New Breville Dual Boiler won't get above 3 bars

#1: Post by **BryGuy81** » December 29th, 2021, 6:08 pm

Just got a Dual Boiler. Using a Vario with still burrs and calibrated to 2Q (to touch). Using 1:1 20grams in a dual basket of fresh Blue Bottle beans. No matter what I adjust (weight/time/tamp strength/wrenching the portafilter/grind from 2A-4Z), I can't get it above 3 bars for any duration during the shot being pulled.

Any ideas?

#2: Post by **luvmy40** » December 29th, 2021, 8:22 pm

What do you get with the blind filter/cleaning adapter installed?

#3: Post by **BaristaBob** » December 29th, 2021, 8:46 pm

My guess is that you have a Vario grinder problem.

Blind basket test for max pressure will indicate if you have a BDB problem just like LUVMY40 said. Report back.

December 30th, 2021, 11:08 am

I got to 1C with my Vario and was able to get 9 bars. Attempted it again, and it choked the grinder completely. Seems like the Vario is not able to grind espresso.

Did a blind shot and was able to get 9 bars

December 30th, 2021, 11:23 am

9 bars with it

#6: Post by **dfuller** » December 30th, 2021, 12:02 pm

BryGuy81 wrote:I got to 1C with my Vario and was able to get 9 bars. Attempted it again, and it choked the grinder completely. Seems like the Vario is not able to grind espresso.

Did a blind shot and was able to get 9 bars

I can do espresso on my Vario just fine. Grinder may need some recalibration.

December 30th, 2021, 12:04 pm

I had the steel burrs in and swapped those out for my ceramic. Followed the instructions online for using 2Q as the calibration point based on the pitch change where the burrs start to touch. Anything else I need to do?

#8: Post by **JRising** » December 30th, 2021, 12:42 pm

A Vario should be able to choke the machine.
Grind too fine, dose as much as you can pack into the filter and tamp it like a gorilla.

If the grinder can't choke the machine, the grinder is to blame. If the machine can't reach brew pressure when choked, the machine is to blame.

If it does choke and no flow gets through the brewhead, does the pump stall? At what pressure? Or does the pump keep on pumping? What pressure does it show?

#9: Post by **PIXIllate** » December 30th, 2021, 1:12 pm

Vario is a very capable espresso grinder. With the ceramic burrs aligned and calibrated to touch at 2Q I was usually in the 3M-3A range for Espresso.

December 30th, 2021, 8:19 pm

Spoke to Breville and did a back flush with 9 bars, so it's not the espresso machine.

After 3 bags of espresso and tearing down my Vario to nothing and rebuilding then testing, I have a theory and a hack. Calibrating to 2Q I have to go around 1H to get 9 bars. Issue is with the grinder where if I put all beans in at once it clogs the chute and around the burrs. Makes almost a paste. My workaround is I can run 1H if I SLOWLY add in a few beans every few seconds. Still some residual but works enough for now. Thinking of trying the Vario chute reversal hack I have seen.