I've just learned, after almost a year of having my own espresso machine, that I can bloom an espresso shot. Happily I own Flair 58, so I can do whatever I desire with a pressure. I guess it's time for my third coffee today to try it out immediately. Wish me luck folks.
One thing maybe worth noting that i don't see mentioned a lot - you may be extracting 'only' 1.5% more but an increase from 18% to 19.5% means roughly 8% more dissolved coffee in the cup in the more extracted shot, very likely a noticeable increase Looking forward to trying this out when i get around to flow modding my BDB!
8% is actually a big deal. I don't like waste so don't use paper filters, but I long PI or bloom every shot and find regular shots don't do most beans justice
@@ylleKkcirtaPnadnerB Well, for specialty beans that easily costs $50-$80 per kg, that's 5-8 cents per gram. For a 18g basket, that's $0.90-1.44 per double shot. 8% of that is 7.2-11.42 cents extra of extraction. These paper filters, costs like 1 to 1.5 cents per piece. A little extra work goes a long way.
Even if it's commercial beans that costs $20 per kg, you'll still be saving cost overall. You can experiment it, you'll get more consistent shots, lots of clarity, and better extraction. Which also means, you could actually dose a little less, perhaps 14-16 grams, instead of 18 grams.
I watched this video and went ahead and tried this with a decent coffee, but one that wasn’t really blowing my mind. WOW. It really improved the texture and flavor a lot. True to what you said, it didn’t look like an Instagram reel on the way out.
Great Video! I have been doing these kind of shots on a machine with E61 group head with vibr. pump. It works smoothly but requires good timing. You can put the lever of the E61 to a 45 degree angle after the preinfusion when pressure mounts to 5-6 bars. The 45 degree position switches of the pump but leaves the group head pressurised. When you turn on the pump again after the blooming you will have a quick ramp up to whatever your OPV is set to.
I do this with a La Pavoni and it works great! The only "finesse" needed here is getting the temperature right, as it's easy to overshoot the temps and then ruining the shot. When done right, it tastes great!
Great timing for this video! I use an espresso hand press and have been inching toward longer preinfusion and a super slow extraction bc it makes my espresso super dark and syrupy. I’ve almost been “blooming” but it seems I can slow down even more. I’m excited to try it for my next shot:)
@@whoami724y so far the longer the extraction the more I like it. I’m sure there’s a limit to that but with a hand press conserving the heat is very important. Even with pre heating its not easy to keep the heat as high as a normal machine. I suspect this is part of why the longer extraction doesn’t seem to overextract in my observation. Testing again this morning:)
Thank you, this is my favorite way to brew! Absolutely worth the time. And it's as easy as anything to exert the necessary control on any manual lever machine like the Flair or others, which are pretty accessible!
You could probably mark the stopping points on your paddle if you start making blooming espresso more regularly. I’ve really enjoyed making blooming espressos on my Flair 58 (it’s easy to do on the Flair 58, and the result is very tasty).
It doesn’t take too much practice to be able to get a feel for adjusting the flow accurately to achieve the pressure you’re after. As Spro man said, flow/pressure is often different due to grind inconsistencies.
Apparently I've been unknowingly doing this on my Flair. Sadly I don't have the luxury of waiting so long during the blooming phase due to heat loss so I do as follows: - Press quickly until some drips show up - Hold it there for 10/15 seconds - Pull as normal with a declining profile It just felt natural given how you usually brew filter so I went with that, and indeed felt the need to grind finer when comparing with what I previously did which was just ramping up at the start and calling it a day
Nice review. I have both the E61 (Profitec Pro 700) and Decent DE1Pro. On straight 9 bar shots, my Profitec does pull a way better shot as compared to my DE1Pro's 9 bar profile. However, I've been playing with the DE a lot more lately, as I could control the pre-infusion a lot more. One of the profiles that I've been using a lot lately is Damian's D-Flow. This is actually based on flow control. Phase 1: Preinfusion (I have it set at 3 bar), and once the weight on cup hits 4g, it moves to Phase 2. Phase 2: Up to a maximum 8.5 bars of pressure, pour a a flow of 1.8 mL/sec. For example, for a 18g in 40g out cup. Phase 1 will preinfuse till the cup hits 4g, typically in 12-15 seconds, then move on to phase 2. Phase 2 will brew at 1.8mL/sec (which is 1.8g per sec) - 40g less 4g preinfuse = 36g, and will take additional 20 seconds to reach 40g. Phase 2 should hit close to 8 bar, and gradually reduce pressure, while maintaining 1.8mL/sec flow rate. I find the shots to be well balanced, zero astringency, lots of sweetness and balanced mouthfeel, but lacks body as compared to a typical 9 bar shot off my Profitec. It tastes a lot better on non milk based drinks, and tastes really good on milk too (but the extra body from 9 bar machines may actually taste better on milk, but not by much). When I say body, I meant the syrupy texture/mouthfeel. But with the DE's preinfusion settings, I am able to pull a lot more consistently, and with the flow profile, even not so well prepped puck (grind, tamping, WDT, etc.) would still be drinkable, although not as tasty, whereas on my Profitec, a less than ideal puck prep would mean a very sour or bitter cup of espresso.
I personally find this a great approach for espresso with lighter roasts. For me, they make the sharp acidic side more mellow. And for those who are willing to modify their machines, there are options to make this possible one cheaper espresso machines with vibratory pumps. I added a pressure gauge and dimmer switch to my gaggia classic and I'm able to pull these shots. The bonus is, with an in line dimmer for the pump, the 3-way solenoid stays closed until I'm done pulling the shot.
I installed a needle valve on my Silvia after the OPV, and a pressure gauge at the group head. The valve sits on the side with the elbow connectors going into the machine. It allows full control of the flow rate and you’re able to stop the flow without stopping the pump. I’ll often do a 15 second bloom at 1 bar and then ramp up to 8-9 bar. Sometimes I’ll taper it off half way through the shot if it’s going slow which also reduces bitterness if the grind is too fine. I don’t seem to have channeling issues with the 15sec/1bar bloom and it comes out as nice as any other shot. I definitely see a difference when I knock out the puck as well. It will come out so much easier with little grinds left in the corner of the basket.
