Blue Bottle Coffee · Night Light Decaf

Thu, Jul 23, 2026, 12:24 AM (Shot 87)

DoppioNormalShortDay 14 · Still excellent

Shot

Grind Setting39.5

Dose18.8g

Grinder Retention0.8g

Adjusted dose 18.0g

WDT UsedYes

Distribution ToolYes

Spring Weight30 lbs

Pre-infusion6s

FlowDripping / Restricted

Shot Time28s

Stopped at28.4g (+8g drip)

Yield36.4g

Ratio 1:2.021.30 g/sNormalShort

Target

Espresso

Landed in the Espresso target.

Taste

Balance

SourBitterBitter

Shot Rating

★★★★★

Notes

A bit of a false start because I turned off the scale by mistake when starting the shot. Flow started at around 10 seconds even and slow on both spouts. At around 16 seconds it started dripping on the right spout and shortly after on the left, dripping more and more slowly throughout the shot. Lag was still long. Taste was bitter and lingering. Over extracted so will try a few clocks coarser next time bit keeping in mind shot speed is on the lower end of the desired range. Bitterness does not allow me to taste other notes

Drink

DrinkFlat White

Milkwhole

Milk Quantity90ml

Foam10ml

Overall Rating

★★★★★

Latte Art

Calder

Milk reduces bitter flavor but still prevalent and strong. Latte art was promising but stopped looking at the milk level and spilled. Should have moved closer sooner

Analysis

✦

AI Analysis

Needs Work

Summary

First shot on Blue Bottle Night Light Decaf — 28 seconds, 36.4g yield, balance 6 (bitter), 3 stars. Flow started even and slow on both spouts, then progressively restricted through the shot, finishing with a long lag. Bitter and lingering with no room to taste the bean's character. You correctly identified over-extraction as the culprit.

What the Numbers Say

Time is Normal at 28s and ratio is Normal at 2.02 — both squarely in range. The numbers alone look fine, but the progressive flow restriction and lingering bitterness tell the real story: this is extracting too hard for this bean. Retention was 0.8g this shot, notably higher than your 0.14g average — adjusted dose was 18g.

The One Thing to Change

Go 2–3 clicks coarser: try grind 42.

Swiss Water decaf extracts more easily than regular beans — the bean structure is more open, so grind 39.5 is too fine here. The slow, progressively restricting flow and lingering bitterness both point to over-extraction, not a puck prep issue. Your shot time at 28s is already on the lower end of Normal, so there's room to open up the grind without going fast. Grind 42 matches your Brazil Cerrado starting point (natural process, similar roast level) and gives the decaf structure enough space to flow cleanly. Keep dose and yield the same.

Bean Context

Night Light Decaf is Swiss Water processed, medium roast, day 14 — right at the start of the peak window for a medium decaf (ready around day 4, peak through ~day 21). Freshness isn't the issue. The Crème Brûlée/Vanilla/Key Lime notes are completely buried under the bitterness right now — you won't taste them until the grind opens up. The bean description also calls out that a heavier dose brings out extra sweetness and roundness, which aligns with your 18g adjusted dose being a reasonable starting point. Blue Bottle notes no similar dialed-in bean in your history, but your Unicorn Blood (medium-dark, grind 40) and Brazil Cerrado (natural medium, grind 42) are the closest structural references — grind 42 is the right anchor.

Progress

New bean, first shot — this is exactly the right read. You identified the extraction direction correctly and your yield targeting was precise. Clean start to dialing this one in.

Cached · Jul 23

Bean

RoasterBlue Bottle Coffee

BeanNight Light Decaf

Days Since Roast14 days — Still excellent

Roast Date2026-07-08