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Saturday, November 11, 2006
Espresso: Dosing video
A quick short film about dosing(The Schyndel Move?). No theme song or dance yet, but the video is done. Dedicated to Rich(for coining the phrase) and BenC(for forcing me to do the video).
I didn't count on the Youtube logo so I will fix that later. ¶ Jaime van Schyndel 2:19 AM 2 Comments
A quick short film about dosing(The Schyndel Move?). No theme song or dance yet, but the video is done. Dedicated to Rich(for coining the phrase) and BenC(for forcing me to do the video).
I didn't count on the Youtube logo so I will fix that later. ¶ Jaime van Schyndel 2:19 AM 2 Comments
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Dose variance...
I was thinking of dose variance numbers and what it means when you say acceptable variance. I have always thought of +-0.5 grams as being the ideal. It isn't until you get the scale out and really measure your variance that you can really grasp consistency in your dose. It's an issue right now because of a conversation I was having with a new friend from the west coast who discussed how some of his coworkers rather than tweak the grind would make small adjustments to the dose. I was shocked.. well not really...
First of all, lower doses mean you have more variance as a percentage of the whole. This does not mean a lower dose is worse but that it is harder to pull consistently. It is, look at the numbers! Even so, any consistent variation over 0.5 grams should be unacceptable.
I'm not advocating changing coffees to fit doses. I believe there are defined sweet spots for coffees at certain doses and sometimes we are just stuck with tricky doses. Barismo!
The lower your dose, the wider the variation in your shots. Sure we are talking a tiny amout but if anyone wants to do the numbers and see what those variances translate in volume changes and you realize how difficult you are making your life as a barista. But wait, I'm not advocating higher doses... well maybe just a little when you can get away with it. The higher doses meant that you could have a slightly greater variance and get away with it. Q:What is the difference between a 1 gram variation on a 22gram dose and a .5 gram variation on a 14 gram dose? A: 1 percent.
Imagine a 1 gram variation on 14 gram dose and the change that would have on the cup. That's a %7.14 plus or minus change in the cup. For a shot that is under 2 oz, that's a lot of change.
The thing I am really thinking about is how you can't measure your doses except when learning and so you have to have that feel for consistent dosing. It's fun when training when you can call your shots gram weight and then nail it for trainee but the truth is that you can show a person and show a person and they may not get it until they pull a thousand shots. You have to develop a feel for the coffee. Then there is the problem that arises from having the feel down for one coffee then being presented with another coffee of different density... Everything is turned on it's head.
Barista don't have scales to weigh every shot nor the time to do extended tamping routines with a line waiting. They have to have a routine based on feel.
I guess all that is in it's very essence why I believe in a dosing methodology where you keep your leveling methods the same but change to different volume baskets. It is all in the feel but if you want to leave the scale on the sidelines you gotta use different baskets so you don't have to alter your ritual.
Take the time to feel the grinds and weigh your dose a few times next time you pull shots.
-Jaime "I hate ridged baskets!!!" v.
Update Dosing video ¶ Jaime van Schyndel 12:42 AM 5 Comments
I was thinking of dose variance numbers and what it means when you say acceptable variance. I have always thought of +-0.5 grams as being the ideal. It isn't until you get the scale out and really measure your variance that you can really grasp consistency in your dose. It's an issue right now because of a conversation I was having with a new friend from the west coast who discussed how some of his coworkers rather than tweak the grind would make small adjustments to the dose. I was shocked.. well not really...
First of all, lower doses mean you have more variance as a percentage of the whole. This does not mean a lower dose is worse but that it is harder to pull consistently. It is, look at the numbers! Even so, any consistent variation over 0.5 grams should be unacceptable.
I'm not advocating changing coffees to fit doses. I believe there are defined sweet spots for coffees at certain doses and sometimes we are just stuck with tricky doses. Barismo!
The lower your dose, the wider the variation in your shots. Sure we are talking a tiny amout but if anyone wants to do the numbers and see what those variances translate in volume changes and you realize how difficult you are making your life as a barista. But wait, I'm not advocating higher doses... well maybe just a little when you can get away with it. The higher doses meant that you could have a slightly greater variance and get away with it. Q:What is the difference between a 1 gram variation on a 22gram dose and a .5 gram variation on a 14 gram dose? A: 1 percent.
Imagine a 1 gram variation on 14 gram dose and the change that would have on the cup. That's a %7.14 plus or minus change in the cup. For a shot that is under 2 oz, that's a lot of change.
The thing I am really thinking about is how you can't measure your doses except when learning and so you have to have that feel for consistent dosing. It's fun when training when you can call your shots gram weight and then nail it for trainee but the truth is that you can show a person and show a person and they may not get it until they pull a thousand shots. You have to develop a feel for the coffee. Then there is the problem that arises from having the feel down for one coffee then being presented with another coffee of different density... Everything is turned on it's head.
Barista don't have scales to weigh every shot nor the time to do extended tamping routines with a line waiting. They have to have a routine based on feel.
I guess all that is in it's very essence why I believe in a dosing methodology where you keep your leveling methods the same but change to different volume baskets. It is all in the feel but if you want to leave the scale on the sidelines you gotta use different baskets so you don't have to alter your ritual.
Take the time to feel the grinds and weigh your dose a few times next time you pull shots.
-Jaime "I hate ridged baskets!!!" v.
Update Dosing video ¶ Jaime van Schyndel 12:42 AM 5 Comments
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
The dose...
