4 Letter Word · Decaf Aba Mecha

Shot 7 on the Decaf Aba Mecha at grind 40, 18.4g adjusted dose, 39.5g yield — Normal ratio, Slow time, balance 4. Taste was bright but resolved quickly, which fits EA decaf character. The right-side restriction returned again mid-shot, same as every previous pull on this bag.

Time is Slow at 36s, ratio is Normal at 2.15. Balance 4 is the best result yet on this bag, and the quick-resolving brightness confirms clean extraction rather than an under-extraction flag. The problem is the flow: right-side restriction starting around 12 seconds has appeared in all 7 shots across grind settings 35.5 through 40. This is not a grind issue — the range has been thoroughly bracketed. The right-side channel pattern is the same mechanism documented across El Diviso, Night Light bag 21, Yaye, Matas early shots, and Aba Mecha shots 1–6. The extraction is landing well despite the flow issue, but the channel is preventing a consistently clean result.

The Decaf Aba Mecha is at day 16 post-roast, squarely in its peak window (roaster recommends 10+ days rest; EA washed decaf typically peaks 4–28 days). Balance 4 and quick-resolving brightness confirm the bean is tasting as expected — melon and lighter notes consistent with the profile. The EA washed process opens the bean structure, which is why grind 40 is extracting well at Slow times without bitterness. The channeling is purely a prep problem, not a bean or freshness problem.

Balance 4 is a clear step forward from the sour results at shots 1–4 — grind 40 is working. The remaining gap is purely flow consistency on the right side.