Gaggia OWC - many mods
- AndyPanda
- Posts: 92
- Joined: 13 years ago
Hello all. I have been away from the forum for many years and just coming back to see what's going on.
Ages ago I had picked up a Gaggia OWC (predecessor to the Classic) that has a larger boiler but several fatal flaws that prevented it from making decent espresso. I made several posts with pictures and videos of the various mods I was doing - and the mods improved things tremendously. But back then I had no experience with PID at all - and instead I was just mounting an inexpensive digital thermometer to the boiler so I could manually manage the temp swings and get fairly consistent shot temps.
The other day, I got interested again and pulled out the old OWC machines (I have three of them - yikes) and I noticed how inexpensive PID kits are these days. So I put a PID on the OWC and - WOW - once the PID self learned things it is so easy to get consistent shot temps now. The OWC has a much larger boiler than the Classic - so you don't have the drastic temp drop during the shot - and it recovers pretty quickly for a second/third shot since it's a much smaller portion of the boiler capacity that gets replaced with cold water during a shot.
Since I'm a total newbie to PID ... I searched the forum for info on how to tweak the parameters ... and searching returned just too much non-pertinent info so I'm hoping someone here can give me a quick "how to" or a list of ideal settings for PID parameters.
I have the Inkbird ITC100HV
Ages ago I had picked up a Gaggia OWC (predecessor to the Classic) that has a larger boiler but several fatal flaws that prevented it from making decent espresso. I made several posts with pictures and videos of the various mods I was doing - and the mods improved things tremendously. But back then I had no experience with PID at all - and instead I was just mounting an inexpensive digital thermometer to the boiler so I could manually manage the temp swings and get fairly consistent shot temps.
The other day, I got interested again and pulled out the old OWC machines (I have three of them - yikes) and I noticed how inexpensive PID kits are these days. So I put a PID on the OWC and - WOW - once the PID self learned things it is so easy to get consistent shot temps now. The OWC has a much larger boiler than the Classic - so you don't have the drastic temp drop during the shot - and it recovers pretty quickly for a second/third shot since it's a much smaller portion of the boiler capacity that gets replaced with cold water during a shot.
Since I'm a total newbie to PID ... I searched the forum for info on how to tweak the parameters ... and searching returned just too much non-pertinent info so I'm hoping someone here can give me a quick "how to" or a list of ideal settings for PID parameters.
I have the Inkbird ITC100HV
- JR_Germantown
- Posts: 417
- Joined: 18 years ago
I have three of those (2 in working condition), but never added a PID. I modded the brewhead where the water comes out, but that's it.
Jack
Jack
- AndyPanda (original poster)
- Posts: 92
- Joined: 13 years ago
There must be something seriously wrong with both of us. I have three as well.
- JR_Germantown
- Posts: 417
- Joined: 18 years ago
Yeah, I know about you. I'm pretty sure we've bumped into each other on an old coffee site whose name I won't say because its founder is (IMO) such a diva with regard to the trademark of his site's name. And also on a newer forum that is just for Gaggias.
Jack
Jack
- drgary
- Team HB
- Posts: 14348
- Joined: 14 years ago
Blaine,
Welcome back!
I think many people let the PID autotune, if you can find that setting in the manual.
Welcome back!
I think many people let the PID autotune, if you can find that setting in the manual.
Gary
LMWDP#308
What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!
LMWDP#308
What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!
- AndyPanda (original poster)
- Posts: 92
- Joined: 13 years ago
I've been playing with autotune ... but I ended up taking one parameter at a time and changing it to see what it did. I'm starting to get more of a handle on it. And I've got the OWC handling the temps pretty well now.
-
- Posts: 78
- Joined: 7 years ago
Hoping to keep this alive, as I just pick up an OWC and started tearing it down. I would like to start modding it, as well. OP, I've read some of your other threads and I'll be tackling those mods at some point. I need to find an o-ring for the boiler, though. I'd love to know how you wired up the PID.
- drgary
- Team HB
- Posts: 14348
- Joined: 14 years ago
A discussion started about how to wire an OWC that also included a search for a schematic. I've split that topic to here:
How to Wire a Gaggia OWC?
How to Wire a Gaggia OWC?
Gary
LMWDP#308
What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!
LMWDP#308
What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!