Ponte Vecchio Lusso - advice please?

Moon · November 2013

Just checked over in this thread.. Topic: Should you ever post negative reviews? It appears that sellers are prepared to take the 'good with the bad' and that honesty is encouraged around here.

Bean: Guatemala Backed off the grind to coarser 1. 17g that left a tad more clearance under the screen after polish only. Pour was too quick and had to go the Fellini .. still too quick resulting in a sinker. 2. 18g to dose up a fraction. Pour: 25 secs Result .. too strong. Rating: <censored by Moon> I'll keep working on it :'( I'll be back

Lacehim · November 2013

Moon, We are all different! Your delicious will not be the same as another persons delicious!

It's all about what's in the cup, your cup. If you like what you drink, keep drinking it and if you don't, then go find a bean you do like! I've had a few shockers over my time that other forum members have loved and I've found cheapy beans on BG that have been fantastic. It's not all about the $$$ either. Just because it's expensive, doesn't mean YOU will like it!

Moon · November 2013

^ Cheers My preferred green been for roasting up myself (purchased from BG) has been predominantly those from Guatemala & some from Costa Rica and Brazil. I was impressed with the Espresso and Barista .. so perhaps I've just struck one I am not all that keen on (or until I can tweak it right?) which of course will happen as I try different beans to determine my favourites. 2 out of 3 so far ain't bad I guess. Simple really .. choose the ones I like. I ordered a kilo from somewhere else that was horrible .. so I'm currently stuck between a rock and a hard place trying to conjure up a nice cup of coffee until I get my next order in .. and they arrive. There is always that jar of instant sitting in the cupboard that I keep for when my enemies happen to show up

Ol Grumpy · November 2013

Yes, I agree with Lacehim. From one Noob to another @Moon... Relax, take a step back and :breathe.... I can hear my Shihan's words... Focus on the breath... ALL strength comes from the breath... Breathe in... Breathe out.... It's a journey that weaves along a curious path and with no final destination in mind... If you set your mind to make the most of the journey and recognise that every shot is an outcome... Some you like, some not so much, but all of them an outcome nevertheless, then take the unfolding journey as an adventure with all sorts of hidden surprises to be discovered along the way... Well each shot is all but just a step along the way... Lesson Over. My apologies to the regular viewers for this break in transmission... Please now return to programmed viewing... : tongue

Moon · November 2013

Thanks for that Grumps I should tune back into that Spiritual Guru on Ch31 again for his 'Words of Wisdom' He's big on the 'breath' I think I'm still a little rattled after seeing the Doc today who said my cholesterol had shot up .. and that I may need to use one of those skim milks in my lattes rather than full-cream. All these coffees are taking a toll by the looks.. Skim milk .. yeah right. ;D You can imagine how that went down .. and the need for a decent coffee when I got home .. which didn't happen. He did say he wants me to be happy.. and at least didn't apply the killer blow --> 'Moony .. you gotta give up the coffee mate' - Geez Doc .. you're killing me .. I might as well give up the cigarettes as well .. in that case. Yep .. the successes and failures are all a part of the journey ..... exhale.

Brett H · November 2013

on 1385547168:

OMG Moony - really ? I'm a bit shocked actually. :o That Guat is the best I've had on deck in many years, it was head and shoulders above all other Guats inbound this year and as a result I snapped up the last 4 tons. Such is my opinion of it I rate it as the best bean in 2013 for me personally. It's a cracker. Like all Guats and hard dense beans, it can be tricky to dial-in and extraction has a very narrow tolerance. If you venture just outside the ideal zone, it bites you with gusto !

Which Guat is that Jeff?? I may have to place another order to ship with my other order

mycuppa · November 2013

Hi BH, It's a Guat I will not mention publicly. Too many lazy roasters (companies) only very happy to let others do the hard work buying coffee, roasting, sampling, evaluating in specialty cafes, gathering feedback, etc. It's 8 hrs a week of valuable time. Happy to tell you privately though. Cheers, Jeff

Moon · November 2013

Just made a coffee from that other Brand of coffee I purchased. Ran too quickly, no crema and way too strong .. took a couple of sips ... ahhh --> sinker :'( Got straight back online to order 1kg of Espresso & 500g Barista from 'mycuppa' Crikey - save me Jeff :head:

Better go give the Guatemala another crack :-| Things are looking up :thumb: Must admit the Guat certainly gives off an exotic and intoxicating aroma when ground. 1. Slightly coarser grind Pour: 30 secs Rating: - 8.8/10 .. vast improvement on the last effort .. needs to make it into the 9s though. 2. Again, coarser grind adjustment. Pour: 30 secs Rating: 9.2/10 .. hmm? .. this bean is playing hard to get .. but finally coming around. Hopefully .. a slightly more coarse grind adjustment might do it? Yep - this hard bean definitely requires the silk glove treatment. *Just missed out on making it onto todays coffee bean order. Maybe next time .. we'll see?

