The Single

Gilles

After reading some of the members posts here regarding IMS basket the Single, I decided to make the change as I mostly use the L1 for Ristretti

Basket and shower screen, arrived yesterday.

I remember the discussion about the ration 1:1, I tried with 12g of coffee but had to reduce to 11.5g, I open the lever gently to avoid flushing the top of the coffee ground, a very short PI as my beans are a bit too dark (waiting for next delivery)
Lever goes straight to 20 degrees (used to be the same before, barely had the 45 degrees, nevertheless coffee is wonderful so I don't really care because I don't need much in the cup) and takes more than 45" to pour my ristretto.....

Did any of you experienced this?
Did you have to grind a bit coarser to improve Reiss' ratio of water/coffee penetration
what weight do you use?

btw, I might say that I am using the 1460206, instead of the La Marzocco recommended by Reiss.. there was a mistake but Jens already sent the replacement.

I have to say that in complement to the very precise info from Reiss, as usual, Jens from IMS has been incredibly responsive and helpful for a simple order that won't make him rich, a fantastic attitude.

thanks happy coffee everyone!

Salvatore Taibi

I have no experience with the IMS single basket, but instead use the La Marzocco Advanced Precision. I dose 7-8g and look for around 11-12g in the cup. I've said it many times, but I think this is where the LI shines incomparably.

Also, in my experience, grind should remain the same between single and double baskets. The basket shape makes up for the difference.

Matthew Hoffman

Salvatore,
How long do your 11-12 gram shots usually run?
Matt

Gilles

@Salvatore thanks for your input, tried 8/12 it comes out faster but not tasty or thick as I like, I will try again with a shorter PI
thanks to reassure me about grinding.

edit: tried 4" PI, it takes 34" to get 12g Ristretto, Yet the flavor too "acid" for me, what could do about this and a more "creamy" ristretto, I feel this one is a little bit too watery?

@Matt: great question, cheers

Salvatore Taibi

My single pours run in the 22-27" range where my standard double is typically 25-30" (15g/22g). Almost the same.

What is your pressure reading? Temperature at the group? These can certainly affect the mouthfeel of the shot, although, tbh, the best way to achieve a superior crema and thicker shot is to use a blend with some Robusta in it!

I think IMS make great products (I have their screens and baskets), but I'm not sold on the single. I'm curious what happens when you switch to the LM.

Matthew Hoffman

Just to make sure we are all talking about the same thing. I time my shots from the first drops to hit the cup. Some time from the beginning of pre-infusion. What are others in this discussion doing?
Matt

Gilles

@ Matt, I time from PI, indicating 4" PI + 34" till 12g in the cup (so 34" start from the moment I release the Lever & includes the "wait for first drop")
@ Salvatore, thanks, I usually hit the steam valve to get the max pressure (which is 1.4) no idea about the temp though, I guess when the light turn off, the temp is also at the highest temp? currently running on Ethiopian 100% arabica
the LM is currently on its way from Portugal

Salvatore Taibi

Haha... apples and oranges, to be sure! I start timing the moment I release the lever. (Wait, upon rereading the above, this is the same as Gilles, I believe. I tend to PI for 3" singles/7" doubles.)

I think timing from the "first drop" leaves out a lot of information, Matt. For me, the importance of time concerns how long the unbelievably hot water is in contact with the coffee bed.

I have a probe mounted on the group, so that is where I read temperature. It is a leftover from the "early days" when we were investigating stalls and how to avoid them.

Al James

I have been trying to get something drinkable out of the IMS 'the Single' basket for about a year now. Now and then it happens but (I find it) very very hard to get any shot-to-shot consistency. This morning I pulled two shots back to back using raves Colombian Suarez pulling the cup at 27 seconds just to see if I could end up with a similar weight in the cup - aiming to replicate the preparation process obviously. First shot produced 18g in 27 seconds and the second 29g in 27 seconds. From whats suggested here these are both very long shots from a 10g dose (12g basket). I started by aiming for 10g into 15g but when the grind is so tight it takes long long time to get anything into the cup at all - way beyond 30 seconds......

