Uneven flow out of double spout portafilter

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David_in_TN
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Joined: 10 years ago

#1: Post by David_in_TN »

I have a new Quickmill Silvano with a very annoying problem--I get almost 2:1 espresso flow out of the left hand spout vs the right.

I've tried the following:

1) Run with just water--problem still seems to be there but the out flow is so much higher that the effect seems not as dramatic.
2) Pull a shot, tamping as normal but then rotating filter basket 180 degrees to even out any consistent, tamping errors. Problem persists.
3) Tilting the entire machine. Though it sits level I thought the group head may be off so I raised on side of the machine a few mm but there was no change.
4) Visually inspected the spout for uneven geometry--nothing obvious.

So, anything left to do short of returning the machine? It's really annoying as (so far) I cannot pull two, even single shots.

Thanks

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bostonbuzz
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#2: Post by bostonbuzz »

You could unscrew the spouts a half turn, using Teflon tape to keep it tight. This might work. Do you pull shots for your partner? This is one good reason to go bottomless
LMWDP #353

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HB
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#3: Post by HB »

Another espresso imponderable. Previous discussions on the same subject:

Uneven shot volume from double portafilter
Espresso only coming out of one spout on portafilter
Uneven pour mystery

If it really bugs you, Cafelat has your answer:
HB wrote:Paul sent me the Cafelat 58mm "convertible" bottomless with the narrow double spout:



In addition to being easy to convert to bottomless, it's ergonomic and practical. For example, the bowl is curved on the inside for better drainage, but flat on the bottom to allow for tamping on any countertop edge (many portafilter bowls are curved on the outside, so it's harder to tamp on the countertop edge without a towel, or you need a stand). I especially like the narrow double pour spout. The spouts have a steep dropoff angle and the middle section joining the two spouts has an inverted-V divider, so there's no "ledge" where liquids can collect. One of my pet peeves about spouted portafilters is the incessant drip drip drip after rinsing, even after tilting them 4 different ways. I haven't measured, but after a weeks' use, I believe Cafelat's portafilter drains much more quickly than the equivalent stock La Marzocco portafilter.

That means no more dribble across the countertop when pulling back-to-back shots. :D
Here I'm assuming the unevenness is due to the Quickmill stock portafilter machining/casting favoring one side over the other. For what it's worth, I'd just remove the spout and pull two doubles.
Dan Kehn

David_in_TN (original poster)
Posts: 13
Joined: 10 years ago

#4: Post by David_in_TN (original poster) »

Thanks for the detailed replies!

Yes, bostonbuzz, we like share a double as two singles--right now we have to run into a pitcher and split which never goes well, crema-wise.

As long as it's a casting problem and not a machine problem (which seems to be what the evidence is point to), I'm ok with fiddling with it until I get it right. It's too bad I didn't know about the Cafelat portafilter before I ordered a different brand of bottomless--it looks really perfect.