Moon · November 2013

1 last coffee before I head off for the stay over at the 'Void' .. the Black hole that doesn't have a decent working coffee machine. Backed off the grind Pour: 30 secs Rating:- 8.2/10 A full-on potent brew that satisfies the caffeine fix .. but falls well short of 'impressive' (9s).. hence the 8s rating. Thank the Lord there's a decent Cafe where I'm going. ::)

C-man · November 2013

The Guat you sent me is coming along nicely, I gave up on it for a while then opened the bag and was hit by a great fruity aroma. still a tricky one but very different in a good way. C-

on 1385639518:

Hi BH, It's a Guat I will not mention publicly. Too many lazy roasters (companies) only very happy to let others do the hard work buying coffee, roasting, sampling, evaluating in specialty cafes, gathering feedback, etc. It's 8 hrs a week of valuable time. Happy to tell you privately though. Cheers, Jeff

conikal · November 2013

on 1385677798:

1. Slightly coarser grind Pour: 30 secs Rating: - 8.8/10 .. vast improvement on the last effort .. needs to make it into the 9s though. 2. Again, coarser grind adjustment. Pour: 30 secs Rating: 9.2/10 .. hmm? .. this bean is playing hard to get .. but finally coming around. Hopefully .. a slightly more coarse grind adjustment might do it?

It would have been fun to watch you going through this using that Spong grinder ! :o :D

Moon · December 2013

^ Yes conikal .. I'm sure I would have ended up totally Spong'd out .. and my walls would be full of scratch marks by now. Thanks for the heads-up :thumb:

Dose - 17g First 2 coffees were in the larger 6oz cup --> :coffee2: Both 25 sec pours and rated around the 8.5/10 3. Grind adjustment - slightly finer Pour - 20 sec .. 20ml - 6oz cup. Rating: 8.9/10 .. not a bad coffee, only lacked a bit of gusto this time, probably due to the quicker pour? Seeing this one was tasting promising .. had to go again. 4. No change to grind The pre-infusion drops have been appearing sooner @ approx 7 secs. First lever pull produced 20ml after 20 sec .. so I did another pull which took 10 secs Total pour - 30 secs .. 40ml Rating: 9.1/10 This was a nice coffee .. being different to the single lever ones, and coming straight after the last coffee it was difficult to rate just how good it was. Looking promising .. these little units are definitely a challenge. :tearhair: Will try again a little later when my palate is refreshed .. and hanging out for another instalment. :coffee: It's good to be back .. although those coffees they make at Rhumbas over at Taylors Lakes using Lavazza beans were pretty tasty, especially seeing they were jumbo sized. Have to check next time whether they only use a double shot or put in a 3rd due to the size? Either way, they are up there with the best take-away lattes I've had. (no kickbacks are being received for ^ this plug) :angel:

Moon · December 2013

17g full dose .. no clearance from screen. Pour was fast .. 10 secs .. 2nd lever pull 15 secs - Total 25 secs Rating: 8.2/10 Tasted strong enough .. yet seems like the grind needs to be finer, that would make it stronger? My new shipment of beans (Espresso & Barista) are onboard for delivery today. Can't wait to ditch this feral lot.. and get back to enjoying a decent cup of coffee rating in the 9s. These beans are too much like a teenager going through an 'I hate my parents' phase. :tearhair:

hiphipharar · December 2013

on 1385935977:

These beans are too much like a teenager going through an 'I hate my parents' phase. :tearhair:

I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to blame the beans. You have a new machine which you are still learning. Although you may have achieved early success on some beans your failure on single origin beans does not mean the beans are no good. I had a similar experience when I bought a new machine. Couldn't get a decent tasting brew from a certain bean although I had great results from other beans. I took the remainder of the bag along to a friend's cafe and he made an excellent espresso from them. Patience, grasshoper.

