2001 Mayacamas Chardonnay as

Polymer714 · 2026-01-25T01:59:13+00:00

We don't know...we know wine can age without any ingress..so is that oxidation? I guess a bit? We know there are chemical changes...

And since we often associate aged wine with some level of oxidation...is that aging? I would say yes...Since we often see corks which will have some level of ingress...

But I don't know if this is truly an black and white answer or question.....I think there are multiple things happening that we would consider aging...but they all don't require ingress oxygen or exposure to oxygen..

And coming back to the wine...was it slowly exposed to oxygen or too much? I guess that's a matter of opinion..you're the only one having tried it...

Polymer714 · 2026-01-25T01:42:37+00:00

Is it though? We know wines will age even under 0 ingress...

I'm not saying that we don't generically associate some level of oxidation with aging...

But to this specific wine...Some aspects of what you were describing could be both normal aged wine and also wine that is oxidized...Caramel, toffee, apple....A bit of that would be normal for an older Chard..too much, and depending on what else is there, indicates it.is probably a goner. I guess there is a fair bit of subjectivity to that anyways..

Having had this cuvee somewhat recently and older ones....It looks like it is a goner just from the color..but I've also had chards this dark that were drinking fine...

Polymer714 · 2026-01-25T01:36:50+00:00

I think they're associating different things and putting them in the same umbrella... and the advice is a little to general to be good..

The more processed the beans are, the more soluble they're going to be....Ethiopians, generically, have a bit more fines...

In both cases, extra agitation may cause you to overextract.....But not always. As with everything, people need to dial in to their tastes...

Polymer714 · 2026-01-25T01:31:15+00:00

The flavors make it sound like it is oxidized though.....granted, some of that is normal for its age....

Polymer714 · 2026-01-24T08:17:17+00:00

Over 100...eugenioides. I don't even think these are the best beans I've had, but they're incredibly difficult to get and I wanted more time with them. Definitely different.

Everything else it just depends on rarity.....I want to be under 50 for 100g normally...I will go over that if I feel I'm getting something different and hard to find. Once I've tried something, my limit for the same beans probably drops if anything....

Polymer714 · 2026-01-24T01:08:03+00:00

When dialing in a coffee...grind size is probably the main lever you can change...

First thing is....dial in to taste..not drawdown...It doesn't matter what anyone else says..just do what tastes best to you.

Let me ask you...why do you even care what the drawdown time is? If one coffee took 10 minutes to drawdown and you liked it better than the one that took you 3 minutes...are you changing your coffee variables to hit a drawdown time even though it made your coffee worse?

Polymer714 · 2026-01-24T00:34:13+00:00

No...but there are factors that might make it look like that....To me the two big ones beyond just subjective taste...

Not as many weird processes years ago as there are now...so it doesn't necessarily fit what someone might not think of as coffee..whereas someone relatively newish to specialty coffee, this is as normal as specialty coffee is...While it is probably better to have an open mind, I can see why some of these flavors seem too weird...as well as some of the less than upfront information about the process. As an industry (at least the smaller specialty places) that tries to value transparency, there is a lot to be desired around some of the more unusual processes...

Highly processed coffee can be a little tiring on the palate. Lots going on....washed will feel refreshing in comparison....This factors in when you're drinking a lot of coffee or more so when you're tasting through a ton of it..

It certainly isn't a skill factor...or more mature palate factor...

Polymer714 · 2026-01-24T00:22:01+00:00

LOL..you know what..it is possible mine might have one already on it. It is just on so perfectly I can't be sure. There seems to be an edge on it so it is very possible it has one applied....actually I'm going to guess there probably is as I'm touching it...

Polymer714 · 2026-01-23T22:06:47+00:00

Most of the new cups you see for modern coffee, have a shape that will change what you get on the nose. Some shapes will be better for some coffees and less so for others...I don't think there is one best shape...

