Regarding the temperature setting
turn the pstat down so it will open at 0.9

Thanks for your info everyone, I have ordered new fresh coffee so in a couple of days I put all your suggestions into practise....
Fiddling with the pstat will have to be a last resort simply because i don't know enough about it but also I feel the machine is set properly as the temp sits right in the middle to the top of the green range...

I suspect the beans aren't as fresh as promised...

thanks again...D.

The right beans yes, but Stefano's advice on the pstat is a good place to start, he's the top Elektra Mcal tech and has setup a good many machines. The factory setting is not neccessarily the ideal setting for you or your beans.

I've used a microcasa for the past couple of months. about 1/2 to 1cm of crema was all i came to expect on good shots. Since it's a spring lever, the pressure is low. I could pull more crema on a gaggia factory. However, the shot on the mcal is amazing in clarity when you get it right. i had to drop the pressurestat down to cycle on at about .75 and cycle off at about .85 You have to remove the drip tray and undo the screw to remove the bottom plate and access the pressurestat.

When i first read your post i was thinking "old beans." But the mcal really produces a shot that looks like a shot made from a pump (or even a standard lever) if one uses old beans. its just a result of the lower pressure.

i typically aimed for about 0.5-1oz of volume. It's a small machine.

Thanks everyone for valuable help...

I'm getting there now... I set the grinder on 6 out of 24, [quite fine] with a medium tamp and I managed to pull a very drinkable shot...no bitterness at all..

I cooled the grouphead with a cold towel which seemed to take away the burnt look.


I turned the machine upside down to remove the screw in the bottom to take a look at the pstat but no screw...only 4 rubber grommets...I have noticed a phillips head screw under the drip tray so I presume if that is removed the plastic underneath will come off...
I do feel the temp should be lowered a little since most of you suggest 0.9 - 1.0 ..this clicks off at 1.25.

cheers.

Yes, the screw under the drip tray will get you under the hood. Don't be afraid to look, these machines are built strong and doing something as simple as adjusting the Pstat will be hard to do any harm. That said, take a look at other threads, I bet there's pictures out there somewhere to help you.

a word of warning (but not to dissuade you from opening it up): When i attempted to adjust my pstat, the plastic? (i think it was plastic) screw had begun to weaken from the heat. I actually stripped it (stripped the flathead part off), but since it was plastic and weak, just gouged a screwdriver in there to get leverage to turn the screw. I think my machine was only 4-5 years old. anyone else seen anything like this?

My usual routine with the spring lever is to turn it on, and grind and dose while its heating. As soon as its ready I pull one short blank shot, lock, and pull the shot. The group head is hot, but still cool enough to set my hand on. I've also got my psat turned down, probably below 1 bar.

If you pull a shot when the group is still cool (right after ready light, maybe without even a blank shot) you can assess whether temperature is your main problem.

I do recommend a good espresso blend, freshly roasted.

PC

Thanks again all for your info..

I am definitely getting there now, and I mainly put it down to the beans I had been using...even though they were quite fresh they seemed over -roasted to me, so i bought 1kg of fresh 1 day old beans from another renowned source and what a difference that made...I am amazed how different they feel to tamp and I am using a finer grind as well. no bitterness at all now.

I went to take a look underneath the machine to lower the pstat but I could not see a screw, only 5 rubber grommets that the machine sits on to hold steady...underneath the drip tray is a phillips head screw which I presume will be the same screw but relocated on the later machines...I removed the screw but the plastic base would not budge....it fits extremely tight so I decided to leave things be and simply carry on as I am..

About time I applied to be a member of LMWDP...even though I have lots yet to learn, I won't be content until I have my own exclusive number...

Cheers...Kiwi.

popeye wrote:a word of warning (but not to dissuade you from opening it up): When i attempted to adjust my pstat, the plastic? (i think it was plastic) screw had begun to weaken from the heat. I actually stripped it (stripped the flathead part off), but since it was plastic and weak, just gouged a screwdriver in there to get leverage to turn the screw. I think my machine was only 4-5 years old. anyone else seen anything like this?

Bringing up an old topic, but since this happened to me today, it's applicable. I finally got around to adjusting the pstat on my MCAL. I've had her over a year and the pressures are between 1.25 and 1.4. When I tried to ajdust the screw, it just basically crumbled. The pstat is still working fine, but I really want to adjust it. I guess my only option is to replace it anyway, or try to cram something in there well enough to move the screw. Any suggestions?