Dark Matter Coffee · Unicorn Blood Espresso Blend

{ "summary": "Shot 63 at grind 37.5 ran the full 60 seconds (machine auto-stop) and yielded only 27.5g — a very slow, short pull. You held WDT to 30 seconds as instructed, which is exactly right. The shot still didn't flow, and that's the real diagnostic here: this isn't a technique problem anymore, it's a grind problem.", "numbers": "60 seconds is Very Slow and well outside the normal range. A 1.54 brew ratio is Short — just above Ristretto threshold. Flow didn't even start until 20 seconds in, which on the Bambino (with its ~3-4s preinfusion ramp) means the puck was severely resisting water. Balance 3 with quick-resolving acidity matches the known berry character on this bean. The taste is consistent with the profile — but the puck is simply not letting water through at this grind.", "recommendation": { "action": "Go 2 full clicks coarser — grind 39.5. Update current_focus to grind 39.5.", "reason": "You've now held grind 37.5 and capped WDT at 30 seconds, and the shot still choked to 60s with a 20-second flow delay. WDT is no longer the variable — you did it correctly this time. The pattern across this bean (grind 34–37.5 all running 40–60s) tells you the entire range is too fine. The Brazil Cerrado showed this same behavior: the correct grind ended up much coarser than expected. This bean needs room to breathe. Go 2 clicks coarser and see if flow normalizes." }, "bean_context": "At 26 days post-roast, this medium-dark washed blend is solidly in its peak window — freshness isn't the issue. The quick-resolving acidity and balance 3 are consistent with the berry notes in the profile. The problem is purely mechanical: every shot on this bag from 34 to 37.5 has choked or run very slow. This bean extracts more like a light roast than its medium-dark label suggests — possibly due to blend composition or roast style. Treat it like Coffee Lab Huila Decaf: assume the working range is much coarser than intuition says.", "progress_note": "Critical step forward: you held WDT to 30 seconds and didn't chase the grind finer. That's exactly the right discipline. The choke at 37.5 with correct technique now gives you clean data — grind is definitively too fine. This is progress, not a failure.", "overall_verdict": "needs_work", "is_stable": false, "updated_coaching_state": { "experience_level": "beginner", "current_focus": "Dark Matter Unicorn Blood — grind moved to 39.5. WDT hard cap 30 seconds, count it out loud. Over-agitation is the confirmed and recurring channel mechanism. Do not extend WDT under any circumstances.", "known_patterns": "Acidity sensitive. Bambino drip lag 6–10g on this setup — normal. WDT solid. 30lb spring established. Maomi dialed in at 32.5 for reference. Decaf extracts more easily than regular beans — start 1–2 clicks finer than equivalent regular bean grind. Left spout dropout on decaf shot 1 was loose puck from coarse grind — resolved at 29. Short yields were driving lingering sourness — fixed at 36–37g. Grind 28 on Ándale causes fast shots with channeling signs and under-extraction — confirmed twice on bag 1/early bag 2. Grind 29 on Ándale had cleaner flow. Grind 33 on Ándale bag 1 produced best results (31s, balance 2, good with milk). On Decaf Huila (Metric): grind 28 confirmed dialed in — 27s, balance 3, 4 stars, best shot on the bag. Grind 28 also produced a regression (25s, balance 2, 41g yield) — yield control is critical. Quick-fading acidity at balance 2–3 is bean character on this bright EA Washed decaf, not an extraction fault. Lingering sourness is a real extraction flag. Stirring espresso before tasting reveals truer flavor — surface layer reads sour on bright beans even when extraction is solid. Late bilateral drip near end of pull is puck breakdown artifact, not channeling. Brazil Cerrado (natural process) choked or ran 60s at ALL settings from 28–41 confirmed — this bean requires dramatically coarser grind than any previous bean. Do not attempt any setting below 41.5. Grind 45 ran 15s Very Fast. Grind 42 = 28–32s Normal, balance 3–4, confirmed dialed in across three shots. Asymmetric flow (one spout only mid-shot) on Cerrado traces to uneven WDT distribution, not grind — resolved by end of shot with no major taste impact. Ándale Market bag 2 behaving differently from bag 1 — bag 1 dialed in at grind 33, bag 2 dialed in at grind 28. Do not assume prior dialed-in grind applies