Vibiemme Domobar Junior - Manual (Page 10)

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them. If there is a rule about roasting and espresso, we can say that the darker the beans the less they
will taste like coffee and the more they will taste of the roast alone. Additionally, if we risk a generalization
once again, the darker the roast the more bitter the espresso.
If you are in a situation where you need to store beans for more than a week or ten days, the best solution
is as follows: divide the coffee into a number of two or three day portions. Place these in glass canning
jars of a volume that allows each jar to be filled as fully as possible so that as much air as possible is
displaced. Seal the jars tightly (vacuum packing is not necessary) and place them in your freezer- the
colder the better. Remove one jar the evening before you need more coffee, in order to allow them to
come up to room temperature before being opened. This eliminates condensation on the beans. When
that jar is nearly empty, take out the next jar to repeat the process.
5. Cooling Flush
One of the benefits of the Vibiemme espresso machine is the thermosyphon built into the E-61 Grouphead.
Convection acts to recirculation hot water through the Grouphead which helps create thermal stability
throughout the brewing path which goes a long way to helping you get consistent results. But under
certain circumstances that same system can cause the Grouphead and heat exchanger to become
overheated, and if you do not act to control or mitigate that situation, when you pull a shot the coffee
may be subjected to steam and over-heated water which will create a bitter beverage. What to do? If
the machine has been left on and has not been used for more than about three to five minutes to brew
espresso, before preparing to make an espresso it is important to do a cooling flush. This involves turning
on the machine as if you were going to make espresso, but without the Portafilter and you don’t need
to use a cup. Just pull a shot and when the sputtering of the steam ends and a stream of water without
steam comes from the Grouphead, count an amount of time, then turn the brew cycle off. This cooling
flush will pull the excess heat from the brew boiler and Grouphead, returning these parts closer to a
‘normal’ brewing temperature.
The second part of the cooling flush involves a short wait for the temperature of the brew boiler to stabilize.
This happens fairly quickly- figure between about fifteen to forty-five seconds. Coincidentally, that’s about
the amount of time it will take you to get ready. Once the cooling flush has been accomplished go about
making coffee as usual- wipe the Portafilter dry, grind, dose, tamp, lock the Portafilter and pull the
shot (this process is explained in detail in the next chapter).
As you get more accustomed to making espresso and your results become more consistent, you will
be able to use this cooling flush and wait time to fine tune the process to match your tastes, the coffee
you are using, and the type of drink you are making. As an example, making a cappuccino or latte you
can use a slightly higher temperature so you would use a shorter cooling flush. If you are going to have a
straight espresso, a slightly longer flush is required to get a smoother taste from the slightly lower brew
temperature. The difference can be as little as one or two degrees, but in the world of espresso, two
degrees is a lot of degrees.
How long is a “shorter” or “longer” cooling flush? That is something your taste buds will teach you as
you get more and more adept at using your Vibiemme espresso machine. If you find you get the same
taste every time with a ten second flush, try an eight second flush for a while. Not working for you? Try
a twelve second flush for a few days.