5x I Am A Barista In SG Tips during Espresso Calibrations.

"Do Not Adjust Grind."

"Do not adjust grind size."

This is the picture that got me all inspired to write a piece on espresso calibration, dialling in, calling the dial, grind size adjustment, whatever you call them operationally. This is not an easy topic to write out, it is easier via 'Tell, Show & Do' and a video blog might works better but I will attempt it anyways. No, you won't be able to expertly dial in (if you are a career barista who like the above picture summarised, do not adjust grinds in your lifetime) simply by reading this but the tips I hope will help remove the fear factors of dialling in and yes this is where I am coming from. To remove fears and progress forward.
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'A' for effort from the barista/operator/owner or whoever that wrote on the transparent tape and sticking it on the doser but definitely not an 'A' for what he/she is trying to achieve for the coffee operations of this cafe! If consistency is what they are after, or a high turnover of trained staffs + new and inexperienced ones leads to morning dialling in mayhems, I strongly suggest to go fully automatic with a slightly dark roast that gives you chocolates and more chocolates (no you don't give me that look 3rd wave barista, I know at times you all secretly enjoy the chocolates in your 5oz milk beverage) as this gives better beverage quality rather then getting coffees that goes from very sour to very bitter, day to day. Why the extreme sour to bitter? Simple- when you do not adjust your grind size and the coffees you received is of varying freshness from very fresh to peak to ageing and at times even staling, you experience under and over extraction which leads to the sour or bitter flavours.
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Before I provide the tips, here is a simple X and Y axis tasting chart to aid you in knowing what to look out for when tasting your espresso, and how adjusting it changes flavours gradually. There is definitely a few others that you can obtain just by asking Mr Google but here is one I use for running espresso calibration classes the last few years.

A God-Shot Espresso flavour chart created for Katalyst Coffee Academy.

 For now, here are your 5 x I Am A Barista  In SG Tips during Espresso Calibrations:
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 Tip 1 - Combat palate fatigue

-Too much coffee challenge your ability to taste
-When caffeinated,  an espresso becomes correct but not delicious
-Taste not Drink (an definitely DO NOT Slurp)
-Spit out, Rinse immediately and  Drink water afterwards.

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Tip 2 - Keep calm with the Grinder

-Grinder frustration leads to a Barista doom day
-Don’t overreact. When a shot is fast, pull another one.
-Double check the dose before making a change.
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Tip 3 - Purge them out

-Isolate the problem by clearing your ‘resting ground’ in the burr collars
-Invest in the next shot. Don’t see it as a wastage.

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Tip 4 - Tasting tells you everything

-Use the Flavour/Extraction Map
-Unbalanced, Dominant Acidity & Astrigency -> Under-Extraction
-Dry, Rough & ‘Panadol’ Bitterness -> Over-Extraction

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Tip 5 - Have a Strategy

-Know your order of variables  : Brew Time, Dry Dose, Grind Size, Temperature, Pressure Profiling
-That first shot is not the sweetest. Use it in your dialing in plans to  get started
-Start off with ‘That Someone Recipe’ for ‘That Particular Coffee’ – Chocolate cannot become Fruity, no matter how hard you try!
-One Grinder to One Grouphead
-Have a Espresso calibration log card. Keep note of recipe, shot times & flavours of similar coffees. Note the changes through roast dates.

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I like to sit on this a little bit more longer but there is a cousin wedding to catch. Lol. If you are interested for me to explain more on how this chart actually works during dialling or how does the 5 tips supports the synergy of the provided chart, write to me at suhaimie.sukiman@dutchcolony.sg and we can run a 2 hour long class on this in the comfort of your own space or over at Katalyst Coffee Academy too. :) Of course there is a class fee but this is an investment that you will want to put in to churn out even tastier coffees in your own shop.

Til I write again....

I Am A Barista In SG
Suhaimi Sukiman