Why not suspect the source (electrical/cable?) of the signal which activates the n-way solenoid?
[I know jack-in-the-john about automatic machines...]
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Coffee - do you and how do you consume it?
- Thread starter spacevector
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[I know jack-in-the-john about automatic machines...]
The signal is either on/off, and the pressure is consistent and does not fluctuate per the gauge I have. Which logically should lead me to the decision that I don't really need to swap out the pump, though I will.
Not everything is always going to be perfect, even in a machine like this... I'm just trying to figure out what else could be acting on the consistency of the process. Human element will always be a variable, though I have a good Tamper and a practiced technique.
It could be a mix of stale grounds retained from the previous day, if you're hopper grinding and not purging. That would explain the first shot running faster. It could also be the temperature of the Silvia swinging around the deadband of the thermostat (which is fairly large).
The signal is either on/off, and the pressure is consistent and does not fluctuate per the gauge I have. Which logically should lead me to the decision that I don't really need to swap out the pump, though I will.
Not everything is always going to be perfect, even in a machine like this... I'm just trying to figure out what else could be acting on the consistency of the process. Human element will always be a variable, though I have a good Tamper and a practiced technique.
I'm pretty good at ejecting any retention, to the best of my ability, from the grinder. (That is, beyond the previously reported retention that fills all the empty places inside the grind chamber.) It is definitely worth experimenting, though I am loathe to burn a few grams of extra beans every morning as a "flush" for the grinder.
But wouldn't that stale/leftover grind likely gush and result in a faster extraction than a slower?
Regarding temp, I surf the boiler religiously. As I begin grooming my dose in the PF, I run the water until the thermostat kicks on. I am finished tamping by the time it is done and I then flush the Group Head for 1-2 seconds to allow the system to settle down. I then run my shot. Rarely will the thermostat activate during my shot, which in my experience pretty much guarantees a poor shot.
(I do have a PID I need to install, which should help with Boiler temp control.)
Look, @ryanosaur: Stop being a din0saur!
Somewhere within the pages of this thread there was a discussion about setting-up (McGyver'ing) a bellows atop of the hopper (in place of the lid).
Because my searches could not locate the proper diameter bellows I needed; I devised something similar for a shot of forced air from the hopper to the grinder chute.
Works well for what you called "retention-ejection" purge job! YMMV
Laughing.Look, @ryanosaur: Stop being a din0saur!
Somewhere within the pages of this thread there was a discussion about setting-up (McGyver'ing) a bellows atop of the hopper (in place of the lid).
Because my searches could not locate the proper diameter bellows I needed; I devised something similar for a shot of forced air from the hopper to the grinder chute.
Works well for what you called "retention-ejection" purge job! YMMV
We talked about this.
I get it, and I will say that even compressed air doesn’t clean out the nooks and crannies. I know: I’ve tried.
I do appreciate your innovation and may yet still try it.
There it is! Think of it as a plane, everything is operator error. Seriously though, it sounds like you have a machine that is giving you individual custom cups. Each use is customized to what the machine thinks you need. As a man of means, you want absolute perfection in cup consistency. This is often a human failing. Learn to trust the machine. In talking with the Skyborg last night, they clued me into this. Trust the machine at all times.
The signal is either on/off, and the pressure is consistent and does not fluctuate per the gauge I have. Which logically should lead me to the decision that I don't really need to swap out the pump, though I will.
Not everything is always going to be perfect, even in a machine like this... I'm just trying to figure out what else could be acting on the consistency of the process. Human element will always be a variable, though I have a good Tamper and a practiced technique.
Laughing!
I always say Espresso is an adventure. And its true. The best Baristas I've gone to fairly regularly never served me the same shot twice.
...The mediocre Baristas, on the other hand...
Though the new burrs do go a certain distance to cleaning things up, there is something else that doesn't feel right in the process, something beyond me and the Beans. I would have much preferred taking the machine to an experienced tech, but here I am. *shrugs
Nutrimatic Drinks Dispenser
The Nutrimatic Drinks Dispenser also known as the Nutrimat Machine and the Nutri-Matic Drinks Dispenser is a Sirius Cybernetics Corporation product designed to work out what drink someone wants through taste bud patterns and neurological signals. It is well known for producing a liquid which is...
Count Arthur
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Laughing!
I always say Espresso is an adventure. And its true. The best Baristas I've gone to fairly regularly never served me the same shot twice.
