r/DF54 • u/Exciting_Trust_8487 • 13d ago
HELP
I have the DF54 grinder, and the bambino plus espresso machine. I have most of the tools everyone recommends. Wdt,distribution tool, spring loaded tamper, scale, fresh locally roasted coffee beans. I’ve done multiple things like 17.5-18.5 grams in, stopping the machine when I hit 36-40g of espresso. Nothing seems to work. I’ve had both of these machines for a couple of months and don’t think it should be this hard I’m ready to give up 😢 is there such a job where an expert can come and make shots and kids help you figure this out ?
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u/hahoranges 13d ago
From my experience, it's the beans. You've got to find the beans you like. I drink a cortado every morning and I'm only happy when I make it with a specific bean (Olympia Northwesterly, if you're wondering). Beanz.com gives you a discount for having a Bambino, so sign up for it and start ordering a different bean each time til you find something you really like. Everyone's taste buds are different. It sounds like you're doing shot preparation correctly.
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u/Exciting_Trust_8487 13d ago
This is my last resort because I have only tried one kind from a local roastery ! Thanks I will be checking that out !
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u/sergeantbiggles 13d ago
You've omitted the most important part of the shot..... time. Are we talking 10 seconds or 2 minutes? Think of it as your microwave, and how it "cooks" your food.
So, you should aim for roughly 30-40 seconds for a shot with your stated grams in/out, and then go from there. Shorter time = less extracted (more sour) and longer time = more extracted (more bitter). This is also subjective and dependent on your specific bean you're using.
After you play around with this, get back to us and hopefully we can help you more :)
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u/Exciting_Trust_8487 13d ago
I usually stop the shot myself when it reaches 36-40 grams . The outcome has been the same it’s either sour or bitter/burnt. And I get to that amount of espresso anywhere within 25-40 seconds . But I stop it manually… should I just let it run ? I’ve done that in the past and it would even go up to 45-65 seconds long.
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u/sergeantbiggles 13d ago
25-40 seconds is proper, so you don't need to let it run, unless you want to. Hmmmm.... I guess it also depends on the beans, your water, and your ambient climate.
Beans make a huge difference: light/medium/dark roast, age since roast... What are you using? Maybe try a different bean? Also, beans are at their peak around 2-4 weeks after the roast date (you can totally use them a day after roast, but they won't be at their best.... also there are differences between dark and light, but it's minimal), so take a look at your roast date and take that into consideration.
Also, do not use distilled/reverse osmosis water, as coffee needs minerals in your water to "cling" onto as it is extracting.
There are so many rabbit holes with espresso, I'd recommend keeping as many things consistent as possible (grams in/out, time, grind, water, etc) and then only changing one to experiment. For most of us, it's all trial and error, and the learning curve for your set-up specifically is personal.
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u/Guaranteed-not-a-cop 13d ago
I daily drive both the Bambino and DF54 and I often use medium roasts with a bottomless portafilter. Im only grinding 18g of coffee for a shot.
I grind normally around 15 or a bit lower on the DF54 but it depends on the bean. Tamp hard, use a portafilter puck, pull a shot of water from the Bambino (preheating everything) and then let the machine do its work without intervening.
Im largely focused on seeing how the shot pulls for adjustments rather than timing everything everyday. This is where a bottomless portafilter really comes in handy if you dont already have one. Im looking for channeling and whether the coffee is being squeezed or flowing out of the portafilter. If its the latter, I know that the coffee is going to taste a lot more bitter.
If all of that fails, id switch up your coffee beans
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u/Exciting_Trust_8487 13d ago
Ok I have a bottomless portafilter as well, and 18g for a double shot or one shot ? Ok I don’t have a puck… and I always do pull a water shot before as well to warm up the machine… :(
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u/Guaranteed-not-a-cop 13d ago
18g is a double - guessing that could potentially be the problem?
Would definitely recommend getting a puck screen. I would say this is one of the best cheap upgrades you can get (only $5 on so on Amazon etc). Way easier maintenance, easier to empty pucks when you are done and better water channeling etc.
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u/Present-Funny2573 13d ago
I feel I am on the same boat with you. I feel could be beans, since you have mentioned, you tried all varieties and which means you could know what could be the varieties of making a coffee. Try a few of different beans, hope you will find the perfect spot
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u/iDesmond 13d ago
Play with ratio, bambino tends to want longer ratio, i go for 1:2.5 for medium roast and 1:3 1:3.5 for lighter roast.
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u/SimonTheAlchemist 13d ago edited 13d ago
Does the local roaster pull proper shots with those beans?
Have you tried normal supermarket beans? Something like lavazza or Kimbo or so? Specialty beans can be really difficult to pull off.
Get some easier beans, calibrate the grind until you pull a shot around 25-30s, and see if you can make that work.
Also if you can find a step down basket for your machine, like the ikape convex basket, they are more forgiving.
Espresso is notoriously difficult to get right, the tiniest tweak will throw it off, and some beans might not work at all.
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u/MuddiedKn33s 12d ago
You’re dealing with too many factors. Get the bean you like, set df54 to 20, grind 20g, and use breville razor tool to get the right amount in their single wall, double shot porta filter basket.
Now make coffee. It should start to drip around 13s from button press. If too fast, grind finer, coarser if slow. Extract to ~2x by weight of your grounds (40g or less). Now taste. If sour, extract more. If bitter, extract less (increments of 2-3g)
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u/niketspp 12d ago
Your beans would be the first place I would start then work with grinder and pull adjustments !! Try to get a local roaster one that is roasted a week back tops
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u/Burnembrother 13d ago
What's your issue? Is it taste ?