Ponte Vecchio Lusso - advice please?

Moon · April 2014

on 1397344352:

9.25!! Yep... 9.25 I'm enjoying the Robust flavour of this!!

Merlo have the Forza in their range .. so, besides your good self, it must have a fan club .. different strokes n all that. Curious .. being a Merlo Man .. how do you rate their 'espresso blend', 'Private blend' and 'Riveria' blends?

Columbia Excelso - Day 9 Wow Man .. what a cracker this bean is. I tamped it too firmly and it dripped its way to a 45 sec 1st extraction .. then had to go a 2nd to get the volume. Didn't phase it .. still a ripper cup of coffee. This is the 1st Columbian bean I've tried, and very impressed.

on 1397292781:

.. that Colombian you have will run out this coming week - it's been an excellent performer for us since late 2013, but like all things it has come to an end. We took delivery of another two different Colombians this last week - both of them exceptional and one of them in particular is in my opinion clearly superior to the lot it replaced.

Great news. No need to worry about missing out on being able to purchase more of the Excelso then. :thumb: * Naturally .. I'll be wanting the one that is superior .. no surprise there. :P

Moon · April 2014

Another Columbian down the hatch. If this bean ends up going up another couple of levels .. and hits a sweet spot .. it will be unbeatable. The first is to achieve a 9.2/10 .. and from there .. stardom (9.3/10+) Right now though .. at Day 9 .. it's lacking a little flavour and that hint of chocolate or honey (not that it necessary requires this) - but has the potential to be anything from a 9.2 to a 9.4/10. With 500g of Major Tom arriving .. as well as probably 300g of Georges Premium blend .. there will be ample beans to allow this Columbian to run the distance to 4 weeks .. enabling it to reach its peak .. if it has one? At the moment - it would be a tight tussle with Major Tom, and from memory .. Georges Premium, although it will be interesting to see how much Georges Premium blend has differed from when I last tried it .. some 12 months ago. The upcoming smackdown is shaping up as Coffee bliss. Tough gig I know .. only someone's gotta do it :laugh:

Ok .. it's time for another coffee Hmm? Columbian or a Merlo Forza? Tough choice that. lol Yep .. I'm biting the bullet and going a Forza .. blimey The burning question is .. Will it be a Prince or a Turkey? Stay tuned folks.

Moon · April 2014

That's the Forza done and dusted. Turned the Lusso on that takes about 15 mins to heat up .. leaving the steam valve partially open to dispel the false pressure as it reaches boiling point .. then I turn the knob to its off position. As Brettmate suggested .. I left the machine on a further 25 mins so that it was hot before making the Forza. I checked the aroma of the beans and they didn't have that tired aroma that the Coffex Super Bar had that I purchased at the Deli yesterday. After grinding the beans I checked the aroma of the grinds .. sniff sniff .. and it was a rather nice aroma. I chose a medium tamp .. pulled the lever to the horizontal position before locking in the Portafilter to make sure the air pocket in the cylinder was dispelled .. something I always do these days. You can usually hear the air escaping just before the lever reaches the horizontal position. I then pulled the lever down completely .. and held it until the first drops of coffee appeared - and released it to the horizontal position, then pulled it down again for the fellini. As there was a large air pocket in the cylinder .. I had to repeat the fellini about 4 times before the lever would hold steady in the horizontal position to start the extraction, even though the coffee was already pouring quite quickly during each of the fellini moves. The pour lasted no more than 10 seconds, as it was gushing profusely. The shot ended up being around 30ml.. with little to no crema. What all this tells me is that I needed to have used a heavy tamp, rather than a medium one. As it was the last of the beans, I didn't have the luxury of sinking it .. and trying again. Steamed the milk .. and filled the cup. It looked ok. Took it downstairs into the garage as per usual .. as I don't smoke inside the house, rolled a number (tobacco only) and all ready for the taste test. Previously I had rated the Forza an 8/10 which I later decided was a little too generous .. then downgraded it to a 7.6/10 so that I had some space under 8/10 for another coffee I had tried that I wanted to slot in there. Reason for that .. was that an 8/10 has been traditionally allocated to a 'nice' coffee .. and neither of them quite deserved that classification .. unfortunately. Now you have the background on the Forza .. we come to the update. Well, I'm pleased to announce that even though the process was flawed .. with the tamp error on my part allowing the gushing pour, as in (it was never going to end well) .. this cup of coffee scored better than the last one. Previously - 7.6/10 This time - 7.8/10 :rofl: At least it was drinkable this time around (only just) .. so that's a positive .. yeah?