I always do a stop at 1.5 to 2 bar for anywhere to 15 to 45 seconds; usually helps a lot with light roasts, but I've never tried any side-by-side. It's helped a lot with coffees that have heavy acidity for sure, but I've also overextracted a few shots overdoing it lol You literally had me loling with that finesse comment, btw haha
Great summary Spro! I pull shots like this every day on my gaggia classic with a rotary dimmer. Works great for getting really interesting flavors out of medium and light roast coffee. My favorite is Kenyan sl28 - really jammy delicious flavors.
Great video! I just tried your method on my own gs3mp and I can say it produces a completely different result from a traditional full bar shot in the cup. I’ve preunfused a bunch but never incorporated a pause phase until now. It was pretty easy to replicate actually, I just timed it alongside yours. It also wasn’t too ugly looking, maybe finding just the right grind size would help with that. I also pump from the reservoir, but this makes me want to plumb in due to the amount of water that is “wasted” passing through the needle valve during the preinfuse/pause phase. I adjusted my machines max pressure to 6bar some time ago to help with channeling, but I wonder what my results would be going back to the standard 9.. 🤔 It was a pretty simple adjustment. Maybe an idea for a future video 🫣 Keep up the good work
Nice! Glad to hear you were able to replicate it and got a solid result. And yeah the shots aren’t always on the ugly side, it definitely is coffee and grinder dependent. I pump from the tank too, and the amount of water you kick out is massive. It truly is the only downside to pulling these long pre-infusion shots. I’ve done the shots with both 9 and 6 bar flow and you aren’t missing much on that end, but I do plan on doing a full video about pressure in the near future.
i prefer the cool and factual manner of your reports and presentations ... much more than that from other spectacular guys here;-). always focused straight and effective in your outcome. great!
I have a Decent and found the Blooming Espresso profile helpful when I was using my stepped Urbanic 070s which doesn’t have as vast of an espresso range compared to my recently purchased Niche. In a way, the increased extraction made up for my inability to grind finer w/o choking the machine. The step between 3 & 2 on the Urbanic was the difference between a normal shot & a 60+ second shot on most of the profiles. Since getting my Niche and using that predominantly, I did do a stepless mod (removed a spring) from the Urbanic so I have a little bit more control over the grind & more range so I’ll have to do more testing. For some/most people it will just be a matter of taste (and at the end of the day it always is that) for me it was a way to compensate for some of the shortcomings of the equipment I had. I could also see folks adjusting the amount of time they let the puck bloom or the bars of pressure post-bloom to get different results too.
I’ve the same urbanic with the stepless option and the gevi burrs. Going to try a bloom now with this and a cafelat robot. I notice that the plumbers tape lasts about 2 months before you’ve to add a few more wraps, you’ll get some drift coming back in over time! Next thing is checking how hard it is to add a dial to play with the rpm of the urbanic!
Loving the results. Although if I bloom at 2-4 bar initially I seem to get more sourness than if I introduce the water at almost full pressure and then ramp back to just above 0 bar. Takes a bit of practice not to degrade the puck on a GS3MP, but its definitely worth the effort. Softer, sweeter, more integrated shots with good strength. More approachable shots.😊
I accedently made a Blooming Espresso, and it was one of the best shots I've drank. I grinded the bean too fine, but it was enough for it release some drops. I stopped the extraction, and after 10 seconds, rump up the pressure to the default from Bambino and then the shot went smooth. It was crazy, the flavor and the aroma were the exact notes of the bag. Maybe blooming espresso works best with grinding more finner? 🤔
Ever since I heard about blooming espresso I got excited to try it on my flair signature. It came out amazing. I for one had a view that good fruity beans were only made for filter brewing, because why would you drink battery acid. So I tried it with my fruity ethiopian & Kenyan Coffee and it was such an eye opener and such a revelation for me. Even in milk drinks such as cortado or flat whites, the flavour is so intense that I can't see my self drinking another boring chocolaty blend for my morning milk drinks. One of the coffee shops in my city uses a single group strada EP, I suspect they're doing a similar pressure profile as well, when I ordered a piccolo with a fruity peruvian coffee it came out amazing. I wish more coffee shops would implement something like this and not limit espresso to just, chocolate and dark roasts.
Been doing this for a while on my modded Gaggia Classic Pro with a rotary dimmer switch, PID, pressure gauge, etc. Makes those light roasted single origins much more even, sweeter, less sour.
Thanks for this. Loved the explanation even though I think it will be difficult/impossible on LeLit Elizabeth - perhaps extending the pre-infusion for as long as possible? The videography for the shots running was great.
Yes yes yes!! For me and my sumatra bean, grind and machine it works. Added some more body and sweetness. I love doing mods on known practices. Thanks for the idea. Will be trying longer bloom next
Haha well the Mini is awesome, mines in my kitchen now. But there are some mods you can do for sure. I was just worried I’d end up with an endless project haha.
On my Flair 58 I bloom often, especially with light roasts. I do puck smash and blooms for coffees that require I grind so fine I’ll either touch burrs or get gobs of channeling
I commented doing something similar grinding with my stepped Urbanic 070s. It makes a huge jump between 3 & 2 to the point where it would choke my machine at 2 but 3 wasn’t fine enough. I have a Decent so I just went through profiles till I found something that made up for not being able to find that middle ground between grind settings.
Recently my roaster suggested I try a new coffee, quite lightly roasted Ethiopian. That gave me an incentive to finally try longer preinfusion on my Lelit Elizabeth. A very interesting feature of the Elizabeth is that, when the service (steam) boiler is on, preinfusion can have two phases: - first, the pump pushes some water from the brew boiler onto the puck - next, the pressure from the steam boiler pushes water from the brew boiler to the puck After this, the pump kicks in to apply full pressure. Pressure is never high during the preinfusion phases (around 1 bar), but it is never released (3-way valve stays in extraction mode). With this new coffee, I went with much longer preinfusion than usual: 2 seconds for the first phase, 18 seconds for the second phase. In addition, I grind coffee a bit finer, so in the end, the entire extraction (17g in, 45g out) takes about a minute. This gave me a cup with more flavor and much more body than I'm used to with similar coffees. For me, this confirms that blooming espresso is very much worth trying, and also that the Elizabeth can get quite close to it! The only disappointing thing with the Lelit Elizabeth here is that it doesn't let you set preinfusion time (phases 1+2) longer than 20 seconds. A missed opportunity!
