Do these temperatures seem right (Anita & Eric's E61 thermometer adapter)?

[mmm]

I installed Eric's thermometer today for my Anita and had some questions.

My boiler pressure is around 1.3 bar and the machine idles around 213F; I'm assuming this is fine after reading other threads. But I'm kind of confused on what temperature I'm suppose to flush to and pull the shot at.

I thought I read that I should flush to 185, and pull around 198, so I decided to try that. It took between 6-8 oz to get to 185, and once it got there it seemed to rebound very quickly to around 190. From there I noticed it took a good 4-6 minutes to get back up to 198 so I could pull the shot. Does this seem right, or am I flushing to too low of a temp?

Also, once I pulled the shot at 198, I noticed the temp jumped to around ~210-211 almost instantly; I am guessing this is due to pre-infusion? Once the shot started coming out, the temp was around ~204-206; is this what it is suppose to be during the course of the pull?

Thanks for any help!

[ppopp]

I'm a new Andreja Premium owner and have limited experience with Eric's thermometer (I got mine with the machine), but I did a lot of research in the archives about using the thermometer. It seems the temperature you're shooting for during the flush depends on your flush routine. There's at least three routines in the archives people talk about, that vary with the amount of time you give the machine to rebound. The instructions with the thermometer describe a long wait that Eric prefers.

You really ought to read Dan's Vetrano review where he gives a short and concise tutorial on using the thermometer. It's the method I'm now using. Reading it will make you feel a lot better. You can find it here:

http://www.home-barista.com/vetra...o-performance.html

[mmm]

Thanks Peter; I'll check that out.

By the way, can someone confirm if my thermometer is inserted correctly? I thought it was, but looking at Eric's thermometer diagram it looks like the body nut is a little deeper in the machine than mine. I might need to adjust it.

[HB]

...it looks like the body nut is a little deeper in the machine than mine.

I believe the height of the adapter changed to accommodate the Vibiemme, which has a deeper inset for the ugly Allen screw. If there's no leaks, the adapter obviously is seated correctly.

[erics]

The length of the 7/16 hex used to tighten the adaptor into the machine was reduced to accommodate the Vibiemme but the overall length of the adaptor remained unchanged at 1.41". The total length of the probe which extends out of the black plastic body of the thermometer is held pretty close to 2.00 inches. When I say "pretty close", I mean +/- 1/32". With that in mind, the dimension from the bottom of the thermometer to the top of the 7/16" nut should be 0.215" or around 7/32" for all machines other than Vibiemme. Vibiemme should be 0.340" or around 11/32".

As regards your temperatures and pressures, keep in mind that there can be a 1.5 degree differential between what the thermometer indicates and "true" temperature. Thermometers that exceed this number are NOT released for shipment. The same type of comment applies to boiler pressure gages. These are inexpensive 40 mm (1.5") gages and typically have accuracies of between 5 and 10%. Fortunately, changes in gage readings, as compared to singular readings, are pretty good. I will say though that your 1.30 bar and 213.0 F are certainly reasonable.

The idea of flushing until the thermometer reads in the mid 180's and then pulling the shot at 197-198 has received mixed "reviews" mainly because of the sometimes inordinate time between the end of the flush and the initiation of the shot. Your time is EXCESSIVE. Your rebound to ONLY 190 immediately when you stop the flush is WAY LOW. That number should be something like 197.

How old is the thermometer, how old is the machine, and how do you use Anita?

[mmm]

Eric,

I apologize; it does not rebound to only 190 as I originally said. I decided to re-try my routine this morning and write down all of the times and temperatures. Both the machine and thermometer are brand new (~1 week old). Here is how I have been using Anita:

1. Turn on machine, letting it warm up for 45 minutes with portafilter attached. After 45 minutes, the temperature reads ~213-214 @ ~1.3 bar boiler pressure.

2. Flush until 185; this takes roughly 40 seconds and 8 oz of water. The temperature immediately rebounds to ~198-200 degrees before dropping down to around ~195 and ~196.

3. Wait until the temperature reaches 198 and pull the shot; it takes roughly 3 minutes to go from 185 to 198 (this includes the time that it rebounds to ~200 and drops to ~195-196. I start the timer right when it reaches 185).

4. Once I pull the shot, the temperature jumps up to roughly ~210. When the shot finally starts to come out, the temperature reads ~204-205 during the course of the shot. The pump pressure is ~10 bar (it reads a click or two over that).

Hope this helps.

[erics]

I would reduce the pstat setting to 1.20 bar (maximum reading), perhaps even 1.15 bar, but this should be done in two steps with a couple of days use between adjustments. A lot of recommendations you receive also depend on how many drinks you make and how much steaming you do.

Its fun to play! More thermometer info available here: http://users.rcn.com/erics/

[mmm]

I would reduce the pstat setting to 1.20 bar (maximum reading), perhaps even 1.15 bar, but this should be done in two steps with a couple of days use between adjustments. A lot of recommendations you receive also depend on how many drinks you make and how much steaming you do.

Its fun to play! More thermometer info available here: http://users.rcn.com/erics/

Thanks. I will check that out tonight. This might sound like a silly question, but what exactly happens / is changed when I increase/decrease the pstat setting (i.e., going from 1.3 to 1.2)? What effect does it have on the machine?

[HB]

...what exactly happens / is changed when I increase/decrease the pstat setting (i.e., going from 1.3 to 1.2)? What effect does it have on the machine?

The boiler temperature decreases by 2 degrees F. For the longer explanation, read Espresso Machines 201: Heat Exchangers.