Seemed like a good idea at the time...

[Dogshot]

I'm sure we have all done things to/with our machines that in hindsight may not have been the best choices. Here are a few of the most interesting that I can remember (mostly gathered from other coffee sites, of course ).

1) Cool! I just ground cocoa nibs in my Mazzer!....anyone know how to clean this mess up?

2) I just made tea by putting tea leaves in my PF! Awesome!

3) I just cleaned my boiler using Cafiza...anyone know how long before my machine stops bubbling?

4) I just PID'd my Gaggia! Now my 3oz boiler is rock stable...until I engage the pump.


Any others?

Mark

[welone]

4) I just PID'd my Gaggia! Now my 3oz boiler is rock stable...until I engage the pump.

ok, the best possible espresso is not at all influenced by pid'ing the smallish boiler. And even though the necessity of a flat temp-profile is not at all generally accepted, I haven't seen someone advocating an intrashot drop of 10 to 20 deg F. and I doubt that more than a few degrees are acceptable for the more sensitive coffees.
but hey, at least you don't have to count seconds in relation to the heater action.
and watching the temp while steaming made it super easy to keep the boiler from shutting off. Even more so if you let the pump run for 2 seconds after every half minute of steaming, you can just keep on going as long as you want to.

[espressme]

Hello DS,

Well, If you are "O" dark30AM: un-co-ordinated until the second espresso, Get a different colored Britta than the normal color of your milk jugs! Thank the coffee gods the Cremina has a small boiler!
However I was suddenly veeerrry wiiide awake!

Cheers
Richard

[absolutlahmi]

Adding sugar to the basket along with the coffee was pretty stupid for me..
i was just 'experimenting'.

[jesawdy]

Adding sugar to the basket along with the coffee was pretty stupid for me..
i was just 'experimenting'.

I gather some folks actually do this.... see Cubano shots anyone?

[Kuban111]

I gather some folks actually do this.... see Cubano shots anyone?

Hola,

Yeah I can't believe folks think that this has anything to do with making Cuban coffee.
Or anything remotely related to it.

But hey I guess it's just b/c of the large amount of sugar we Cubans use.


But along those experimenting lines I have to admit that I too have placed none coffee particles inside my PF.

How about " yerba Mate" leaves....Yeah go figure just experimenting too.

Michael.

[bernie]

Decided once when my wife was out of town to rebuild the group on my LM GS. I'd done it before several times so knew the drill. After filling up on espresso the machine was shut off. All valves opened to kill temp and pressure. Then remove the allen bolts holding the top of the gh for access to the innards and seals that need replacing. As I was loosening the last allen bolt all hell broke loose. Somehow I'd either not released all the pressure or I'd absentmindedly closed the valve. The heat sunk in the brew boiler built up a head of steam. In the nano-second from hearing the hissing of the blowout to closing my eyes and turning away I managed to keep from scalding my eyes. Lost most of the skin from under my nose to my bellybutton. Drove naked to the ER where the doctor opined that I must have blown up a radiator on myself. When I told her it was an espresso boiler she just gave a "humph" and allowed that that was much more creative. First, second and third degree burns and lots of rehab. Oddly the third degree burns don't hurt since the nerves are fried. But, the plastic surgeon said Guiness stout had the calories I needed to help grow skin. Worked for me. I did get the group head rebuilt but that was 10 years ago and its time again.
Bernie

[jesawdy]

<snip>The heat sunk in the brew boiler built up a head of steam. In the nano-second from hearing the hissing of the blowout to closing my eyes and turning away I managed to keep from scalding my eyes. Lost most of the skin from under my nose to my bellybutton. Drove naked to the ER where the doctor opined that I must have blown up a radiator on myself. When I told her it was an espresso boiler she just gave a "humph" and allowed that that was much more creative. First, second and third degree burns and lots of rehab.

Wow Bernie, I guess that's something that you won't do twice. That is a very, very scary story. This definitely hits home with me about exercising EXTREME caution when working on an espresso machine.

[The_Mighty_Bean]

Lost most of the skin from under my nose to my bellybutton. Drove naked to the ER....

That is terrifying. But I just have to ask you this. You were only burned to the bellybutton, yet you drove naked. What became of your pants? (Or were you repairing the machine au naturel?)


~tMb, whose story of rooibos in the grinder really seems kind of unimportant and silly now. But all the same, if you're considering that, don't do it. It doesn't work well and you'll have a major cleaning job before your next shot of coffee. Hope you stocked up on Grindz or Minute Rice.

