Just wondering if anyone has any techniques or insights into pull a good double from a pavoni. I get some great single shots but if I try and pull a second shot I end up with a less than optimal espresso. The second shot is very watery.

Just trying to see if the double is possible with these machines.

Eric,

I can't really speak to the La Pavoni--but that won't stop me --but I had to come up with a totally different technique to pull good 7 g singles on my La Peppina that's completely different from 14 g doubles.

With singles I threw out any attempt at a long pre-infusion and multiple partial pulls and ended up with a quick partial pump and go otherwise the shot was over-extracted. If your getting good singles, but thin doubles, maybe you should try adding Felini pulls (partial pulls) and extend the pre-infusion time before pulling the shot to get a fuller extraction.

You can see the different techniques I use on the Spring Lever Video thread. Hopefully some of this translates to a La Pavoni.

I went from struggling to pull a good single to now preferring a single to a double, though my doubles are still very drinkable.

This La Pavoni Instructions thread talks about Felini pumps and pre-infusions, you might pick up some more relevant tips there. Also, I think there's a real art to doing a second pull without fracturing the puck and getting channeling leading to thin, watery shots... with the La Peppina's flapper valve, this isn't much of an issue.

That is pretty good advice from Yakster, and any hope from achieving 60ml/2oz shots from Pav's will require multiple fellini pre infusions, each drawn up slowly so as not to fracture the puck.

However the reality is that the strength of these sort of machines lies firmly in the 30ml/1oz territory, and that is what they do best.

Double ristrettos on the other hand, using 14/15g of espresso to produce a 1oz shot, can be sublime on the Pav's.

Everyone's pretty much covered it here for you. The message behind all the mention of Fellini moves and fractions of pulls and everything is, however, very simple:

NEVER pull the handle all the way down if you aim to do a second pull.

A wet puck is more resilient and less likely to fracture - which is what is happening to now and causing those very watery second pulls.

Good luck!

Cheers

Mike

ziobeege_72 wrote:
Double ristrettos on the other hand, using 14/15g of espresso to produce a 1oz shot, can be sublime on the Pav's.

This is my daily pull, and I wouldn't have it any other way.