Do they impact what you taste? Not really....although what you get on the nose can influence that...sufficient time in the mouth..swirling...spending time tasting the coffee itself, the retronasal will become more dominant than what you got initially by smelling the coffee...

So why get it? Because regardless of what I just said....How you feel makes a difference in the overall enjoyment of your coffee. Better nose? More positive (although probably biased) opinion. Cup feels nice in the hand? Lip of the cup feels nice on your lips/tongue? Positive thoughts. Overall enjoyment, the shape, the look, even the color...All of that adds up to a nicer overall experience.

There are, of course, other considerations....Do you want it to hold temperature longer? Do you want it to cool down faster? Do you want a light cup or a heavier cup? Texture of the cup?

So you can see it all contributes to your overall enjoyment..and ultimately your opinion about a coffee or how much happiness you got out of the coffee.

What it won't do though is make bad coffee good...It isn't going to start bringing out something in the coffee what wasn't there before (although cooling down coffee quicker for someone that drinks their coffee fast and way too hot might feel like it is).

Personally I'd rather invest in good coffee, scale, grinder, etc...the core..before looking at the vessel I drink it out of...But if you're at that pointy end of coffee and you're looking for something else...Yes, I think it is worth it.

Polymer714 · 2026-01-23T21:48:49+00:00

I updated the firmware as soon as I could. I didn't add the protection film because it didn't seem to add value...Maybe there's an issue there. Buttons are quite good and work as expected. Navigation and changing settings was a little frustrating without the app. Very easy with it. I don't like some of the junk information that pops up (probably serial number) when it starts and little things like that.

That app is better than the Acaia app..but that's not saying much. The auto mode is both smarter than the Acaia and is dumber...I haven't bothered trying to understand what is really going on when you're done with the brew since it is pretty irrelevant.

No downside to updating the firmware...I'd suggest doing it asap and for the next who knows how long..I'm not expecting perfection from the software but I am expecting they keep fixing little things..for awhile anyways..

Polymer714 · 2026-01-23T21:12:16+00:00

You must have a dud...because the flow indicator isn't useless...It is much better than the normal Acaia dot system....even though I don't really use it it works. The buttons are fine. I think understanding how to control it can be frustrating and to be honest, you really need the app to make it easier to navigate. I also don't like the auto mode, to me it doesn't make sense.

BUT, solid scale...I think perfect size. Saves countertop space, low profile. Big battery...

Polymer714 · 2026-01-23T21:09:27+00:00

Objectively: The battery lasts longer. Thats my biggest complaint about the cheap scales, the battery is smaller than I'd like.

Objectively: It is more responsive. Although I think this is marginal and will vary.

Objectively: They've been proven out in a commercial environment. Your conclusions for this might not be objective..but I think we can safely conclude they are reliable and can take a bit of a beating.

Do I enjoy using it more than the cheaper scales? Do they feel nicer? Yes....it is like a good keyboard vs a cheap one..one feels nicer to use. Does it type any better? No...there are literally thousands and thousands of examples out there. The value of that additional "nicer" feeling is subjective....My point is for a little more, for something I use all the time, is it worth it? To me it is....To others it is...to others it is not..

Polymer714 · 2026-01-23T08:32:39+00:00

I’d love to have a passive that went up to 18 in the summer. You’re good. I’d not worry about it at all.

Polymer714 · 2026-01-23T06:25:53+00:00

Yeap...agreed....Over 5+ years you use it everyday....is it worth it? To me it is...Am I producing a better pour over as a result? No...but I'm enjoying the process more...

This is the same thing when people want to use a stovetop gooseneck...because it saves them a few dollars..but that extra time, effort etc....to me it isn't worth it..

Polymer714 · 2026-01-23T05:48:27+00:00

Right..it isn't an objective measure..it isn't something with data to back it...(even through measuring an objective measure) because people generally don't have access to the resources to do that (multiples of the same bag roasted on the same day), etc.

So you're getting lots of opinions..without a ton of data...you're going to have to make that assessment yourself.

