LeoZ wrote:as i sit in an airport, as usual, awaiting delays, my elektra microcasa a leva is sitting in my garage, awaiting my arrival. (i pray its in good shape!) so, i figure i should learn the intricacies of a lever machine.
as far as pulling a shot, i think its straightforward -
-13 minute warmup
-quick flush (2oz?)
-lock and load, using a much finer grind than used for hx machines
what about cleaning and maintenance? after the pressure settles (30secs-1min?) you can release the puck, right? can you backflush? do lever machines have a 3 way valve? if not, how does everyone clean it?
what about sight glass? easy to open to clean out or change? gasket and shower screen - same as hx as far as frequency?
thanks for the help, and keep your fingers crossed that ebay didnt send me a lemon!
Please note that before you do ANYTHING make sure the boiler has enough water in it- between 1/4 and 3/4 full according the the sightglass. This is an essential part of your brewing pattern- you can't forget to make sure your water level is adequate. Some mistakes aren't crises; that one is.
Warmup can take as long as 13-15 minutes or few as, well, very few, depending on how cold the machine is; adding cold water to the tank (which Elektra recommends) will of course slow things down a bit too, but I've never had to wait more than 14. As you get more familiar with the machine you'll be able to tell when the pressure valve on top stops hissing- at that point the needle starts to move up (assuming your needle isn't gummed up with scale) very quickly. To speed things up I do this "flush" (draw an ounce of so of now-very-hot water through the brewhead and PF to warm them up) when the needle reaches, say, .5 bar- this saves me maybe one or two minutes, which matter sometimes!
Much finer grind? Where did you learn this? I do use a grind (depending on the bean of course) that's a little bit finer than what I used on my pump machine, but certainly a "much" finer grind and you'll choke the machine. If you DO choke it, which has happened to me only once, turn it off, bleed the pressure off through the steam wand, and wait a while to detach. I've never read any tips on this but releasing all pressure seemed like a good route to take and eventually the lever did return to its starting position.
Wait at least a minute after the lever's returned to starting position to remove the PF. I think all EMCaL owners have experienced portafilter sneeze despite our best efforts but I think at least a minute is the minimum prudent standard. If you hear anything when you're removing the PF, stop and move it sloooooowly. I have to add, and I don't mean to scare you, but if your PF is not properly seated or if it's not pushed in all the way and you either start a shot or even pull water through for that initial group warming (ie with the filter empty), you run the risk of the PF blowing off the grouphead with a force that is just terrifying, shattering whatever cup you might have underneath the thing, blowing off the showerhead, and very possibly injuring yourself. I've managed to do this twice and I hope never will again- nobody warned me about this- you have now been warned. You're welcome.
No, you cannot backflush this machine. You can clean the showerhead with a "portafilter wiggle," with a grouphead brush (don't use this brush with the scalding hot boiler water- think of it like you'd brush your teeth- oh and don't use a grouphead brush on your teeth either), or even, depending on your kitchen, by putting your baby in the sink and blasting the screen with your faucet extension hose thingie. I personally have found the showerscreen very easy to remove and clean on its own, too, and I do this once a week or so. There is no screw; you can pry it off carefully with a screwdriver (a flat head, natch).
I'll defer to others on the sightglass removal question.
There are of course other maintenance issues regarding piston maintenance and gasket replacement, but you can find those if you poke around here, and in the shorter term, I think you have most of what you need to know now.
You've purchased a great machine. I've had mine since April, and I'm a convert. I must add that you're going to be very impressed with the steaming capability (assuming you will be having cappos and other milk-based drinks)- my microfoam is consistently good and sometimes damn near perfect, and I can steam while the shot is pulling- without having to futz with any other knobs or paying any attention at all to the shot- the lever is doing the work. Few machines allow this sort of capability.
always a good thing! started up perfectly, warmed up no problem, and ran some water through, then pulled 2 shots. yes, both were terrible. im guessing not fine enough of a grind. should the lever pop up within 10 seconds? i assumed it would be slower.
