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Date: 16 Aug 2006 05:05:10
From: fixedgear
Subject: Why can't I pour a normal shot today?
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So, I think I'm having that day where my Silvia turnes on me. It keeps
pouring choppy shots, not that smooth stream it should. I changed my
grind 3 or 4 times and adjusted tamping and wasted a ton of coffee and
it only got a little better.
Anyone ever deal with this?
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 16:07:16
From: Robert Harmon
Subject: Re: Why can't I pour a normal shot today?
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The first mistake you made was not grabbing the Laphroaig & crawling back
into bed. Those with more experience have learned that if it starts out a
crappy day it'll end up really shitty! ;)
Was it freshly ground coffee? same coffee & grind? How's the shower screen
look, they do get clogged & restrict flow. Do you descale regularly (at
LEAST once a month, once a week even better). Have you been backflushing
like you should (despite other, pathetic, sad, and otherwise very nice,
people who say otherwise, I strongly recommend it).
--
Robert (good luck!) Harmon
http://tinyurl.com/pou2y
http://tinyurl.com/fkd6r
"fixedgear" <tom5000@hotmail.com > wrote in message
news:1155729910.696899.89410@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...
> So, I think I'm having that day where my Silvia turnes on me. It keeps
> pouring choppy shots, not that smooth stream it should. I changed my
> grind 3 or 4 times and adjusted tamping and wasted a ton of coffee and
> it only got a little better.
> Anyone ever deal with this?
>
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 17:38:44
From: fixedgear
Subject: Re: Why can't I pour a normal shot today?
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You don't know how right you are about crawling back to bed.
I had a sofa delivered, the broke my door nob off, and it looks like
they threw the sofa out of the back of the truck before the brought it
in. SO, after I waited for the sofa, I then had to wait for a locksmith
to come and fix my door.
Anyway, I don't think I've had the machine a month yet so I havn't
descaled it. And no, I havn't backflushed either. The flow looks ok
coming out and the screen looked allright. Maybe tomorrow will be
better. I guess I'll see what happens and then get into it.
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Date: 18 Aug 2006 09:44:56
From: daveb
Subject: Re: Why can't I pour a normal shot today?
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backflushing not recommended.
!!!
fixedgear wrote:
> You don't know how right you are about crawling back to bed.
> I had a sofa delivered, the broke my door nob off, and it looks like
> they threw the sofa out of the back of the truck before the brought it
> in. SO, after I waited for the sofa, I then had to wait for a locksmith
> to come and fix my door.
> Anyway, I don't think I've had the machine a month yet so I havn't
> descaled it. And no, I havn't backflushed either. The flow looks ok
> coming out and the screen looked allright. Maybe tomorrow will be
> better. I guess I'll see what happens and then get into it.
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Date: 19 Aug 2006 08:55:49
From: Brent
Subject: Re: Why can't I pour a normal shot today?
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:) <- smiley, lots in this post...
Perhaps we should have mandatory signatures to let people know what
influences our decisions - you know:
ie
Dave
anti backflushing, pro PID, anti RG, pro small good roasters, pro home
roasting :) :) :)
or Randy
pro backflushing, anti Dave, pro PID, pro home roasting etc etc etc :) :) :)
Just a thought :) :) :) <- lots of tongue in cheek smileys
Brent
pro backflushing, pro small roasters, pro home roasting, no clue on PID,
gets on well with pretty much everyone :)
"Cleanliness is next to good coffee"
> backflushing not recommended.
>
> !!!
>
>
> fixedgear wrote:
>> You don't know how right you are about crawling back to bed.
>> I had a sofa delivered, the broke my door nob off, and it looks like
>> they threw the sofa out of the back of the truck before the brought it
>> in. SO, after I waited for the sofa, I then had to wait for a locksmith
>> to come and fix my door.
>> Anyway, I don't think I've had the machine a month yet so I havn't
>> descaled it. And no, I havn't backflushed either. The flow looks ok
>> coming out and the screen looked allright. Maybe tomorrow will be
>> better. I guess I'll see what happens and then get into it.
>
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Date: 18 Aug 2006 19:35:11
From: Robert Harmon
Subject: Re: Why can't I pour a normal shot today?
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No, backflushing IS recommended (by those who prefer their machines clean &
in proper working order) - foreflushing is not!!!!
"daveb" <davebobblane@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1155919496.715783.73760@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> backflushing not recommended.
>
> !!!
>
>
> fixedgear wrote:
>> You don't know how right you are about crawling back to bed.
