> I tried pulling shorter in 30s, 12g in / 20g out (this was based on what some other threads on this sub had said from last year). I tried pulling 1:2 over 25 seconds, 35 seconds too and similar issues still exist. Any longer is noticeably more bitter.


Have you tried a longer ratio , 1:2 is unlikely to be over extracted so perhaps you are experiencing sour " sourness " a cure to this might be to put more water through the coffee.

What coffee's do you use other than this ? whats the warm up time for the La Pay


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## HBLP (Sep 23, 2018)

Mrboots2u said:


> Have you tried a longer ratio , 1:2 is unlikely to be over extracted so perhaps you are experiencing sour " sourness " a cure to this might be to put more water through the coffee.
> 
> What coffee's do you use other than this ? whats the warm up time for the La Pay


I will try a longer ratio in the morning but I really doubt that's the issue - it's quite a dark roast after all. The balance just seems off entirely - not really like what I'd call underextracted. My Caravan Daily Blend works fine, as does the Sinfonia from Roestaette in Berlin and one from my local roaster in east yorkshire. These all range between medium light and medium dark. I also have a dark which is also fine.

Generally takes 20 mins to heat up fully, more like 10 if I pump some water through the grouphead. I have temperature strip probes as well as an electronic thermometer strapped to the group head which hasn't failed me at all in the past. I tried adjusting the temperature a bit but not much difference.


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## HBLP (Sep 23, 2018)

Still not getting anything good out of this. Rave said no problems and passed all their QC. Don't know why I'm struggling so much to dial in what should be a fairly forgiving bean... I just tried to pull a 2 month old red de mujeres light roasts and got a better espresso on the 2nd go, despite my taste being darker roasts for espresso.

It tasted OK in Aeropress and French press. I guess this is becoming a spare press bean for me and I'll search for a bean for espresso from some other roaster


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## Iris (Oct 29, 2018)

I actually wasted a full 250g bag today of Rave Columbian saurez, usually I really enjoy these beans but used the entire bag on many grind setting and dose setiings and none of them tasted good. Beans were roasted 14/11/18.


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## hangerhead (Oct 13, 2018)

i managed to get some decent coffees out of it - i had to raise the temp to around 105 (brewhead temp) and next to no pre-infusion.

I ran 22 gr in to get 45gr out in around 33s.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

I almost want to try these beans for the challenge and out of curiosity...


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## Iris (Oct 29, 2018)

I have been using these beans as my go to bean and really been enjoying them, drank many kilos of them, then had a 250g bag that really didn't taste the same and couldn't get anything decent out of it no matter what I tried.

Worst thing is just received another 2x250g bags of it in the post yeaterday, ordered them before I had the issue with the other bag. Hoping this batch is ok, if I open the first bag and don't like them will send the other bag your way Dave, will pm if I don't like the first bag, leaving them to rest just now will open them next week.


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## Iris (Oct 29, 2018)

Update, just tried one of 250g bags Rave Columbian saurez delivered last week, well I'm enjoying my favourite single origin once again, it must have been a one off that bag I got that just didn't taste quite right. I have drank many kilos of these beans and they are amazing I love them, and it just goes to prove you don't have to spend loads to get a very good coffee infact its cheaper than some rubbish supermarket beans.

For anybody interested that has the same setup as me, the sage barista express, with these beans I use grind setting 5 and top burr set to 6, 18g dose, default temp settings, I also use the 2 shot button rather than manual as on these setting it works perfect.

with these setting my double shot pours in 31 seconds and weighs 39g close enough to 1:2 ratio for me and tastes great. I also use a distribution tool one the cheap amazon ones that are based on ocd design, I also tamp lighly after using the distribution tool.


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