Peppina Redux - Page 3

[timo888]

The screw in front of the group head (#1174/1 in the exploded parts view) does not appear to me to serve the function of holding the group head insert in place, mogogear. The group head insert is attached by screws which fit into the three large holes set in triangular formation in the picture below.

Note the three small holes set in a line in the center of the underside of the group. The middle hole is threaded for the screw that holds a small flex washer that acts as a one-way valve to prevent water from the filter basket from being sucked back into the fresh water by the draw when the piston moves downward. Lino referred to this valve earlier. Brew water is forced through the holes on either side of the middle hole.

If you shine a light into the three small holes in the center, and peer into the hole for screw #1174/1, you can see the light. I recall a post, perhaps something by Lino, about rigging something up through this hole to measure brew water temperature?

Underside of group:

The freight quotes out of Germany have been good- communication is rough not great. Page translators only do a half way job.

I'd recommend you simply get in touch with the Seller using English once you have recognized an item you might want to buy. I've met very few Germans, aged 12-50, who can't speak English quite passably, some very well. Chances are, if you've found a listing on the WWW, the Seller is not an old Bavarian farmer who can hardly be understood outside his village

[timo888]

I recall a post, perhaps something by Lino, about rigging something up through this hole to measure brew water temperature?

I misremembered. It was actually Jim Schulman:

There's a screw covering the drilled channel between the piston outlet
and the group. By removing the screw one can measure the water
temperature as it reaches the top of the puck (not while making shots
of course). With the water boiling this settled to a fairly steady
temperature betwen 99C and 99.3C

http://www.talkaboutdrinks.com/gr...ssages/313078.html

But I still wonder why the screw is there in the first place.

Regards
Timo

[timo888]

Once again, the thrill of discovery that must have possessed the inventive chimpanzee: Is the hole in front of the group simply a vestige of drilling the port between group head and piston chamber?
Regards
Timo

[timo888]

This little odd-sized flex-washer needs to be replaced. It is supposed to act as a one-way valve to prevent water in the filter-basket from being sucked back into the canal which connects the group head with Peppina's piston chamber. Without this little washer, extracted coffee oils would soon foul that canal, and then it wouldn't matter how temperature-stable Peppina was!

Quickie Corporation weren't much taken with my idea for a 45mm-diameter soap-and-scrub brush (espresso filter basket cleaning is too narrow a niche for those think-inside-the-box types in national marketing) and so they'd demur no doubt on the Peppina Group Head Reaming Brush.

[lino]

Once again, the thrill of discovery that must have possessed the inventive chimpanzee: Is the hole in front of the group simply a vestige of drilling the port between group head and piston chamber?
Regards
Timo

Yep.

[timo888]

Washers are in the mail. While waiting for them, I am going to return to the idea of a modern 'retro' home espresso machine that incorporates Peppina's gravity feed and temperature stability while providing a small dedicated pressurized boiler for steam and hot water.

This neo-primitive machine admits nuance 'only' in the brewing temperature, and in the bean, roast, grind, tamp, and preinfusion. Plenty of opportunity for soul in this machine. And for craft.

The machine would have the following main features:

--roughly the form factor of a vintage Gaggia body. I had thought that a more horizontally oriented machine like the Club would do, but a vertical orientation is more conducive to gravity feed from boiling chamber to group.



-- a spring-driven piston with center-mounted lever

-- a heavy brass brew group (maybe 58mm but I'd be content with 51mm) --but whatever the measurement the machine should use readily available rather than hard-to-get components wherever possible

-- a pour-over reservoir for fresh water (this is not the boiling chamber)

-- a fill pump to draw water from the reservoir into a single-temperature boiler dedicated to steam. Steam wand on the right.

-- an unpressurized boiling chamber with a heating element that would bring ~11 ounces of water to a boil in a short time; brew-water level and temperature could be monitored by something like the LVM-41 device

http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=LVM50_LVM40_LVM140&Nav=grek09

In that way, the boiling chamber can remain relatively small (it's not the primary reservoir). The boiling chamber could be auto-filled from the main reservoir only when chamber is nearing depletion and not before though it could be filled manually at any time. By filling the chamber only when it nears depletion we ensure temperature stability for, say, 3 or 4 doubles in succession before the machine needs to recover. Recovery should be swift so we need a good heating element. From an initial cold state, there should be water enough in the boiling chamber to bring the group to temperature with a flush, with plenty of water left over for 3 or 4 doubles in a row.