...The mediocre Baristas, on the other hand...
Though the new burrs do go a certain distance to cleaning things up, there is something else that doesn't feel right in the process, something beyond me and the Beans. I would have much preferred taking the machine to an experienced tech, but here I am. *shrugs
The solution:
It's really easy to make a consistant* cup of coffee, dialing in is as easy as choosing the size or quantity of teaspoons.
* Consistantly awful.
I love coffee. The stronger the better. But every time I drink more than 2 cups black I am nearing the pearly gates. I get so agitated that I am on the border of an anxiety attack.
Fortunately there's some decaf beans from Lavazza.
Fortunately there's some decaf beans from Lavazza.
I always loved a good cup of coffee. Unfortunately I am no longer able to consume caffeine. (It triggers my tachycardia which is not fun.) I have been unable to find a satisfying decaf coffee.
My favorite coffees were Kauai grown, Hawaiian Kona, and Jamaican Blue Mountain. Can anyone recommend a good decaf? Is there such a thing?
Martin
My favorite coffees were Kauai grown, Hawaiian Kona, and Jamaican Blue Mountain. Can anyone recommend a good decaf? Is there such a thing?
Martin
Have you tried any Swiss Water Decaf?
Swiss Water® Decaf - A Better Choice in Decaf
Our chemical free process preserves the taste and characteristics of the coffee. 99.9% Caffeine Free. Find Delicious Decaf Near You. Find A Roaster Near You.
The shop I used to work at used one for a while and was actually decent. We routinely had to convince our guests that it was decaf and not regular. It still has a change to the normal flavor of an unprocessed bean, just not so deleterious as the other methods of decaffeination.
Obviously, a good roaster is still a must...
Might be worth a try.
But it really shouldn't be a different adventure each time.I always say Espresso is an adventure. And its true. The best Baristas I've gone to fairly regularly never served me the same shot twice.
Ignoring the StarBucks image/stigma for a second; for over a 2 decades, I would visit them each morning for quad-shot espresso w/a splash of steamed whole milk.
As you said, I would sometimes get that adventure surprise, when all I had wanted was a 'sure-thing'!
Botched/Wrong/Forgotten orders, bad hair-day baristas, even a few fights inside their stores, etc.
Forced me to finally go the DIY route and we have never been happier with our morning ritual, ever since!
Let us make a small definition distinction between a "cup" of coffee and "shots" of espresso.
Before starting our StarBucks espresso ritual, every time I would drink any of the 'office coffee', it would feel like I was nearing the porcelain urinals.
Yeah, LOL.
That sucks! Is there such a thing as "near-coffee" like 'near beer'?
Is your blood pressure normally borderline, for the tachycardia onset?
I had understood that daily caffeine intake 'enlarges the arteries [blood vessels?]', en route to the brain.
Hence, caffeine withdrawal causes extreme headaches (in the back of the brain) because less oxygen is reaching it.
I don't know if this is an urban myth but I most certainly did get those headaches a few times that I was not able to consume my daily dosage.
Yet, your description contradicts it in round-about way.
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I don't know how good these tuts are; but it is an interesting set of how-tos that maybe of interest << w/o getting bogged down in youtube.
There is even a tut for 'solenoids' << for those of us who may need to brush up on solenoid-lingo [ahem...].
Barista Basics Tutorials
From <https://www.espressoparts.com/blogs/barista-basics-tutorials?page=2>
There is even a tut for 'solenoids' << for those of us who may need to brush up on solenoid-lingo [ahem...].
Barista Basics Tutorials
From <https://www.espressoparts.com/blogs/barista-basics-tutorials?page=2>
I drink plenty of coffee. We have machines at work that grind and brew Starbucks to your liking. I go back and forth from dark roast and regular, full-strength to straight “espresso.” Only had 3 cups today I think. On rough mornings I’ll have 4 espressos in an hour... ha!
At home I have a basic Wally World grind ‘n brew machine I hardly ever use, as I love breakfast, but never wake up early enough. I have some good beans, brewed with distilled water. Damned tasty.
At home I have a basic Wally World grind ‘n brew machine I hardly ever use, as I love breakfast, but never wake up early enough. I have some good beans, brewed with distilled water. Damned tasty.
You may like Partners Coffee Ghost Town decaf. It's relatively low acidity, like the coffee you like.
When you have been drinking the coffee from the Gods that you mention, there really is nowhere else to go. That is my favorite list too.