across bags. Ándale bag 2: four consecutive channeling shots (grind 31–29.5) with alternating spout restriction — confirmed WDT/puck prep issue. Slowing WDT to 45s with deliberate edge-to-center coverage resolved channeling. Grind 28 + 18g dose + 37–41g yield = balance 4, 4 stars, confirmed dialed in on Ándale bag 2. Coffee Lab Huila Decaf (light roast, unspecified process): choked at every setting 27.5–33 across 5 shots. Light roast density is dominant factor — do not assume decaf processing offsets it. Grind 38 is first working setting — 35s Normal, balance 3, lingering brightness, channeling still present. Alternating spout restriction at 38 traces to puck prep, not grind. Do not go coarser until WDT fix is tested. Dark Matter Unicorn Blood (medium-dark, washed, Honduras/Guatemala): grind range 34–37.5 all run slow to very slow (40–60s) with restricted/delayed flow and mid-shot single-spout dropout — entire lower range confirmed too fine. Over-agitation during WDT confirmed as recurring channel mechanism — hard cap 30s WDT, count it out loud. With WDT correctly capped at 30s, shot still choked at 37.5 — grind is definitively the variable now. Moved to 39.5. Quick-resolving acidity at balance 3 is berry character, not extraction fault.", "last_recommendation": "Dark Matter Unicorn Blood: go 2 clicks coarser to grind 39.5. WDT hard cap 30 seconds — count it out loud. Over-agitation is the confirmed recurring channel mechanism.", "last_analysis_date": "2026-06-20T13:26:00.000Z", "last_analyzed_shot_id": 88, "bean_contexts": [ { "bag_id": 4, "name": "Printer's Row Coffee Co — Brazil Cerrado", "status": "dialed_in", "dialed_in_grind": 42, "dialed_in_yield_g": 38, "current_grind": 42, "shots_pulled": 10, "profile": "Natural process, Brazil Cerrado, baker's chocolate/dried apricot/walnut, low acidity", "notes": "Dialed in: grind 42, 28–32s, balance 3–4. Slight sourness is bean character. Watch WDT evenness to prevent asymmetric flow." }, { "bag_id": 2, "name": "Luckycat — Maomi Blend", "status": "dialing_in", "dialed_in_grind": null, "dialed_in_yield_g": null, "current_grind": 32.5, "shots_pulled": 7, "profile": "Unspecified roast, PNG/Guatemala/Mexico blend, full body, caramel/cocoa/nuts, low acidity", "notes": "Sweet spot bracketed: 31=bitter, 32=sour, 32.5=balance 3 (slight linger). Try 32.5 at 33g yield next to close the gap." }, { "bag_id": 3, "name": "Metric — Decaf Huila Pink Bourbon", "status": "dialing_in", "dialed_in_grind": 28, "dialed_in_yield_g": 37, "current_grind": 28, "shots_pulled": 9, "profile": "EA Washed decaf, Colombia Huila, Pink Bourbon, ganache/orange peel/Luxardo, high elevation", "notes": "Best: grind 28, 27s, 37g, balance 3, 4 stars. Regression at 41g yield — yield control critical. Try 27.5 next." }, { "bag_id": 5, "name": "Metric — Ándale Market (bag 2)", "status": "dialed_in", "dialed_in_grind": 28, "dialed_in_yield_g": 38.5, "current_grind": 28, "shots_pulled": 9, "profile": "Medium roast, Mexico/Guatemala blend, bright/acidic, cherry/nougat/wildflower honey", "notes": "Dialed in: grind 28, 18g dose, 37–41g yield, balance 4, 4 stars. Channeling at 29.5–31 was WDT inconsistency — resolved with slower deliberate WDT." }, { "bag_id": 6, "name": "Coffee Lab & Roasters — Huila Decaf", "status": "dialing_in", "dialed_in_grind": null, "dialed_in_yield_g": null, "current_grind": 38, "shots_pulled": 6, "profile": "Light roast decaf, Colombia Huila, unspecified process, bright/sweet/lemon", "notes": "Choked at all settings 27.5–33. Grind 38 first working shot — 35s, balance 3, channeling still present. Light roast density dominant. Fix WDT before adjusting grind." }, { "bag_id": 7, "name": "Dark Matter Coffee — Unicorn Blood Espresso Blend", "status": "dialing_in", "dialed_in_grind": null, "dialed_in_yield_g": null, "current_grind": 39.5, "shots_pulled": 10, "profile": "Medium-dark washed, Honduras/Guatemala, dark chocolate/caramel/berry", "notes": "Grind 34–37.5 all choked or ran very slow. WDT correctly capped at 30s — grind confirmed too fine. Moved to 39.5. Quick-resolving acidity is berry character." }, { "bag_id": 1, "name": "Metric — Ándale Market", "status": "finished", "dialed_in_grind": null, "dialed_in_yield_g": null, "current_grind": null, "shots_pulled": 12, "profile": "Medium roast, Latin American blend, bright and acidic, cherry/nougat/wildflower", "notes": "Best result bag 1: grind 33, 31s, balance 2, good with milk. Grind