Breville Dual Boiler, five+ years on - Page 114

November 2nd, 2020, 6:15 pm

After removing the water tank in my BDB I discovered something looking like algae in the bottom of the tank. It was not sticky or gooey, but rather some small particles floating around in the water.

How often do you clean your tank to prevent stuff like this? Would it hurt to just run the tank completely dry through normal use every now and then, and thereby make sure that all the water in the tank is replaced by fresh water, instead of constantly topping up the water tank..?

November 2nd, 2020, 6:51 pm

I take mine out and wash it with soap and water about once a month or so. When I find black particles, they are usually coffee grounds. I do not use the Breville filter, or any filter for that matter. If you use the Breville filter the black particles might be bits of carbon from the filter. Carbon is in filters to absorb odours in water such as from chlorine.

Some people here go beyond soap and water and sterilise using bleach.

-Peter

#1133: Post by **cccpu** » November 2nd, 2020, 9:14 pm

pcrussell50 wrote:I take mine out and wash it with soap and water about once a month or so.

Good advice.

November 3rd, 2020, 2:37 am

pcrussell50 wrote:I take mine out and wash it with soap and water about once a month or so. When I find black particles, they are usually coffee grounds. I do not use the Breville filter, or any filter for that matter. If you use the Breville filter the black particles might be bits of carbon from the filter. Carbon is in filters to absorb odours in water such as from chlorine.

Some people here go beyond soap and water and sterilise using bleach.

-Peter

Well, my BDB is just over a month old and had already developed this nastiness in the tank. So in my case I'd have to clean it more often. Im still not sure what actually was in the tank. It was definitely not carbon residue from the filter. The particles in my tank were much bigger. Some of them were a few millimeters in diameter and had a structure like some kind of biological growth.

November 3rd, 2020, 9:39 am

I wash my tank once per month as well.

I use distilled water with potassium bicarb. Sometimes I have particulate matter floating around in there when I go to clean it. No clue where it comes from but it's not too concerning for me.

November 3rd, 2020, 9:53 am

Bacterial growth is dependent on initial conditions. Bacteria does not like distilled water until impurities like coffee particles or prior bacterial growth that was never killed off, take hold. Further potassium bicarbonate (as well as sodium bicarbonate) have an inhibiting effect on bacterial growth as well, according to our resident chemistry professor, Dr. Pavlis. (RIP)

-Peter

November 7th, 2020, 8:26 pm

Just joined the BDB club today after reading every page of this thread! Picked up a used BES900 today as my first espresso machine.

It has the leaky steam wand but I've already seen the fix for that and will do it soon.

Thanks for all of the detailed information everyone had put into the thread. Gave me the confidence to pick up a used machine.

So far I've pulled many horrible shots and 2 mediocre ones.

November 7th, 2020, 8:36 pm

What kind of grinder do you have?

November 7th, 2020, 8:50 pm

I bought a Sette 270 from the same guy selling the machine. I will probably upgrade it at some point, but the combo price was great to get started with.

Getting used to dialing it in. Going from pourover on a stepped encore > espresso on a stepless.

I expected my first several shots to suck and I was right. I trust myself to get where I want though.

November 7th, 2020, 8:56 pm

cccpu wrote:What kind of grinder do you have?

I bought a Sette 270 from the same guy selling the machine. I will probably upgrade it at some point, but the combo price was great to get started with.

Getting used to dialing it in. Going from pourover on a stepped encore > espresso on a stepless.

I expected my first several shots to suck and I was right. I trust myself to get where I want though.