Moon · December 2013

^ Yeah .. new machine, a lever, and a n00b <--- that combo is destined for a rough ride. I agree .. like Jeff from mycuppa said .. you need to dial it in right. I just made a nice coffee from it .. after setting the grind a little finer. Fast pour .. 1st pull 15 secs .. 2nd - took the cup away before the lever had risen completely. This bean seems to take a different method to get it right. Suppose that's how it goes eh? Looks like I'm short on patience with these more challenging beans. Think I might stick to the more user friendly types when I discover them. Ok .. I'll admit it .. I'm wimping out here Cheers Grasshopper ;D

hiphipharar · December 2013

on 1385939011:

Looks like I'm short on patience with these more challenging beans. Think I might stick to the more user friendly types when I discover them.

That's the thing. You don't know it until you encounter it. Even beans that have behaved before may play up (humidity, depth of roast, worn grinder burrs, different bean used in a blend, aging of the bean post-roast, etc) Yeah I know it can be frustrating when you want the best results now but I've been using the same machine now for 4 years and I'm still learning. I still don't always get great shots; just a lot more than 4 years ago.

Moon · December 2013

Yeah .. it's still very early days .. and I hear you regarding it always being a challenge, even after many years. * As they say - 'Nothing worth having comes easily' <--- :tearhair: The Apprenticeship continues.... 8)

Ol Grumpy · December 2013

Aaah Yes, I am reminded of the Sage's wise words... It only takes on average 10 years grind to become an 'overnight success'....

Moon · December 2013

If every pour was a Godshot - we'd soon get bored. ^ There's one from Moon Some believe pleasure is a lack of pain.. and you hear that you can't fully appreciate success until you have failed a few times. I guess that filters down from the likes of Donald Trump to us Coffee n00bs thinking .. great, I've got the gear .. now I expect great coffee every time... yeah right. :'( My new lot of beans from mycuppa have arrived.

Was taking coffee with the Gal who makes the nice Lavazzas .. they use the premium blend .. and I asked what that monster of a grinder they use was? Mazzer Robur. They had 2 other Mazzers. One for decaf and the other as a backup. The Robur apparently needed dismantling for a clean out quite often. She ran off some to show me and have a feel of the grinds. They were quite grainy and much coarser than what I had been doing.

Ahhhh .. nice to be back in the 9s again .. with Espresso blend. Tamped light/med at half way then again when dosed up. Grind - coarser. Pour: 30 secs Cup: 4oz Rating 9.2/10 Felt some pain .. enjoying the pleasure :thumb:

Moon · December 2013

Dialing the new beans back in is taking a while after going coarser for the Guatemalan. The first 2 coffees were fast pours (10-15 secs) and pretty ordinary .. and the last, whilst getting closer (35 secs) is still falling short of past glory. Would've helped if I had marked where I was on the grind dial. :head: Getting there..

Last 2 coffees Both 30 sec pours .. backed the grind off in both. 1. 8.9/10 2. 9.2/10 Moony is back in business :thumb:

ash · December 2013

on 1386119398:

Getting there..

You just don't want to end up 'there' as then it would all become very boring! :rofl: Glad to hear you're enjoying the PV and coffee from it mate!

Moon · December 2013

Loving the whole lever thing thanks ash. Btw .. how is your PV going .. ready for sale? .. sold? 'There' is my rating of 9.2 - 9.4/10. I'm happy achieving that .. it's degrees of happiness from then on .. for a while anyway.. until the next skull cracker comes my way.. I'm using the cheap Coles milk, so I can get richer, smoother & more creamy, but anything above that is a bonus. I can then refine my act with more practice .. and there's the further challenge when changing bean blend, single origin .. and what Grumps also pointed out .. when they change a bean in a blend. This can make a huge difference as I have noticed when finding a 'Negrita' blend I loved & then had problems with the pour. I suspected a bean type had changed in that batch? I have a kilo of mycuppa's Espresso and then 500g of 'Barista' .. which may only require slight tweaking?

ash · December 2013

Haven't sold it yet, I've been busy tied up with a couple of other projects. I might get around to it soon - but she's a delightful little machine that I'm not sure I want to say goodbye to, just yet!