Considering going back to doubles as I expect these will at least be more acheivable. Any suggestions as to what might be a good starting weight with a VST 15g basket?

Frans Goddijn

Al James post=12013 wrote: Any suggestions as to what might be a good starting weight with a VST 15g basket?

15 grams

Al James

Ah! Thanks, will start there tomorrow

Salvatore Taibi

I currently use a VST 15g basket, and, just as Frans says, I dose 15g. If you get a chance, Matt Perger has some great information on his site/blog about espresso variables (dose, grind, time, etc). Worth a read.

Matthew Hoffman

I dose 14.5g with the VST 15g basket. This is to avoid any issues with the surface of the puck touching the shower screen, but I doubt it makes much difference. In any case, the height of the coffee in the basket will vary with the grind setting, more finely ground beans settling lower.

Matt

Gilles

after numerous trial with the same beans, I got a very drinkable 12g ristretto from 8.5g (As AL James said more than that just takes like forever to poor)
sometimes coffee stick to the tamper, have to pay attention, the tamper also tend to scratch a bit in the basket while nuttating
tamping is light
moved PI up, currently 10" then get the Ristretto ready in 30"

next: I might try some beans with a bit of Robusta in it
waiting for the LM Single IMS , wondering if this will make any difference

still opened to suggestions as I haven't fully found my WAOW! yet

take care to all my risttrettoholic buddies!

Gilles

forgot to say about my coffee roster, those in Canada or even USA who haven't sourced a reliable supplier..
I get my coffee from Seb ([email protected]) Seb is passionate about coffee , always answers fully to any question to fine tune to your taste, always happy to help.
In addition to get the best variety of beans, price in incredibly reasonable and for 5 pack shipping is free in Canada.
I bet those having a payslip in US$ might find this an even better deal.
Anyway, am I promottin? Hell Yes, it's always my pleasure to share the good things, after all isn't this the main point of a forum?
cheers to all

Salvatore Taibi

Thanks for the tip on the roaster. I'll certainly check it out. We definitely should share what we appreciate, and it's up to everyone individually if they want to investigate further.

I expect you might have more success with the new basket, but since I've never tried the IMS single myself, I can't say for certain. I do think once you get the new basket, however, you'll be able to decide on your dose and then use the same grind as you do for doubles. Should be that simple.

As for the LM basket, do you have a tamper that will fit? I don't, and the only one I've seen is very expensive. When I was ready to buy it, if memory serves me correctly, the shipping charge was the final hurdle I couldn't overcome. I make due with an old pill bottle, using the top to tamp. It is nearly a perfect fit for my basket.

Gilles

Salvatore, sorry for the delay...just still waiting for the LM Single to arrive so I can start trial & error again cheers

Salvatore Taibi

No worries. Just let us know when it has arrived and how things progress. I look forward to hearing good news!

Gilles

Hey Salvatore and other ristretto aficionados.
It's been a whiile but I thought I'd post an update

The single basket didn't work for me in the long term, I could never get the flavor that I was expecting (ahhh expectations.. )
In addition I tried so many options in grind, weight, PI...but the extraction was always drop by drop until it breaks to over extracting.

2 weeks earlier I had another session to reset everything in my process and decided to come back to the normal basket.
After few trials, I am very happy of the results I get with 10.8g of colombian medium roast coffee.
Extraction is dark and fluid, I get exactly what I need in the cup and let the rest go to waste
Surprisingly I am almost at 1:2 may be 1:1.8...

I don't tamp too much (also because the tamper is touching the level ring inside the basket... and I don't nut too much easier
as for PI best results for my taste is 7" but I have to say that even little PI is still delicious.

that's it , hope this helps those who had the same quest
cheers

Salvatore Taibi

Gilles,

Thanks for reporting back. I'm glad you found something you enjoy. I've found with singles, I want to keep my pre-infusion much shorter, down in the 3" range. There is a lot less coffee for the water to saturate, and therefore I feel anything too long can be detrimental to the flavor.

I will also note, the best extractions I get do start out VERY slowly. I'm looking for a "drip-drip" to start. Remember, I'm only hoping to achieve 11g or so in the cup, and I want the extraction to take a full 20-25 seconds.