I recently noticed that my Lelit Mara X machine has 3 points on the lever. Roughly speaking: Fully depressed, discharge valve opens. 45° closes the discharge valve. Fully up turns on the pump. I found I can lift it fully to turn on the pump for 5 seconds then slightly knock the lever down to let it bloom. 1 minute has been near life changing for light roasts in going through a slightly obsessive phase with it.
The total control of fully manual lever espresso machines is fantastic for producing these non-traditional styles of espresso. Lately I've been leaning towards blooming turbo shots (with a bottom paper filter) on my Cafelat Robot. I really like the relatively clean but sweet, tasty shots they yield.
i used to do that a lot when i started with a very very basic delonghi, helped a lot to just shut the pump when the first drop appeared and then go again. Now that i upgraded to a Europiccola, i still let it infuse a abit beford pulling the lever.
Blooming can be done on any flow control machines and GS3 is flow control not the pressure profile machine, I have done it on my dimmer mod Delonghi 310 from the beginning of this year and it works well, BTW that pre-infusion was pressurized that's why it saturates puck so evenly than normal time based slow flow rate sort of "pre-infusion".
While def not prosumer, I love my breville machine that allows me to manually or program up to a 10 second pre-infusion. It’s not the exact same but nearly.
I kinda do this with my cafelat if I'm using a new coffee I haven't dialed and my dose is a hair too coarse. Of course, I'm not getting 9bars. I may "bloom" at one bar then pull the shot at 4 bars. Normally still tastes quite solid
the cafelat maker yt videos show a pre-infusion hold and then push harder gradually before easing off. Think semantics of pre-infusion other word for bloom?
@@veganpotterthevegan I got a Cafelat Robot recently. (usd to bps rates lately!) How long a hold? Will review what tining Robot maker says too. Same 2 factors: time and pressure with hold of flow rate. Curious.
@@Ma_Ba I normally do 5-10 seconds depending on the coffee I'm using. I only do the very long hold if I'm using a new coffee and I get too little resistance with the pre-infusion. It takes a lot of the sourness out of pulling a shot too fast with light roast. So when I do this, I just hold at whatever pressure it'll take and it's normally around 1psi or less. When I pull the shot, it can be as little as 3-4psi
Are you using the SSP Multipurpose for these blooming shots?.. i have, as you, the p64 MP and anything other than turbos (which are great!) Taste o the overextracted side of things. Great video as usual.
I am using the SSP MPs. Interesting that the coffees are tasting over extracted. Can’t say I’ve had that experience. But for these shots I am essentially grinding at nearly the chirping point so it’s super fine and over extraction is definitely possible.
@@Sprometheus It's really easy to execute on manual profiling machines, like the Bianca, I do it on a dimmered vibe pump. Should work on the GS3MP as well. Start at 0, ramp up to high flow to saturate the puck quickly (this is a important part of the Rao blooming espresso as well, which you skipped), then when you hit your cut off pressure or when you see the bottom of the basket fill in (which happens at the same time usually), go down to 0 flow rapidly, wait for pressure to decline, then when it hits 2 bar go up to your target flow rate again.
Funnily enough works on my old school DeLonghi Icona! no solenoid valve, no presets, steamvalve kind of also doubles as a flow controll valve 😂 Best 35 euros I have ever spent on coffee equipment
So on a machine (like the Breville Bambino) with preinfusion and no discharge valve (or 3-way solenoid valve which is the same I belive) you could make blooming shots by: * starting preinfusion *turning off the machine after first drops appear and wait for 30sec * turning it on again skipping preinfusion and going directly to full pressure Thoughts?
I apologize in advance if I missed it in your video - did you control the blooming phase via the flow control on your machine? I have an Izzo Vivi PID with flow control, and am wondering if I can get the same or similar results with it. My concern is - will it harm the pump if I leave it (the pump) on while completely closing the flow control during the blooming phase? Thanks!
On the GS/3 MP, did the bloom phase below 1 bar still spill all the overflow (~8 bars) of water into the drip tray during those 30 seconds, or did you find an area where the pump is engaged but no flow is coming through at all - neither to the group nor drip tray? I’m considering the GS/3 MP, but that overflow issue seems to waste a TON of water, which is one of my biggest concerns with the machine. Curious how it fares with the blooming profile. Thanks!
Very interesting video, this is something I have not tried. I will give it a go on my Lucca M 58 with flow control. I am not a straight espresso drinker at this time, typically a cortado or a 6 to 8 ounce latte. Do you think the difference in taste will be noticeable for us milk drinkers?
@@Sprometheus seemed to work well, 25 second preinfusion at 2 bar, bloom for 30 seconds, just took hands on the arms, 5 seconds ramp to 8 bars and 30 seconds to get 1:2 ratio. Made the current coffee I have been using taste different. No bitterness or sour. Just different. Thanks for the idea
I already have a Silvia Pro and I find it hard to get rid of at this stage (I don't really fancy the idea of paying thousands more to get a flow control machine). That said, I feel like a Flair Pro would be a great way to get into pressure profiling. Not programmable, but ballpark I feel like will get me there. Or maybe just make me that much more determined to pay more for a flow control machine......
I imagine blooming must be an advantage of lever espresso machines, anyway I digress from my Question: You've been a fan of lower brew pressure in the past. I think I'm correct in saying you reduced your LM LM down to 6 bar max brew pressure. Didn't you change the spring in the Gaggia Classic Vs or Rancillo Silvia (can't remember which one) to be around the same. I this video I see your new LM is running at 9 bar. What's changed other than the machine? I made the change myself and I've been very happy with the results. I've broken out of the "finer is better" mind set but to get good shots with coarser espresso beans I've not only had to reduce pressure but also dump my nice VST basket and use the stock basket that came with my machine. Anything to slow the shot. Taste is much better though. My coffee roasters are unusual in that they roast light to medium and never dark for any bean, filter or espresso. So factor that in. Have you changed the roast profile of the beans you are using?
is there a percentage of what make a better testing coffee ? for example, correct grind size, 50%, wdt, 18%, twist distributor, 18% temping 14%... dose, basket, water temp, pressure, pre infusion time, ratio... i got into coffee its getting way too complicated haha.. maybe if i focus on what makes the bigger differences i will get a good enough result.