And as for the question of whether I think these Forzas are a Prince or a Turkey. Here is the clue.... The few remaining beans that are not enough to make another cup .... I'll be saving them for Christmas.

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Moon · April 2014

Columbian Excelso - Day 10 (post roast) I've had 2 of these so far today. 1. Light-medium tamp and it poured a little too quickly. 2. Medium tamp - the 1st extraction lasted 25 secs for barely a 10 ml shot - so had to go the full 2nd to end up with 30ml. The long extraction time allowed the flavour of the Columbian to come through. Although previous Columbian coffees lacked in the flavour department .. they had the basis for a very high rating result. Each to their own of course .. but the flavour did not appeal so much to my particular taste - so the upcoming battle on Thursday with the blends isn't shaping up as a slam dunk for this Columbian.. as previously thought. It was still a very nice coffee .. only didn't impress enough to score a 9.2/10 - being the benchmark for excellence .. on this particular occasion. Rating - 9.15/10 Current position: Near the front of the Peloton .. in the 'Tour de Bean'

C-man · April 2014

If it is the same Colombian as I had? Big fat beans?

Moon · April 2014

on 1397451136:

If it is the same Colombian as I had? Big fat beans?

No .. they are not big fat beans. They appear 'average' .. or possibly fractionally larger. What I have is the 'Excelso'. There are 3 Columbians listed on mycuppa's website 1, Excelso - Fairtrade & Organic 2. Excelso 3. Columbian Supreme According to what was indicated on the pack .. mine are 2. Excelso mycuppa has 5 Columbians .. only not all are listed on the site .. apparently these are rotated. I'm not sure whether this includes the 2 lots that have recently been acquired by mycuppa that Jeff is deciding what to do with.

C-man · April 2014

I may have had the supreme I may be wrong here but I never adjust the tamp, softening the tamp to speed up the flow leaves me open to channeling and is never consistent unless you have some way to measure it. I tamp hard enough to compact the puck, (I noticed Lachim tamps hard too) I figure once the puck is compacted then even standing on it does not change anything so that is one variable out of the equation I just adjust dose and grind, some machines like a certain dose, mine works well with all dose levels (basket size is a factor too) Grind and temperature seem to be the major players to me anyway.

Moon · April 2014

I prefer not to tamp hard as I was getting good results when taking littleroundman's advice to polish only. More recently I have gone light to medium. I should probably adjust the grind .. as it has been a 'one size fits all' approach I have been using .. which is wrong I know .. only I don't want to lose the current setting that has bean working well for a while. It would be handy to have a led for displaying the setting so that you can move it back to the exact place you had it .. after changing the setting for a particular bean. Even being slightly off can make quite a difference .. so having found the sweet spot .. I'm reluctant to give it up. It's funny .. sometimes doing a heavy tamp will slow the pour down .. yet at other times, doesn't make any difference. With the PV Lusso .. the pour is better with a full dose up to a point. I can tell by the resistance when locking in the Portafilter to the group head. Can't be more than just a slight resistance. I have only choked it twice .. once back in the earlier days .. not that it is long ago, and the other after using my Spong No4 hand grinder .. which ground the beans too fine .. which is not a bad problem. Means it can grind fine enough for espresso .. which is good to know. Been thinking of giving the ol' Spong another go lately. I have no control over the temperature on my machine. I was nearly going to go for the Bezeera with the PID .. only it had a small boiler .. not muck larger than a Rancilio Silvia. From memory .. about 800ml. I'm glad I opted for the larger 3 litre boiler in the Lusso .. although the PID would have been nice.

C-man · April 2014

Grind really needs to be the main adjustment, I am always switching beans with every cup. and each bean seams to like a certain grind to get the best out of it but most beans will work at a basic setting just not as well. What you are doing keeping the grind set and adjusting the tamp will not get you the best possible result IMO I just stick something on the spot where the adjustment was made or mark it with something that can wash off when I want to.. lots of cafe's adjust the grind every morning to suit the weather and aging of the beans. just my thoughts, open to discussion

Moon · April 2014

on 1397456605:

Grind really needs to be the main adjustment, I am always switching beans with every cup. and each bean seams to like a certain grind to get the best out of it but most beans will work at a basic setting just not as well.

