Hi everyone

After waiting patiently for several months, I now have a new Vibiemme double boiler (V3). The initial excitement has worn off, and now I'm at the stage where I'm beginning to miss my Silvia, which I had mastered after several years, to the point where I could easily produce superb espresso and reasonably good microfoam.

With the new machine, the espresso is still all over the map, perhaps because I have been alternating between doubles and singles (it's been about ten days now). I have occasionally pulled a shot as good as the better to best ones on the Silvia, but it's still very inconsistent. I should mention that the grinder (in both cases) is a Mazzer SJ. I wonder whether I should change the burrs on that, though it was working fine with the Silvia.

I've been using about 15 grams to 16 grams of Klatch Belle espresso (which produced great stuff on the Silvia), and trying a range of grind settings on the SJ. Even when it looks good, it can still end up tasting thin and unsatisfying compared to a shot from the Silvia. I'm wondering about the temperature setting; I've tried setting the PID (which they say is offset to read the temp at the grouphead) to 199, 200 and 201. Sometimes a ristretto will come out luke warm. I wonder whether the offset algorithm is off by several degrees in one direction or the other? Or whether it's just me and I should allow more time and bags of coffee to fine tune.

As for stretching milk, it's hopeless. I've tried different kinds of milk (albeit mostly whole, not 2 percent--but again the same milk that worked well with the Silvia), I've read every FAQ on here and seen every video that I could find, I've tried angling the tip and holding it straight, I've tried a quarter turn of the steam valve, a half turn, and a full turn, I've tried floating the tip just beneath the surface, a quarter inch in, and deeper, I've tried holding the tip in the middle of the pitcher and along the sides--and all I end up with (apart from one or two flashes in the proverbial pan) is hot milk (160 degrees) and subsequently a very depressing cafe au lait.

What am I doing wrong?

Is the machine on for at least 45 minutes before making espresso?

Try using 17 or 18g

Do you purge the steam boiler a couple of times before steaming?

What size pitcher are you using?

Hi Ian

Yes, the machine is on for an hour or so before I use it, and then after the morning lattes it stays on (with the steam boiler off) pretty much all day into the late afternoon.

I will try 17 or 18 grams; ground more coarsely?

I purge the wand before steaming and let it rebound for a few seconds.

The pitcher is a smallish one, 12 oz., and I don't steam much milk at a time, maybe 5 to 6 oz.

may be setting a little hotter temp would help. it is a huge chunk of brass at the group to absorb a lot of heat from the hx that is now used for dedicated boiler. a good long flush (preferably with coffee) will also heat up the group too.

oh, i thought the water going to brew boiler also hx'ed inside the steam boiler first???

hope this help.

Saree you can contact us directly
and first let's make sure your PID parameters are set correctly and didn't get changed
the +or- in this configuration is 1/2 centigrade
S

Thanks everyone--just taking the dosing on the double up to 17 grams or a shade over made a big difference, and I've been practicing the steaming and gradually getting better. Plus Ian has kindly offered to come over to help as well.

I guess it's a matter of getting used to the new machine, having become comfortable with the old one.

Stefano, I will give you a ring so we can go over the PID, thanks.

I'd be curious to find out how this situation resolved. How's the machine treating you these days?