Oh, why would anyone ever do such a thing? Here's why: http://www.redespresso.com But next time I'm buying theirs, not grinding my own.

[bernie]

That is terrifying. But I just have to ask you this. You were only burned to the bellybutton, yet you drove naked. What became of your pants? (Or were you repairing the machine au naturel?)


~tMb, whose story of rooibos in the grinder really seems kind of unimportant and silly now. But all the same, if you're considering that, don't do it. It doesn't work well and you'll have a major cleaning job before your next shot of coffee. Hope you stocked up on Grindz or Minute Rice.

Oh, why would anyone ever do such a thing? Here's why: http://www.redespresso.com But next time I'm buying theirs, not grinding my own.

I had a t-shirt and running shorts on when the scalding water hit. As I pulled up the t-shirt to try and stop the heat my skin very neatly peeled off right along with the shirt. So, I ran into the shower and turned it on full blast and yanked my shorts off just trying to get anything off that might be burning. It was just the act of panic in trying to get the pain to stop. When I was going through a bit of skin debridement the same water was just killing me so my wife hauled me back to the plastic surgeon for a look. He asked me where I live and when I told him he asked if I was using well water. Yep. "Hmm. That area has a very high salt content. You've been washing off dead skin with salt water. Don't do that." Nowadays when I hear a loud hiss around the house I jump but usually it's just a rattlesnake that has come in through the dog door.
Bernie

[majorzx3]

Wow that story..........
Reminds me of a lady that we took to the hospital (as a paramedic).
She was rendering about 15lbs of pork belly and was just finished when she tried to take the large pot off her stove when she slipped. She burned all her skin off from her breast to well below her crotch. She was in rehab for years.
Lucky for you, you didn't burn anything below your belly button

I stupidly turned on the steam knob while squeezing the steam tip with my left hand.
I didn't know my palm was such a sensitive area. I won't do that again
Zed

[caffeinatedjen]

That says something when a rattlesnake coming in the house is the lesser of two evils-yikes!
Jen

[Dogshot]

Wow, those are some sobering tales. I did some work on my machine yesterday, and this thread made me make sure that it was turned off, unplugged, and cool before getting at it.

Mark

[bernie]

That says something when a rattlesnake coming in the house is the lesser of two evils-yikes!
Jen

At least the rattlers I see in my kitchen are there un-invited. This guy kept them in his house and his last day on earth was yesterday. Deming is about 60 miles from here and you can see it on a clear day.

http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_8111159

Bernie

[barry]

Nowadays when I hear a loud hiss around the house I jump but usually it's just a rattlesnake that has come in through the dog door.

my house would be full of shotgun holes if i had that happening.


does brakekleen work on rattlers? it works on most everything around these parts.

[bernie]

my house would be full of shotgun holes if i had that happening.


does brakekleen work on rattlers? it works on most everything around these parts.

Brakekleen? Hmm. Never have tried that tactic. I usually just get a 5 gallon bucket, tip it over in front of the snake and sweep them in as fast as I can. I haul them down the road a ways and let them go so the mice and rats don't get too overwhelming.

Bernie

[barry]

Wow that story..........
Reminds me of a lady that we took to the hospital (as a paramedic).
She was rendering about 15lbs of pork belly and was just finished when she tried to take the large pot off her stove when she slipped. She burned all her skin off from her breast to well below her crotch. She was in rehab for years.

oh, like the "Top Chef" in this spot?

http://www.prevent-it.ca/see-it-tv-spots

[cannonfodder]

I would eat them; rattlesnake is quite good, light and tender white meat, but lots of bones.

Barry enlightened me to the virtues of Brakekleen. I never thought of using it on anything other than rotors and drums. It is a super solvent, I have used it to degrease chains, and it dries quickly and leaves no residue which is why you use it on brakes.


It also kills wasps on contact

[Psyd]

It also kills wasps on contact

The trick is top make sure that you make contact with ALL the wasps. Do it in the cold of the morning or late evening (the light is better in the morning). Fortunately, I had an unfortunate housemate demonstrate those lessons for me so I didn't have to learn them first-hand.
Rattlesnake does taste just like chicken. However, the chickens has a larger meat to bone ratio, a smaller catch to meal ratio, and has a lot less fight in it. I'll have the chicken, please...