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Date: 05 Jun 2007 03:41:24
From:
Subject: Nuova Simonelli Ellimatic temp --PID?
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Hi I recently acquired a lovely Elli. I'm having a hard time getting any sort of consistent pulls from it. The first two or three shots are OK, nice crema and taste, the pucks are well formed, then shot 4 and on the pucks start to become a watery unpleasantness, and the crema is almost non-existent. It seems that the machine continues to get hotter and hotter for each pull. I reckon this is natural within a certain range but the temp seems to keep on going up up up I've been grinding my way thru a pound of Black Cat trying to nail the sweet spot for this baby and just can't seem to find it. It's probably just me as it's a new machine to me --it just that my old Gaggia never did me so wrong. I'm starting to think that maybe I should do a PID mod. So my question is first does anyone have any experience with this type of inconsistancy on an Elli? Any suggestions? And has anyone had any experience in installing a PID on an Elli? Thanks all, Pete
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Date: 07 Jun 2007 15:43:02
From: Obvious
Subject: Re: Nuova Simonelli Ellimatic temp --PID?
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Thanks for the tips. I found an adjustment behind the back cover next to the boiler --a sort of gnurled edged wheel. I gave this a couple of quarter clockwise turns and the temp appeared to increase --I was doing frequent tests so I think the adjustment had effect and not just the water heating everything up. My method has been to bring the machine to temp, pour a 20-25 shot of water thru the pf, let machine recycle back to temp (20-30secs) repeat, then repeat into shot glass, then quickly add coffee to pf, tamp, and lock in and pull into emptied but stinking hot shot glass. The resulting shot is just 90C One thing I'm finding is despite a finer than normal grind (4 notched past esp on Solis Maestro) and harder than normal tamp (~30lbs), the shot pours very fast. Crema doesn't start to appear until about 12 secs into pull. Although I'm timing I'm more going by volume than time for when pull stops --around 18sec. The result is a thin layer of crema that dissipates and a not so great tasting shot. So although by adjusting pressure I've increased the temp, the pressure could be too high. Time to visit NS shop me'thinks. -Pete
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Date: 07 Jun 2007 21:50:46
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Nuova Simonelli Ellimatic temp --PID?
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The [pump pressure has nothing to do with the pressurestat adjustment which controls boiler pressure/temp only. Keep increasing grind fineness till you choke the machine then back off a bit. Measure temp using hot water dispensed into a foam cup held up to the shower screen no coffee no PF. Poke the thermometer thru the side of the cup. "Obvious" <obvious.ron@gmail.com > wrote in message news:1181256182.770664.200420@h2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com... > Thanks for the tips. > > I found an adjustment behind the back cover next to the boiler --a > sort of gnurled edged wheel. I gave this a couple of quarter clockwise > turns and the temp appeared to increase --I was doing frequent tests > so I think the adjustment had effect and not just the water heating > everything up. > > My method has been to bring the machine to temp, pour a 20-25 shot of > water thru the pf, let machine recycle back to temp (20-30secs) > repeat, then repeat into shot glass, then quickly add coffee to pf, > tamp, and lock in and pull into emptied but stinking hot shot glass. > The resulting shot is just 90C > > One thing I'm finding is despite a finer than normal grind (4 notched > past esp on Solis Maestro) and harder than normal tamp (~30lbs), the > shot pours very fast. Crema doesn't start to appear until about 12 > secs into pull. Although I'm timing I'm more going by volume than time > for when pull stops --around 18sec. > > The result is a thin layer of crema that dissipates and a not so great > tasting shot. > > So although by adjusting pressure I've increased the temp, the > pressure could be too high. Time to visit NS shop me'thinks. > > -Pete >
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Date: 07 Jun 2007 01:00:18
From: PeteT
Subject: Re: Nuova Simonelli Ellimatic temp --PID?