I totally agree. I'm finding that I'm getting good results from the more dense moist beans like mycuppa's Guat, Barista .. or KK's Yirg .. but having problems with those light dryish beans such as Sirius Classic, NZ Supreme .. that would perform better if I adjusted the grind (probably finer?) to slow down the pour which would add flavour. The Sirius Classic blend is a resilient blend as it performs from day 1 and even if the grind isn't ideal .. still makes a consistently very good quality cup of coffee. It is the most user friendly to date. Perhaps if I did adjust the grind though .. it would most likely be even better than it has bean. Like you .. I like changing my beans often .. so I'm choosing the less complicated option for the time being. Admittedly .. it is not fair on the beans that are being rated or compared .. if the grind setting favors one bean over another.. but that's life .. finding yourself in the hands of, and at the mercy of a coffee n00b - still working on their routine :rofl:

on 1397456605:

Grind really needs to be the main adjustment. I just stick something on the spot where the adjustment was made or mark it with something that can wash off when I want to.. lots of cafe's adjust the grind every morning to suit the weather and aging of the beans.

I've seen others do this too. It's like you need fine coloured felt pens to mark the spot for each bean and keep a log as to what particular bean is what colour. 3 sets of these .. 1 for espresso .. another for drip .. and another for a stove top. Crikey - hence my idea of an electronic led so that you can simply dial to the appropriate number. My motto these days is 'keep it simple' .. which can be challenging for a perfectionist type like myself. Having admitted that .. I am a 9/10 perfectionist .. which allows me to still enjoy my imperfections.. which includes my coffee making :P As for the Cafe Barista's sniffing the air to gauge humidity, and checking the beans for wrinkles that have appeared on their skins overnight .. to determine the adjustment of grind setting ... I solemnly swear .. that on this day henceforth .. that I .. Moony, will not be seeking, nor applying .. for a Barista job at any Crema forum members local favorite Cafe .. for a period of not less than 28 days. :stir

Ahhh .. 500g of Major Tom from Ground Control up at South Tweed is now onboard for the battle of the heavyweights. Good times are a comin :thumb:

ps. Think I might celebrate by cooking myself a Chicken Karahi curry tonight - Indian cooking lessons paying off :thumb: A sensational cup of Yirgacheffe may rate through the roof .. but let's not go head to head with a good Indian curry.

Moon · April 2014

Have had 2 Major Toms so far today .. and it's a big WOW from me. I'm giving each of Thursdays smackdown contenders a trial run to get the process pretty right. 1. Medium tamped and poured too slowly .. dripping through it's 1st extraction and struggled through its 2nd. 2. Light tamp and pour was perfect. I guess this is one instance - the tamp did make a difference. Major Tom (blend) - Day 8 post roast. Columbian Excelso (single origin) - Day 11 MT isn't what I would call an 'outstanding' coffee - as there are no prominant unique flavours .. but what I can say .. is that the blender certainly got this one right on the money .. complete with the right amount of chocolate. If I had to choose only one bean from those I have tried so far .. to drink exclusively every day for the next 5 years .. this would be the one. It caters perfectly to my particular expectation of what a coffee should taste like. This does not mean that this very smooth well rounded blend cannot be beaten by an exceptional bean with a unique flavour having special appeal .. such as KKs Ethiopian Yirgacheffe with say, that hint of honey in the mix .. but it does mean that it is a true heavyweight on the coffee scene. Major Tom .. is one very lucky find along the path of my personal coffee journey.

Moon · April 2014

Picked up 300g of Georges Premium blend .. and asked one of his sons (Will I think?) what are his favorites .. and said .. the Premium and the New Guinea Peaberry .. so I purchased a 100g of that to try. I'm pleased to be trying a bean from New Guinea .. as it will be the first from this region. About to give the Premium a run now. Yeah baby .. Georges Premium blend didn't disappoint .. yummo :coffee2: It was so nice .. I had to follow up with the New Guinea Peaberry single origin - to see what that's like. Well .. smooth, full-flavored and quite sweet. Very nice coffee. This is a good one for those who want to cut back on sugar. Both of these beans have a lovely aroma .. dense texture when ground.. and produced excellent crema. I asked Will about the roasting date .. and he said - 2-3 days ago.. good to go.. no waiting

I used a light/medium tamp and the pour was drippy on all 4 sides of the basket. Will have to use either polish only or a light tamp for these two. The Major Tom is also light .. whereas the Columbian is light/medium. Tomorrows contest will be a good one. Each candidate is up for a hard grind .. but it will end up fine.