Maybe I’m missing something obvious but… where does the co2 go? It’s a pressurized environment compared to the PO situation and based on what you said about not dumping the water in the pump, it doesn’t seem like the co2 can be exhausted there either. Can you explain?
Great video as always. Looking forward to trying this tomorrow on my Flair 58. Anyone try this on the Niche? Pros/cons with blooming Niche vs. unimodal burr?
How many shots do you normally drink a day? And how many grams does that come out to? I love espresso but I can't seem to get enough. I want a giant mug of it, but its probably not good caffeine wise and it gets expensive pulling 6-10 shots a day. Do you have any suggestions? Lately I've been making cheapo americanos. Basically making a doubleshot but letting the water run through the puck post extraction to get the last bits of coffee flavored water instead of diluting with straight hot water.
do you think the co2 really can escape (where would it go? Can it escape somewhere?) or maybe it's just the loss of temperature or something else that reduce acidity?
For me I did go back and forth between a 6 and 9 bar finish. It does slow the end flow a bit, and can give you a little more cushion if your grind isn’t much finer than a standard espresso. I had good results in the cup on both.
@@Sprometheus Is there a difference with pre-infusion in the GS3 NOT being plumbed? For my ECM Synchronika, pre-infusion from the reservoir v direct plumbed seems to be a world of difference.
Going from a 20% to a 22% extraction isn't really a 2% increase, it's a 10% increase of the stuff you actually get into the cup so I'd say that's rather significant.
Just spent a minute googling to see what I would have to do to "temporarily" disable my Silvia's 3 way solenoid to prevent that discharge so I could bloom. To save every other Silvia owner a minute of googling, it requires removing the panel behind the grouphead. I'm gonna pass on this for now and maybe give it a try on a friend's machine someday.
@@dan110024 I imagine if I had a machine that was easier to tinker with it'd be bigger and more expensive. I have a pair of those locking needle nose pliers that anglers use for removing hooks which helps.
UPDATE: I found a guy on youtube who, get this, puts an empty pitcher under his wand and opens his steam valve to modulate pressure. I was pretty stoked to discover the steam wand can be the poor man's paddle (provided you are truly poor and use a single boiler machine). Next time I've got the right beans I'll pull a bloomer.
@@Sprometheus thank you sir. I think the P is recommended for espresso only and I would love to have your insight on the regular one as well since I do both espresso and filter evenly! Any chance for you to test the regular df64?
😂😂 didn’t expect that finesse section
Gotta keep the viewers on their toes!
Terrific
I've just learned, after almost a year of having my own espresso machine, that I can bloom an espresso shot.
Happily I own Flair 58, so I can do whatever I desire with a pressure. I guess it's time for my third coffee today to try it out immediately. Wish me luck folks.
blooming is becoming my favorite profile on Flair58
One thing maybe worth noting that i don't see mentioned a lot - you may be extracting 'only' 1.5% more but an increase from 18% to 19.5% means roughly 8% more dissolved coffee in the cup in the more extracted shot, very likely a noticeable increase
Looking forward to trying this out when i get around to flow modding my BDB!
That’s a good point, and definitely this is worth a try once you get a chance!
By adding under puck filter (Chemex or V60), you're going to be pulling additional 0.5-1.5% EY, so that's another 8% extra.
8% is actually a big deal. I don't like waste so don't use paper filters, but I long PI or bloom every shot and find regular shots don't do most beans justice
@@ylleKkcirtaPnadnerB Well, for specialty beans that easily costs $50-$80 per kg, that's 5-8 cents per gram. For a 18g basket, that's $0.90-1.44 per double shot. 8% of that is 7.2-11.42 cents extra of extraction. These paper filters, costs like 1 to 1.5 cents per piece. A little extra work goes a long way.
Even if it's commercial beans that costs $20 per kg, you'll still be saving cost overall.
You can experiment it, you'll get more consistent shots, lots of clarity, and better extraction. Which also means, you could actually dose a little less, perhaps 14-16 grams, instead of 18 grams.
I watched this video and went ahead and tried this with a decent coffee, but one that wasn’t really blowing my mind. WOW. It really improved the texture and flavor a lot. True to what you said, it didn’t look like an Instagram reel on the way out.
Haha yeah it’s not the prettiest, but makes for a tasty shot! Thanks for watching and sharing your experience.
Great Video!
I have been doing these kind of shots on a machine with E61 group head with vibr. pump. It works smoothly but requires good timing. You can put the lever of the E61 to a 45 degree angle after the preinfusion when pressure mounts to 5-6 bars. The 45 degree position switches of the pump but leaves the group head pressurised. When you turn on the pump again after the blooming you will have a quick ramp up to whatever your OPV is set to.
I do this with a La Pavoni and it works great! The only "finesse" needed here is getting the temperature right, as it's easy to overshoot the temps and then ruining the shot. When done right, it tastes great!
La Pavoni lever? How long are you usually waiting before pulling your shot?
@@ajfialkowski9517 about 30 seconds of preinfusion on a light roast.
Great timing for this video! I use an espresso hand press and have been inching toward longer preinfusion and a super slow extraction bc it makes my espresso super dark and syrupy. I’ve almost been “blooming” but it seems I can slow down even more. I’m excited to try it for my next shot:)
Awesome! Give it a go for sure, but also that’s the beauty of a hand press machine, you can essentially do it all!
How would you compare the longer extraction to the traditional 25-30 second shot taste wise?
@@whoami724y so far the longer the extraction the more I like it. I’m sure there’s a limit to that but with a hand press conserving the heat is very important. Even with pre heating its not easy to keep the heat as high as a normal machine. I suspect this is part of why the longer extraction doesn’t seem to overextract in my observation. Testing again this morning:)
Thank you, this is my favorite way to brew! Absolutely worth the time. And it's as easy as anything to exert the necessary control on any manual lever machine like the Flair or others, which are pretty accessible!
That’s a fact. Using a hand driven machine these kinds of shots are simple. Thanks for watching!
