New video: how pressure profiling changes flavor
I know that this video will seem oddly “retro” as it *only* has 3 steps: preinfusion, hold, decline, but bear with me! Understanding this stuff is the knowledge foundation you need before you go modifying those wizardly profiles from Stéphane, Gagné, Damian, and JoeD.
Away from the Decent and fully-controllable direct levers, 3 steps of programming is still “cutting edge, state of the art” from other companies, with (for example) the new San Remo machine being a 3 step machine. And, there's a reason: this is very classic espresso, really excellent with medium-light to dark roasts, and you should master part of history, this before you venture to more complicated profile programming.
The 3 profiles in this video only differ by the end pressure, which also affects the appropriate grind to use, and the running time of the shot.
I really recommend that you try this exercise. There is this gravitational pull toward more complexity with Decent profiles, and that's fine, but these simple profiles have very distinct flavor and texture, and I think they should be in everyone's arsenal.
I've seen criticism of these 3 step profiles that “they're all basically the same”, to which I answer: Yes and No. Yes, they're quite similar, but no, they don't taste at all the same.
The “classic italian' profile has preinfusion, and then holds at 9 bar:
From there, I hand-edit the profile in the video you but can simply choose the “classic lever profile”
and finally, the middle ground, what I probably could have called “the classic pressure profile” ,which you can find as the “best overall” profile:
Careful eyes might have noticed that the temperature also declined in each profile. That's because 9 bar Italian espresso tends to be brewed fairly hot, lever machines less so, and those with profiling control tend to go between 88C (for dark/medium beans) to 92C (for light roasts).
In this video, I used a medium-light roast from Fineprint.hk, by Australian champ Scottie Callaghan https://fineprint.hk/ and that roast level to darker, is where these profiles perform best.
I don't think the profiles above are the best choice for ultralight beans, but if you like how light roasted beans taste on traditional machines (a bit thin, a lot of brightness), then you should give this exercise a try.
And thanks to Paul Chan for playing along with this exercise, as I think this the first time he'd tried these profiles seriously, and was quite surprised at how good they tasted.
-john
AI Summary
Introduction
When Decent Espresso launched its machine, many questioned the need for pressure profiling, arguing that a constant nine-bar pressure was sufficient. To demonstrate its impact, three espresso shots were compared: a flat nine-bar shot, a lever-style shot, and a pressure-profiled shot.
Shot 1: Flat Nine-Bar Espresso (Classic Italian Profile)
- Extracted at a consistent nine-bar pressure with pre-infusion.
- Flow rate started slow and gradually increased, peaking at 2.2 ml/sec.
- Tasting Notes:
- Bright acidity, smooth finish.
- Medium-light body, thinner than ideal but acceptable.
- Strong, clear aroma.
- Works well for those who enjoy a sharp, vibrant espresso.
Shot 2: Lever-Style Espresso (Pressure Decreases to Zero Bar)
- Extraction started at high pressure but gradually declined to near zero.
- Flow rate remained slow, emphasizing thickness and chocolatey notes.
- Tasting Notes:
- Rich, syrupy body.
- Muted acidity and muddled clarity.
- Deep chocolate, earthy tones, and less pronounced aroma.
- Ideal for milk-based drinks due to its heavy body and lower acidity.
Shot 3: Pressure-Profiled Espresso (Nine Bar Declining to Six Bar)
- A hybrid approach starting at nine-bar and reducing to six-bar.
- Flow rate was stable, balancing extraction speed and flavor clarity.
- Tasting Notes:
- Balanced acidity and body.
- Cleaner and more complex aroma than the lever shot.
- Smooth aftertaste with nutty, fruity, and slightly chocolatey notes.
- Versatile for both black espresso and milk drinks.
Conclusion
- The nine-bar shot is bright but can be thin.
- The lever-style shot is thick but lacks clarity.
- The pressure-profiled shot offers the best balance.
- This profile is the default setting on Decent Espresso machines as recommended in Scott Rao's book.
- Encourages home baristas to experiment with pressure profiling.
Updated 2021/10/29