>> I had a sofa delivered, the broke my door nob off, and it looks like
>> they threw the sofa out of the back of the truck before the brought it
>> in. SO, after I waited for the sofa, I then had to wait for a locksmith
>> to come and fix my door.
>> Anyway, I don't think I've had the machine a month yet so I havn't
>> descaled it. And no, I havn't backflushed either. The flow looks ok
>> coming out and the screen looked allright. Maybe tomorrow will be
>> better. I guess I'll see what happens and then get into it.
>
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Date: 19 Aug 2006 10:17:25
From: stephendnes@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Why can't I pour a normal shot today?
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I get this problem sometimes with a Gaggia Classic Coffee. Almost
always can be resolved with a good, thorough clean. It's amazing how
quickly the machines get clogged up. An old toothbrush to get all the
little bits of old coffee out of the portafilter gasket, and off the
shower screen, usually does the trick. You might want to try putting
the portafilter basket through the machine, and if you still can't see
light through the little holes, try clearing any obstruction with a
small sharp object (e.g. a pin--but take a lot of care not to damage
the basket!). This last blockage is unlikely on a new machine like
yours.
Maybe worth checking that the water line has a nice easy flow from the
cold water--no air locks, etc.
Temperature stability could also do it. Make sure the machine has been
on for a fair time (15 mins +, if you can--a timer is often good to get
the machine warm when you're still in bed) before starting out. It is
possible that temp was unstable throughout your experience, if you
pulled all the shots you mention in short succession. Needs a little
time between them to get back to a nice, steady temperature. Even if
the machine isn't heating, it needs a chance for heat to diffuse evenly
throughout the machine. A short blank shot could help.
Stephen
fixedgear wrote:
> So, I think I'm having that day where my Silvia turnes on me. It keeps
> pouring choppy shots, not that smooth stream it should. I changed my
> grind 3 or 4 times and adjusted tamping and wasted a ton of coffee and
> it only got a little better.
> Anyone ever deal with this?
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Date: 18 Aug 2006 22:34:51
From:
Subject: Re: Why can't I pour a normal shot today?
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Choppy shots? I sometimes get those if I'm a bit slow on the surf -
too much heat and you get bubbles of steam blasting though the puck...
Or at least that's how it appears to me...
(and to add to the backflushing - I'm pro, and even the New Zealand
official distributor recommends it in the manual accompanying the
machine. We're not litigious like the states, so they have no fear of
end users claiming they got burned during the process...)
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Date: 19 Aug 2006 17:24:01
From: Bertie Doe
Subject: Re: Why can't I pour a normal shot today?
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"fixedgear" wrote in message
> So, I think I'm having that day where my Silvia turnes on me. It keeps
> pouring choppy shots, not that smooth stream it should.
You could try splitting the dose by half filling the basket, level the
grounds, light tamp, fill the remainder of the basket, level and VERY light
tamp.
If there is an improvement in pour, then you have a distribution problem.
Bertie
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Date: 20 Aug 2006 17:08:34
From: stephendnes@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Why can't I pour a normal shot today?
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By machine I meant dishwasher.
Sorry if that was unclear.
stephendnes@gmail.com wrote:
> I get this problem sometimes with a Gaggia Classic Coffee. Almost
> always can be resolved with a good, thorough clean. It's amazing how
> quickly the machines get clogged up. An old toothbrush to get all the
> little bits of old coffee out of the portafilter gasket, and off the
> shower screen, usually does the trick. You might want to try putting
> the portafilter basket through the machine, and if you still can't see
> light through the little holes, try clearing any obstruction with a
> small sharp object (e.g. a pin--but take a lot of care not to damage
> the basket!). This last blockage is unlikely on a new machine like
> yours.
>
> Maybe worth checking that the water line has a nice easy flow from the
> cold water--no air locks, etc.
>
> Temperature stability could also do it. Make sure the machine has been
> on for a fair time (15 mins +, if you can--a timer is often good to get
> the machine warm when you're still in bed) before starting out. It is
> possible that temp was unstable throughout your experience, if you
> pulled all the shots you mention in short succession. Needs a little
> time between them to get back to a nice, steady temperature. Even if
> the machine isn't heating, it needs a chance for heat to diffuse evenly
> throughout the machine. A short blank shot could help.
>
> Stephen
>
> fixedgear wrote:
> > So, I think I'm having that day where my Silvia turnes on me. It keeps
> > pouring choppy shots, not that smooth stream it should. I changed my
> > grind 3 or 4 times and adjusted tamping and wasted a ton of coffee and
> > it only got a little better.
> > Anyone ever deal with this?
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