Day 8 - Reflections
I feel like I’m hitting a glass ceiling. The coffee is good but not great. I’m trying to fine-tune. But the whole system is unstable. The flow rate is rather solid, but the taste changes with each shot. Time to take a step back and think.
Upgrades
I’ve already made several upgrades to my setup / process. Each upgrade improves the final result and/or its consistency. Upgrades also cost money and I hate to admit that my budget is not unlimited. Let’s be smart and perform the upgrades that give me the most bang for the buck.
Day 7 - Italian Salami
I’ve ordered the very coffee that sent me on this endless quest. I need this coffee to fulfill the mission and I need it now. For those who don’t know, “now” in French can be translated loosely by “whenever the fuck it arranges me”, at least the website where I ordered interprets it this way. So here I am, out of substance to feed to my ever-hungry machine.
Speciality Coffee
I walk into the speciality coffee shop like a kid into a toy store. A gigantic coffee roasting machine dominates the room. It’s beautiful. A wonderful scent of chocolate and coffee is in the air. Jackpot.
Day 6 - Magic
I’m still frustrated with the overall taste of my creations. I’ve made a lungo coffee just to see what it gives and my girlfriend liked it more than the espressos. In fact so much, that she asked me for another one in the afternoon. A declaration of war if you ask me.
Fortunately nobody asks me, so we can still pretend to live in peace. I profit from the calm before the storm to ask her a favor: I need a little water spray bottle of which she has plenty. I’ve heard that spraying your beans before grinding them can improve your coffee. I’m desperate and got nothing to lose.
Day 5 - Tools
Today is the day!! I’ve been waiting 3 days for my Amazon order to be shipped and finally the day of delivery has come. I’m physically at work, but my mind is with the Amazon delivery guy. He’ll bring me the trifecta of good puck preparation.
WDT tools
1. WDT
WTF is an acronym I know but WDT? “Weiss Distribution Tool” is a fancy name for a piece of metal with some very thin needles attached to it. Even a monkey could build one from trash found in the streets and yet I payed 10 euros.
Day 4 - Skill issues
I start the day with the new coffee. I’m using the recipe of my friend. The second try is already good enough to be enjoyed with my breakfast. Endorphins flood the rests of my brain not already dissolved by caffeine. It’s going to be a good day.
I immediately get to a point where only fine-tuning is needed. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. The coffee is a bit bitter and a bit acidic, but the taste is overall pretty decent. I’m applying my knowledge, turning the nobs and BOOM: Nothing happens. I hit a new wall.