Moon · December 2013

Yeah .. happens quite a bit .. a little gem is laying around needing some attention .. and then you finally get it back up to where you want it and then part ways .. crying shame that :'(

Btw .. the equipment posters have listed below posts .. how do you enter that? I gather it isn't keyed in each time you post, so do you copy & paste or is there an auto setting that includes it each time? My gear is no longer too embarrassing to admit .. and ready to step up to the plate I reckon. It may not be a Londinium 1 .. only it ain't a Gaggia Baby any more. :D

Moon · December 2013

It may be a grizzly day in Melbourne outside today, only it has been a beautiful day indoors with my PV Lusso - producing 2 beaming rays of sunshine. 1. 9/10 2. 9.2/10 Delicious :thumb: The stepless grinder allows me to fine tune the grind back to the sweet spot. It's good to be back. :laugh:

Moon · December 2013

3 more successes today I'm happy to report. 1. 30 secs - Rating 9/10 2. 40 secs - Rating - 9.2/10 3. 50 secs - Rating 9.3/10 I'm surprised the 50 sec pour turned out so nice. The PF didn't lock in first go as the dose was a tad high, and the pour took a while to get going. I don't wait the full 10 secs these days waiting for the first drop to appear. I hold the lever down for 5 secs then release it until I get the first drop, pull lever down fully and release. I'm doing this on a hunch that the shorter the grinds are wet during pre-infusion the better? The longer pours seem to be smoother, although reverting back to the much nicer organic milk would no doubt be contributing to this. I'm also having to dig the grinds out that collect on the horizontal ledge at the top of the grinder chute. Strange that they designed the grinds to be pushed across a horizontal ledge before dropping down the chute. Having it angled from the start would have prevented grinds being trapped and having to get up there to scrape them out. Compak loses a point in its rating for this design flaw. It's about a level teaspoon of grinds. Cheers :coffee2:

Moon · December 2013

1. Pour 30 secs. Rating 9/10 2. Pour 35 secs. Rating 9.2/10 Then tried dosing straight into the PF. Didn't spill .. but could see the clumps that I would normally shake out when grinding into a container first. You also miss out on sniffing the aroma straight after the shake, which is kind of a regular part of the coffee appreciation ritual. Like giving a glass of vintage red a swirl and a sniff.. only, let's face it .. fresh ground coffee smells heaps better .. right? :thumb: 3. Pour 15 secs .. way too quick .. so did a 2nd lever pull and used larger 6 oz cup for the 40ml. Not bad. Rating 8.8/10 Micro-foam not as good (small bubbles) as I steamed the milk before the gauge reached 1.2 bar. I'm guessing the pour was fast due to the clumps leading to channeling? The 2nd lever pull is usually quicker .. so total pour time was about 25 secs. Seems like it is important that the grinds are free of clumps. it also lowered the dose in the PF so the grinds may not have been in contact with the screen as they usually are .. so this may have contributed to the faster pour? Normally the dose has the grinds in contact with the screen at 17g + 3 beans - which after a soft polish/tamp gives a clearance of 3mm. As the PF is attached to the group - it automatically tamps another 1mm to bring it to 4mm .. which is the minimum distance possible between the grinds and the screen. This has been measured previously. Any less than 4mm and the screen imprints into the polished surface of the grinds. If a higher dose was used, it would need a firmer tamp to achieve the 4mm clearance from the top of the basket, and if this is done .. the screen would not be able to push the grinds down further when attaching the PF .. as it has already been highly compressed? By only tamping lightly, and having removed the clumps .. the screen is allowed the flexibility to further compact the grinds down to the appropriate level while being in direct contact with the screen. I'm not sure whether a higher dose using a hard tamp could choke it when the grinds are in contact with the screen? From what I have been reading .. choking is usually due to the grind being too fine .. and that the tamp is irrelevant as far as the pour time goes? As I am using only a soft tamp .. I can get away with only using the supplied plastic tamper, whereas, if a firm/hard tamp is used .. you'd have to invest in a decent metal tamper. Yo .. I'm around $50 better off using the soft approach. 8) Might try a few Fellini moves to see if I can produce a 9+ rating coffee in a larger 6oz cup --> :coffee2:

Brett H · December 2013

Great progress mate! It's a slippery slop... You'll soon have a big conical and a Strega on your bench if you're not careful!!

