There’s a flow profile for every roasting curve!
Jun 08, 2021
A variable
flow rate allows the barista to act on the pre-infusion phase, an essential part
of espresso extraction. However, only recently with the coming of digital and
manual flow regulators has this important phase been taken into consideration
as an additional variable that can be set for espresso extraction.
At the same temperature and pressure, pre-infusion allows you to explore in more detail all the organoleptic properties of a single origin or a blend. A light roast requires a gentle pre-infusion, allowing more elegant notes to be extracted, while dark roasts and blends require a more consistent water flow.
With Dalla Corte's Digital Flow Regulator you can adjust the water flow and act on this important variable! With Mina you can create and save your recipes using the Mina app (available on Apple Store and Google Play), while on Zero you can move the group’s lever between four preset flow rates.
Recipe nr. 1 - Light roasts
With a traditional flow profile of 10 g/s (ten grams of water per second), light roasts present fruity sweetness, sharper acidity and lighter notes, but overall it can be too sour.
With a gentle pre-infusion and a 5 g/s flow for 5 seconds, the acidity goes down allowing more elegant notes to be extracted. By never exceeding 7 g/s, blooming takes place slowly, bringing more aromas to the cup, while the acidity adjusts to pleasant citrus notes.
Recipe nr. 2 - Dark roasts
With a traditional flow of 10g/s dark roasts have a long aftertaste and a more bitter quality.
By starting with a regular 10 g/s flow, you can quickly extract most of the flavors into the cup and, after 8 seconds, going down to 5 g/s you can reduce the acidity. The bitter taste decrease while the mouthfeel increases, giving a strong and sweet finish.
Depending on the type of coffee, the origin and many other factors, the values described above may change, but these generic directions are intended to be a guide for those who are starting to approach flow profiling! Happy coffee exploring #makeitbetter
