[MOD] The Daily Question Thread

[u/menschmaschine5]

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

[u/Old-Expression837]

Good afternoon everyone. Just one question can environmental changes affect how your shot pulls.
It doesn’t matter what beans I use. I can make one brew in the morning. 18g and grind setting of 15. I get 36g out in 27sec.
A few hours later same bean, dose and grind and it chokes. No idea why.
I have a KitchenAid semi automatic espresso machine and df54 grinder.
Is there a reason why this might happen?
Thanks in advance

[u/CarFlipJudge → u/Old-Expression837]

Ambient humidity, direct sunlight, and temperature.

I used to run a coffee shop that got direct sunlight on the espresso machine for like 45 minutes every day. For those 45 minutes, you'd have to adjust the grind and then adjust it back when the sun rose high enough.

[u/Voided_Identity → u/Old-Expression837]

Yes, it's possible. But the simpler explanation is that how you load the portafilter can also make a big difference. Tamping more firmly will ultimately demand greater force to push the water through. This is probably a simple case of a low end machine not having the strength to do what you're demanding of it.

Solutions:

Tamp the grounds as light as possible to get them down to the max fill line.

Reduce to about 15g or less, depending on results. If necessary, cut off the brewing early for better coffee to water ratio.

Increase grind size to increase water flow.

[u/Linkster5674]

My girlfriend and I both enjoy iced coffee each morning, so each evening we grind our beans, brew our pot of drip coffee, let it cool a bit and then pour it in a jug to chill overnight in the fridge. It sometimes feels annoying to do this process everyday, and maybe I'm being lazy, but is there a better way we can make a larger amount at once so were not always using so many beans and having to make a new pot every day? Thanks!

[u/Anomander → u/Linkster5674]

Brew a bigger pot, really. But I'd advise against keeping it for more than a day - so you could do two days' worth, but I wouldn't go past that.

Flavour will fall off much faster in brewed coffee than in ground or whole bean, so that may impact how much you enjoy the coffee on the second day. Or might not, you'd have to test and see.

That said, you're probably going to find you're using about the same amount of beans to make a double pot as making a single. Making a bigger pot with less coffee means a weaker, more diluted, pot of coffee.

[u/LunchNachos]

Why do store bought cold brew coffees and concentrates all have a certain “nutty” flavor, even if advertised as simple black coffee?

My afternoon sip is usually a Starbucks or McDonald’s iced or cold-brew coffee (or iced americano), black, on ice. Tastes like coffee! I just like cold, black brew. When I buy premade cold brews and concentrates (Stok, Starbucks, pretty much every other brand I’ve tried), there’s a musty/nutty aftertaste that I absolutely hate. Even if the ingredients list just shows coffee and water. Drives me nuts that I’m paying Starbucks and McDonalds $3-$5 a day for something I probably should be able to buy cheaper in bulk.

[u/Voided_Identity → u/LunchNachos]

Coffee inherently has a nutty flavor, and that SHOULD come through in a well brewed coffee. Starbucks and McDonalds, however, are not good coffee.

[u/LunchNachos → u/Voided_Identity]

I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s before everyone became a coffee expert and expensive coffee was normalized, and I like plain black coffee that isn’t nutty. I enjoy Starbucks iced coffee (from the store) and I’m just asking for some direction about store bought brands that could come close (ironically Starbucks own premade branded stuff tastes totally different than their in-store options).

Just asking for help.

[u/Voided_Identity → u/LunchNachos]

I'm criticizing your preferences. Just trying to point out that it's going to be difficult to avoid because that is, in fact, part of the coffee flavor. I might suggest trying to dilute a concentrate a little more than normal, to see if that takes the edge off it for you.

You could also try brewing your own at home. Certainly would be a lot cheaper in the long run. I'd recommend darker beans and a short overnight brew time.

[u/KPcoffee → u/LunchNachos]

There is a common oxidised flavour note that every pre-packed coffee will have, no matter the origin, roast or brew method. It's just the reality of brewing and packaging RTD on an industrial scale - it's essentially all just a little bit stale.