Gaggia Classic beginner - fast blonding, dripping shots - Page 2

[BurBunny]

I documented the process, How To Make Your Own Naked Portafilter and others have added to it. Wholelattelove.com sells a bottomless Gaggia portafilter. I used one during the bench review of the Gaggia Achille.

While they might have had one in the past, if your Gaggia isn't an E61 machine, the one model they offer now doesn't fit. The "ears" on most of the Gaggias' PFs are too thin to accommodate the standard E61 PF. They did indicate today they may have one back in stock again "soon" which will work.

I'm off to EPNW to get one...

[cannonfodder]

Interesting. The bottomless I got from WLL was for the Achille lever machine. The ears on the Gaggia portafilters are smaller than those on the 'standard' E61 58mm groups. I was under the impression that Gaggia used the same portafilter for all their (consumer) machines.

[BurBunny]

Interesting. The bottomless I got from WLL was for the Achille lever machine. The ears on the Gaggia portafilters are smaller than those on the 'standard' E61 58mm groups. I was under the impression that Gaggia used the same portafilter for all their (consumer) machines.

That's what I thought, too. However, evidently they use the same 58mm diameter, but the ears are thinner. At least according to WLL and some posts on alt.coffee I've read saying the same thing.

[richardoz]

Hi dsc,

I have had similar issues with my machine that I purchased about a month ago. It is an isomac millenium. Thank-you very much for such a useful thread. Have you been able to resolve the problem? I found that I was tamping too heavily and the situation improved with lighter tamping 15kg (using bathroom scales).

Would be interested to hear how you are going.

Richard

[bukaeast]

Another NOOB....

I got a NPF from Espresso parts
http://www.espressoparts.com/

They have a catalogue that separates Gaggia commercial and domestic
machines.
When the part arrived, the invoice indicated that I had paid to:
1. purchased a new PF
2. Had it "altered" to become a NPF

Pretty cool as it is much nicer than the stock Gaggia PF. They will also modify a PF you send them.

It is off-set, so you can't just lay it down on the counter to tamp.
The handle is on the counter, but the PF is up in the air. Luckily, the
stock Gaggia PF, has a square handle that is just the right height to prop up
the new PF at a level good to tamp.

I'm past spraying the kitchen most of the time. But there are still issues.
I can get beans roasted locally, but these guys tend to over roast and they are the major source for dcaf. They tend to have an oily sheen to all of the beans they roast. Tends to clump in the doser, even in my new Macap. I bet that is part of MY problems.

Maybe I should just go with Chris Coffee's Black Pearl and caffeine be damned!

Good luck.
paul

[dsc]

Ola

Richard: I too noticed that I tamp with too much force, so I reduced it and it's better. I still get a lot of bitterness in my espresso, but I guess it's the water temperature causing this, I have to measure it with the styrofoam cup method. It's still not great, but I'm practicing a lot.

Paul: because the coffee is "moist" from the oils it clumps a lot and that means channeling. Maybe try using the WDT method to break the clumps and see how it works?

Cheers,
dsc.