Extraction yield

[drmingva]

I'm interested in automating calculation of extraction yield for espresso. I'd like to use the Difluid R2 refractometer to pass the TDS reading, and ideally the Varia Aku Pro scale to pass the ground coffee weight and final beverage weight. These 3 parameters are the only ones necessary for calculating extraction yield.

Difluid's R2 is supported since version 6.6 and the Varia Aku Pro is now supported since version 8.0.0 according to the changelogs.

I've not used the app previously so do not know it's behaviour. But if a refractometer and scale are both supported, does the Beanconqueror app automatically provide the extraction yield without the user having to input any of the 3 above parameters?

I could make my life simpler by purchasing the R2 and the Difluid Microbalance TI and simply use the Difluid Café app, but I prefer the Varia Aku Pro scale. If Beanconqueror automates calculation of extraction yield (a highly relevant value for all brewing/extraction methods), then it seems to me preferable to go the Beanconqueror route as there's more inherent flexibility.

[drmingva]

...and my apologies, as I should have added thank you for all of the extraordinary work you have done in bringing Beanconqueror along as much as you have!

[graphefruit]

Hello @drmingva,
thank you for the question.
There are two different situations: espresso & filter.
For espresso, you fill in the beverage quantity, for filter you use the water-quantity, and need to subtract yourself to get to the beverage-quantity for the TDS-calculcation.

For this you can add a server-parameter, where you save the empty weight of the server.

But after you're only referencing espresso on top its easier:
You fill in the grind-weight (or read out the actual scale with a button press), you start your extraction, stop it, Beanconqueror sets the beverage-quantity weight itself.

If you have the R2 connected, you can press on Beanconqueror the read-out icon, or you start the reading from the R2 directly. This one will transfer the read out TDS and set it in BQ, and after the beverage-quantity is set automatically through your done brew, and you've entered the grind-weight before, you get the EY automatically.

If you always use the same grind-weight you can preset it for every new brew, so you may just need to add it once, or just change it if needed.

Does this help?

Best
Lars

[drmingva]

Dear Lars,

Thank you for your quick reply. I'm very impressed at how responsive you are across so many platforms.

It sounds as if I would have to input fields manually. I don't make filter coffee, only espresso, so the use case for me is limited to someone looking for extraction yield from espresso with (hopefully) fully automated passing of the 3 data fields to the program.

So for example, in the Difluid Café app the behaviour is as follows:

Difluid Microbalance (or Microbalance TI) scale: once paired with the Difluid Café app over Bluetooth, ground coffee weight is passed to the app (i.e. no need for manual input of this value). And final beverage weight of espresso is also recorded and passed automatically to the Difluid Café app (meaning the net weight of the beverage in the cup with the cup weight itself removed).

Difluid R2: once paired with the Difluid Café app over Bluetooth, TDS reading is passed to the app.

With these 3 variables within the app (none of which required inputting manually), the extraction yield for tthe espresso shot is calculated automatically and displayed within a user-selected view based on SCA standards or a more complex view of the data. Either view quickly shows the user whether (according to pre-defined standards) the final espresso is likely to tend more towards being overly bitter, sour etc. Of course, the user themself needs to form their own view of how the extraction tastes to them.

I hope that is a more helpful description of what I am after - extraction yield is a simple calculation once one knows two weights and a TDS value. I am hoping that Beanconqueror can provide extraction yield without the user needing to enter any of the three required values (and avooiding manual input errors), providing of course that the scales and refractometer involved are supported by Beanconqueror (as the Varia Aku and Difluid R2 appear to be).

Best wishes and thank you once more for your tremendous work on this app - I find it much more interesting to go with an open source solution that allows me to use different makes of scales and refractometers rather than being locked into Difluid's app and products.

David

[graphefruit]

Hello David,
thanks for your response.
Beanconqueror has a completely different workflow, and therefore its not that easy to detect that you may have 17.9g on your grind weight.

But maybe lets go trough by a screen:
You add a new brew:

Here you need to enter ground -coffee, but you could also just read in the scale value (but this is NOT automatic)

When you've finished all your steps, you scroll down, and press "PLAY"

Now the extraction starts, and your final result will be set into the beverage quantity:

You can now press the microscope (or read button on the R2) and it will transfer the TDS value back, lets say 8=
Then it would calculate the EY automatic:

You could then also press the glass:

And also get a chart for this.

Like said: The ground coffee WON'T be set automatically, but if you nearly never change your grind-weight like 18 or 20 gram? You could just define on Beanconqueror to preset this value and you're good to go.

I think joining the Beanconqueror Discord and asking the people which use the R2 and Beanconqueror will result into also some more practical user experience.
Hope this helps.
Best
Lars

[drmingva]

Dear Lars,

Thanks very much - this very clear description of the app behaviour tells me precisely what I needed to know. I will give it some further thought - in my case I home roast and have settled on an espresso blend although the roast degrees of the 5 constituent beans are always slightly different with each roast. I volume dose into Weber Workshop bean cellars so the weight of ground coffee is similar but slightly different each time (ranging around 19.00 g +/- 0.25 g. An accurate reading of the ground coffee in the portafilter can have a significant impact on the extraction yield calculation. I already use a basic programming app on my mobile for setting up my roasts (HandDbase). Another option I have that I will now give serious thought to is setting up a simple dataform on that app which would require me to enter the three values manually which would be a slight pain but then allow me to draw in other data to help me adjust extractions.

Thanks again,

David

[graphefruit]

Hello David,
thanks for the feedback.
Regarding the three values manually: You would just need to insert one, and thats grind-weight.
But what you also could do is to weight your portafilter, tare, put it on the scale, and read it from the scale into the grind-weight field, so you would not have to insert this by hand aswell.

After you mentioned home roasting: You can also add a green-bean inventory which you then can transfer into roasted beans in beanconqueror.

I can also offer you a short 15 to 30 minute virtual call, so I maybe could also guide you through live.

Have a great cup of coffee
Lars