Alright folks, grabbed my notebook and thermos this morning feeling that Virgo Cafe itch. Headed straight down around 7 AM – love how quiet it is before the rush.
First thing: machine check. Switched on the big espresso beast and gave it a second to warm up properly. Always gotta flush the group heads first, just hot water through to clean out any old grounds. Crucial step for a clean taste, trust me.
While that was happening, I prepped my beans. Pulled out that single-origin Guatemalan batch I was excited to try again. Weighed out exactly 18 grams – precision matters, right? Grinded it fresh, nice and fine, like beach sand. Got my portafilter ready, tamped it down smooth and level. Good resistance, felt right.
Locked it into the machine. Hit the brew switch. Started watching the pour… aiming for that perfect thick honey stream. Went for about 28 seconds and pulled out around 38 grams of espresso. Looked dark and rich. Quick taste? Definitely got those caramel notes I wanted, but maybe a bit too sharp? Hmm. Okay, filed that away.
Decided I wanted a cortado. Needed that small, punchy hit. Poured the fresh espresso into a pre-warmed little cup. Now, milk time. Grabbed the cold whole milk jug. Filled it only about one-third – small drinks need control. Purged the steam wand, let it rip into the milk. Focused on getting that whirlpool going for microfoam, not big bubbles. Stopped when the jug felt just slightly too hot to hold.
Got my spoon, tapped the jug to pop any bubbles, gave it a gentle swirl. Then poured the milk into the espresso. Aimed for integration first… and tried a quick wiggle for art. Annnnd… kinda screwed it up. Ended up with a blob instead of a tulip. First attempt blues! Eh, practice makes less-blobby. Taste? Actually fantastic! That bit of sharpness from the espresso mellowed out beautifully with the sweet milk foam. Perfect balance.
Took my notebook and jotted down the points:
- Bean: Guatemalan Huehuetenango (Lot 22-14)
- Dose: 18g in
- Yield: 38g out @ 28 seconds
- Taste: Caramel strong, initial sharpness → mellowed well in cortado
- Foam: Microfoam good, pouring practice… needs work!
Sipped it slow, watching folks trickle in. Always love seeing the cafe wake up. Cleaned my station meticulously afterwards – portafilter scrubbed, wand wiped down immediately, jug rinsed. Can’t leave milk gunk, no sir.
Heading out now, thinking about tomorrow. Maybe play with the grind a smidge finer for that Guatemalan? Or maybe work on that pour technique again. Always something to tweak! Another solid Virgo Cafe morning done. Back at it tomorrow.