Moon · December 2013

Hi Brett Cheers

Yeah .. Strega .. golly, I was drooling looking at one of those machines .. if only? $3-3,500? The Ponte Vecchio Lusso is a fantastic entry level lever .. although the La Pavonis are the most popular introduction to levers. I preferred the idea of a solid lever that you didn't have to hold down while pulling the lever. Ideally , it would have been better to go to some place and try a few out to see what feels right .. only seeing I couldn't do this due to no Lussos being available in Shops here in Australia .. it was a leap of Faith .. and a $1100 leap of Faith is better than a $3,500 one .. I reckon. Conical grinder eh? I'm really happy with the Compak K3 and reckon it's the perfect size for a kitchen. I agree with one of you blokes who said .. 'the Compak is probably all you will ever need' .. meaning even if I upgrade my Coffee machine to .. say a Strega.. ? The stepless grind adjustment is definitely the way to go .. as adjustments sometimes need to be minute. I get it .. Brett.

Upgraditis .. yeah? Must admit .. those Bezeera machines are beautifully made .. maybe?? - only I'm definitely not going for one of those monster commercial grinders. I saw a Mazzer Robur in a Cafe the other day - You have got to be kidding. How do blokes manage to get one of those in the kitchen? They'd have to be single for starters.. well, either that or they gag their wives. Crikey.

I was over at the other mob .. and it was interesting that someone wanted to buy a 2nd hand PV Lusso. Another poster replied saying that it was rare that lever owners put their machines up for sale .. and felt that owners must be happy with these machines and therefore unwilling to part with them. Lacehim parted with his .. only probably regrets it :stir .. and ash has been working on his to sell .. only having second thoughts .. so I reckon once you own one of these babes .. it tends to be for keeps .. otherwise you're left with that feeling that it's one that got away .. :'(

Just made a cuppa in the normal sized cup using the Fellini move - waiting until the lever got to about half way up then pulled down & release. The first was about 10 secs .. 2nd about 15 secs .. 25 secs all up. Rating 9/10 .. nice The 2nd pour is blonde colour and doesn't have the Tiger striping that a 1st lever pull has in a 20ml ristretto shot. Will have to try completing a 1st pull .. and then a shortened 2nd pull, so that I get all that rich gold and caramel striping into my cup - 'the quality part' .. then add some filler with the 2nd. The journey continues...

Moon · December 2013

I've established that the 1st lever pull pours for 30 secs and a 2nd runs quicker at around 15 secs Using a standard 6oz cup .. this was todays method.. 1. Run the full 1st lever release (against the spring) for 30 secs - producing 20ml Run the 2nd half way (8 secs) and slip another small cup underneath to catch the tail end of the pour which is the most diluted, and therefore the lowest quality. Pour total - 38 secs for 30-35ml Result - a little stronger than preferred, but goes down well for the first for the day, along with the extra 2oz in the cup. Used Aldi full-cream milk .. which is better than the Coles Farmland. A test concluded that Aldi has the best of the standard Supermarket milks .. with a higher fat content than the others in their full-cream. Best to avoid Woolies (Pauls) home brand milk as this has a distinct odour & flavour that I have found very unpleasant. Woolies Macro organic on the other hand is excellent milk, which is my personal choice for my lattes. I gather the Macro must be sourced from another supplier? Rating: 9/10

2. Run the 1st lever for only 20 secs (of the 30). The lever slows in the last 10 secs of its range. Do the Fellini and pull the lever down and release. Let it run for 10 secs .. then remove when you think the volume in the cup is about right, which, in my case is a little past half way through its range... 10 secs. Total pour - approx 30 secs Total volume - around 28-30ml. (haven't measured) (2 pulls is 40ml .. so a little is taken from the 1st, usually droplets, and 10-12ml of the swill is avoided in the 2nd) Result - works for me. Very nice. Think I'll stick with this method for a bit. The larger 6oz cup is great when hanging out for a coffee .. whereas the smaller 4oz is ideal when in the mood for that extra special coffee when 'quality' is preferred over quantity.. i.e. after a meal, mid afternoon or evening? Rating - 9.2/10

Edit: Above was using mycuppa 'Espresso' beans Thought I'd try their 'Barista' beans this time using the same method as in '2' above Rating - 9.2/10 *Have noticed some water leaking from the sides of the PF when pulling the lever down for pre-infusion. Usually I pull the lever to flush after the pour, however, this may not have cleaned off any stray grinds that may be sticking to the seal?

frame

Howdy, Stranger!

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Ponte Vecchio Lusso - advice please?

Comments

foot

Policies

Social

frame

Howdy, Stranger!

Howdy, Stranger!

Quick Links

Categories

In this Discussion

Ponte Vecchio Lusso - advice please?

Comments

foot

Policies

Social