-- a fresh-water nozzle on the left for water pumped from the boiling chamber, for americanos or rinsing stuff off

-- an analog thermometer to display brew-water temperature
-- maybe an analog gauge to show brew-water level
-- a removable stainless steel drip tray


Ah, well, back to workaday matters.

Regards
Timo

[timo888]

The future of innards from HX machines:

http://www.timkaiser.org/project7.html

Regards
Timo

[youngbunny]

As a La Peppina and Cremina fanatic, I am so glad to find this post. I purchased a Peppina six months ago and it is in relatively excellent condition. I did try to take it apart out of curiosity but stopped when it seemed excessive force was required to remove the group/boiler component. Now I know the screwdriver in the slot trick! I think the rings and valve washers are in good condition (knock on wood) but my major problem is when I was tightening the boiler back on the force caused a 4 mm hairline crack that leaked water. You see in a few parts at the base of the boiler where it sits on the heating elemen , the enamel had been chipped and there were small spots of rust (1mm). I guess this weakened the metal and caused the crack. Needless to say I am at a loss on how to fix this. Getting the boiler to be recoated seems impossible since all the porcelain enamel companies refused to take on this tiny job. Then my idea of getting some kind of v shaped rubber gasket were sidelined when I tried retighening the boiler and somehow it doesn't leak now. I know this is a temporary respite. Any ideas on how to fix this? Someone suggested to take it to a jewelry repair place and have them use their tiny welding tool to strengthen the rusted/cracked areas, but even if this works, how to recoat it with a food-grade coating??

Now on to my 1982 Cremina. This too is a recent purchase and after a three month restoration (all new gaskets, new sight glass, complete cleaning and new black powder coat to match with my Rocky) I have been playing with it. The one problem I have is the up and down stroke of the piston right around the point where it passes the intake hole from the boiler stalls and requires tremendous force to continue the up or down stroke. Any ideas?? Could the piston shaft be bent? I notice that there are small particles of metal being scraped from the pistion shaft that seems to be rubbing against the front portion of the grouphead. I am feeling lazy and don't want to take the piston out just yet. But I know this will reveal the source of my trouble. Just want to know if anyone else has had this problem???

As a final note, at this point I can honestly say the espresso from the La Peppina is superior to the Cremina. But I have to get a smooth up and down stroke from the machine for a final comparison!

[timo888]

I think the rings and valve washers are in good condition (knock on wood)

I had to buy the o-rings in quantity and have some up for sale on eBay now. I am still waiting on the washers--couldn't find an exact match and am having to improvise.

...when I was tightening the boiler back on the force caused a 4 mm hairline crack that leaked water. You see in a few parts at the base of the boiler where it sits on the heating elemen , the enamel had been chipped and there were small spots of rust (1mm). I guess this weakened the metal and caused the crack. Needless to say I am at a loss on how to fix this. Getting the boiler to be recoated seems impossible since all the porcelain enamel companies refused to take on this tiny job.

I've read that the food-safe quality of enamel coatings has a lot to do with the firing in the kiln. I don't know enough about it to offer any good advice. If you give up on your Peppina, there's always eBay. I wouldn't mind a second heating element

There are some folks in LMWDP who are very well-versed in the Cremina and they will be able to offer you some advice. I'm a neophyte. You should create a new thread for it. You don't want it to be buried down here below my ramblings about a neo-primitive machine based on the Peppina's gravity-feed

Regards
Timo

[timo888]

Shoot me an email backchannel at timo at timolimo dot com if you're interested in a spending about $75 for another boiling kettle. I may be able to get one from someone who offered to sell me a moribund Peppina a while back... if he still has it.
Regards
Timo

[youngbunny]

I might be up for another kettle, but I would love to restore mine since it is from the first year they produced the machine and is very rare. It is more rounded in form and the top edge is a nice rolled finish unlike the newer ones with the straight edge. I would take a picture but my camera is in the shop. Could you describe the one you would be selling?

