A Beginner's Guide To Fixing Bad Espresso
 

Just released by James Hoffman.

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I've just been focusing on getting 18-19grams in and 30-36 out (depending on bean) in approx. 30-35 seconds. I know too fast a brew will give me sour and too slow can get too bitter. My brain just can't handle anything beyond that at this time.

It popped in my feed and I need to watch it at some point. Been doing it for 20+years but can always use a pointer.
Flow control has been a gamechanger for me.

I need this. Thanks!

I think even his discussion of "sour" vs "bitter" - and the difference between those terms' real meanings with their application by a new coffee taster is valuable. Only with some standardized (ok, standardised for the guy in the vid) language can the problem even be worked.

I have seen some deep dives that look into the coffee's TDS targets. If only I could find them now, but it seems to make sense that a real measure of extraction might be useful. I think that metric helped you work the "triangle" of grain size, water:coffee and taste.

Have four cups ready and capture the first through fourth quarter-parts of the shot.

In theory, they should taste different.