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On Jun 5, 5:48 am, "Jack Denver" <nunuv...@netscape.net > wrote: > Once upon a time I owned an Elli. I didn't notice any overyheat tendency - > it's a pretty normal HX setup that doesn't tend to spin out of control like > some levers. > > The big problem I had w. the Elli was the stock baskets, which were very > small. I never got decent shots from it until I switched to full depth > baskets such as the "ridgeless" LM. Unfortunately these won't fit in the > stock PF which is equally shallow. You could cut the bottom out of the > stock PF or get another PF, but in the latter case you might have to file > the PF ears to fit and the handle might not point straight out. > > <obvious....@gmail.com> wrote in message > > news:1181014884.903014.37490@z28g2000prd.googlegroups.com... > > > Hi > > I recently acquired a lovely Elli. I'm having a hard time getting any > > sort of consistent pulls from it. The first two or three shots are OK, > > nice crema and taste, the pucks are well formed, then shot 4 and on > > the pucks start to become a watery unpleasantness, and the crema is > > almost non-existent. > > > It seems that the machine continues to get hotter and hotter for each > > pull. I reckon this is natural within a certain range but the temp > > seems to keep on going up up up > A few days in now and realize I'm just going to have to be patient and spend some time finding the right grind, tamp, and extraction process. No sense in rushing this I've done some temp readings of the water exiting the group head using a handheld thermometer --it's not hot enough right, now it's between 83 -86C. Tonight I plan to take readings of the extracted coffee --I suspect they'll be higher as the coffee will be held back in the portafilter for a few secs before exiting. Am I correct in assuming that the low temp accounts for lack of crema and watery pucks?...I'm pretty sure I have my grind dialed in close to ideal and I'm varying my tamps between 20-35lbs. Anyone know how to adjust the temp pressure on the Elli? Thanks for the help, Pete > > I've been grinding my way thru a pound of Black Cat trying to nail the > > sweet spot for this baby and just can't seem to find it. It's probably > > just me as it's a new machine to me --it just that my old Gaggia never > > did me so wrong. > > > I'm starting to think that maybe I should do a PID mod. > > > So my question is first does anyone have any experience with this type > > of inconsistancy on an Elli? Any suggestions? > > And has anyone had any experience in installing a PID on an Elli? > > > Thanks all, > > > Pete
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Date: 06 Jun 2007 22:19:30
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Nuova Simonelli Ellimatic temp --PID?
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IIRC there is a screw in the center of the pressure stat that you turn, clockwise for hotter. The machine did tend to brew cool which is why I'm surprised you reported overheat at first. "PeteT" <robvious@yahoo.com > wrote in message news:1181178018.646019.27670@d30g2000prg.googlegroups.com... >> A few days in now and realize I'm just going to have to be patient and > spend some time finding the right grind, tamp, and extraction process. > No sense in rushing this > > I've done some temp readings of the water exiting the group head using > a handheld thermometer --it's not hot enough right, now it's between > 83 -86C. > Tonight I plan to take readings of the extracted coffee --I suspect > they'll be higher as the coffee will be held back in the portafilter > for a few secs before exiting. > > Am I correct in assuming that the low temp accounts for lack of crema > and watery pucks?...I'm pretty sure I have my grind dialed in close to > ideal and I'm varying my tamps between 20-35lbs. > > Anyone know how to adjust the temp pressure on the Elli? > > Thanks for the help, > > Pete
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Date: 05 Jun 2007 08:48:16
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Nuova Simonelli Ellimatic temp --PID?
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Once upon a time I owned an Elli. I didn't notice any overyheat tendency - it's a pretty normal HX setup that doesn't tend to spin out of control like some levers. The big problem I had w. the Elli was the stock baskets, which were very small. I never got decent shots from it until I switched to full depth baskets such as the "ridgeless" LM. Unfortunately these won't fit in the stock PF which is equally shallow. You could cut the bottom out of the stock PF or get another PF, but in the latter case you might have to file the PF ears to fit and the handle might not point straight out. <obvious.ron@gmail.com > wrote in message news:1181014884.903014.37490@z28g2000prd.googlegroups.com... > Hi > I recently acquired a lovely Elli. I'm having a hard time getting any > sort of consistent pulls from it. The first two or three shots are OK, > nice crema and taste, the pucks are well formed, then shot 4 and on > the pucks start to become a watery unpleasantness, and the crema is > almost non-existent. > > It seems that the machine continues to get hotter and hotter for each > pull. I reckon this is natural within a certain range but the temp > seems to keep on going up up up > > I've been grinding my way thru a pound of Black Cat trying to nail the > sweet spot for this baby and just can't seem to find it. It's probably > just me as it's a new machine to me --it just that my old Gaggia never > did me so wrong. > > I'm starting to think that maybe I should do a PID mod. > > So my question is first does anyone have any experience with this type > of inconsistancy on an Elli? Any suggestions? > And has anyone had any experience in installing a PID on an Elli? > > Thanks all, > > Pete >
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