Dose. It come down to how the grinds exit your grinder and enter your portafilter. You move your portafilter around to make sure all empty space is filled and the coffee lands evenly in the portafilter. In essence, you slightly overfill to make sure all crevices below the lip of the basket are filled. You can Schomer it NSEW with a finger, Stockfleth it in a circle with you palm, or you can Schyndel(I can make my own up right?) it. I prefer to pinch the coffee using a scissor(index and middle finger) move on the surface of the basket and then swirl or go NSEW compensating for the deficiency of grounds in the basket. The idea is to let the lightly pinched coffee fall gently into the areas of lower density but in no way should you be pushing the coffee down. Seriously though, you could lid scrape NSEW or whatever variance works for you. The important thing is to use the right basket for your dose.
Yes, I said it, use the right basket for the gram dose weight you wish to attain. Dose volumetrically. Whatever gram dose you want, you need the right basket for that dose. That means when you run a lab or multiple coffees, you need an assortment of baskets that you can move through to find the right dose. 14g 16g 18g 22g, these are all different baskets. Try it and really think about it. If you use the right basket, all you have to do is level it with no fancy moves every time and you get the right dose. If you underdose/overdose a basket, you lose consistency. Consistency which is one of the most important things behind the bar(reduce all variables for repeatability). Break out your gram scale and see how consistent your shots are trying to over/under your dose every time.
When it really comes down to it, baskets are designed for volumetric dosing and you really can't break out the scale for every shot in a cafe setting. Have that scale handy so you can 'compare apples to apples' but when it comes down to it, you got to use the right basket. Your pucks will be beautiful and have room for proper expansion without crushing the screen or being a soupy mess.
-Jaime ¶ Jaime van Schyndel 10:55 PM 5 Comments
Dose. It come down to how the grinds exit your grinder and enter your portafilter. You move your portafilter around to make sure all empty space is filled and the coffee lands evenly in the portafilter. In essence, you slightly overfill to make sure all crevices below the lip of the basket are filled. You can Schomer it NSEW with a finger, Stockfleth it in a circle with you palm, or you can Schyndel(I can make my own up right?) it. I prefer to pinch the coffee using a scissor(index and middle finger) move on the surface of the basket and then swirl or go NSEW compensating for the deficiency of grounds in the basket. The idea is to let the lightly pinched coffee fall gently into the areas of lower density but in no way should you be pushing the coffee down. Seriously though, you could lid scrape NSEW or whatever variance works for you. The important thing is to use the right basket for your dose.
Yes, I said it, use the right basket for the gram dose weight you wish to attain. Dose volumetrically. Whatever gram dose you want, you need the right basket for that dose. That means when you run a lab or multiple coffees, you need an assortment of baskets that you can move through to find the right dose. 14g 16g 18g 22g, these are all different baskets. Try it and really think about it. If you use the right basket, all you have to do is level it with no fancy moves every time and you get the right dose. If you underdose/overdose a basket, you lose consistency. Consistency which is one of the most important things behind the bar(reduce all variables for repeatability). Break out your gram scale and see how consistent your shots are trying to over/under your dose every time.
When it really comes down to it, baskets are designed for volumetric dosing and you really can't break out the scale for every shot in a cafe setting. Have that scale handy so you can 'compare apples to apples' but when it comes down to it, you got to use the right basket. Your pucks will be beautiful and have room for proper expansion without crushing the screen or being a soupy mess.
-Jaime ¶ Jaime van Schyndel 10:55 PM 5 Comments
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Distribution Method
A good read:
Coffeed Discussion
A while back, I was puzzled why Jaime can "distribute" by simply leveling the portafilter w/ a scrape of the doser lid and get a beautiful pour. This was also the time I had a lot of problem of uneven pour out of the basket. It was then I found out that my grinder (in conjunction of the way I dose) causes the coffee to deposit more on one side of the basket. This results in differences in the density of the grinds (in the basket), and that the post leveling/distribution move (schomer/stochfletch/chicago chop) did not help to distribute the coffee (especially the lower-half) much at all. It was not until I start to pay real attention to de-clump and center the ground falling into the basket till I have some decent pours.
I think Alistair said the best:
"Distribution is a fix for coffee that has been dosed unevenly in the basket. Concentrate on the landing."
So forget all the focus on the different "distribution" moves and pay attention to the dosing that actually distribute the coffee. Fix the root cause, not the sympton.
-Ben ¶ Ben Chen 11:34 AM 2 Comments
A good read:
Coffeed Discussion
A while back, I was puzzled why Jaime can "distribute" by simply leveling the portafilter w/ a scrape of the doser lid and get a beautiful pour. This was also the time I had a lot of problem of uneven pour out of the basket. It was then I found out that my grinder (in conjunction of the way I dose) causes the coffee to deposit more on one side of the basket. This results in differences in the density of the grinds (in the basket), and that the post leveling/distribution move (schomer/stochfletch/chicago chop) did not help to distribute the coffee (especially the lower-half) much at all. It was not until I start to pay real attention to de-clump and center the ground falling into the basket till I have some decent pours.
I think Alistair said the best:
"Distribution is a fix for coffee that has been dosed unevenly in the basket. Concentrate on the landing."
So forget all the focus on the different "distribution" moves and pay attention to the dosing that actually distribute the coffee. Fix the root cause, not the sympton.
-Ben ¶ Ben Chen 11:34 AM 2 Comments
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