Buyer's Guide to the Expobar Brewtus

[Abe Carmeli]

Comments, criticism and accolades to the article are all welcome here. Please post them as a reply to this topic.

The Article: Buyer's Guide to the Expobar Brewtus

[casper]

I especially liked that you included a description of specific blends that you tested and closed in on. It seems like the point that you stuck to was ease of use and range of the machine in specific situations. I thought you did that very well without a lot of hype.

Intriguing results, I think I'm going to have to get someone to bring one in.

[chelya]

Kudos - well done, Abe.

[Dogshot]

Great review Abe! I really liked the perspective comparing the Brewtus to the GP - it is a highly relevant comparison for me and I'm sure many other readers who are interested in this machine. Your comment towards the end about some users enjoying the artistry involved in managing the HX temp issues highlights for me how different people enjoy different aspects of the espresso experience.

I must admit that I have really come to enjoy roasting in the short amount of time that I have been doing so. To me, it is the most creative part of the process, since you are tranforming otherwise unusable green beans into something different, unique and delicious. I also enjoy the grind, distribution, and tamp, but when it comes to the things the machine does for me (temp, pressure, etc.), I just want it to do what I think it is supposed to be doing. I guess that means that I have one more thing in common with Homer Simpson - we should both have a DB machine in our kitchens.

One more thing about the difference between the two styles. Many people use bottled water for their machine. For the typical home user, who probably makes a couple of coffees 3-5 times per day, an HX machine will require up to 40 ounces of total flushing. That's a lot of pricey water to be emptying out of the driptray.

I've been considering the Brewtus for my next machine, and this review made my upgrade decision much, much easier. Thanks again.

[luca]

Great read, Abe. It's nice to have long-awaited publication of this review coincide with the long-awaited release of the machine in Australia.

I can appreciate that these reviews are a lot trickier to write than they seem. From my quick skim of the review, it's clear that the temp control aspect makes life easier, but, as everybody now says, 'the limitation is on the handle side of the portafilter'. (Side note: if 'it's the grinder, stupid' is the mantra of CG, that's gotta be the mantra of HB).

Just a few quickies:

a) How difficult would it be to add a brew pressure gauge? Is there enough room?
b) I seem to remember that you did, or were about to do, a rotary conversion. How's that going? How did it affect preinfusion?
c) Seeing as you've got/had both the Giotto P and the Brewtus sitting in front of you, could you tell us if it would be possible to swap the insulated steam arm onto the Brewtus? (Yeah, I appreciate that it's an expensive upgrade ;P)

Cheers,

Luca

[Abe Carmeli]

I must admit that I have really come to enjoy roasting in the short amount of time that I have been doing so. To me, it is the most creative part of the process, since you are transforming otherwise unusable green beans into something different, unique and delicious.

I'm happy you said that. I don't think many home baristas fully appreciate it. I've been trying to beat it into Dan's head for months now, with no success.

One more thing about the difference between the two styles. Many people use bottled water for their machine. For the typical home user, who probably makes a couple of coffees 3-5 times per day, an HX machine will require up to 40 ounces of total flushing. That's a lot of pricey water to be emptying out of the drip-tray.

It is a very good point. I neglected to mention it in the article, I believe it should be there and may add it in. Thanks for that comment.

[Abe Carmeli]

I can appreciate that these reviews are a lot trickier to write than they seem.

It is indeed. Had I known how many weeks I'd need to spend on it I wouldn't have done it. But Dan, the cunning schemer that he is, intentionally left me in my ignorance. (He'll tell you he warned me, but he wrapped it in so much sugar, I could no longer taste it). It started as a much more detailed article with a little too much data, and perhaps too deep in some areas. The problem was to transform it into an enjoyable read and still be informative and deliver the major points.

From my quick skim of the review, it's clear that the temp control aspect makes life easier, but, as everybody now says, 'the limitation is on the handle side of the portafilter'. (Side note: if 'it's the grinder, stupid' is the mantra of CG, that's gotta be the mantra of HB)

I agree completely. It is only after you perfected your Barista technique, that you should think about upgrading any of your equipment.

a) How difficult would it be to add a brew pressure gauge? Is there enough room?

There is enough room for it on the front panel.

b) I seem to remember that you did, or were about to do, a rotary conversion. How's that going? How did it affect preinfusion?

A little setback. I hope to complete it next weekend, if Sean can make it down to New York.

c) Seeing as you've got/had both the Giotto P and the Brewtus sitting in front of you, could you tell us if it would be possible to swap the insulated steam arm onto the Brewtus? (Yeah, I appreciate that it's an expensive upgrade ;P)

It will require a special fitting, invert the male/female relationship.

[chelya]

From my quick skim of the review, it's clear that the temp control aspect makes life easier, but, as everybody now says, 'the limitation is on the handle side of the portafilter'. (Side note: if 'it's the grinder, stupid' is the mantra of CG, that's gotta be the mantra of HB)

I agree completely. It is only after you perfected your Barista technique, that you should think about upgrading any of your equipment.

I am not sure I agree, Abe.
Better equipment leads to better and easier "morning after" cup. I upgraded while learning and do not regret it. Learning on a better equipment is more enjoyable and allows you to better control the parameters.

[HB]

Learning on a better equipment is more enjoyable and allows you to better control the parameters.

Absolutely! But I believe that Abe is referring to a smaller incremental upgrade than the one you are. There are ample cases of baristas chasing hardware upgrades when improving their skills on the existing setup would bring far more benefit.

