This article describes how to Dial-in using Cropster Cafe
What is Dialling in ?
Cropster Cafe allows you to dial in your coffees across multiple recipes and brewing methods. Dialling in is the process by which you adjust the parameters until you have found the ideal ones for your coffee, equipment and brewing method.
In Cropster Cafe, each Recipe can be Dialled-in across locations, through the process of marking a brew as a Reference.
The Dial In section can be found on the Barista Dashboard. Here, coffees are dialled-in and logged per brewing method: espresso, batch brew, and manual filter brews. Dialling in espresso can be done with connected equipment, or manually.
Dialling in espresso with connected equipment
For espresso machines connected to Cropster Cafe, brew data will be logged automatically and stored under the machine's dial-in card.
Linked recipes, incoming brews, and tasks assigned to the equipment are shown here.
Linking recipes
In order to sort the incoming brews to the correct recipes, you can link your espresso machine's buttons or (for La Marzocco connectable machines) or groupheads (for BrewBeacon connected machines).
Upon dialling in, do a quick check to ensure that this is correctly setup. Cropster Cafe then tracks each of your brews under the right recipe - hands free.
Note: Multiple buttons/groupheads can be assigned to the same recipe.
- From the espresso machine's Dial In card, select the Recipe tab.
- Click the Link recipe button.
- Choose a recipe to link.
Available recipes are espresso recipes with a reference for this machine's location. - Next, link buttons/grouphead to this recipe, or add the recipe with all buttons/groupheads unlinked.
Link a button/grouphead to the recipe by selecting the gray buttons to enable them (turn green). Unlink a button by selecting the green buttons to disable them (turn gray)
- Click the Link recipe button.
To link a new recipe, repeat steps 2 through 4.
Note: For La Marzocco machines connected through the La Marzocco app, recipes can be linked to buttons. For BrewBeacon-connected machines, recipes can be linked to groupheads.
Until changed, each brew done with the espresso machine's linked buttons or groupheads will be sorted to the recipes linked.
Linking a button/grouphead to a recipe when it has already been linked with another recipe, will automatically unlink it from the prior recipe and link it to the new one. Any brews done by pressing this button/grouphead will be captured under the new linked recipe.
Evaluating automatic brews as Reference or Test
After you’ve ensured your linked recipes are correct, the key part of your dial-in process is to evaluate your brews and mark your ideal one as the new Reference.
Access the Brews tab where you can Evaluate the incoming brews, and Mark them as Reference or Test
The brew log only shows brews and excludes flushes. For La Marzocco connected machines, any use of the buttons that is under 10 seconds is considered a flush.
- From the espresso machine's Dial In card, select the Brews tab
- Click the Edit button on a brew you want to evaluate. You can edit any information about the brew here.
-png.png)
- Save as Reference or Test.
- Reference: Logging your brew as a Reference will update the recipe's brew parameters for this machine. We will then copy its input parameters to subsequent brews captured under the same recipe (until the reference is updated); it will become the new brewing standard for this recipe for this machine.
- Test: Logging your brew as a Test will not update the recipe. It will log the brew as a regular brew with a clear indication that this brew didn't meet your standards and wasn't handed to a customer. This is useful when dialling-in, or during the initial creation of a recipe.
For example, when dialing-in espresso, if a brew does not meet your brewing standards, evaluate it as a Test. Once you have logged your ideal brew, update the recipe by evaluating the brew as a Reference.
Note: If a brew is evaluated as the Reference for a recipe, we will then copy its input parameters to subsequent brews captured under the same recipe (until the reference is updated).
Edit brews
In the same evaluation step as above, Cropster Cafe also allows you to add or edit any parameter of the brew, for example to enrich the data with TDS and Ext % readings, sensory descriptors, yield, etc. You can also update the Recipe, Equipment, or the Roast.
- (Re)assign the brew to its correct Recipe or Equipment
- You can update the Roast and Roast date here if you're using a different one. The roast date is automatically filled in if you link the roast's ID-tag.
If your company uses Cropster Roast and you know the ID-tag of the roast, you can link it. This will connect the brews with the particular roast batch. It can be updated per brew, no need to create a separate recipe. You can also fill in your own identifier for the roast.
- Add or edit any parameter
Dialling in manually
For logging espresso, manual brews, and batch brews manually, brew data can be logged under and stored under the Espresso (manual), Manual Brew, and Batch Brew Dial-in cards.
You can dial-in across multiple recipes (of the same brewing method) in one go. For example, if you make a brew of each filter coffee you have on offer, you can log a New brew for each recipe, and then evaluate them once ready.
Log your brews
- Select the Recipe
- Select the Station or Equipment used. Stations help you pre-fill equipment that is often used together.
- Select the Roast and Roast date. The roast date is automatically filled in if you link the roast's ID-tag.
If your company uses Cropster Roast and you know the ID-tag of the roast, you can link it. This will connect the brews with the particular roast batch. It can be updated per brew, no need to create a separate recipe. You can also fill in your own identifier for the roast.
- Log the rest of the brew parameters.
If you need to change the weight unit for a certain parameter (e.g. Dose, Yield), simply tap the unit to select the new unit from the drop-down menu
- Add a Brew comment to log any extra information here that should be connected to your brew.
- Log brew, and it will appear in the Logged brews table. No worries, all these brews are automatically saved.
Evaluating manual brews as Reference or Test
Once a brew has been logged, it will appear under Logged brews. From here, you can mark it as a Reference or Test
- Reference: Logging your brew as a Reference will update the recipe's brew parameters for this location. It is new brewing standard for this recipe in this location.
- Test: Logging your brew as a Test will not update the recipe. It will log the brew as a regular brew with a clear indication that this brew didn't meet your standards and wasn't handed to a customer. This is useful when dialling-in, or during the initial creation of a recipe.
For example, when dialing-in, if a brew does not meet your brewing standards, evaluate it as a Test. Once you have logged your ideal brew, update the recipe by evaluating the brew as a Reference.
To mark it as a Reference, click on the start next to the brew, or click Edit > Save as > Reference.
To mark it as a Test, click Edit > Save as > Test
