Avoiding scale with pourover espresso machine

Water analysis, treatment, and mineral recipes for optimum taste and equipment health.
mobyd
Posts: 2
Joined: 16 years ago

#1: Post by mobyd »

For some years I used Volvic water as recommended in another jim's guide. No problems & almost no scale in reservoir. Switched to Geyser Spring, also recommended, I think, because of availability & cost. After a few months, reservoir and water tubs crusted with scale. I have a Quick Mill Andreas Premium with heat exchanger boiler, so hard to descale. Ideas? Knowledge? (Everything I know and do I got from you all.) MobyD

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homeburrero
Team HB
Posts: 4863
Joined: 13 years ago

#2: Post by homeburrero »

You have to be careful with the Crystal Geyser Alpine water. It comes from seven different bottling plants, each with a different mineral content. You have to look closely on the bottle for the source, then check the numbers. Eric S posted a nice summary table of those numbers here: Blonding too fast. Profitec 700.

Note that the Johnstown NY source has a calcium hardness of 130 mg/L and alkalinity of 140 mg/L (in CaCO3 equivalents, of course.) That would scale.
Pat
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nuketopia
Posts: 1305
Joined: 8 years ago

#3: Post by nuketopia »

If you are getting the Johnstown source Crystal Geyser, it would probably be fine with some dilution with distilled or RO water.