Boy that pump is loud! Anyway, I saw no steam flashing. It should flash a little after 5-6 minutes idle and flash vigorously after 20+ minutes idle. Have you checked the mushroom for scale? Be careful not to scratch the chrome...

The pour behavior on the second video is what I usually get right on the Anita after the Cafiza backflush prior to the new seasoning shots. That behavior goes away after I pull about 3 double shots after the water backflushes to clean out the grouphead. I end up throwing out the first two seasoning shots, and the third shot has usually acted and tasted "normal." From what I've seen, the Anita returns to routine behavior shortly afterwards.

Didn't check for scale yet (Little afraid to start unscrewing E61), but it looks like I have to..

To Check Mushroom, do I unscrew #1 or #2?



Thanks

The bottom one. You can unscrew the top one if you want to check if the screen is clogged, but that wouldn't affect the idle temperature. The bolt should not be very tight and remember to protect the chrome (a friend of mine works on Porsches and has pricey nylon-lined sockets of all sizes). If you're really careful, you can remove it with an adjustable wrench and protective padding.


From E61 Group Espresso Machine: Detailed Interior Schematics

Thanks everyone for your patience and help

I will check the mushroom when I get home from work today..

I don't like it when Anita is sick .

That behavior goes away after I pull about 3 double shots after the water backflushes to clean out the grouphead

I already pulled a couple of shots, at least 4 or so... since the chem backflush.. Maybe I need to do a couple of more to get her back in shape.

I will try that after I check the mushroom for scale today as well

Thanks again guys for the help

Here is the mushroom, looks good to me? no scale, just some of the chrome plating coming off?(Is this normal for a 3 mo old machine?)

Man! Work is constantly getting in the way of me playing with my espresso!

Thanks Eric, once again I will check out your suggestions tonight when I get home from work. But I do know the group head DOES still get very hot, not sure about answers to the other items you mentioned. I will post back after I test later on tonight

Eric, also I should be getting the adapter you mailed out to me pretty soon, that may help me figure some things out as well

I didn't have time to make anything this morning, and now I have to wait like 9 HOURS till my next espresso... I don't know if I can make it

Maybe I am being too Paranoid and my Anita is really fine?

Here is what a Boiler cycle looks like on anita.(This is me with a timer and watching the Pressure Gauge on the front and writing values down, not too accurate but gives you a general feel)


The end of the graph is when the heating element kicks on and brings it back to 1.2 Bar. Can I adjust the deadband on the pstat (upgraded Jaeger) so it kicks on before .7 bar?

Does your boiler refill for a split second (couple of bursts) during steaming?

Can steam for about a minute and a half before the pump kicks on for a second of so, but heating element cycles a couple of times during that minute and half.

EricS: I received your adapter yesterday and installed it. after an hour of warmup, the temp from the adapter when just sitting there is about 206? is that about right?

I was going to video the thermometer during a cooling flush to 185, then wait 45 seconds and pull a shot and video the thermometer again.

Would that help? and would you be able to tell if the readings I am getting from the thermometer are about right?(Which would tell me if my temps are actually low, or maybe my engineering background geekyness is making me paranoid)

Thanks