[Abe Carmeli]

I am not sure I agree, Abe.
Better equipment leads to better and easier "morning after" cup. I upgraded while learning and do not regret it. Learning on a better equipment is more enjoyable and allows you to better control the parameters.

If you have a really crappy machine that sub-performs, then yes, you cannot even judge how your barista skills are affecting the shot. But if you are in the prosumer level, and want to upgrade from entry level to high end, or let's take a classic example, you own a Silvia, it would be wise to perfect your shots on it before you move up. Without better barista skills, I do not believe the upgraded machine will perform much better. But even more importantly, you may find that you really don't need an upgrade.

[chelya]

In general I agree. But wouldn't you recommend to upgrade from any HX to Double boiler to make learning process easier? And yes - at the end it is the handle side of the portafilter that matters, but learning is a lot easier in consistent reproducible environment.
When a beginner tries to control everything at once - dosing, tamp, temps, etc - it is a hard task. I was going crazy at first trying to control everything and not knowing how to do it. What I did was I got the equipment to control some of the variables - Brewtus (temps), Macap tamper (tamp) - once a few variables were out of the equation - life became much easier.

[Abe Carmeli]

In general I agree. But wouldn't you recommend to upgrade from any HX to Double boiler to make learning process easier? And yes - at the end it is the handle side of the portafilter that matters, but learning is a lot easier in consistent reproducible environment.
When a beginner tries to control everything at once - dosing, tamp, temps, etc - it is a hard task. I was going crazy at first trying to control everything and not knowing how to do it. What I did was I got the equipment to control some of the variables - Brewtus (temps), Macap tamper (tamp) - once a few variables were out of the equation - life became much easier.

There is no doubt that controlling temperature on the Brewtus takes that variable out of the equation for a beginner. The findings in the article support that conclusion, it is really a no brainer. Less to control, better for a beginner.

That conclusion however does not necessarily dictate that the Brewtus is overall better than a H/X machine in temperature control. It is more complex than that. It depends really on which H/X machine you use and mostly on your personal preference. Some people actually prefer to use their Barista skill to control that element. It is more of a challenge and may give them some added satisfaction in the cup from achieving that precise temperature on their own. Think about hunting with bow and arrow. So, it is more about who you are than the machine.

But a beginner will find the Brewtus temperature control a joy, and can advance his Barista skills faster IMHO. Hence the high "Morning After" score it earned in the review.

[JamesL]

Hi Abe,

The picture of your shot looks impressive, I have read about the blends and the temperature you used and I am interested in your brew pressure setting. Would you please reveal the brew pressure setting on the machine? Had you changed the original setting?


Thanks a lot.

[Abe Carmeli]

Hi Abe,

The picture of your shot looks impressive, I have read about the blends and the temperature you used and I am interested in your brew pressure setting. Would you please reveal the brew pressure setting on the machine? Had you changed the original setting?


Thanks a lot.

Those shots were all 1.5-1.75 oz ristrettos. The brew pressure was 9 bars with 50 ml flow (1.5 oz flow) in 25 seconds. Shot time ranged from 25-27 seconds. I did change it from the stock machine, though WLL will adjust it for you for whatever flow rate you require, before they ship it.

[JayHere]

Great review Abe - thanks!

Agree a plumbing kit is in order. My Giotto plumbing is so simple it's all too easy (in other words a cheap mod).

Don't agree that it should have a Fahrenheit temp option because besides the US, the only other superpowers that are non-metric are Liberia and Myanmar (Burma) --- Just kidding as it's a ten cent modification to make temp readout a user settable option, but just don't try and export your backward temperature scale on the rest of the world

Seriously good review though - really is one of the better ones around.

[Abe Carmeli]

Great review Abe - thanks!

Don't agree that it should have a Fahrenheit temp option because besides the US, the only other superpowers that are non-metric are Liberia and Myanmar (Burma).

Hey, Myanmar kicks ass! But to preserve world peace, perhaps a controller with Celsius scale that allows a tenth of a degree increment will keep everyone happy. You'll need a PID controller to achieve such accuracy.

[Dogshot]

Abe - what pressure setting for the steam boiler is your set of flush regimes in the review based on? I notice that many people like to run their steam boiler at fairly high pressure to maximize the steaming capability of the machine. With an HX running from steam to brew boiler, I would imagine that running a higher pressure in the steam boiler would increase Brewtus' tendency to overshoot after a while, and would consequently require a slightly different regime?

[Abe Carmeli]

Abe - what pressure setting for the steam boiler is your set of flush regimes in the review based on? I notice that many people like to run their steam boiler at fairly high pressure to maximize the steaming capability of the machine. With an HX running from steam to brew boiler, I would imagine that running a higher pressure in the steam boiler would increase Brewtus' tendency to overshoot after a while, and would consequently require a slightly different regime?

The stock Brewtus' max steam boiler pressure is 1.2 bars, a setting I used during the review. The H/X water is transferred from the steam boiler to the brew boiler via a Teflon tube. The water in the Teflon tube during idle time is cooler than in the H/X and during a shot, the tube works as a low tech mixing chamber. In the brew boiler, the water inlet is extended with a pipe to the center of the boiler. All these factors ensure that there will not be an overshoot.

After the review I PID'ed the Brewtus (both boilers). I was able to raise the steam boiler pressure to 1.5 bars, and noticed that even at that high pressure there is no overshoot. I believe that limiting steam boiler pressure to 1.2 bars in the Brewtus was a mistake. A 1.5 bars is better, and would have made the Brewtus a much better steamer.