Rancilio Silvia few tips please :)

#1: Post by **doridori** » December 25th, 2009, 12:28 pm

Hi

Got a 2009 Silvia today but ive found a couple of things and not sure if normal...

1...The right cup under the portafilter tends to fill up with more coffee than the left cup. Is this normal or is there something Im doing wrong?

2...I tried one pull and no water came out at all. Is this because the coffee is too fine? Could I damage it if nothing comes out?

Thanks

#2: Post by HB » December 25th, 2009, 12:46 pm

First of all, I strongly recommend you read the Home Barista's Guide to Espresso, familiarize yourself with the site's FAQs and Favorites, especially the bounty of Silvia/Rocky threads linked from here. Please see the Forum search tips for additional self-service hints.

To your questions...

A1. That's not unusual. If it really bothers you, there are adjustable portafilter spouts. Or a bottomless portafilter, which would help you verify the uneven pours are/are not due to channeling.

A2. Yes, grind is too fine. No, it cannot damage the machine if it "chokes".

PS: Followers of this thread may wish to refer to Dori's cross-post on CoffeeGeek.

December 25th, 2009, 3:19 pm

Thanks a lot for the advice.

Is there an easy way I can stop the uneven pours or is it due to the portafilter that comes with the Silvia. Ive never seen it happen in videos etc and wondered if it had anything to do with the angle of the double spout when the portafilter is locked into place? :s

#4: Post by HB » December 25th, 2009, 4:00 pm

doridori wrote:... wondered if it had anything to do with the angle of the double spout when the portafilter is locked into place?

Er, this is a portafilter, not a precision instrument. You could check if the machine is level, remove the spout, or use a bottomless portafilter. Uneven pour mystery offers other suggestions, though I recommend you focus more on the taste of what's in the cup(s) than on the equity of the pour's split.

December 26th, 2009, 6:29 am

Tried a few different things and I still get maybe 30% more in the right cup from the right spout :s

How tight should I tighten the portafilter by the way?
Ive seen people mention up until the red dot but I dont have one and Ive seen people saying up to a 5 o'clock but mine only really tightens up to completely facing me straight on (6 o'clock)

I have a Silvia V3 2009 model, have they changed the method?

#6: Post by **Aaron** » December 26th, 2009, 11:14 am

I have the same Silvia model that you have and I tighten the PF until just before the red dot. If the PF is too loose then you will have a slight water dripping from the handle. I am not sure that you can overtighten the PF. If you tighten it too much and often enough then you will probably just wear out the gasket faster than normal. The gasket is an easy and cheap replacement part.

#7: Post by **weasel** » December 26th, 2009, 2:45 pm

I have V2. I don't worry about the dot. Just get it nice and snug, don't crank the portafilter.

As for more out of one spout than the other - be sure your machine is level, both left and right, and front and back. Examine the flow from the group (portafilter off). Does it look even or does water drip more heavily from one area?

If uneven, take the screen off and readjust the parts, then re-tighten the bolt (or screw...which ever you have), check again. After cleaning (and removal of the screen) I often have to fidget with these parts when I reassemble group head to get the flow right.

#8: Post by **JimG** » December 26th, 2009, 3:04 pm

I am convinced that the uneven pour problem is caused by the portafilter design itself. The problem goes away for me when I use a different style double-spout PF.

Jim

December 27th, 2009, 12:49 am

I agree, maybe we will talk about the differential spout outputs for the next week or two.
-C

BTW my spout leans to the right. And the right is better.

December 27th, 2009, 5:56 am

weasel wrote:I have V2. I don't worry about the dot. Just get it nice and snug, don't crank the portafilter.

As for more out of one spout than the other - be sure your machine is level, both left and right, and front and back. Examine the flow from the group (portafilter off). Does it look even or does water drip more heavily from one area?

If uneven, take the screen off and readjust the parts, then re-tighten the bolt (or screw...which ever you have), check again. After cleaning (and removal of the screen) I often have to fidget with these parts when I reassemble group head to get the flow right.

I switched it on without the portafilter in and have found that the flow seems to favour the front right (facing me) - hardly any coming from the back left corner of the showerhead :s
I guess water droplets should come from all over evenly?

Im not sure what you mean by "readjusting the parts" - can you be more specific please? I dont really want to go messing around with it too much as its only a couple of days old and if theres a problems its under warranty :s

Thanks for all your help