Hey guys,

New to the hobby here, finally got a lever machine and need some help/advise. I may have figured out my problem as I was getting some pictures ready to add to this post.

My "new" Sama Export...


The problem is I don't seem to be getting that creamy espresso shot I have seen depicted coming out of some of these lever machines. I actually am getting very little out on the 1st pull of the lever. I have to take a 2nd pull, then a 3rd pull to actually fill the 2oz up. (see pics below).

Now I suspect my grinder, and the pics of my puck may support this. But I thought I would post and get advice from Peace Cup and others that use this machine. My grinder is a Capresso Infinity, it is a conical burr grinder (not stepless). I am using fresh beans and grinding one step above what will choke the Sama. At this grind level, a strong tamp will still choke, a medium tamp will get the results shown below, and a weak tamp will get water flowing on the down pull.

Photos of the pull...

Start...


End of 1st pull...


End of 2nd pull...


End of 3rd pull...


The puck ends up with what looks like a "crater". The photo below shows this. I had to overexpose to show the crater, in doing this I was how I had some very coarse grounds mixed in. Is this ultimately my problem? Inconsistent grind from my grinder?

Puck...


Puck closer...


Any help would be great...

Thanks

First off, congratulations on a beautiful machine.

I have a Lusso, but I think the two are similar enough for these comments to be pertinent.

First, make sure you have fully bled off false pressure. This will probably require a couple of false pressure bleeds to make sure. Otherwise the boiler will be at a low pressure and water will feed slowly or not at all to the group upon your first pull, and the pull amounts will be anemic.

I don't know how far one step from choking is on your grinder, but I think you are grinding too fine. With a full piston of water, when the pull starts it should flow between drops and a stream, just between the two. You can favor one side to the other to suit your taste, but there is no need to begin to stall out the machine, or to have the flow go so freely that there is under extraction.

As for the tamp, I prefer a light one, as this is easier for me and the results are great, with less potential for damage to the puck. I adjust the grind to get the flow I want with the tamp I prefer. If I want a firmer tamp, for example, I will accordingly loosen the grind.

The grind does look a little uneven. The Export likes fresh coffee best, less than two weeks after roasting, although I currently use commercial Italian beans with good results. You'll get less crema after the beans are more than 3-4 weeks old, possibly two weeks.

Regardless, the piston only produces about 15 ml per pull, which means 3-4 pulls to fill the Bodum glass you're using. Although I still sometimes use three pulls, I most often use two for straight espresso. You'll find that these have more body. Most of the videos I posted used a 1-oz shot glass, and two pulls. With good beans these should pour as all crema, then settle out with a nice layer on top.

You can probably get good results if you experiment with your current grinder. I like to dose the PF quite full and tamp firmly (10 lbs?) but be careful not to grind too finely if you try this. If the first pull pours very slowly don't fret, just interrupt it by pulling the lever down again (treating the first as a pre-infusion), and taking two more pulls. Forget the 30-sec rule. You can get fine results with shots that last 45-sec or longer.

With a little trial and error the pucks will look better because you'll be getting more even extractions.

Thanks for the responses so far.

What is the proper procedure for bleeding off the false pressure on this machine?

Any feedback on the "cratering" in the puck? It is always in the exact same spot. At about "11 o'clock" looking straight down on it when it is locked in.

I will experiment with the grind and tamping some.

The grind does look a little uneven.

It really does, from mud to coarse.

Bleed off false pressure by opening up the steam valve, let the steam run out for about 10 seconds, then close up the valve. When the boiler comes to a rest, repeat the procedure. After awhile you can forget the number of seconds required and you will bleed off the right amount of false pressure by instinct. Still, this usually requires more than one time on my machine.

Any feedback on the "cratering" in the puck?

Have you cleaned the dispersion screen—it might be clogged? I pop mine off with a screwdriver every four or five days and clean it in Joe-Glo along with my portafilter and baskets. It snaps right back into place.

I have not tried that. I will give it a shot in a little bit...

Thanks

Another question...

What about my pressure/temp... The only way I have to measure it is with a digital thermometer as it comes out the portafilter. If I test it with no espresso in the basket, steam straight water into the espresso cup the digital thermometer reads about 191f... Is that about right? Should it be a little hotter? It so what direction do I adjust the pressurestat?

For my money, much of the problem is, I suspect, the grinder. Much of what's visible looks really coarse to me. Most of what I've read about the Infinity states it's OK for drip, not for espresso (I've never tried one). I have a lever and a pump machine and think you ought to look to your grinder first. If budget's a problem, find a nice hand grinder (like Peacecup uses). Michael