You could probably mark the stopping points on your paddle if you start making blooming espresso more regularly. I’ve really enjoyed making blooming espressos on my Flair 58 (it’s easy to do on the Flair 58, and the result is very tasty).
I’ve thought about marking points, the issue is the pressure is slightly different, especially in the lower range, depending on the dose and grind.
It doesn’t take too much practice to be able to get a feel for adjusting the flow accurately to achieve the pressure you’re after. As Spro man said, flow/pressure is often different due to grind inconsistencies.
Apparently I've been unknowingly doing this on my Flair. Sadly I don't have the luxury of waiting so long during the blooming phase due to heat loss so I do as follows:
- Press quickly until some drips show up
- Hold it there for 10/15 seconds
- Pull as normal with a declining profile
It just felt natural given how you usually brew filter so I went with that, and indeed felt the need to grind finer when comparing with what I previously did which was just ramping up at the start and calling it a day
Exactly the same here with the robot 🙏🏻
Also I always thought experts would find the espresso I make appalling, apparently this is not the case so I am kind of relieved 😄
@@ThePlayahans I'm pretty sure experts would still find my shots appalling, blooming or otherwise lool
I double heat my brew chamber and that helps a good bit with the heat loss. Also heats up a bit quicker
@@killermelga probably true, but I hope you enjoy the sh** out of them.. that’s what it is all about anyway
Nice review. I have both the E61 (Profitec Pro 700) and Decent DE1Pro.
On straight 9 bar shots, my Profitec does pull a way better shot as compared to my DE1Pro's 9 bar profile. However, I've been playing with the DE a lot more lately, as I could control the pre-infusion a lot more.
One of the profiles that I've been using a lot lately is Damian's D-Flow. This is actually based on flow control.
Phase 1: Preinfusion (I have it set at 3 bar), and once the weight on cup hits 4g, it moves to Phase 2.
Phase 2: Up to a maximum 8.5 bars of pressure, pour a a flow of 1.8 mL/sec.
For example, for a 18g in 40g out cup.
Phase 1 will preinfuse till the cup hits 4g, typically in 12-15 seconds, then move on to phase 2.
Phase 2 will brew at 1.8mL/sec (which is 1.8g per sec) - 40g less 4g preinfuse = 36g, and will take additional 20 seconds to reach 40g.
Phase 2 should hit close to 8 bar, and gradually reduce pressure, while maintaining 1.8mL/sec flow rate.
I find the shots to be well balanced, zero astringency, lots of sweetness and balanced mouthfeel, but lacks body as compared to a typical 9 bar shot off my Profitec. It tastes a lot better on non milk based drinks, and tastes really good on milk too (but the extra body from 9 bar machines may actually taste better on milk, but not by much). When I say body, I meant the syrupy texture/mouthfeel.
But with the DE's preinfusion settings, I am able to pull a lot more consistently, and with the flow profile, even not so well prepped puck (grind, tamping, WDT, etc.) would still be drinkable, although not as tasty, whereas on my Profitec, a less than ideal puck prep would mean a very sour or bitter cup of espresso.
I’ll definitely be looking to try blooming espresso once I get dimmer mod and pressure gauge installed on my gaggia classic! Thanks for the video!
You’re welcome! And I look forward to hearing your thoughts once you give it a go!
I personally find this a great approach for espresso with lighter roasts. For me, they make the sharp acidic side more mellow.
And for those who are willing to modify their machines, there are options to make this possible one cheaper espresso machines with vibratory pumps. I added a pressure gauge and dimmer switch to my gaggia classic and I'm able to pull these shots. The bonus is, with an in line dimmer for the pump, the 3-way solenoid stays closed until I'm done pulling the shot.
Liked it a lot! No acidity or bitterness in the decaf I pulled, lots of richness!
Nice! Glad to hear, also +1 for some decaf love
I installed a needle valve on my Silvia after the OPV, and a pressure gauge at the group head. The valve sits on the side with the elbow connectors going into the machine. It allows full control of the flow rate and you’re able to stop the flow without stopping the pump.
I’ll often do a 15 second bloom at 1 bar and then ramp up to 8-9 bar. Sometimes I’ll taper it off half way through the shot if it’s going slow which also reduces bitterness if the grind is too fine. I don’t seem to have channeling issues with the 15sec/1bar bloom and it comes out as nice as any other shot.
I definitely see a difference when I knock out the puck as well. It will come out so much easier with little grinds left in the corner of the basket.
I always do a stop at 1.5 to 2 bar for anywhere to 15 to 45 seconds; usually helps a lot with light roasts, but I've never tried any side-by-side. It's helped a lot with coffees that have heavy acidity for sure, but I've also overextracted a few shots overdoing it lol
You literally had me loling with that finesse comment, btw haha
Great summary Spro! I pull shots like this every day on my gaggia classic with a rotary dimmer. Works great for getting really interesting flavors out of medium and light roast coffee. My favorite is Kenyan sl28 - really jammy delicious flavors.
Great video! I just tried your method on my own gs3mp and I can say it produces a completely different result from a traditional full bar shot in the cup. I’ve preunfused a bunch but never incorporated a pause phase until now. It was pretty easy to replicate actually, I just timed it alongside yours. It also wasn’t too ugly looking, maybe finding just the right grind size would help with that.
I also pump from the reservoir, but this makes me want to plumb in due to the amount of water that is “wasted” passing through the needle valve during the preinfuse/pause phase.
I adjusted my machines max pressure to 6bar some time ago to help with channeling, but I wonder what my results would be going back to the standard 9.. 🤔 It was a pretty simple adjustment. Maybe an idea for a future video 🫣 Keep up the good work
Nice! Glad to hear you were able to replicate it and got a solid result. And yeah the shots aren’t always on the ugly side, it definitely is coffee and grinder dependent.
I pump from the tank too, and the amount of water you kick out is massive. It truly is the only downside to pulling these long pre-infusion shots.
I’ve done the shots with both 9 and 6 bar flow and you aren’t missing much on that end, but I do plan on doing a full video about pressure in the near future.
i prefer the cool and factual manner of your reports and presentations ... much more than that from other spectacular guys here;-). always focused straight and effective in your outcome. great!
We need to see this done with a regular E61 group head using only the lever. Show us, Sprometheus!
