pcrussell50 wrote:
-Peter

So I'm not having much luck or finding this setup extremely finicky with profiling mods? I've tried just using and varying water knob no preinfusion, and I'm getting mehh extractions and taste (oddly almost everything taste same), same with preinfusion at 55-75% than ramped and adjusted down etc. This is with an aligned Vario, aligned DF64, and was using buddies Monolith Flat for awhile while he was away. What doesn't make sense is I keep an old CC1 at other place and that pulls better shots. Like I'm using Anodynes Nicaragua Limoncillo Estate and its straight chocolate and berry spot on with the Vario. On the Breville it just taste, underextracted I guess you could say? Thinner and watery 0 berry etc. Even brought the shot out long past 70 seconds dialed in tight. But what doesn't make sense is the channeling/dead spots I'm getting even on EPHQ baskets which are forgiving, my VST 20 is completely unusable on this, I get like 3 to 4 streams that never come together even with the Monolith and Shurikan burrs.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong but gone through about 4 lbs of various beans all around light/med roast and same. Theres no way a beat CC1 from 10 years ago that leaks and doesn't even steam pulls better shots than this lol? I've used a Slayer a lot and that is amazing and so easy, you just set the needle to X and it pulls flawless shot after flawless shot whether light or dark roast. Maybe I was hoping this would be as easy?

I saw your other post about just cracking the water knob open and letting build (no preinfusion) to where drops start about 30 seconds in, but same issue. If anything especially with long low preinfuision or ramp profiling should be pulling flawless even shots. Water disperses and flows evenly from screen and water debit seems good as well at various settings.

Edit - tried opening water valve further to start with pre-infusion set at 75, came together a bit better after 30 seconds but the second full flow starts its channeling and dead spot city and taste like, flavored water, so thin and crema thin. Keeping it longer at low bar same, thin and watery, not a hint of the chocolate and Berry notes I got on pour over or on CC1 for Spro.

Moderator note:
Discussion split from Breville Dual Boiler "Slayer shots"?

.4g potassium bicarbonate in gallon of distilled, what I've been using for awhile for non-plumbed in.

Yeah. I'm totally stumped, water flow seems perfect and evenly dispersed from the Breville and water debit as well. Just no clue why my shots are mehh lol, VSTs are completely useless on it, but even the EPHQ is channeling and having dead spots which is odd as that's a very forgiving basket (been a huge fan of those for like 10 years), normal WDT routine. I'm seeing vids or pics of people even elsewhere pulling light roast and just thick, goopey syrupy pulls. Last few beans of mine are all med to med light roast but pull nothing like that.

Steaming is incredible in the BDB however, holes drilled out slightly larger at .40, very, very strong and dry steam, damn near up there with Slayer/GS3. Blows away the pos Profitec just got rid of for steaming.

Was trying that earlier with the knob open (so no profiling, just as if stock vibe pump) and also with/without pre-infusion being open and similar issues. But that was only two tries, I'll try again tomorrow. I have Anodynes Mind Tonic and Atomic Blend vac sealed in batches in freezer, if those pull like this than I have no idea what could be wrong/off lol. I haven't had Atomic in a while but always ordered it through the years, that was a great blend, was actually a local shop that was pulling it that got me hooked way back.

Ughh, so was dialing tighter, pre-infusion no drips after 40 seconds and machine started making weird almost slight buzzing sound. Now pressure seems kinda wack even dialing back on grind, now when I just crack the knob to 1st bar it makes kinda gurgling noise and pressure raises very slowly, even with blank disc it took like 17 seconds to get to 7 bar no higher (was normal 10 bar with blank disc).

Ughhh... Is that the solenoid or something else? Great...

Yeah I ordered a new one, took the old one out and pulled apart and soaked in descale solution to see if that will fix it as some have luck cleaning it (plus even though I paid for expedited shipping wtf knows with mail now when bee part will come lol). Wonder if that is what was causing my issues? Though pressure seemed accurate prior, though after a month or so I'm still not used to how micro fractionally sensitive the water knob is.