Moon · April 2014

Here's how the smackdown will work. 1. Major Tom - blend [Tweed heads - NSW] - $35/kg 2. Columbian Excelso - SO [Sponsor] - $24/kg 3. Georges Premium - blend [Brunswick - Vic] - $34/kg *Postage varies

Each coffee will be made 3 times over 3 or 4 days .. depending on how quickly I get caffeined out :coffee: First extractions that are under 15 secs or over 30 secs will be sinkers .. and redone. Microfoam must be near perfect .. or it too is redone. Coffees will be rated each time and given an aggregate score after 3 cups. Obviously ---> Highest score wins. *Just so that no bean is left feeling like a 'loser' .. Gold, Silver & Bronze Medals will be awarded. 1st - std 6oz latte - double-shot basket. 2nd - 4oz piccolo latte - single-shot basket. 3rd - std 6oz latte - double-shot basket. Grind - one grind setting for all. (

) Milk - Sims Community Full-Cream.

Other categories 1. Best aroma (when ground) 2. Best Crema (given score - aggregate total) 3. Nicest flavour 4. Most satisfying 5. WOW factor * Scores won't be posted .. just a winner in each category.

All results will be final .. no appeals .. no lawsuits.

Brett H · April 2014

Loving it!!

Moon · April 2014

It is a beautiful sunny day in Melbourne - and the scene is set for one of Australia's most prestigious online events in 2014. The Crema Forum .. Sponsors .. and Moon .. proudly presents ... Coffee Smackdown No2 - 'The Battle of the Beans'

Koffee_Kosmo · April 2014

And the crowd goes wild [attachimg=1]

Moon · April 2014

^ lol .. Crowd chanting - 'I want one .. bring it on' Round 1 In the Red corner .. we have.. Georges Premium blend - Day 4 - post roast. I find the best way to prep my palate for a coffee rating is to have a couple of pieces of white toast with a smear of margarine. .. This dries out the palate leaving it hanging out for a drink .. without distracting the taste buds with a savory or spicy spread taking the focus away from the main game. First shot was set aside .. as being a bloke n all .. and not good at multi-tasking - I couldn't wangle the lever, camera - which was showing a previous photo, and watching the clock all at the same time .. so the shot volume ended up being 40ml .. which was too much .. as I was looking for 30ml. 2. Pour was 20 secs (1st extraction) + 10 secs (2nd) = 30 secs .. for a 30 ml shot with ample crema. *Polish only tamp. *Microfoam was near perfect. Rating - 9.25/10 This was a corker .. not as smooth and rich as some in the 9.2+ range .. and didn't show any chocolate or honey .. but what was very appealing about this coffee was the clarity of its flavour.. which was full .. beautifully balanced .. and punchy enough to leave you satisfied. Credit where due. This is a superb bean blend.

Moon · April 2014

Georges Premium blend. What a beauty!

C-man · April 2014

I still have my money on the underdog

"Colombian" Although the competition looks fierce.

Moon · April 2014

Coming up next .. is Major Tom C-man .. you get to see what Columbian is up against.

Major Tom blend - Day 10 post roast Like Georges Premium .. had to sink the first due to ending up 40ml. Shame that. 2. Pour - 20 sec (1st) + 15 sec (2nd) = 35 sec for a 30ml shot Tamp - polish only Rating - 9.25/10 I couldn't split these two score-wise as they were quite different .. and both were sensational coffees in the cup. Georges Premium had better/more flavour with a cleaner taste .. whereas the Major Tom was silky smooth and rich .. yet milder .. with a hint of chocolate. It will be interesting with these 2 juggernauts battling it out for supremacy. Can Miss Columbia shape up for the challenge? We'll see ... tomorrow .. for the exciting conclusion of Round 1 .. before moving onto Round 2. Don't miss it :thumb:

Moon · April 2014

Major Tom - by Ground Control Man .. this was also a beauty!

Brett H · April 2014

Fwaaaa.... I don't know if I can wait till tomorrow... :coffee2:

Moon · April 2014

I could sneak in a preview of the Columbian myself tonight .. only the photos don't come out too good during the evening .. so nothing official. Can't very well leave pics of mycuppa/sponsor coffee beans out .. eh? :angel: Hope I can conjure up some smashing crema photos like in those first 2 blends. That Columbian is pretty damn good .. and definitely right up there. If it plays its sweet honey card it had going a couple of cups back .. who knows, it could even end up being ahead after Round 1. Having said that .. I do like my coffee to taste like ... err .. coffee .. and not other things like you get when adding flavored essences to it. A hint of chocolate or honey is ok .. so long as it is only a tiny amount.

