New machine suggestions please

Koffee_Kosmo

on 1321441836:

Ok, Ive just ordered 1 kg of the Berry from My Cuppa. Looking forward to it immensely. AM had some fun this evening trying to get a pressure reading. Buggers me why the PF has the two slots in the top. There must be a Bezzerra service tool PF that is used - one without slots. Maybe KK has one squirreled away 

I borrow Barazi's PF gauge Only used it once because on my machine I have a pressure gauge built in The machine is accurate so now I use it because I know its right KK

mycuppa

on 1321441836:

Ok, Ive just ordered 1 kg of the Berry from My Cuppa. Looking forward to it immensely. AM had some fun this evening trying to get a pressure reading. Buggers me why the PF has the two slots in the top. There must be a Bezzerra service tool PF that is used - one without slots. Maybe KK has one squirreled away 

Thank you Alex. Just seen the order come through and we are still here working - will ship tomorrow. Enjoy.

derrilex

Excellent, thanks for that. Bank transfer done.

derrilex

on 1321441971:

I borrow Barazi's PF gauge Only used it once because on my machine I have a pressure gauge built in The machine is accurate so now I use it because I know its right KK

Mmmm, I wonder if Chris would loan it out. I really dont want to hump the BZ back for a pressure test. I'll be over that way tomorrow so I'll drop in and ask, or at least confirm if there were any tests done prior to handover.

Brett H

Call it the emu effect (head in sand) but I have never had the compulsion to check my machine; however, I love the coffee from it.  Similar to KK with his I dropped the boiler pressure slightly after a a year of having the machine.  A few weeks later I was completely and utterly satisfied with the taste of the coffee... therefore, if my OPV is set high or wrong... it makes no difference.  I've had better shots on my machine more consistently than anywhere else.  THIS WAS NOT THE CASE IN THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS.  We are not pros, so it takes us time to learn our machines, like learning to drive a car.  Why not just play with some coffee for at least a month and see what happens.  Then if you change your machine setup and it's better, you'll know more thorougly what you've improved.  I'd be inclined to get to know her first... like you would a car.  The way I see it... she's a great machine and you'll be with her for a long time, so why not get to really know her before setting about changing her.  Just my 2c and when you scace it and I'm wrong I'll eat that 2c and wash it down with some lovely Campos Obama blend.

Brett H

on 1321488018:

So the major driver here as to checking the machines OPV etc is me... Temp can be managed via flushes and a shallow tray  :rofl:  Re the driver for testing, point the finger at ME...  As the results I am seeing and obtaining are not what I would expect from a BZ99 that has been set to say 10Bar or a tad lower... Alex, if in any way I have caused you or you wife any stress.  I do apologise...

Having a qualified person diagnose/look at and play with the machine is always a bonus and if my post played down the value of this then I apologise! 

derrilex

Nah, your nuts are safe here. With the dog hair tumble weeds rolling around the floor a few coffee grinds on the bench / floor are no biggy. As youve seen, the 480 and throws coffee everywhere and the breeze does the rest. Thats why I put the kitchen sweep right under the coffee making area  ;D. Absolutley no stress here AM. If it all ends up with a better cup everyones a winner and the wife used to my mess and bits of unfinished crap lying around  :D

coffeehorse

There aren't many manufacturers where you want an E61 HX machine set up as it left italy, for use here! While things have improved over recent years, if a pressure test didn't fail, machines from some places were assumed to be fine & working. Honestly, I'd mark the settings and tweak it at this point. HX's being so reliable that as long as you approach the pressure changes from the same rotation (eg. turn up to a point and mark, or turn down to a point and mark, but don't turn up to one point, mark, turn it down, down and then up and assume that because it's in the same place it's the same %age open or closed) My feeling - bear in mind I've used galateas for 4 years but not so much time on a 99, is that after turning the opv down a bit (aiming for maybe 9.5bar) I'd turn up the HX til it's flashing, then turn it down a tiny bit, aiming for 94C at the start of the shot and dropping to 92C through the pour. But that's a total guess!

Brett H

I'm preparing as we speak to locate a copper 2c coin and naturally I'll give it a good clean in some Campos before eating it!  This thread has turned out to be an absolute cracker packed with great info.  Thanks guys.  P.s how do you turn up the HX till it's flashing?  Do you up the boiler pressure, adjust the 3 way valve??  Not that I'm gonna tinker blindly with my machine. This screwdriver in my hand is for ... other stuff.

derrilex

Do I dare ask what.....other stuff ? surely not turning a little screw a bit to the left, then a bit to the right  :D

coffeehorse

enough talk about flashing already!  >:D seriously, for boiler pressure adjustment, most if not all E61 HX's and other machines i've used will increase boiler pressure (and thus temp & steam temp) through a clockwise rotation of the adjustment knob/screw/dial. enough talk about knobs and screwing already!  >:D (if you weren't in chat earlier, this might not make sense to you). best, CH. PS. Kelsey, apparently your wife is very tasty under certain conditions. Are you married to Campos?

Kelsey

Well I've always thought she was tasty, particularly at around CS3 or 4.

derrilex

Thats cool with me AM.

Kelsey

My BZ09 gauge was fixed yesterday, was hooked up to steam not boiler, and immediately showed 12 bar. I'll be interested to hear the results of any adjustments, Derrilex (and AM)

derrilex

on 1322089770:

What we find, we will keep to ourselves and only make public when it suits us  :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Time for a  8)

AM on being Dr. Evil  :D

derrilex

Its all in the knife work AM, I can give you one if you like. Youve seen the technique and it speaks ( tastes) for itself  :D I'm a happy boy,  the campos was tops.

derrilex

on 1322134109:

Knife I will accept.. Bashing the PF with the tamp and you get  marked down on methodology. Glad to see positive outcomes. AM

Can you get a tamper with a urethane ring around it ?  . Those days are behind me. Pulled another shot with the campos to make sure I wasn't dreamin' and it was the same as the one you demolished - all smiles here, nice work.