I've been pulling shots at 200 degrees for years because that's what some blog said. The repair guy at Espresso Parts in Seattle told me my beans were getting scorched and to drop it to 195 for lighter roasts. After three weeks of testing, the sour notes I hated are gone and I'm actually tasting cherry and chocolate now. Anybody else get told their gear settings were all wrong by a random tech?
I drove up to the South Rim last Saturday. Got there around 4:30 in the morning because my cousin said sunset is the only time to go. I think that's wrong. The sunrise light hits the rock walls different. Makes the reds and oranges pop way more than the hazy gold you get at dusk. Plus there were like maybe 20 other people there. No crowds, no one bumping into me with a selfie stick. By noon the place was swamped with tour buses and kids screaming. I sat on the edge near Mather Point for almost two hours just watching the shadows move. Has anyone else noticed how the colors change faster in the morning compared to evening?