Machined for sure. The carrier is cast aluminum though.
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Coffee - do you and how do you consume it?
- Thread starter spacevector
- Start date
Such differing approaches. Mine is the spinning thin blade type. Now that everything is oiled up and stuff it works pretty good and does not get gunked up.
Yeah blade grinders do not do it for me at all. Way too inconsistent.
Is it the flavor, the foaminess, the black inky depths and oil or the potency of the caffeine that is at stake here?
It's part of the fun!
Flavor. The foam comes from the pressure and relatively fresh beans. The problem with blade grinders is the grind size is wildly inconsistent.
Have I mentioned that I also own an AVR?
Yes, I do find that taste seems to vary from day to day of making the regular Italian Creme bean I buy. I don't really mix to a science, I use differing water volumes, varying bean quantity, varying sugar and never milk at home because I don't buy it unless making a cheese sauce. So coffee at home is a crap shoot. That's probably why I enjoy a Vente Dark Roast at Starbucks because it tastes pretty good each time.
I am guessing it is of no use and having barista experience @ryanosaur has gone to "the dark side" and not coming back!
... the thing is... I just recently smashed my timer/scale to the ground and it is the 2nd slaying I have done in the last six months, after I retired my original one for battery indicator problems. The 4th one arrived yesterday and something seemed off during the grind.
You may wonder where this is going but be patient, please!
This latest unit shows -24% lower weight than it should!
Could
this be @ryanosaur's problem?
The more I read this thread, the more I appreciate my fully manual LaPavoni... but I will never think that it (plus my right arm) make a perfectly decent espresso every time...
Buying an actually decent scale has been a substantial improvement for me - I bought a Timemore Black Mirror Nano.I am guessing it is of no use and having barista experience @ryanosaur has gone to "the dark side" and not coming back!
... the thing is... I just recently smashed my timer/scale to the ground and it is the 2nd slaying I have done in the last six months, after I retired my original one for battery indicator problems. The 4th one arrived yesterday and something seemed off during the grind.
You may wonder where this is going but be patient, please!
This latest unit shows -24% lower weight than it should!
Could
You guys are fcukin' crackin me up.
To be fair... I AM the dark side. (Or, at least, that's what some FB quiz told me 15 or so years ago. *shrugs)
And I did learn espresso from some salty MFers slingin' shots from an open garage in an alley in SF. (That was Blue Bottle before they sold to Nestle.)
I push my machine. Not gonna lie. My shots are stout and have mouthfeel. I can't abide a watery pull.
At least 7 out of 10 or 4 out of 5 shots will time pretty accurately in a reasonable range from the first drop until I stop the flow. Strangely, it was the new Shower Screen that really threw everything out of whack. But the kicker is that the Puck is evenly wet now, which it was not before changing. No sign of channeling, no dry spots.
I was noticing inconsistencies prior to changing the Screen and Basket.
@pseudoid : My scale is true at 20g and 100g. I have calibration weights and use them. If you need pics...
@dfuller : I would counter that if my machine were choking, truly, I would not be extracting anything... or less than 2g of nothing but oily residue. That my puck is thoroughly wet, that I get the classic single stream from the Filter, that my Creme is dark and spotted, and that I am most of the time getting a consistent yield... to my mind, all points to another inconsistency in the system.
I do not rule out human error as a variable, which I have stated before and always accept as a possibility.
But the first shot is almost always short, even if I burn a grind just to make certain that (as you suggested) there may be stale grind in the Grind Chamber. Following shots tend to be more consistent, though sometimes I find a surprise.
Regardless, the Blank Pull at the beginning of a session does seem to help even things out for the actual shots. This is what leads me back to our last little exchange about the Solenoid as a possible culprit. (I have yet to do a flow check as discussed as I have been occupied with some other matters... While Coffee is vital, it is of secondary importance to paid work and professional reputation. Too bad I can't get paid for being a Barista to Myself! )
OK... Seriously.
My admission that I hadn't cared for the Sylvia properly in almost four years is the first thing I am fixing. I took care of the Grinder and that is solid: the new Burrs have improved things. My thoughts now are that it is not the pump, but perhaps the Solenoid; which still doesn't change the path I've set for myself. I will replace the pump and adjust the pressure down from the 12PSI it is currently registering. Lastly, I will also look at the Solenoid.