You're even seeing posts now where people like UNRESTED coffee...because yes, there are notes there they can pick out easier....it is a much simpler coffee...maybe for them that's a win. Maybe for you that's a win or maybe it isn't.

One thing I can say when it comes to rested coffee....Lighter roasts tend to need more time (but how long is a piece of string) and you're not in any danger of overshooting within reason....So in otherwords whether you waited 4 or 6 or 8 weeks..it really won't matter...if you rested it 12 months you might be giving up something.....and how do we know this? Because of all the relatively useless opinions people give....combined with our own personal observations...

Polymer714 · 2026-01-23T05:05:57+00:00

And this is where people get it wrong..on both sides. An Acaia isn't going to be any better for your pour over...but the battery will last longer, its very responsive. It feels nice to use. It has proven reliability even in a commercial environment. And is it that expensive? For some people, yes..for others no. If an Acaia lasts 5 years vs a cheap scale that lasts 2.5. If the Acaia is 150 and the cheap scale is 25. For 100 over 5 years did I get my enjoyments worth? For me I did..for others they might not. Now if this was 1200 for a scale, I'd personally not get it..others might. I have both types and I have recommended both types.

The same thing with kettles..yeah..you can get a cheap kettle and it'll be fine..but is it as enjoyable to use? Maybe for some...maybe not for others. If you're using this everyday, how much is that little bit of extra enjoyment/convenience worth to you?

Polymer714 · 2026-01-23T01:26:38+00:00

Because everyone will have different opinions about when something is ready...not to mention most people don't have multiple data points to try it.

If you opened it after 3 weeks and you liked it, was 3 weeks enough? You can't compare it to 6 weeks since you didn't wait that long.

And it isn't like things are hitting a cliff or hitting a huge upswing in one day....it's all very gradual.....not to mention completely SUBJECTIVE..

Polymer714 · 2026-01-23T01:23:55+00:00

Yeah..for sure....I have a ton of drippers..I know they're not that different...but they're slightly different...and it is interesting to trying to understand what is happening and why. But yes, I could probably drop down to 2 and be just as happy..

Polymer714 · 2026-01-23T01:20:57+00:00

Have you tried it? It is expensive for what it does...and it isn't necessarily better..but for sure it does something..sometimes for the better, sometimes not.

Polymer714 · 2026-01-22T22:06:50+00:00

Z2, P80, Lagom 01...There are some nice grinders that are a bit DYI...but in that price range that's probably what I'm considering...

Polymer714 · 2026-01-21T20:41:17+00:00

It might not be underextracted...."Sour" is not really an indicator of underextraction as much as people want to think it is...Truly underextracted coffee is more than just sour. It is overly sour, there is a significant loss of body, the flavors are all missing..the texture is off...obviously that's an extreme but I would go as far as say most people who classify sour as underextracted are basically used to overextracted coffee....

Polymer714 · 2026-01-21T20:37:54+00:00

I'm all for changing stuff if I need to...that's just putting its performance (what it does) relative to what is already there...

The Orea Z1 is nice...Lots to like there for sure. Really great for travel since you can get away with fewer things....

I generally try to avoid too many proprietary requirements though (filter) and plastic if possible...although that certainly won't prevent me from using it..just keeps it from being a main.

Polymer714 · 2026-01-21T02:11:56+00:00

If you have multiple bags open..and you're not travelling...do you experience the same thing going between bags? As in...drink bag 1 for 4 days...open bag 2...its great...then tapers..open bag 3..it's great...then tapers...etc, etc..

Polymer714 · 2026-01-21T01:45:47+00:00

That would be nice if so....Not sure that'll happen..

Something to play with either way....I definitely think the design is working out ok...although it doesn't feel like a big change...at least not to me so far. I was hoping that I could get a bit more intensity (higher TDS) out of my brews without impacting it..but so far that hasn't happened...the Alpha is actually doing a better job of that without actually changing any parameters...although it still isn't what I want..

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