# The Dogs.............



## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

OK - So I put aside the black oily things to possibly try another day...

But I opened the "Black Bear (espresso)" beans that I picked up from Aroma in Lyme Regis (which I waxed lyrical about earlier).

These beans come from the coffee factory (which is local to Aroma).

18(.0n)g at whatever grind setting the SJ was at before I went on holiday... sacked into the pf and off we go.

I tend to find that my first shot after a break is nothing to write home about so wasn't expecting too much.

It took an age to start pouring and then continued very slowly...

It eventually reached about 30g...

Quite a lot of crema (Not exactly tiger stripes but some darkness in there).

I nearly always drink espresso out of a shot glass and this looked really nice full of body and "treacly". The crema took a while to settle (like a pint of the well known Irish drink).

And it tasted really, really nice.... proper full body, deep chocolate flavour if this is what a "scratch shot" tastes like I am really looking forward to when I get it right!!!

Obviously I need to adjust the grind settings to save choking like this but I am well pleased 

(website suggests a bit bigger dose (19-20g) plus a slightly bigger output (33-35g) in 26-28 not the 3weeks mine took)

This is me ==>  with a very smug look on my face.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Whats the roast date on them?


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

froggystyle said:


> Whats the roast date on them?


No roast date (A "fault" I noted in my earlier posting).

The BB date is 7 Jan 2015.

I have had another shot.... same grind but with a minimal pressure tamp.... still took ages (but still tasted v.v.nice).

I am just about to make another - after loosening a tad (or two)


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

When i have purchased beans with no roast date, i have found they all seem to trickle out the PF, very thin and weak with no stripes, no gas left in them i guess to pump the volume up!

Is it a coincidence, i wonder!


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

froggystyle said:


> When i have purchased beans with no roast date, i have found they all seem to trickle out the PF, very thin and weak with no stripes, no gas left in them i guess to pump the volume up!
> 
> Is it a coincidence, i wonder!


Certainly not thin and weak... and loads of crema.

Just knocked out another after loosening the grind a bit (and back to my normal hardish tamp)... still took a good while to appear but when it started it looked more like a normal pour (fairly constant stream).

And it still tasted good - I might try the same process into a flat white later....


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