theWHAT

In a dream:

My dog reproduces asexually and keeps splitting into more elliotts.

my DIY Toddy style cold brewer

So I put a hole in the bottom of a $6 storage container from Target, plugged it with a modified wine bottle cork, and called it a Stoddy.. heh.  First trial run last night.

(0.5 lb beans + 4.5 cups water) * 16 hours = 600 ml coffee concentrate

It’s not the smoothest toddy I’ve had, but not a bad trial.  I planned for it to brew 12hrs, but didn’t really time that right for when I’d be waking up today. The coffee was some Guatemalan Antigua that had been lost in my cupboards for a good 2+ months. Also, I need a cloth filter!  I used 3 prerinsed unbleached paper filters, but I think the cloth will be superior.  The real Toddy home brewer can do 1lb at a time, and I think I can only get about 3/4 lb, but mine also doesn’t cost fourty bucks.  With the box of 12 mason jars it cost about $17.

Also, about half the liquid runs out after uncorking, and then the other half slowly drips for a while.  I was impatient and figured out that if I put the sealable lid on top at an angle and press to close it, it forces the rest out much faster.  AeroStoddy?  :P  Kidding.

But this is good because now I have something useful to do with aging leftover beans besides sacrificing them after running Grindz through the grinders.

Just in time for a Toddylicious summer.  :)~

DIY portafilter pressure gauge

The idea of this is from a thread on Home-Barista that is often cited in topics about brew pressure, yet I’m too lazy to find it.

While i was waiting for the gauge to come, I tried to estimate and adjust the OPV without one (using blind filter, measure ml/s from valve on my digital scale, convert units).  Turns out i got pretty close to the 9 Bar that way.. :)  I use my scale for EVERYTHING now, but i wish it was accurate to a tenth of a gram and not just whole grams.  

This has a bleed valve that you adjust to something like 2oz in 25s in order simulate a typical shot.  Not the same dynamics as with actual coffee, but more accurate than nothing (otherwise would be expected to be something like 1 to 1.5 Bar higher).  The photo of the gauge in action was after the actual measurement, just opened a little for the picture, and not the actual brew pressure.. but kinda close anyway.  

Note: Dog does not measure pressure.  Photo included just because Marta is mad that I don’t post pictures of him.

“Hey man, are you still in Pittsburgh?  I need a fake mustache by Wednesday.”

I like that there are just some people from whom a serious request like this does not seem unusual at all.  Apparently Pittsburgh has the best mustaches.

I also has..

A crazy awesome set of signed and numbered cups/saucers from Illy!  It was a gift.  The cups reflect the art off of the saucers.  There are 6 and each are different.  Here’s the one with a kitty.

And check this one out, with a shot that was actually pretty much drinkable.. ;)

So far the highlight has been when I tried to knock some bubbles out of the steam pitcher, and shot a rocket of hot milk straight up into my eye.  lulz!