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Expobar Brewtus Getting Started

Contents

Introduction Getting Started Performance Materials & Workmanship Conclusion Epilogue

Always read the owner's manual before you begin. The following is a summary of the initial steps to setup the machine for the first time, starting with the genuinely mundane tasks:

• Remove the white protective covering from all parts of the machine.
• Remove the reservoir and wash it out with warm soapy water. Be sure to rinse it well.
• Fill the reservoir with water and place it back in the machine. Make sure that all three plastic tubes are placed back into the reservoir and are not pinched anywhere. Confirm the intake tube is at the bottom of the water reservoir (the intake tube is the one with the water softener filter at its end). Note: Do not use water that has had all the minerals removed, e.g., distilled water. Minerals are necessary for the sensors in the boilers to work properly.
• Plug the machine into an outlet that matches the three-pronged plug on the cord. The machine must be grounded!

The next few steps are slightly different than most HX machines simply because Brewtus has two big boilers:

• Turn on the main power switch and lift the lever on the brew group to the top position to start the pump. Leave the lever in this position until there is a steady stream of water coming out of the brew group, then lower the lever completely. The pump will automatically fill both the main brew boiler and the steam boiler, both of which have a 1.7-liter capacity.

  Note: Look into the reservoir to see if the water level is lowering as the boilers fill. If the water is not lowering, the pump may be having trouble priming. Turn off the machine and call WholeLatteLove tech support.

• Refill the reservoir as it will now be critically low.
• Let the machine heat up for about 35 minutes.
• Remember to leave the empty portafilter in the brew group so that it will be hot and ready for use.

Setting the Brew Temperature

The Brewtus brew temperature control displays the desired brew temperature in Celsius using 1°C intervals. As shipped, the temperature is set to 95°C. To change the brew temperature:

1. Push and hold the SET key until the second small LED dot in the left corner starts flashing.
2. Push the triangular "Up" arrow or the "Down" arrow key until the desired temperature is displayed.
3. Push and release the SET to accept the new temperature setting.

Allow at least 5 minutes for the machine to adjust for any change in the brew temperature.

First Shots by the Numbers

The Brewtus must be on for at least 35 minutes before drawing your first shot. Make sure you have the portafilter locked into the grouphead during the initial warm-up and then:

• Heat up your cup by drawing some water from the water wand
• Start the grinder. If this is the first shot of the day, flush two ounces by raising the brew group lever
• Dose, distribute, and tamp as described in Perfecting the Naked Extraction
• Flush two ounces
• Lock the portafilter in and lift the brew group lever to start the extraction.

After the shot, immediately remove the portafilter and empty the basket to prevent coffee oils from being baked onto the dispersion screen. Also do a "portafilter wiggle" to clean the shower screen (that is, engage the portafilter loosely and run some water through the group to rinse grounds from the dispersion screen—be careful of splashes!). Finally, lock the portafilter back in.

Temperature Control Made Easy

In my day job, I have established some benchmarks for simplicity. To get the highest score, a product must test positive to the following question: "Would Homer Simpson be able to master it without a brain transplant?" If you can flip channels on your remote control, you can accurately and consistently control brew temperature with the Expobar Brewtus. I'm now the proud owner of Homer's dream machine.

The super simple rule of thumb for brew temperature management on Brewtus is "3 in 3": If the machine was idle for more than 3 minutes, flush 3 ounces and pull your shot. If you desire extremely precise brew temperatures, keep track of the idle time between shots. I use a kitchen stopwatch for this purpose. It is a very simple routine: After you finish your rinse, press the timer's start button. That's all it takes. We'll return to this topic again when covering The Lazy Man's Flush Chart. If you compare its no-brainer temperature management to a HX machine's flush routine, you'll appreciate the ease of Brewtus' temperature control.

Celsius	89	90	91	92	93	94	95	96	97
Fahrenheit	192.2	194.0	195.8	197.6	199.4	201.2	203.0	204.8	206.6

How to Read Brew Temperature

Just look at the digital display! It shows it in big and easy to read red digits. Unless the machine is in program mode, the digital display shows the machine's "prediction" as to what would be the brew temperature if you pulled a shot at that time, not the actual measured boiler temperature. You will notice that the displayed value drops occasionally. It is because the temperature in the brew boiler has declined to a point that will reduce brew temperature. The boiler heating element will quickly cycle on and bring the temperature back up.

Reducing Set Brew Temperature

After reducing the set brew temperature and exiting program mode, you will notice that the machine immediately displays the new set brew temperature as the "predicted" brew temperature. This is a feature that was intentionally programmed into the controller by Expobar. It dictates that if the predicted brew temperature is higher than the set brew temperature, the control box ignores it and shows the set brew temperature as the predicted brew temperature. If you follow the standard rule that says that you need to allow at least five minutes after any change in set brew temperature, this anomaly will not affect your brew temperature.

Please note that this issue is only relevant when reducing the brew temperature. When increasing the brew temperature, the heating element will cycle on and you will be at the correct temperature in 20 seconds for each degree Celsius change.

How to Nail Brew Temperature within Half a Degree Celsius

The Expobar Brewtus, like any home espresso machine, requires the barista to flush some water before pulling a shot in order to bring the group to the desired brew temperature. Let me emphasize that Brewtus' flush is minimal, and most importantly consistent in comparison with a HX machine. There's no need to watch the flow of overheated water exiting the heat exchanger. The water running through the grouphead and into the drip tray raises the group temperature to the desired degree. The flush quantities depend on the length of time the machine was idle and ranges from zero to three ounces. Those who value simplicity above everything else will behold the wonders of the chart below:

The Lazy Man's Flush Chart (Offset Temp - 7°C)

Working with a fussy blend that demands a specific temperature to avoid irksome taste flaws? No problem, you've got a routine that Homer could master on a bad day. Note: The above tables assume an offset temperature of minus 7 degrees Celsius. To learn more about adjusting your offset temperature, continue to the next section. Otherwise continue to Performance.

Adjusting the Brew Boiler Offset Value

The boiler temperature on all E61 espresso machines is always higher than the grouphead temperature. Why is that? The thermosyphon system on the E61 group isn't 100% thermally efficient, plus the group itself radiates heat, so the grouphead will always be slightly cooler than the boiler. So, if I want brew temperature to be 94°C at the puck and I set boiler temperature to 94°C, I must compensate for some of the water's heat that will be lost on the way to the portafilter.

The solution: Set the boiler temperature higher than the requested brew temperature, knowing that when it passes through the group, the water will cool to meet the requested brew temperature. The thermal mass of the E61 grouphead attenuates the brew water's temperature on its way to the portafilter. So what should the offset value between the boiler temperature and set brew temperature be? In other words, how much hotter does the boiler need to be? That value is the offset value. For example, if the boiler temperature needs to be seven degrees higher than the requested brew temperature,the offset value shown will be "-7".

All Brewtus espresso machines shipped after March 2005 have an offset value of six degree Celsius. I have found that that set value is not efficient for casual home use. I recommend for most uses to have a seven degree offset value. Following are simple instructions on how to change that value:

1. Push and hold the Up and Down arrows until you the display reads "CO"
2. Push the SET key
3. Push the Up and Down arrows until you get to the degrees offset you want; I recommend -7.
4. Push the SET button
5. Push the Up and Down arrows until the display says EP (exit program)
6. Push the SET button and you will be all set.

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