Pre-infusion in La Pavoni Europiccola

#1: Post by **dilin** » October 24th, 2016, 8:03 am

Hello fellow leverheads,

In a first-gen 1965 La Pavoni, does a 10s pre-infusion followed by drips indicate a grind which is just about right?

I am using a medium light Ethiopian currently, and I've tried up to 15s of pre-infusion with no drips. Tastewise it is great, but the lack of crema is interesting, and I wonder if I should tighten / coarsen the grind.

Grinder: Mazzer Super Jolly
Dose: 13.5g in double basket
Temp: Following drgary/rpavlis routine (flush with 4 mini-pumps when OPV whistles at Massimo, toggle to Minimo for brew).

#2: Post by **Neuromancer** » October 24th, 2016, 8:21 am

i think taste in the cup is the most importat aspect.. if you like it then it's ok.. i usually like a finer grind/more coffe with no drips after 7-10 preinfusion. also the crema is influenced by a lot of factors (type of coffe, days post roast..). for me when i use the pavoni the feel of the lever during the pull is a good indicator of taste.. if it offers resistance the whole way down while the pour is like a "mouse tail" then usually i am in the right grind setting

#3: Post by **grog** » October 24th, 2016, 3:26 pm

Going slightly coarser will likely increase crema.

#4: Post by **EddyQ** » October 28th, 2016, 3:10 pm

dilin wrote:In a first-gen 1965 La Pavoni, does a 10s pre-infusion followed by drips indicate a grind which is just about right?

I am using a medium light Ethiopian currently, and I've tried up to 15s of pre-infusion with no drips. Tastewise it is great, but the lack of crema is interesting, and I wonder if I should tighten / coarsen the grind.

Gee, I am just a beginner. But, I typically adjust grind to obtain 20 - 30 second pull time based on a lot that I have read. I have only put three different coffees through my LP so far and found the lighter roast produced drips with 5 sec pre-infuse. But my dark roast, I think I could pre-infuse all day and not get a drip. Both were ground to result with 20-30sec pull times. So with that, I stop the pre-infuse at 10-15 second for the dark roast. So far, my espresso has nice crema and taste.

#5: Post by **peacecup** » October 28th, 2016, 3:16 pm

If you are getting drips in the cup after 10 secs a coarser grind will not likely produce crema, but try it.

Ethiopian coffee has been tricky for me with my lever machines, can't get past the sourness.

October 28th, 2016, 10:36 pm

Thanks for all your feedback.

It seems to be the nature of this bean; regardless the taste is in the cup.

@peacecup Yup, I enjoy the citrusy acidity in Ethiopians, but I have been drinking Ethiopians for one week straight, and am quite sick of the upfront berry notes. So I pulled it hotter than usual (6 half-pumps!) and got a smooth milk-choc shot with a hint of berries instead.