Hmmmm. Can't see that working too well.

I would tend to think that your normal +10C grouphead temp offset would be screwed up using this method.

I'm guessing the boiler might read cool (due to the cold water injection) but the brew head would still be too warm from the higher steam temp.

o3 wrote:I flush afterwards twice to get back down to temp. Is it always better to pull first then steam?

Unfortunately this raises the brew first/steam first debate.

If you must flush twice to get to brew temperature, you defeat the purpose of having a PID. That is, the overall group temperature (grouphead, boiler, plumbing bits, etc.) takes awhile to stabilize. For steaming, it's no big deal if the boiler temperature is off by 3 degrees. But for brewing, it's a big deal if the group temperature is off by 3 degrees. By steaming first and flushing to return to brew temperature, the chances of consistently hitting the desired temperature in the brew chamber are small, despite what the PID readout may indicate for the boiler temperature.

For Rancilio Silvia, the sequence should be brewing first then steaming, right?

Yes, I recommend brew first and then steam.

For the longer answer, see discussions like Poor espresso has to wait for milk and How long do you allow your espresso to sit before adding milk? Whichever you choose - brew or steam first - there's a tradeoff.