urich wrote: Here is my last shot. love to hear your comments over my technique.
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I have made a lot of shots that look exactly like that. Good shots. Recently I have found success, maybe more success, with a coarser grind. If your shot starts off with fast drips but then changes to a stream about halfway through or even sooner, you may be surprised at the results. The trick is to make sure you have good technique in dosing and distribution. I found the bottomless PF for Caravel to be a good learning tool even after 'I knew everything". The bottomless showed me that many of those finer grinds didn't extract evenly and that I needed to go coarser to do so. It was a humbling and exciting moment. Humbling because I thought I was expert and exciting because I learned something and had more potential for deliciousness.

Good luck,
Pete

Concerning 'the Dark Water of Caravel:

The technique I mostly use on my Caravel results in some water being drawn back into the boiler every time causing the discoloration. The thing that causes this the most is 'fellini' type maneuvers. Fellini 'half pumps' are very good on the caravel to get the correct resistance on the lever- saturating the puck, etc. However I have recently been experimenting with doing no fellini pump/jiggles but just two full strokes of the lever with no interruptions. The first stroke acts as the fellini/pre-infusion and the second stroke is the main shot stroke. This method can work well- and the water in the boiler stays crystal clear. However it can be harder to get the resistance and shot flow right- you need to pay more attention to the grind and tamp. Using the fellini you can feel the resistance build to the right point- so you can shape the grind/tamp to fit the pull... So horses for courses, strokes for folks, whatever turns you on- you take the high road- me the low, etc.

I am using two pulls instead of Fellini move because I couldn't do the Fellini move right to get better result. The 'brown water' issue is one of the reasons that I do not do Fellini move.

There's an old trick that lets you do a Fellini or even a full double-pump without discoloring boiler water: cut down a hario or aeropress filter to the size of the PF basket, and place it on top of the puck before pulling your shot. Your boiler will remain completely free of grinds.

Temperature management on the Caravel questions: I'm currently using Grog's Ursula and have been reading the thread. My machine cycles between 208 and 168, quite a swing. I've been religiously trying to hit 203 as a target for starting the shot (with a Taylor in the boiler). I've tried finding a shut off temperature that peaks at 203. I've tried pulling the shot on the rise (lifting the lever at say 201), waiting for the boiler to cut off and hit the shot on the descent, just waiting for the kettle to start boiling, then pull the shot. In no cases are the shots burnt. It seems to make sense to pull the shot on the descent which would more mimic the Strega, eg. But that said, I'm not sure if it makes a difference.

I've measured the hot water coming out of the brew head and the hottest it's been, right after the thermostat shuts off at the top of the boil is 185! So my question is, do you think the Caravel was maybe designed just perfectly without messing about: comes up to a boil in the kettle, which translates to a ball park brew temperature?

How are you guys dealing with temperature on the Caravel?

Laurence

Do you have the version with the klixon (switch in front) ?
If it's the case, it's a nightmare to manage. [edit:OK, I just found what "grog's Ursula" means... Giubel's are definitively with a klixon]. For a long time now I'm thinking to bypass it. I guess it's even more complicated if you have the 220V version plugged on 110V. Personally, I usually pull shots at 96°C (205°C), measured in the boiler (with an Ikea temperature probe that may be off a bit because the water is boiling).
You can heat a bit the group by pulling water before the shot (warming up the PF and the cup at the same time).

After almost two years Ive got all the needed parts to put this caravel back in service. Tests this afternoon seem promising, but I will definitely have to spend more time with this machine. It seems to need a finer grind than my Sama, but has a strange sponginess at the end of the pull when its ground ballpark. I had to switch to decaf after a couple tests so no comment on taste . I think the temperature is in a "good enough" range, measured with a digital thermometer, tomorrow's shots will be the indicator, however.



Special thanks to galumay for tracking down a lever. I can't imagine where it came from.

Good stuff, Brandon. Congrats! Cheers to firing up some syrupy delicious tiny Caravel shots.

Pete

isaliveart wrote:T So my question is, do you think the Caravel was maybe designed just perfectly without messing about: comes up to a boil in the kettle, which translates to a ball park brew temperature?

How are you guys dealing with temperature on the Caravel?

Laurence

I deal with it by letting the machine deal with it- as designed! I have never used any thermometer- I just make my shot when the water reaches a nice rolling boil. Near sea level this is all that is required- the temp seems perfect. If you make a few shots in a row the later ones work better if the boil subsides a little as the group head mount will be heated from the first shot. Other than that there is nothing to it. Just let the kettle boil- and make your shot.

For me it depends; some coffees taste best with the water in the tank at 203F, while some light roasts require a roiling boil and a warming flush to taste their best. If you want to get the most out of your espresso, I think it is worth measuring the temperature in your tank and starting the pull at a specific temperature each time.