I’m relatively new to the espresso game and my espresso always tastes a bit sour… please help! I’m using a Breville Barista Express. From what I understand, the sourness is generally because of under extraction. The water seems to be at around 190-200 degrees, so I don’t think that’s the issue. I’ve tried to dial in the grind size so that pulling a shot takes around 25-30 seconds. At that grind size, the pressure gauge is at the very top of the range. I believe if I go finer with the grind, then it’ll take longer to brew and push the pressure up higher. I’m not sure exactly what to do to address this. Could it be that I’m tamping too hard? I push relatively firm, aiming for about 30 lbs of pressure. Thanks for the help!
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How many grams of espresso are coming out at the other end? The rule of thumb is around 2x the mass of coffee in the portafilter. However, that’s just a rough guide. Generally, more water -> more extraction -> less sour. Just for experimentation’s sake, try adjusting variables like fineness or water, and let the shot time go longer. See how you like the results.
I tried to follow all the rules of espresso. “Only X seconds of brew time”, “Only this Y grams of water”. I never got a good tasting shot. Then I started experimenting. I have a pretty cheap DeLonghi Dedica, and I began to tailor my shots to how my machine actually works, vs how others told me to do it.
Nowadays, I pull a ~43g shot from 18g of coffee. I have my grinder set to some fineness level that I haven’t needed to adjust in months. The shots I pull are always better than most non-specialty coffee shops. Sometimes, I even get a perfect shot that tastes like heaven. It all became better when I stopped focusing on rules and started learning what my machine likes.
Love this comment. I like the mindset of using the rules as general guidelines, but experiment a bit and see the impact.
You just encapsulated the concept of espresso I thought was long lost: Espresso is an art.
I highly recommend a scale (with 0.1g precision) to weigh how much coffee goes in vs how much liquid comes out. Without it you’re just going to be eyeballing and that will quickly become frustrating (I’ve been there). No need to spend a lot of money, a cheap €20 one will get you a long way.
Once you get a scale, you can follow this simple recipe:
- grind 18g of coffee (weigh the grounds, do not weigh the beans unless you have a very good grinder with low/no retention)
- Extract your espresso for 30 seconds
- Weigh the liquid in the cup, it should be around 36g (1:2 ratio). If it’s under 36g you’re grinding too fine, if it’s over then you’re grinding too coarse.
- Repeat until you consistently get it right.
After it’s dialed in, you can start making micro-adjustments to your liking.
Thanks. I actually have a .01g scale, but I was only weighing what went in. I didn’t realize I can also weigh the output to help tune in. Thanks for the instructions. Seems pretty clear.
If it’s under extracted then extract more. If you let it run a few seconds longer you’ll get more extraction along with a larger, weaker shot with less body, but at least if the level of sourness is right you’ll know more about what’s going on.
Does your machine have a preinfusion option? Preinfusion can increase contact time, and thus extraction, without increasing shot volume.
Makes total sense! I don’t think it has an (obvious) pre-infusion option, but I’ll do some research to find out.
Before I upgraded the electronics on my Gaggia Classic, I used to do a “poor man’s preinfusion” by leaving the steam valve open for the first few seconds of the shot, so that most of the water could escape that way instead.of thru the puck. Not sure if the same would work on your machine.
In addition to measuring your output / a longer extraction, you can try a longer pre-infusion, or bumping up the temperature. 190F is on the very low end of what is usually considered ideal – you could try aiming for 195 - 205. Also, if the portafilter is not fully heated that will offset the brew temperature and cause lower extraction.
Thanks. I’ll read up on pre-infusion. I also didn’t know I was supposed to be heating the portafilter.
The BBE has a lower grinder burr that is not documented in any of the papers that come with the machine. Discovering this and adjusting it was a game changer. I’ll try to find that video.
Edit: this isn’t the video I used, but it seems pretty thorough https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNvOcE4-VEo
