45 Seconds of Sidamo

I pulled a 45 sec double ristretto of ecafe Shilcho Sidamo just now. It tastes so creamy I’m going for my third today. Together with the crema, it hits just under the 1 oz mark. Heavily speckled with dark chocolate bits, it had a very creamy mouthfeel. I can definitely get used to these ristretto shots. My first shot of the day was Kenya Gethumbwini, which I roasted 2 days ago, together with my batch of Sidamo. So, both batches are just 2 days old. The Kenya could use another 2 days rest. It tasted a bit grassy. But the Sidamo was super fine. My Kenya shot was a bit fast though, so I turned the Compak K6 about 3 mm finer for the Sidamo. Perfect setting for a ristretto.

3 thoughts on “45 Seconds of Sidamo”

  1. I let my 3rd shot run about 10 seconds more to make it a 55 second pull. And it was still very creamy, with no signs of blonding. Tastes so damn fine. I’m getting a knack at this! Wished I had a bigger batch of Sidamo. For this roast, I tried not to roast more than 1 1/2 scoops into my popper. Maybe, that was the key to a more even roast, not to overload your popper. I feel like going for a 4th, but I think I should leave some for the 3rd day. Life’s perfect.

  2. Stumbled on your blog: nice gear you have. I had some coffee that the Raffles Place Gloria Jeans when I was back (not bad some days) from Australia. Are you still working there? You also mentioned a comic shop? Which one? 45 second ristrettos!? Are you sure they weren’t burnt or bitter?

  3. Hi Shawn,

    I was at GJC for a total of 3 days. I’m now in the process of closing my comics business and looking for other careers.

    To achieve 45 seconds ristrettos, a lot of factors come to play.
    1) It has to be the right roast. So far, the beans are roasted to Viennese, with slight patches of oil on day 3 and beyond.

    2) I’ve only achieved the 45 sec ristr with SM Italian Espresso Blend and Shilcho SIdamo.

    3) The grind has to be super fine, and a dosing of about 21 grams in a double basket.

    4) Tamp hard and even

    5) Watch the naked portafilter. The 1st drops in your cup should appear after about 10 to 13 seconds. The funnel should form around 25 to 30 sec mark. U continue to let it run until just before the first sign of blonding.

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