The new PID allows 1°F adjustments and has changes in response characteristics.

Sweet. I wonder if we have to pay for it

We are working on it...........................

- had forgotten that the original Vibiemme DD steam tip was 2 holes - also measured the small steam boiler recovery time this morning and it was only about 30 seconds - thanks for the responses

stefano65 wrote:We are working on it...........................

Stefan - thank you for all your work on this - I know both you and Jim have been very proactive with Vibiemme and I do appreciate your efforts on behalf of us all - suggest next projects include a detailed manual - I watch people new to high end machines really struggle and for the most part make not very good coffee - for example the DD comes with no discussion on the offset between boiler and group - if a new owner was not on the forums they would be in trouble - I recently watched a new owner of a Vivaldi 11 and Macap M4 pulling aweful 12 second shots without knowing better - I dialed the machine in for him and when finished he said "so this is what it is supposed to taste like!" New users having this kind of struggle hurts "the cause." So once again - thank you, (and Jim and the Home Barista team and forum posters) for your efforts to move things in the direction of goodness.

Yes you are right
the manual is also in the queue
I did personally a little addition here
http://espressocare.com/PDF-Files...20instructions.pdf
but is not a complete one

Heh.

Last call for me if there are any good ideas left for trying to determine if my grinder is really the culprit in my extraction woes..

Summary, after scale, always seem to be 18g doses, and about every 10th pull or so I get a decent shot, but mostly I get thin, and light colored pulls.

Several changes.. temp went higher, I was educated on pre-infusion time for my machine so pull times were adjusted for that, more even 'distribution'/leveling, no screen contact when locking in PF.

But I still get very blah results more often than not.

(It is interesting to note new PID and other changes, but I think they are likely better served in a separate thread, but then I could be very selfish wanting info about *my* problem.. .It's all about me afterall!)

Buzzmc - As a fellow Bay Area coffee lover I can share my experience with the VB DD - I have one of the first units to arrive still with the small steam boiler and a Macap M4 Stepless - I use a La Marzocco ridgeless basket which I fill evenly and level - the tamped (using ESPRO 58mm Flat Tamper with 30 lb calibrated tamping pressure) puck clears the shower screen - about a 16 gram dose (I no longer weigh the the dose) - we grind for a 25 - 35 second shot from the time the pump starts (room temperature influences the grind) - we have been matching the flavor profiles from a meticulously dialed in La Marzocco 2 group machine belonging to a high end roaster that also roasts for the French Laundry - getting very consistent results with the VB DD - so I want you to be encouraged that you can get to where you want from where you are - I don't know where you are struggling exactly - however assuming great beans I can tell you that the grinder really, really matters - the La Marzocco basket made a difference to my taste - but that may be me chasing the profiles from the calibrated La Marzocco that also calibrates my palate - anyhow - all the best - cheers etc.

stefano65 wrote:Yes you are right
the manual is also in the queue
I did personally a little addition here
http://espressocare.com/PDF-Files...20instructions.pdf
but is not a complete one

Thanks - have these - btw - do you have photographs of the inside of the new version of the vibe pump VB DD - would like to see the positioning of the larger steam boiler - I will do the upgrade sooner or later - cheers

buzzmc wrote:Heh.

Last call for me if there are any good ideas left for trying to determine if my grinder is really the culprit in my extraction woes..

Summary, after scale, always seem to be 18g doses, and about every 10th pull or so I get a decent shot, but mostly I get thin, and light colored pulls.

Assuming you are not trying to pull shot after shot after shot in short order. Doing so will cool the bottom of the boiler and you'll end up with cool shots, which could account for the light color.

Stale coffee can deliver weak thin shots. Some coffees are only good for a week after roast.

The ground coffee should feel like fine sugar and stick between your fingers.

IMO, 18g is too much. 16 is about as much as I go on a double with quality fresh coffee. Grind finer, tamp lightly. When you get 60 ml in 30s after the first drop, you're in the ball park.