I have a Decent and found the Blooming Espresso profile helpful when I was using my stepped Urbanic 070s which doesn’t have as vast of an espresso range compared to my recently purchased Niche. In a way, the increased extraction made up for my inability to grind finer w/o choking the machine. The step between 3 & 2 on the Urbanic was the difference between a normal shot & a 60+ second shot on most of the profiles. Since getting my Niche and using that predominantly, I did do a stepless mod (removed a spring) from the Urbanic so I have a little bit more control over the grind & more range so I’ll have to do more testing. For some/most people it will just be a matter of taste (and at the end of the day it always is that) for me it was a way to compensate for some of the shortcomings of the equipment I had. I could also see folks adjusting the amount of time they let the puck bloom or the bars of pressure post-bloom to get different results too.
I’ve the same urbanic with the stepless option and the gevi burrs. Going to try a bloom now with this and a cafelat robot. I notice that the plumbers tape lasts about 2 months before you’ve to add a few more wraps, you’ll get some drift coming back in over time! Next thing is checking how hard it is to add a dial to play with the rpm of the urbanic!
Loving the results. Although if I bloom at 2-4 bar initially I seem to get more sourness than if I introduce the water at almost full pressure and then ramp back to just above 0 bar. Takes a bit of practice not to degrade the puck on a GS3MP, but its definitely worth the effort. Softer, sweeter, more integrated shots with good strength. More approachable shots.😊
I accedently made a Blooming Espresso, and it was one of the best shots I've drank. I grinded the bean too fine, but it was enough for it release some drops. I stopped the extraction, and after 10 seconds, rump up the pressure to the default from Bambino and then the shot went smooth. It was crazy, the flavor and the aroma were the exact notes of the bag. Maybe blooming espresso works best with grinding more finner? 🤔
This is the video I have been waiting for for so long.. also the robot iss the Perfect device for doing it
Ever since I heard about blooming espresso I got excited to try it on my flair signature. It came out amazing. I for one had a view that good fruity beans were only made for filter brewing, because why would you drink battery acid. So I tried it with my fruity ethiopian & Kenyan Coffee and it was such an eye opener and such a revelation for me. Even in milk drinks such as cortado or flat whites, the flavour is so intense that I can't see my self drinking another boring chocolaty blend for my morning milk drinks. One of the coffee shops in my city uses a single group strada EP, I suspect they're doing a similar pressure profile as well, when I ordered a piccolo with a fruity peruvian coffee it came out amazing. I wish more coffee shops would implement something like this and not limit espresso to just, chocolate and dark roasts.
Been doing this for a while on my modded Gaggia Classic Pro with a rotary dimmer switch, PID, pressure gauge, etc. Makes those light roasted single origins much more even, sweeter, less sour.
140k subscribers…amazing work! 👏🏻
Thank you my friend!
Thanks for this. Loved the explanation even though I think it will be difficult/impossible on LeLit Elizabeth - perhaps extending the pre-infusion for as long as possible? The videography for the shots running was great.
Thanks Alan, and I’m glad you enjoyed. I’m not familiar with the Elizabeth, but no harm in attempting it!
Yes yes yes!! For me and my sumatra bean, grind and machine it works. Added some more body and sweetness. I love doing mods on known practices. Thanks for the idea. Will be trying longer bloom next
Awesome! Have fun and stay caffeinated!
Thanks for the video! Really glad I have the Cafelat Robot so I can try out this shot style without any mods
You're seriously inspiring me to get a flow control mod for my linea mini. I never thought i'd feel like the machine was inferior haha.
Haha well the Mini is awesome, mines in my kitchen now. But there are some mods you can do for sure. I was just worried I’d end up with an endless project haha.
@@Sprometheus Out of curiosity, why did you hang onto the LM after securing the new machine?
Cameron, that’s what true love does to you.
This is very cool! I have been using your 90 sec bloom in my Aeropress with great effect and will give the pause a go on my Flair classic.
On my Flair 58 I bloom often, especially with light roasts. I do puck smash and blooms for coffees that require I grind so fine I’ll either touch burrs or get gobs of channeling
I commented doing something similar grinding with my stepped Urbanic 070s. It makes a huge jump between 3 & 2 to the point where it would choke my machine at 2 but 3 wasn’t fine enough. I have a Decent so I just went through profiles till I found something that made up for not being able to find that middle ground between grind settings.
Recently my roaster suggested I try a new coffee, quite lightly roasted Ethiopian. That gave me an incentive to finally try longer preinfusion on my Lelit Elizabeth.
A very interesting feature of the Elizabeth is that, when the service (steam) boiler is on, preinfusion can have two phases:
- first, the pump pushes some water from the brew boiler onto the puck
- next, the pressure from the steam boiler pushes water from the brew boiler to the puck
After this, the pump kicks in to apply full pressure. Pressure is never high during the preinfusion phases (around 1 bar), but it is never released (3-way valve stays in extraction mode).
With this new coffee, I went with much longer preinfusion than usual: 2 seconds for the first phase, 18 seconds for the second phase. In addition, I grind coffee a bit finer, so in the end, the entire extraction (17g in, 45g out) takes about a minute.
This gave me a cup with more flavor and much more body than I'm used to with similar coffees. For me, this confirms that blooming espresso is very much worth trying, and also that the Elizabeth can get quite close to it!
The only disappointing thing with the Lelit Elizabeth here is that it doesn't let you set preinfusion time (phases 1+2) longer than 20 seconds. A missed opportunity!
1:15 really needed that line in an Australian accent
I am known for my accents among my close friends, perhaps I’ll share some of them in upcoming videos.
I recently noticed that my Lelit Mara X machine has 3 points on the lever. Roughly speaking: Fully depressed, discharge valve opens. 45° closes the discharge valve. Fully up turns on the pump. I found I can lift it fully to turn on the pump for 5 seconds then slightly knock the lever down to let it bloom. 1 minute has been near life changing for light roasts in going through a slightly obsessive phase with it.
These are easy on a Flair or other lever machine.
The total control of fully manual lever espresso machines is fantastic for producing these non-traditional styles of espresso.
Lately I've been leaning towards blooming turbo shots (with a bottom paper filter) on my Cafelat Robot.
I really like the relatively clean but sweet, tasty shots they yield.