Once I know the machine is back in best condition possible, I will play with me as the variable. I know I will have to adjust my grind once I adjust pressure... and if there is another issue with flow or whatever.
But four years was too long for never descaling, I am certain.
To be fair... I AM the dark side.
(Or, at least, that's what some FB quiz told me 15 or so years ago. *shrugs)And I did learn espresso from some salty MFers slingin' shots from an open garage in an alley in SF. (That was Blue Bottle before they sold to Nestle.)
I push my machine. Not gonna lie. My shots are stout and have mouthfeel. I can't abide a watery pull.
At least 7 out of 10 or 4 out of 5 shots will time pretty accurately in a reasonable range from the first drop until I stop the flow. Strangely, it was the new Shower Screen that really threw everything out of whack. But the kicker is that the Puck is evenly wet now, which it was not before changing. No sign of channeling, no dry spots.
I was noticing inconsistencies prior to changing the Screen and Basket.
@pseudoid : My scale is true at 20g and 100g. I have calibration weights and use them.
If you need pics... @dfuller : I would counter that if my machine were choking, truly, I would not be extracting anything... or less than 2g of nothing but oily residue. That my puck is thoroughly wet, that I get the classic single stream from the Filter, that my Creme is dark and spotted, and that I am most of the time getting a consistent yield... to my mind, all points to another inconsistency in the system.
I do not rule out human error as a variable, which I have stated before and always accept as a possibility.
But the first shot is almost always short, even if I burn a grind just to make certain that (as you suggested) there may be stale grind in the Grind Chamber. Following shots tend to be more consistent, though sometimes I find a surprise.
Regardless, the Blank Pull at the beginning of a session does seem to help even things out for the actual shots. This is what leads me back to our last little exchange about the Solenoid as a possible culprit. (I have yet to do a flow check as discussed as I have been occupied with some other matters... While Coffee is vital, it is of secondary importance to paid work and professional reputation.
Too bad I can't get paid for being a Barista to Myself! )OK... Seriously.
My admission that I hadn't cared for the Sylvia properly in almost four years is the first thing I am fixing. I took care of the Grinder and that is solid: the new Burrs have improved things. My thoughts now are that it is not the pump, but perhaps the Solenoid; which still doesn't change the path I've set for myself. I will replace the pump and adjust the pressure down from the 12PSI it is currently registering. Lastly, I will also look at the Solenoid.
Once I know the machine is back in best condition possible, I will play with me as the variable.
I know I will have to adjust my grind once I adjust pressure... and if there is another issue with flow or whatever.But four years was too long for never descaling, I am certain.
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As a F&B professional for way too many years, there has always been a competition of how far you can push yourself, your colleagues and your equipment... to, and even beyond, the breaking point... in pursuit of that something special.
I use my equipment unapologetically. This is not to say I do not care for my equipment, but I do push it.
This was the expectation of working in some of the best Restaurants, for some of the best Chefs. Even today being semi-retired that philosophy stands.
You look at it this way but @mansr looks at it as you "break your equipment unapologetically"
I contend that by their definition, I USE my machine to experience coffee.
That my experience is different than yours is simply a qualitative variance in universal order.
Agree 100%. These recipes I see pulling 40+ grams are just tiny cups of coffee. No thank you.
Curious if you've experimented with this variable: I sent a message to a shop asking how they were pulling these creamy, rich syrupy shots (after the fact, so this wasn't confirmed by the barista responsible) - the technique was (apparently) cramming 19g of coffee into a 14g basket. Didn't add up to me but might be an interesting experiment.
Jamming too much coffee into too small a basket isn’t something I would do.
You do want space between your tamped grind and the shower screen when you begin. As the grind absorbs water, it will, and needs, to expand.
I use a 22g basket with a 20g dose. When I remove the filter after pulling a shot, the puck had expanded to the shower screen.
I was advised against using too big of a basket. When pressed, the guy I talked too hemmed and hawed a bit about how much space is too much, but then I specifically asked if 2g of space was too much and he comfortably said no.
With my Rancilio Sylvia, I also have the infamous hex head screw which does not sit flush to the shower screen. You never want your tamped grind disturbed prior to beginning extraction.
I was sticking up for you against @mansr
I don't care if you eat the beans before even grinding them, ...but I may recommend that you brush your teeth after it!
I like being just a lever 'yanker'!