Cleaning Note: Front flushing an E61 dispersion screen

[another_jim]

The old style E61 screen, just wire mesh, stayed clean without any special TLC. The newer screens, with the solid button in the middle, may have a better dispersion pattern, but they crud up and require regular removal and scrubbing. Given the way E61 screens are mounted, this is a massive pita.



One can reduce the need by "front-flushing." Stick in the blind filter, turn on the machine, let it build to 4 to 5 bar, then loosen the PF. The pressure blasts out most of the accumulated crud. You can finish with a backflush. If you let it build to full pressure, you may get more of a blast, but I can't twist open the PF against that pressure.

[Marshall]

Mine (new style) have stayed quite clean with this regimen: Backflush for 5 seconds, switch off for 15. Repeat four times. I do this twice a week with water and once every three weeks with detergent (all per Chris Nachtrieb's suggestion). When I replace the stiff old gaskets, the screens are always clean on top.

[rpirong]

Mine (new style) have stayed quite clean with this regimen: Backflush for 5 seconds, switch off for 15. Repeat four times. I do this twice a week with water and once every three weeks with detergent (all per Chris Nachtrieb's suggestion). When I replace the stiff old gaskets, the screens are always clean on top.

That's all pretty neat stuff, but useless info unless we know how many shots per day you pull. Just a thought while trying to keep it clean.

[HB]

Can your equipment be "too" clean? Below is an E61 dispersion screen after two Puro Caff backflushes following the instructions. The grouphead surfaces looked squeaky, but there was still a smidgen of grinds left behind:



This was after less than 20 espressos and dozens of water backflushes (part of temperature calibration for a new E61 thermocouple adapter).

[rpirong]

I'm all for keeping it clean, but I'm thinking the backflush with detergent regimen outlined by Marshall should have a little history behind it. Every three weeks with detergent might be fine if your pulling 7 shots per or week or 30?

I'm interested seeing as how I recently bought a used Andrea from a private seller and in trying to determine the best cleaning schedule using backflush detergent by calling and emailing all the usual susupects, have received answers from never to once a day.

[miKe mcKoffee]

Can your equipment be "too" clean? Below is an E61 dispersion screen after two Puro Caff backflushes following the instructions. The grouphead surfaces looked squeaky, but there was still a smidgen of grinds left behind:

image

This was after less than 20 espressos and dozens of water backflushes (part of temperature calibration for a new E61 thermocouple adapter).

I'm now a believer. With Silvia anytime I took the group screen off always clean. Well, even though I've followed my same regimen of weekly detergent back flushing and water only back flushing after every session (whether 1 shot or a dozen water back flush after session) decided to take a look. First detergent back flushed (Cafiza) then tried the pressure wiggle technique in other thread to loosen remove gasket & screen, which worked quite well, thanks for the tip! (E61 Bric') The inside wall of my screen was worse than the pic Dan showed!


Oh well, pic didn't come out too good and too late to take another, screen already Cafiza soaking.

BTW, Bric' now 'bout 8 months old on ~16hrs a day. No PF leaking or needing to "romp" the PF really tight like with Silvia. How often can I expect to need gasket replacement? (have two individually vac bag sealed to keep 'em fresh already on hand:-)

[Marshall]

That's all pretty neat stuff, but useless info unless we know how many shots per day you pull. Just a thought while trying to keep it clean.

3-4 shots a day.

[HB]

I'm interested seeing as how I recently bought a used Andrea from a private seller and in trying to determine the best cleaning schedule using backflush detergent by calling and emailing all the usual susupects, have received answers from never to once a day.

Yes, how often to clean and what determines when it's necessary is frequently debated (by elapsed time? number of shots? both?). I agree with the recommendations in Espresso Machine Cleaning - Why, How, and When, and the comments in the article feedback echo this thread's main points.