I have the Robot, too. How do you pull your shot, and what do you mean by "turbo"? Thanks!
i used to do that a lot when i started with a very very basic delonghi, helped a lot to just shut the pump when the first drop appeared and then go again. Now that i upgraded to a Europiccola, i still let it infuse a abit beford pulling the lever.
Tried this with a GCP (Shades mods - pid, flow/dimmer, 9 bar). Wow! Outstanding taste.
Blooming can be done on any flow control machines and GS3 is flow control not the pressure profile machine, I have done it on my dimmer mod Delonghi 310 from the beginning of this year and it works well, BTW that pre-infusion was pressurized that's why it saturates puck so evenly than normal time based slow flow rate sort of "pre-infusion".
While def not prosumer, I love my breville machine that allows me to manually or program up to a 10 second pre-infusion. It’s not the exact same but nearly.
Bloomin’ marvellous! 😁👍🏻
Thank you my friend!
I kinda do this with my cafelat if I'm using a new coffee I haven't dialed and my dose is a hair too coarse. Of course, I'm not getting 9bars. I may "bloom" at one bar then pull the shot at 4 bars. Normally still tastes quite solid
the cafelat maker yt videos show a pre-infusion hold and then push harder gradually before easing off. Think semantics of pre-infusion other word for bloom?
@@Ma_Ba not really the same. Lots of people pre-infuse with various pumped espresso machines too. That's not a long hold though.
@@veganpotterthevegan I got a Cafelat Robot recently. (usd to bps rates lately!) How long a hold? Will review what tining Robot maker says too. Same 2 factors: time and pressure with hold of flow rate. Curious.
@@Ma_Ba I normally do 5-10 seconds depending on the coffee I'm using. I only do the very long hold if I'm using a new coffee and I get too little resistance with the pre-infusion. It takes a lot of the sourness out of pulling a shot too fast with light roast. So when I do this, I just hold at whatever pressure it'll take and it's normally around 1psi or less. When I pull the shot, it can be as little as 3-4psi
@@veganpotterthevegan thanks!
Just stop it:) I spilled my coffee all over the keyboard at 40 seconds into this video :)🤣
Are you using the SSP Multipurpose for these blooming shots?.. i have, as you, the p64 MP and anything other than turbos (which are great!) Taste o the overextracted side of things. Great video as usual.
I am using the SSP MPs. Interesting that the coffees are tasting over extracted. Can’t say I’ve had that experience. But for these shots I am essentially grinding at nearly the chirping point so it’s super fine and over extraction is definitely possible.
I’m looking at my La Pavoni lever machine and thinking of tomorrow morning - it’s going to be a good one 👍😀
Thank you my friend.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching
You keep your finesse...I've got my Flair.
A plumbed in synkronika with flow control is good for this.
That would be a solid option for sure
Sprometheus turned into Chadmetheus after that finesse bit
dynamic bloom peaking at 8 bar, dropping to 2, then ramped up to 6-8 again with 20ish seconds total brew time is my fav
Interesting, sounds like a lot going on! Some serious pressure fluctuations in a short period.
@@Sprometheus It's really easy to execute on manual profiling machines, like the Bianca, I do it on a dimmered vibe pump. Should work on the GS3MP as well.
Start at 0, ramp up to high flow to saturate the puck quickly (this is a important part of the Rao blooming espresso as well, which you skipped), then when you hit your cut off pressure or when you see the bottom of the basket fill in (which happens at the same time usually), go down to 0 flow rapidly, wait for pressure to decline, then when it hits 2 bar go up to your target flow rate again.
Nice!
I own a bambino machine, and been struggling with a very acidic coffee, I’ll do this tomorrow and share the results in the reply.
Going to try this on my Flair58 this afternoon.
I like the way you brew coffee i heard once that if you dont do it right some really high quality coffee could come out horribly
Holy shot finally I am not alone I thought I was crazy thank you
I can do this with my Gaggia Selecta Deluxe, I just open the steam valve during brewing which reduces the flow and pressure.
Funnily enough works on my old school DeLonghi Icona! no solenoid valve, no presets, steamvalve kind of also doubles as a flow controll valve 😂
Best 35 euros I have ever spent on coffee equipment
That Sounds very similar to Holding the Manual Button pressed on a BDB (preinfusing) and then releasing when you See Drops on the bottom
So on a machine (like the Breville Bambino) with preinfusion and no discharge valve (or 3-way solenoid valve which is the same I belive) you could make blooming shots by:
* starting preinfusion
*turning off the machine after first drops appear and wait for 30sec
* turning it on again skipping preinfusion and going directly to full pressure
Thoughts?
I apologize in advance if I missed it in your video - did you control the blooming phase via the flow control on your machine? I have an Izzo Vivi PID with flow control, and am wondering if I can get the same or similar results with it. My concern is - will it harm the pump if I leave it (the pump) on while completely closing the flow control during the blooming phase? Thanks!
On the GS/3 MP, did the bloom phase below 1 bar still spill all the overflow (~8 bars) of water into the drip tray during those 30 seconds, or did you find an area where the pump is engaged but no flow is coming through at all - neither to the group nor drip tray? I’m considering the GS/3 MP, but that overflow issue seems to waste a TON of water, which is one of my biggest concerns with the machine. Curious how it fares with the blooming profile. Thanks!
Very interesting video, this is something I have not tried. I will give it a go on my Lucca M 58 with flow control. I am not a straight espresso drinker at this time, typically a cortado or a 6 to 8 ounce latte. Do you think the difference in taste will be noticeable for us milk drinkers?
Couldn’t you do this with flow control ? Also this puts more pressure on that pump. Working it.
Will have to try this on my Cafelat robot and see how it works
Let me know how it turns out! I did it on my Flair awhile back and it was decent.
@@Sprometheus seemed to work well, 25 second preinfusion at 2 bar, bloom for 30 seconds, just took hands on the arms, 5 seconds ramp to 8 bars and 30 seconds to get 1:2 ratio. Made the current coffee I have been using taste different. No bitterness or sour. Just different. Thanks for the idea
I already have a Silvia Pro and I find it hard to get rid of at this stage (I don't really fancy the idea of paying thousands more to get a flow control machine). That said, I feel like a Flair Pro would be a great way to get into pressure profiling. Not programmable, but ballpark I feel like will get me there. Or maybe just make me that much more determined to pay more for a flow control machine......