As for the Cremina, I just came back from a dinner party and fortified by much Italian wine I removed the piston and checked it for any bends and it is straight as an arrow. When I reinstalled it I could move it up and down freely. Then I checked the piston arm and noticed the two front most holes for the pin are double the normal size from years of obvious hard espresso making. This must be the problem. However, in my semi-hazed state I am wondring if 2 mm of play could create such unbalanced force that it would create friction. Tomorrow I will attach the arm and see if it is still not travelling smoothly. If it is I can only conclude I need a new arm.

It would make sense since the arm is brass plated with chrome and the soft brass will stretch over time. Maybe the new ones are stainless.

[timo888]

Restoring your kettle would be an interesting project though I imagine it could be expensive to repair the crack and smooth the seam and then recoat the kettle to be properly food-safe, white on the inside and whatever color you have on the outside. There would be a lot more expense involved in that restoration than in restoring exterior metal that is not a heating vessel for water.

The Peppina I mentioned: I do not have it in my possession. It was merely shown to me a while ago and I do not know if the owner still has it. He mentioned at the time that he was thinking of making it a project. It had no visible leaks. The kettle did have some chips in the paint but near the top rim above the water line. But they were aesthetic not functional flaws. Not that aesthetic flaws are to be dismissed! There were some parts from it that I would like to have: the dispersion screen, the rubber seal that goes around the base, the portafilter and basket, and the 1000W heating element, but only because in my 700W heating element assembly, the brass screw that holds the one-way valve washer in place is frozen. The thought of a screw that won't turn bugs the hell out of me for some reason

Regards
Timo

[timo888]

Well, the improvisation worked like a charm on the one-way valves. Peppina's all sealed up and ready to spring into action.

Preinfusion, La Peppina-style:

La Peppina brings out the chocolate notes of Caffe Fresco's Luna Nuova Decaf.

Peppina likes a fine grind.
Mmmmm.
Peppinalicious.

Regards
Timo

[mogogear]

Shoot me an email backchannel at timo at timolimo dot com if you're interested in a spending about $75 for another boiling kettle. I may be able to get one from someone who offered to sell me a moribund Peppina a while back... if he still has it.
Regards
Timo

Hey Tim,
Finally, I landed a La Peppina to play with!! Your thread will be invaluable when I check mine out. I found it in Italy, and it should arrive in about 3 weeks. I am assuming it is a Euro 220v machine.
Here is a dumb question but can I just rewire it to 110v and net the result of getting a slower heat up? Or will that not work? As in it could shorten the element life etc? My original plan was to buy a voltage transformer that I found on line -1000w 100v-220v step up or down, for $45 delivered . There is only the element hooked up to the juice, so what do you think?
Plus I am looking for the rubber gasket for the base. So if your friend has a parts La Pappina for sale...... maybe, also I may score a set of orings from you if I don't find them easily at my local super duper hardware- Parkrose Hardware here in Portland. I'll send a shot of her when she lands.

[timo888]

Here is a dumb question but can I just rewire it to 110v and net the result of getting a slower heat up? Or will that not work? As in it could shorten the element life etc? My original plan was to buy a voltage transformer that I found on line -1000w 100v-220v step up or down, for $45 delivered . There is only the element hooked up to the juice, so what do you think?

On such matters I know only what I've read. No firsthand experience. But I gather that if the device is not cycle-dependent (like a clock) the difference between 50hz and 60hz won't be an issue. I hate to give a dumb answer (far worse than a dumb question) so I'll simply relay to you the two schools of thought. Opinion is divided on whether the 220V heating element will deliver sufficient heat when plugged into a 110V socket. Some people say yes, it will just take longer to heat up. Others say it might not be able to bring the water to temperature no matter how long you wait. Best bet, I think, is to buy the 220-110 voltage adapter and you may also need the adapter for the plug itself. Some voltage adapters have the prong-adapter and others don't.

Plus I am looking for the rubber gasket for the base. So if your friend has a parts La Pappina for sale...... maybe, also I may score a set of orings from you if I don't find them easily at my local super duper hardware- Parkrose Hardware here in Portland.

