# Elizabeth LCC Preinfusion Results Library



## 27852 (Nov 8, 2020)

I'm a few days into using the Elizabeth and I'm absolutely loving it. I'm now ready to start playing around with LCC parameters, particularly around pre-infusion, and it seems there is very little guidance/established wisdom in this area (that I was able to find at least). I did find an interesting article where the author has concluded a preinfusion at 2bar of a duration of 3x the time taken for coffee beads to cover the filter screen gives their best subjective result (Preinfusion: Visual Cues for Better Espresso).

I'm interested to know what sort of results everyone is getting through playing with preinfusion. With so many new users of the machine, hopefully this can become a resource to inform how an extraction may go when pulling shots with a new coffee.

I think I've covered most factors below, but feel free to add/tweak as necessary - or tell me this is a pointless exercise!



*Inputs: *


*Coffee (Roaster / Origin / Variety / Altitude / Process / Roast Profile):* Pact Finca Pacas / El Salvador / Bourbon / 1400masl / Washed / Medium Espresso


*Dose:* 18g


*Basket:* VST 18g Ridgeless


*Puck Prep:* dosing cup, WDT, side tap, settle, tamp.



*Processing:*

*Steam or Bloom:* Steam


*Initial Pump Run Time*: 4s


*Total Preinfusion/Bloom Time: *12s



*Outputs:*

*Final Weight of Coffee / Extraction Time: *40g / 34s


*Drink Style: *Latte


*Extraction Notes:* no beading during preinfusion (may increase initial pump run to 5s); overall OK, some mild channeling towards end of shot.


*Tasting Notes*: slightly bitter, overall tasty. May run the shot shorter next time.


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## 27852 (Nov 8, 2020)

Kjk said:


> I'm a few days into using the Elizabeth and I'm absolutely loving it. I'm now ready to start playing around with LCC parameters, particularly around pre-infusion, and it seems there is very little guidance/established wisdom in this area (that I was able to find at least). I did find an interesting article where the author has concluded a preinfusion at 2bar of a duration of 3x the time taken for coffee beads to cover the filter screen gives their best subjective result (Preinfusion: Visual Cues for Better Espresso).
> 
> I'm interested to know what sort of results everyone is getting through playing with preinfusion. With so many new users of the machine, hopefully this can become a resource to inform how an extraction may go when pulling shots with a new coffee.
> 
> ...


 For my post lunch drink I upped pump run to 6s and total steam preinfusion to 13s. Got one drop in the cup 10s into the preinfusion but no total basket saturation. Much sweeter results for a 40g output in 32s.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Interesting. I usually run my shots at 18g -> 36g -> 37s or thereabouts

Pre-infusion, I do 3s pump run for steam pre-infusion, and a 6s pump run for the bloom pre-infusion. Note that, with bloom pre-infusion, it will take longer for the pressure to ramp up if the machine has been idling (and the water inside behind and in the middle of the shower screen/dispersion plate has dried out - hence the 6 sec). so, technically takes 2 seconds to fill in those gaps. Or you could flush the machine and run it for 3-4s, so it's consistent always.

I just don't like wasting water. 🙂


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## 27852 (Nov 8, 2020)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> Interesting. I usually run my shots at 18g -> 36g -> 37s or thereabouts
> 
> Pre-infusion, I do 3s pump run for steam pre-infusion, and a 6s pump run for the bloom pre-infusion. Note that, with bloom pre-infusion, it will take longer for the pressure to ramp up if the machine has been idling (and the water inside behind and in the middle of the shower screen/dispersion plate has dried out - hence the 6 sec). so, technically takes 2 seconds to fill in those gaps. Or you could flush the machine and run it for 3-4s, so it's consistent always.
> 
> I just don't like wasting water. 🙂


 Very useful info, I'm on RO so I can treat water like it's... tap water! Question - how do you decide whether steam or bloom PI is "best" for a given coffee?


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Kjk said:


> Very useful info, I'm on RO so I can treat water like it's... tap water! Question - how do you decide whether steam or bloom PI is "best" for a given coffee?


 I don't. LOL - In the morning because the steam boiler is on, I use steam pre-infusion. In the afternoon, because the steam boiler is off, I use bloom pre-infusion. All I so is to make sure that the overall pre-infusion time is so that the end result in terms of volume / timing is roughly the same.


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## 27852 (Nov 8, 2020)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> I don't. LOL - In the morning because the steam boiler is on, I use steam pre-infusion. In the afternoon, because the steam boiler is off, I use bloom pre-infusion. All I so is to make sure that the overall pre-infusion time is so that the end result in terms of volume / timing is roughly the same.


 Are there any perceived differences in shot quality/taste between the two?

It will be interesting to see if/how different coffees react to different levels of PI.


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## Ando (Jan 11, 2021)

I won't be able to comment on this thread for a while, but will be following along from the shadows - good idea!


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## 27852 (Nov 8, 2020)

Kjk said:


> For my post lunch drink I upped pump run to 6s and total steam preinfusion to 13s. Got one drop in the cup 10s into the preinfusion but no total basket saturation. Much sweeter results for a 40g output in 32s.


 Upped initial pump run (IPR) to 7s and PI to 15s. Drips of coffee from c.10s from initiation but donut channelling due to bad pick prep. Total shot time for 40g was 32s. It tasted good as espresso, I didn't get the hint of milk chocolate but definitely apricot and a nice caramel aftertaste (notes are "hints of milk chocolate, apricot, and caramel").

New bag (BB Milk Buster Blend (Brazil and Honduras) - sweet, cocoa, hazelnuts), back to base (4s IPR, 12s PI - steam).


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## 27852 (Nov 8, 2020)

Was feeling jittery so switched to Black Cat's Lazy Afternoon. Pulled a shot with baseline parameters and it was excellent!

IPR: 4s

TPI: 12s steam pressure.

Full basket drop coverage after about 5s, and a few drips at about 8s. 18g to 36g in 30s. I wouldn't change the steam parameters so possibly worth playing with the bloom function.


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## 27852 (Nov 8, 2020)

Decided to have a play comparing the bloom vs steam functions. I hadn't messed with it too much because I was drinking an espresso blend which settled down nicely using my 'standard' parameters (steam 4s initial pump run / 14s total preinfusion time).

Used the Pact Finca Pacas SO bean to make some espresso (18g dose):



Bloom 5s / 14s: pressure gauge hit about 2bar and then declined to minimal by the end of PI, there was no beading on the filter screen. Tasted powdery / gritty.


Bloom 6s / 18s: pressure gauge hit 10.5bar and extraction began (bad!) approx 4g out by the end of PI, then the shot resumed. Tasted more powdery / gritty than above.


Steam 4s / 14s: annoyingly my grinder jammed (first time this happened) so I had to back off the grind to help it clear - noticed that the pressure hit 9bar then dropped to 8bar for the rest of the extraction (makes sense in context of the grind). Despite the coarser grind, much more clarity of flavour (although slighly sour as I lost my finer dialled setting), I was happier to drink all of this shot as compared to the previous 2.


Conclusion - for this coffee/grind/dose, the optimal bloom PI time is probably 5.5s which I can't program. Pressure jumped very rapidly and the difference of 1s was the difference between 2bar and full gas. Perhaps the workaround is to slightly dose up but not something I'd like to do. I'm leaning towards 2bar steam PI, much more controllable and I perceive a clearer flavour.

However, it is worth bearing in mind that this is n=3!


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