pulling an actual ristretto, not just a short shot

the difference is the grind, not the stop time. took me way too long to get this straight.

01
Dial in your normal shot first
same beans, same dose you already trust (single origin) or not, doesn't matter here
02
Keep the dose exactly the same
18g in, whatever your basket calls for. this isn't the step where you change anything
03
Grind noticeably finer than your espresso setting
not one click. two or three clicks finer, enough to feel it in the dosing funnel
04
Target 20-22g out
05
Time the shot, expect 20-25 seconds
shorter window than a normal shot but not THAT short
06
Taste for sweetness before you taste for strength
07
If it's sour, the grind was wrong, not the stop time
did this for months. stopped the shot early to hit a smaller yield instead of grinding finer. got a short, sour shot every time
08
Write the grind setting down somewhere
notes app, dated. otherwise you redo this whole thing every time you switch bags