I imagine blooming must be an advantage of lever espresso machines, anyway I digress from my Question: You've been a fan of lower brew pressure in the past. I think I'm correct in saying you reduced your LM LM down to 6 bar max brew pressure. Didn't you change the spring in the Gaggia Classic Vs or Rancillo Silvia (can't remember which one) to be around the same. I this video I see your new LM is running at 9 bar. What's changed other than the machine? I made the change myself and I've been very happy with the results. I've broken out of the "finer is better" mind set but to get good shots with coarser espresso beans I've not only had to reduce pressure but also dump my nice VST basket and use the stock basket that came with my machine. Anything to slow the shot. Taste is much better though. My coffee roasters are unusual in that they roast light to medium and never dark for any bean, filter or espresso. So factor that in. Have you changed the roast profile of the beans you are using?
is there a percentage of what make a better testing coffee ? for example, correct grind size, 50%, wdt, 18%, twist distributor, 18% temping 14%... dose, basket, water temp, pressure, pre infusion time, ratio... i got into coffee its getting way too complicated haha.. maybe if i focus on what makes the bigger differences i will get a good enough result.
Love your content. Would you mind sharing the depth of the coffee station since I m getting a GS3 and not sure if 18’’ is enough . Thank you
Pick a letter to complete the word on his shirt: F U N _ L E
Come on, let's have some fun with this uncle.
What about consistent lever espresso machines like the Profitec 800? How do you feel these influence blooming? Would be interested in your thoughts.
i tried with my e61 group machine and it's possible with playing with the lever, flow increase quickly after the bloom maybe i had to grind finer?
Ooooh you have a Roest! I thought they only existed in fiction and renders!
Seems like a worthy attempt on my Bezerra Lever? Anythign to look for?
Maybe I’m missing something obvious but… where does the co2 go? It’s a pressurized environment compared to the PO situation and based on what you said about not dumping the water in the pump, it doesn’t seem like the co2 can be exhausted there either.
Can you explain?
Great video as always. Looking forward to trying this tomorrow on my Flair 58.
Anyone try this on the Niche? Pros/cons with blooming Niche vs. unimodal burr?
I use it all the time on my picopresso ❤️
hello this is johannes from windhoek i just wanna know what kind of coffee are u using
You should try a turbo bloom. It works incredibly well with the 64 mp burs.
I feel like a topic that’s under discussed is, which styles of espresso extraction pair best with milk.
When making Coffee with espresso machine, why is bloom not as important as in making a pour over or traditional coffee?
How many shots do you normally drink a day? And how many grams does that come out to? I love espresso but I can't seem to get enough. I want a giant mug of it, but its probably not good caffeine wise and it gets expensive pulling 6-10 shots a day. Do you have any suggestions? Lately I've been making cheapo americanos. Basically making a doubleshot but letting the water run through the puck post extraction to get the last bits of coffee flavored water instead of diluting with straight hot water.
decaf medium roasts
So, I've been blooming my espresso shots all along on my Flair 58.
Finesse! Yeah 😊
All the finesse 🫳🏼✨☕️
do you think the co2 really can escape (where would it go? Can it escape somewhere?) or maybe it's just the loss of temperature or something else that reduce acidity?
Maybe the CO2 dissolves in the water?
Would it be better if the maximum pressure is 6 bar?
For me I did go back and forth between a 6 and 9 bar finish. It does slow the end flow a bit, and can give you a little more cushion if your grind isn’t much finer than a standard espresso. I had good results in the cup on both.
I find that going to 6 bar after a bloom leads to over extraction. But that could just be me
Am I right in assuming that this method is best suited for a light roasted coffee?
I'm blooming my 1:8 moka-fine aeropress recipes these days, not sure if it helps, I'm just trying to ramp up extraction as much as possible.
Higher extraction, well it brews longer so I would hope so.
‘Spro is your new(ish) machine direct plumbed?
Nope, I’m pulling from the reservoir since there is no waterline in my studio.
@@Sprometheus Is there a difference with pre-infusion in the GS3 NOT being plumbed? For my ECM Synchronika, pre-infusion from the reservoir v direct plumbed seems to be a world of difference.
Not even one mention of Lever Machines?
Going from a 20% to a 22% extraction isn't really a 2% increase, it's a 10% increase of the stuff you actually get into the cup so I'd say that's rather significant.
I wonder how this would work on a Flair 58….
Just spent a minute googling to see what I would have to do to "temporarily" disable my Silvia's 3 way solenoid to prevent that discharge so I could bloom. To save every other Silvia owner a minute of googling, it requires removing the panel behind the grouphead. I'm gonna pass on this for now and maybe give it a try on a friend's machine someday.
Yeah, on some machines it may be more trouble than it’s worth! Thanks for sharing
Silvia’s are a nightmare to work on. I dread the times when something needs attention and you’ve got hoses and wires going everywhere.
@@dan110024 I imagine if I had a machine that was easier to tinker with it'd be bigger and more expensive. I have a pair of those locking needle nose pliers that anglers use for removing hooks which helps.
UPDATE: I found a guy on youtube who, get this, puts an empty pitcher under his wand and opens his steam valve to modulate pressure. I was pretty stoked to discover the steam wand can be the poor man's paddle (provided you are truly poor and use a single boiler machine). Next time I've got the right beans I'll pull a bloomer.
All these makes wanna buy a manual lever machine 😁
It’s always good to have one on hand!
@@Sprometheus yes, there is always room in the kitchen 😂
I am between Flair 58 and La pavoni
This is how I pull my shots everyday with my flair. And why I wouldn’t got for a traditional machine
Where’s the df64 review 😭😭
I’ve only got the DF64P, but it’s still at least a couple weeks out, it’s pretty fresh on my bar.
@@Sprometheus thank you sir. I think the P is recommended for espresso only and I would love to have your insight on the regular one as well since I do both espresso and filter evenly! Any chance for you to test the regular df64?
I don’t think me Prima will do this. I want a Decent.
I have a Decent DE1 and not use this profile. Nihaiahia
You've got what in spades?🤔😆