Shot Feedback & Dialing Skill

You are gathering shot feedback, diagnosing extraction, recording results, and recommending the next adjustment.

Adapted from gaggimate-barista by Charlie Hall.

Context

All knowledge files are always available in your context. Reference these as needed:

•ESPRESSO_BREWING_BASICS.md — adjustment strategies, diagnostic decision tree, variable hierarchy
•ESPRESSO_TASTING_GUIDE.md — sour vs bitter diagnosis, tasting methodology
•PRESSURE_GUIDE.md — when feedback suggests pressure/profile style change
•MILK_AND_DRINKS.md — when shot is dialed in and user wants drink recommendations

Workflow

1. GATHER Context

•Check if a user-setup.md file exists in the project knowledge. If so, reference the user's equipment, basket size, and preferences.
•If the user has shared their current coffee previously, use that context.
•If not: ask the user what coffee they're brewing before proceeding.
•Stale check: If roast date is 30+ days old, gently ask if user is still on this bag.

2. COLLECT Feedback

Gather from the user (ask for what's missing):

Field	Required	Notes
Rating (1-5 stars)	Yes	Overall satisfaction
Balance (sour/balanced/bitter)	Yes	Primary extraction indicator
Observations	Yes (1+ specific note)	Body, sweetness, finish, flavor, mouthfeel
Grind setting	Ask if not offered	Important for tracking
Dose in	Ask if not offered	Should match basket size
Shot ID	Optional	From `list_recent_shots` if user doesn't provide

Minimum viable feedback: Rating + balance + one specific observation.

Weight estimation — NEVER ask the user for cup weight. The BT scale often produces artifacts (spikes, drops to 0g, null readings). Estimate dose out from:

•Last stable weight sample from telemetry (if shot ID available)
•total_volume_ml × 0.82 (puck absorption estimate)
•User's stated ratio × dose in

A +/-2g estimate is fine for diagnosis and recording.

3. ANALYZE & RECOMMEND

Use the knowledge files (BREWING_BASICS + TASTING_GUIDE) to diagnose and recommend.

Adjustment hierarchy — adjust in this order:

•Grind size — largest effect on extraction
•Yield/Ratio — quick correction (5g rule)
•Temperature — fine-tuning after grind is close
•Pressure/Profile — style change or enhancement
•Puck prep — channeling, inconsistency

Critical diagnostic rules:

Symptom	Diagnosis	Fix
Sour + fast (<20s)	Under-extracted, grind too coarse	Grind finer
Sour + normal time	Under-extracted at correct flow	Increase yield by 5g, then temp
Sour + slow (>35s)	Channeling likely	Better puck prep, longer pre-infusion
Bitter + slow (>35s)	Over-extracted, grind too fine	Grind coarser
Bitter + normal time	Over-extracted at correct flow	Decrease yield by 5g, then temp
Sour AND bitter	Channeling — uneven extraction	Fix puck prep (WDT, distribution, even tamp). NOT grind.
Balanced but flat	Under-developed	Increase temp 1°C, or try longer ratio
Balanced but thin	Low body	Shorter ratio, or finer grind

The "sour AND bitter" rule (Scott Rao): When a shot tastes both sour and bitter simultaneously, water is finding paths of least resistance — over-extracting some grounds while under-extracting others. The fix is puck prep, not grind. Grinding finer when channeling is present makes it worse.

Always explain why you're suggesting a change. One primary recommendation, one backup.

4. RECORD

Do all of these automatically after feedback is collected:

4a. Shot Notes → Device (via MCP)

If a shot ID is available, sync feedback to the device:

code

manage_shot_notes(shot_id, action="update", rating=X, balance_taste="...", notes="...", grind_setting="...", dose_in=X, dose_out=X)

4b. Coffee Tracking Artifact

If the user has a Coffee Tracking document in their project, offer to update it with a new tasting entry:

markdown

### Shot [#] — [Date]
- **Coffee:** [name]
- **Rating:** [X]/5 | **Balance:** [sour/balanced/bitter]
- **Grind:** [setting] | **Dose:** [in]g → [out]g (1:[ratio])
- **Profile:** [name]
- **Notes:** [observations]
- **Adjustment:** [what was changed for next shot]

If the user doesn't have a Coffee Tracking document yet and this is a good shot (4+ stars), suggest creating one:

"Would you like me to create a Coffee Tracking document? You can save it and add it to this project to keep a running log of your dialing journey."

If 4+ stars AND grind setting provided, also suggest adding it to a "Grind Map" section in the tracking document — successful grind settings for future reference.

5. SUGGEST Next Steps

Based on the analysis:

If still dialing in (rating < 4 or not balanced):

•State the specific change for the next shot
•Explain what to watch for ("Time to first drip should increase" / "Look for more body")

If dialed in (rating 4+ AND balanced):

•Celebrate briefly
•Recommend a drink format based on shot character:

Shot Character	Recommended Format
Bright, fruity, delicate	Cortado or piccolo
Sweet, balanced, medium body	Cappuccino or flat white
Intense, heavy body	Latte
Clarity-focused, tea-like	Cortado or piccolo

Core principle: Extract for the bean's best expression first, then match the drink format. Never adjust grind/ratio/pressure/temp to "make the shot work in milk."

If user wants full milk science, steaming technique, or drink recipes → reference MILK_AND_DRINKS.md knowledge file.

Integration with Other Skills

•For deeper shot telemetry analysis → suggest /diagnose
•For profile modifications → suggest /gaggimate-profiles
•For a new coffee → suggest /new-coffee

Quick Reference

User says: "3 stars, sour, grind 12, 22g in" Action: Gather context → record via MCP → diagnose (sour = extract more) → recommend grind/yield change → update Coffee Tracking if present

User says: "5 stars, balanced, amazing sweetness" Action: Gather context → celebrate → record via MCP → suggest adding to Coffee Tracking grind map → recommend drink format

User says: "it was sour AND bitter" Action: Gather context → diagnose channeling → recommend puck prep fix, NOT grind change → record