One Thing to Try This Week
Look inside your portafilter after your next shot. If there's a circle pressed into the puck, you overdosed. The puck was smashed against the dispersion screen with nowhere to expand.
Two things to watch for before you even taste your shot: the portafilter's tight to lock in - feels like you're fighting it a bit. Machine sounds like it is working hard to push the water through.
Fix it with a loose fill. Small mound over the rim. Don't tap it, don't pack it, don't top it off. If you fill loosely, it's hard to overdose without packing it in first.
Try it on your next shot. No circle in the puck, you didn't overdose or lock in too tight.
What Hit This Week
An ad on Facebook and Instagram - "Stop timing your shots. Watch the color instead" - turned into an interesting comment thread.
Metrics don't matter as much as the comments. Readers backing each other up on the visual method, no pushing from me needed.
Refreshing to see normal people having reasonable conversations about great espresso.
The Precision Trap
"Good coffee's expensive guessing and trial and error is just a waste."
The trial and error is the whole point. Learn the fundamentals once and you don't need the scale, the timer, or the app anymore. Same reason people who only use GPS never actually learn the route. The tool becomes the crutch.
The Manual Method takes a little longer at first. Then it takes no time at all.
Build Notes
CafƩ Bustelo is on the counter. Haven't dialed it in yet - didn't want to rush the notes just to hit an issue. Real report coming once the shots are worth reporting on.
If the Brief is giving you value, tell me. If it's not, tell me that too.
Reader Question
What's one thing you stopped doing that wound up making your espresso better?
Reply to this email. Best answers featured in future content with a shout-out.
- The Manual Method
P.S. If reading your puck clicks, Watch the Color is the same idea applied to timing. Free, one page. Get it here.
