Bitter Shots: Rancilio Silvia (PID)

#1: Post by **LukeFlynn** » May 28th, 2014, 8:27 pm

Back in February I purchased a pre-modified Silvia from an individual. I've yet to pull the perfect shot, I have set my PID in the various regions (218, 220, 221-223, 224, 228) however, I can't seem to get a shot that taste like.. it should. I don't expect it to taste sweet, but I don't expect it to be this bitter either. I still get a 20-25 sec pull time, I'm currently using Heartmender roasted by commonplace do note I've used other coffees with the same result, usually whenever I have this specific coffee at a shop it has a wonderful nutty flavor, just doesn't happen with me.

#2: Post by **Jasonmck** » May 28th, 2014, 11:19 pm

not that I'm a pro but I did own a Silvia.
I would concentrate on dose amount and grind.
I always found that I could get a good shot time but poor results when I had too much coffee at a too coarse of a grind

Just a thought

May 29th, 2014, 12:16 pm

I'll be sure to try this suggestion. Thanks!

#4: Post by **Randy G.** » May 29th, 2014, 1:21 pm

Are you using a scale capable of 0.1gram resolution to weigh each dose?
On my website www.EspressoMyEspresso.com, check out this article: 12 - EASY GUIDE TO BETTER ESPRESSO AT HOME.

May 29th, 2014, 3:46 pm

Thanks for your input Randy! I'll be sure to try some things from your website tomorrow when I pull another double on the Silvia. Thanks!

May 29th, 2014, 4:22 pm

EDIT: So, the silvia does MUCH better when you don't fill the portafilter all the way up to the top, but just below.. I am starting to get a slight nutty taste at 24 seconds, yet it's still a bit bitter, any suggestions as far as temp/timing goes? I also might invest in a bottomless portafilter and a la marzocco triple

#7: Post by **JimG** » May 29th, 2014, 6:00 pm

Grinder?

Jim

#8: Post by **Jasonmck** » May 29th, 2014, 6:13 pm

I believe the double portafilter should hold 14 to 16 grams of coffee. that is a good place to start anyway

#9: Post by **canuckcoffeeguy** » May 29th, 2014, 11:06 pm

LukeFlynn wrote:I've yet to pull the perfect shot, I have set my PID in the various regions (218, 220, 221-223, 224, 228) however, I can't seem to get a shot that taste like.. it should. I don't expect it to taste sweet, but I don't expect it to be this bitter either.

Aren't those temp settings way too high? The ideal range is 195F to 205F, with 200F a good number to aim for. Bitterness can be a product of excessively high brewing temperatures.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

#10: Post by **forgetcolor** » May 30th, 2014, 3:03 am

I've got a PID'd Silvia and had the same problem when I first got it. Based on the published PID info I was running the PID temp up around 219 in order to get around 200F. Everything was bitter and bad. I started experimenting with the PID temp, thinking I may have been using an incorrect offset. Once I got the PID down to around 213.5F everything clicked into place. I started getting great shots, and at their best they were the best shots I'd had.

So I'd suggest adjusting your PID set temp. If you Google you can find some procedures for figuring out your offset based on setting it, running the pump, adjust, set it, run the pump, etc... until it stops flashing to steam. But I never did this---once I got good shots I didn't care what my precise offset is (though I figure it's really more around 13-15 deg F rather than the 18 deg F Auber says).