i just did the Styrofoam cup test (http://www.espressomyespresso.com/) with a digital kitchen thermometer, and it came out at 207F, now i know thats too high, and that the pavoni are nutorious for over heating, but is there a way to get that down closer to 200F? i have a pro and its set to .8 bar.

thanks for any help guys..

I have a Gaggia Factory, which is a Pavoni with slightly different sheet metal. The adjustment should be the same.

You'll need to open up the bottom of the machine and will need a torx wrench to do so (can't remember the size off the top of my head). The screw you need to remove is under the drip tray. Once removed, the bottom cover is easily removed. Find the pressurestat and unscrew it (relieve pressure) until you get to a lower boiler temp. **Might want to let it cool to avoid frying your fingers** Also, you may need to scrape away the white glue the factory pours on the threads to keep the adjusting nut in place. Only then will you be able to turn the nut.

One word of caution: Was the temp taken after a few pulls? I ask because the grouphead gets overheated after a few pulls, so your initial temp may be closer to where you want it than you think. A .8 bar setting shouldn't produce a 208 degree shot. Either that or your digital thermometer might be off by a few degrees. So I have to ask, are your shots bitter? If so, then yes, it's running too hot; if sour, too cool.

Hope this helps.

Yes, brew when the group is still cool. That's the only way to sink the boiler heat - remember at 1 bar the water is over 230 F.

Try brewing as soon as the machine comes up to temp, and you've released false pressure.

PC

I did have the machine on for a while. but never pulled a shot, will let it cool and then turn it on, takes about 6min or so for it to get to .8 and the pressurestat to turn it off.

what do you pavoni pro users have your presurestat set to?

mindless_fool wrote:what do you pavoni pro users have your presurestat set to?

My P-stat is set to about .75. I flush a little water through after bleeding off false pressure and letting it warm up a second time. Too long of a flush and I'll start seeing flashing (too hot). If you plan on pulling a few shots, turn off the machine in-between pulls and on again before pulling the shot to let it come up to temp again. It won't take long at all if the timeframe is under 5 minutes.

hi uscfroadie, thanks for the info, what do you mean by flashing? if i flush i seem to get steam with the water, is that what you mean?

uscfroadie wrote:My P-stat is set to about .75. I flush a little water through after bleeding off false pressure and letting it warm up a second time. Too long of a flush and I'll start seeing flashing (too hot). If you plan on pulling a few shots, turn off the machine in-between pulls and on again before pulling the shot to let it come up to temp again. It won't take long at all if the timeframe is under 5 minutes.

When you refer to your Gaggia Factory's P-stat setting - do you mean the gauge reading at which the boiler cycles off or do you mean the reading at which it kicks back on again after having shut off? ( I have two otherwise identical Gaggia Factory 106's, each with a seemingly very different factory P-stat setting - which I've left as-is... The first one cycles off when it hits ~1 bar and back on again when it drops to ~.85 bar. The second one cycles off when it hits ~.75 bar and back on again when it drops to ~0.5 bar. Is your "off to back on again" cycle range similar to this or more narrow...?)

BTW, how long do you find you need to keep the steamer valve open to bleed off the false pressure?

Thanks.

r-gordon-7 wrote:When you refer to your Gaggia Factory's P-stat setting - do you mean the gauge reading at which the boiler cycles off or do you mean the reading at which it kicks back on again after having shut off? ( I have two otherwise identical Gaggia Factory 106's, each with a seemingly very different factory P-stat setting - which I've left as-is... The first one cycles off when it hits ~1 bar and back on again when it drops to ~.85 bar. The second one cycles off when it hits ~.75 bar and back on again when it drops to ~0.5 bar. Is your "off to back on again" cycle range similar to this or more narrow...?)

BTW, how long do you find you need to keep the steamer valve open to bleed off the false pressure?

Thanks.

Gordon,
The .75 is the top of the cycle, with the low being at about .6, so the deadpan is about .15. When delivered, mine was set really low ~.6 was the top of the cycle, and all my shots were on the sour side.

To bleed off the false pressure I just crack open the steam wand for about 3 seconds; 5 at most, but to be honest you don't even need to keep it open that long.

Since you have two at pretty significant P-stat settings, can you pull identical shots (same bean/same grind) on both and do a taste comparison? I ask because you should be able to notice a difference in the shots between the two machines. If you can, let us know what you find. I'm guessing that a lighter roast will be a little sour on the lower setting and a darker roast a little bitter on the high.

Actually, I've not really noticed any difference between shots from the two machines - though each machine is at a different location & so I've never tasted shots from both machines on the same day. What I have noticed is better luck steaming microfoam on the machine with the higher setting.

As for bleeding - thanks I've generally let it bleed a bit longer, not really knowing quite how long was needed.

I can not remember having to release false pressure. Every time I let it heat up, I get 'real' pressure.
False pressure (oddly, I do get it on my two group commercial on the rare occasion that it heats form room temp...) usually drops really rapidly when you open the steam valve, but my Gaggia Factory 106 heats up, and just spews steam. While I know that there must be some air in there, it acts as if all is well.
I need to pay more attention...