# Monsoon Malabar help



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

This week, I have made the switch from decaf back to normal beans. The first offering was from Bailies, a Honduran and the grind settings needed to be nearly as tight as decaf. Next, I stuck in some CC MM. it is rested and should be ready to go. I was quite prepared to waste the first few shots dialling it in, so, made a quarter turn adjustment to loosen off. At this stage, I judge things initially on the amount ground within the time set, then adjust. The next four shots all say further adjustments to loosen, and the resulting shots all had pressure at the pf at the end. The last shot was not far away. I loosened off slightly more and the next shot poured in 15 seconds, and still had pressure. I am grinding 18 gms, give or take 0.5.

I drank that one and it actually tasted reasonable. I tightened up a bit for the next two then walked away. Just gone back and pulled a shot that again, pouted in 17 seconds with no crema. Anyone who knows MM knows that the crema is normally dark and very airy and all my previous shots had plenty.

I am scratching my head slightly now as to which way to go. For those who do not drink decaf, you have to grind about 20% tighter. Using an 18 gm VST. Should I grind coarser and dose at 19 plus?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

It's hard to say without knowing the output and time reference.

Single dosing?

Naked pf?


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> It's hard to say without knowing the output and time reference.
> 
> Single dosing?
> 
> Naked pf?


Not single dosing but am using a naked, as that is all I have. Always remember it as a hard bean. Perhaps I should have tried something more mainstream first. I am aiming to dose around the 18 gm mark using a VST. My preference would be to extract approximately 30 gms in 25 to 30 seconds


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

If it's not channeling then go finer...

How accurate is your dose?


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> If it's not channeling then go finer...
> 
> How accurate is your dose?


Dose is pretty accurate. I am weighing each one even though it is timed. No channeling. When the grind was too tight, I was allowing 8 seconds pre infusion and the drips coming out of the puck never really formed a stream. At the moment, 6 seconds and the pour starts almost immediately but very quickly then slows down. I am not doing anything other than grinding into the pf. The mound is lovely and fluffy and I do not think distribution in the pf would make much difference


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

I would keep pre infusion same.

Forget about how pour slows or speeds unless its obviously channeling.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> I would keep pre infusion same.
> 
> Forget about how pour slows or speeds unless its obviously channeling.


I am drinking the output Boots......being old school, I like everything to be shipshape! I like grind consistency, weight out in a timed environment, If it pours in 17 seconds but tastes ok, my brain says imagine how nice it would be if it slowed down and poured the same amount over 30 seconds! I hate being beaten


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

dfk41 said:


> I am drinking the output Boots......being old school, I like everything to be shipshape! I like grind consistency, weight out in a timed environment, If it pours in 17 seconds but tastes ok, my brain says imagine how nice it would be if it slowed down and poured the same amount over 30 seconds! I hate being beaten


17 seconds is total time?


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> 17 seconds is total time?


17 seconds is timing it from once the lever is released and the flow starts (which at the moment is almost immediately)


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

I like monsoon malabar. Mine came from coffee direct. Sage say the the BE grinder needs a typically bean setting of 8. I'm using 5 and that give about a 3 sec pre infusion. That gives me a Costa level taste using 9.3gm in a single shot basket for a 400ml mug. I don't use much milk but I put more in than I would at Costa. The gauge shows their recommended setting so I'm inclined to try a bit finer.

Being an animal / miscreant I run 2 shots through it. I have used 3 at times, no idea why, levels low so I do it. Main reason is Sage's timer on the hot water flow. The extra shot gets the liquid level where I want it. I also feel it improves the taste but doesn't make much difference on this bean. The shot size will be around 30ml, probably somewhat less.

The beans are good at clogging up Sages bean hopper. I have had to use the release knob to disturb them and get more down to the grinder a couple of times. The beans seem to have got stickier over time.

I'm pretty sure these beans clog up the grinder burrs too a bit and some needed running through before it settled down.

I'm tying Redber's for the next lot.

John

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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Well, I cracked it this morning. The Mythos is not really known for microscopic adjustments, but that is what it was. I made a minute adjustment from yesterday (although I have to say the sun is shining through the window where I keep my set up) and I got 28 gms out of 18 in over 30 seconds starting the timer from the first stream.....and what a lovely cuppa as well!


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

I chose it early on based on coffee's I've liked via percolators, french press and simple "espresso machines". Dark roasts and then reviews. The only complaint I noticed was one about gumming up grinders but the person still used it.

Just wish I had found out just how to set the machine up for it sooner. Nice drinks but getting the grind and fill right increased the taste by a remarkable amount.

I checked the finest grind setting on my modified Solis with it. Just about right. A fact that might help is that I put some decaf through it at the same setting. The beans I mentioned in another thread. It appears to be too fine. Wont know for sure until these go into the BE.:yuk:I intended to try blending some robusta into the decaf out of curiosity but my bean roasting needs more work so will have to drink it. I drink a lot so hopefully my usual several mugs of tea will take care of caffeine dependency. I did try decaf tea all day once and wondered why I started getting headaches.

John

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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Well, i put it down to a dodgy batch of beans. yesterday i swopped to Jampit Hit and from shot one, perfect pours. Funny old world at times!


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Have you taken a close look at the beans before you grind , are they consistently the same size and look .

also how old are they . ? Stales will do what you are explaining .(not saying they old , but they may have been exposed post roast )


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Thecatlinux said:


> Have you taken a close look at the beans before you grind , are they consistently the same size and look .
> 
> also how old are they . ? Stales will do what you are explaining .(not saying they old , but they may have been exposed post roast )


In a word, no more so than normal. They came from Coffee Compass so I know the roast date and usually their offerings are spot on......it tasted nice enough, but all the built in shot prep functions just went out of the window!


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

This is still my favourite bean but I'm finding that the roasting can make a lot of difference. Some mention a spicy hit and that is what seems to vary. I'd be interested in other people experiences.

I bought a total of just under 1kg off one supplier all dark roast and shiny. Some spicy hit but variations probably down to me not really being up to maintaining the grind etc. Quantity seems to matter a lot. Probably down to infusion on a BE

Changed supplier and bought 500g dark roast and added a note that I hoped that their beans were as nice as the others. The beans weren't shiny and plenty of the spicy hit. Good strength too.

Same supplier, 1kg, no note and dark roast, they offer several levels. All shiny, less spicy hit but there. Probably the strongest so far for over all taste. It doesn't take much imagination to describe the general taste as being what many would say is coffee except the spicy note.No Costa etc bitterness though.

Ordered some Jampit and as they offered a special roast for monsooned 500g of that. Less taste and no spicy note really. Dull beans. They didn't offer any other levels. Oddly even though they have been used up pretty quickly taste seems to have dropped off a bit now they have more or less been used up. Storage same as always, 500g stainless vented bean cannisters. It's not much of a vent and doesn't let the smell out at all so probably just pressure relief.

Ordered another 500g with a roasting note. Not tried yet. I read a review from some one who roasted their own pointing out that shiny and oily was best but not easy to do as oil may be burnt off. This lot is part shiny.







Be interesting to see what this does but some Jampit to try first.

In my case some of the spicy aspect probably comes from drinking long blacks - shot run into hot water so the crema isn't disturbed. So far shiny and oily seems to be the best mix of tastes.

John

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