dialling in espresso basics - 3 - adjusting a recipe 11

Step 3 - YIELD

This part is really not so complicated if you already understand DOSE, and how changing the ratio affects the espresso extraction and flavour. Changing the YIELD is the same principle, but you adjust the amount of resulting espresso, rather than the ground coffee. 

So with our example recipe, instead of pulling a 36g shot from a 19g dose, you might want to increase the yield, and pull a 38g or 40g shot from a 19g dose. This increases espresso extraction, and also decreases mouthfeel.

On the other hand, if you would decrease the yield, you might pull a 34g shot from a 19g dose. This results in less extraction, and a more intense mouthfeel.

It is worth saying again that adjusting any one of these 3 factors (dose, yield, time) impacts the other 2 factors. They influence each other and work in tandem, and so dialling in espresso is a game of manipulating the complexities of coffee to reach the best tasting shot!

ADJUSTING YIELD ON A LA MARZOCCO LINEA PB

Now to the practicalities of how you actually adjust the yield. Here I will explain how to do it on the classic La Marzocco Linea PB since many coffeebars use this. But the principle is the same on any espresso machine - we are adjusting the amount of water passing through the grouphead, using a scale. 

The reason I leave this to last is because it’s quite easy to get lost in the settings menu, and accidentally drastically change things and not know how to undo it. Don’t try this for the first time during busy service - ideally do it with a senior barista who can supervise you / fix it if you fail. 

You will need :

grouphandle with your coffee puck ready to be locked in

a scale (at OSLO, the scale is built-in)

a cup

To get to the settings menu on the Linea PB, press and hold the swirly button (third button) on the leftmost grouphead for 7 seconds. Once you are in the menu, the first button (1-cup icon) is Left and the second button (2-cup icon) is Right, and the swirly button is Enter.

Once you are in menu, the display says ‘Group Dose Settings’. Press Enter. Now it says ‘Program Volume Dose’. Press Right, it goes to ‘Program Mass Dose’, press Enter. Now at this point any button you press is going to be reset, so be careful here! Get your grouphandle loaded with the puck and lock it into the left grouphead. You are going to reset the 2-cup dose (second button). 

Make sure your cup is ready on the scale to catch the espresso. You will press the 2-cup dose button to start and then stop the shot. So keep an eye on your scale, and press the button to stop the shot 3g before your target yield. For example, if you want to pull a 40g shot, then press the button to stop the shot when the scale says 37g. This is for the machine’s reaction time.

Now you have set that particular dose, press Enter to get out of this programming stage. Press Left twice (‘Group Dose Exit’) and then Enter, press Left once (‘Exit Menu’) and then press Enter. You are now back to the usual espresso machine functionality, with a newly reset 2-cup dose! Congratulations.

more helpful videos :

Programming La Marzocco Espresso Machines (Basic & Advanced Settings)

Programming / Setting La Marzocco Linea PB Volumetrics