I really don't know the guy -- he had a Peppina and lives near where I work, and wanted a lot for it. I saw his machine only once. He didn't like my offer. I mainly wanted his dispersion screen because mine has that little nibble taken out of it.

O-RINGS AND VALVES
You can find the o-rings but the washers will be harder to find. I just had up on eBay a set of o-rings for the piston, the kettle-seal, and the one-way washers for piston chamber and group, for a pittance. The listing expired yesterday. I can put it up again if anyone needs them. The o-rings are EPDM and the washers are FDA approved EPDM reinforced with nylon and are quite thin, so I doubled them up, and the two-ply works fine. I thought it would be better to err on the thin side and double up than to err on the thick side and not have them be flexible enough.

All told, I spent over $50 on o-rings and washers, including shipping. I was offering a piston ring and two spares, a kettle ring, and a couple of sets of each washer type, on eBay for $3.25 plus $6.95 for shipping via USPS Priority, which included a nominal handling fee. The handling fee was really a standing-in-line-for-20-minutes-at-the-pokey-local-Post-Office fee. Someone complained that I was gouging on the shipping. But I think outfitting the Peppina for $10 is a lot more attractive than outfitting it for $50.

I had to buy so many washers that I may have to make some earrings out of the extras and give them to my wife for her birthday. Maybe I'll start a fad. Look for my FDA-approved nylon-reinforced EPDM earrings up on eBay too.

N.B.
A stiff washer in the piston chamber will result in less water being delivered to the group, since the water gets forced back up into the kettle. This also alters the brewing-pressure profile. A stiff washer on the group will result in coffee oils being sucked back into the canal connecting piston chamber and group. That will muddy the clarity of the taste after a while.

An incompletely tightened clamp bolt on the back of the machine can give the appearance of a leaky piston seal. Incompletely tightened group head screws can give the appearance of leaky group seals.

Show us some pictures of your Peppina when she arrives.

Regards
Timo

[mogogear]

Thanks for your feedback- I will contact you about getting a set from your - I welcome your sleuthing. I didn't realize that you had found a flex washer- That's Great news!! I'm crossing my fingers- I also hope to report another find- I'll let you know tomorrow with a picture.

P.S.
FYI-for what it's worth and sorry to broadcast for the lurkers... but any fellow lever heads..........a sweet Black 220v La Peppina is on Ebay France- I'm good for now and bid-tired..... good luck

[timo888]

P.S.FYI-for what it's worth and sorry to broadcast for the lurkers... but any fellow lever heads..........a sweet 220v La Peppina is on Ebay France-

I do know about that one. I've being trying to buy one of her extra filter baskets (she has three) because mine is fused into the PF. I'm also looking for a replacement PF. So you can count on me bidding for any Peppina on eBay until I succeed in replacing my dispersion screen and PF. Then I'll retreat

Regards
Timo

[mogogear]

I do know about that one. I've being trying to buy one of her extra filter baskets (she has three) because mine is fused into the PF. I'm also looking for a replacement PF. So you can count on me bidding for any Peppina on eBay until I succeed in replacing my dispersion screen and PF. Then I'll retreat

Regards
Timo

Ok here is my girl, I won her at 6:30 am !! Yahoo. Now if I can get the seller to decide he really wants to ship to the US, not sure what his motives are??





and here is my La Peppina from Milan - It has after market adjustment to her "hat" - fingers crossed on the insides!!





good luck in France!!

[timo888]

Very cool indeed. It looks as though you've got a cocoa and cream motif going ... Or is the lighting playing tricks with my eyes?

Now, if only those two machines could breed! We'd get a Carina: she'd have a more capacious kettle, a lid, and a center-mounted lever for stability.

Regards
Timo

[happytamper]

A La peppina is being shipped to me from Italy and I am expecting it next week. I think it is missing the lid of the tank so I may have to build one. Looking forward to the arrival. Without the lid I have no steaming capacity which is fine by me, when I want steam I will use my europiccola. Also it is a 220 so I am wondering how it will work in Canada, I have a transformer so we will just have to wait and see.

Love this thread and I am sure it will help when my La Peppina arrives.

Pictures to arrive soon.