C-man · April 2014

from memory the Colombian had great "mouth feel" do you give points for that?

Moon · April 2014

on 1397739901:

from memory the Colombian had great "mouth feel" do you give points for that?

I give points for a smooth mouth feel .. that both the Columbian and Major Tom have. The Premium also has a mouthfeel .. only it is difficult to describe. It could be due to a higher 'acidity' .. only I'd be guessing, as I'm not sure how to determine low, medium or high acidity. I really need to be able to identify this .. which is why I was asking about a Coffee appreciation course in an earlier post. Each of the beans have their own appealing qualities .. and still sorting out the value I place on each .. to score above or below the others when comparing. I could use a set of criteria that I score to reach my rating. Take chocolate for example. I drink latte rather than cappuccino .. because I prefer my coffee without chocolate .. yet when it occurs naturally in the bean .. I see it as a positive, and like it. Same goes for detecting a 'honey' flavour. As for the mouth feel - Can you describe what it was when drinking the Columbian .. if you can remember? I did notice that the Premium had more of a lingering mouth feel - not apparent when drinking the other 2. This doesn't itself carry points .. but may contribute to satisfaction after finishing the coffee. I have noticed in the past that some very high rating coffees taper off to zero pretty well straight after the last mouthful.. leaving you thinking .. I did just have a coffee .. didn't I? Satisfaction doesn't currently carry points .. although, perhaps it should? For the moment .. I have included satisfaction in the other categories .. as I do believe it is a consideration .. well, let's call it an 'after-thought' .. shall we?

Moon · April 2014

Well .. let's get this show back on the road.. Ooops .. forgot to hit the <applause> button :doh: Coming up shortly

> Columbia.

Moon · April 2014

Columbian Excelso - Day 14 post roast Tamp - polish only Microfoam - near perfect .. milk not quite as expanded as the other 2. Pour - 30 sec (1st) .. 10 secs (2nd) = 40 secs for 32ml. Rating - 9.2/10 Smooth but has been smoother. Mildish flavour with no chocolate or honey. A very nice coffee .. but not quite as impressive as the Premium or Major Tom this time around. Dropped a tad behind after Round 1 .. but with 2 more to go .. has ample opportunity to kick arse. Next round - 4oz single-shot piccolo Will kick off Round 2 with another Columbian .. in about an hour.

Moon · April 2014

Columbian Excelso *Moony treated to yet another excellent coffee. This was it .. never lasts long enough though :coffee2:

Moon · April 2014

Round 2 - 4oz piccolo latte - single shot Columbian Excelso Coming up shortly

Moon · April 2014

Crikey .. this round has thrown a few curved balls at me already. Attempt 1. The spring in the PF wasn't holding the basket in properly causing the shot to squirt out sideways. Sinker. 2. After trying a polish only tamp - not much crema going on here. Drank it. Hmm? Will I post the rating (9.2/10) and photos - or will I try a little harder for the Homie? Decision - yep .. better do that. 3. Tried the polish only again and scored the same result. Drank it - to see if it was any better.... nup. Hmm? Rejected posting results last time .. so what's improved? .. nuffin. Try again. 4. Ahhh .. this time I will tamp firmly .. which should work .. as it is a shallower basket. Why didn't I think of that before? Golly .. took about 10 seconds to start pouring after the first drops. This is not good. Took 30 secs in total to finish the pour (10 secs wait + 20) for only a 10ml shot. Crikey .. maybe all it needed was a medium tamp .. then I noticed the light .. ran out of water in the boiler. Ok .. so .. does that mean I should try the firm tamp next time .. or go the medium? Hold that thought .. I'm a bit caffeined out after all that .. so probably best to wait until I really feel like another coffee as this ---> :coffee: is bound to reduce the wow factor somewhat .. and we don't want that for the home team .. do we? ... Didn't think so. *Batteries in the camera are due to die soon .. going by the run I've had sofar - that would be straight after pouring No5 .. and I'd miss out on a photo of the shot ---> and have to go No6 just to get a pic. Think I'll cut my losses .. load up a new lot of batteries .. get back to hanging out for a coffee - and make a fresh start tomorrow. To be continued ...

Oh .. and apologies to Brettmate .. as he probably won't sleep tonight .. thinking about what might have bean.

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