Post your Arrarex Caravel routine

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ravco
Posts: 75
Joined: 9 years ago

#1: Post by ravco »

Hi,
I bought a black Caravel v. 3.1 on ebay a couple of weeks ago, so I have just started. But I am in love already. I am a bit disappointed about the build-quality, so will be looking out for an older version. Had to use it as a pour-over at first (a real PITA to get it up to temperature) until I got a plug-adapter. Now I'm trying to work out a routine. There is a lot of information in the Caravel mega-thread, but it is not always easy to find. I thought I would start a new thread, as I have most certainly missed things and in the hopes of condensing the information. Maybe also some of you guys have improved your routines since the tread was started 8 years ago.
I have begun with the following routine for a fresh local dark espresso blend:
1. Heat the Caravel to approx. 94 Degrees Celsius (monitored with a simple electronic temperature-probe) then turn it off.
2. Fill the double basket with 12g (ground with a OE Pharos at the moment), tap horizontally, then vertically and tamp lightly (3-4mm head-space). I Find it difficult to get more in without filling-tamping-filling and tamping again.
3. Flush a few times to warm the cup and the group. Insert portafilter and push lever to the top. I wait till the gurgling stops (5-6 sec.), then pull lever down until the first drops show.
4. Lift the lever (carefully so as not to fracture the puck) to the top, wait another 5-6 sec and then do one slow complete pull. The shot starts to blond at the end of this pull and I get about 14g of liquid. I'm aiming for a thin mouse tail. The taste is good, but I think there is a lot more to be had and I'm hoping to improve it. Input would be very much appreciated.

ilker
Posts: 106
Joined: 9 years ago

#2: Post by ilker »

I suggest you to pull the lever down completely and if you want more volume, you can raise it and pull one more time.
In this way, you will not suck coffee into the boiler.

CwD
Posts: 986
Joined: 8 years ago

#3: Post by CwD »

I have last minute morning Caravel espresso down to a science.

Wake up at 5:30

Plug the Caravel in, screw portafilter in.

Top it off with water if it isn't full.

Throw on clothes and lay back down for like five minutes. Did the five shots last nights keep me up? Did I really think that it was a good idea to start pulling shots at 8pm? Why have I not started roasting decaf? Well, it was worth it.

Hear thermostat click. Sounds like my nap is over.

Get back up, flush once into my espresso glass for warming portafilter, group, and cup.

Weigh beans, tare portifilter on scale, put beans in chute.

Grind coffee, brush throat, etc.

Smack portafilter on the fork, tap sides, etc.

Tamp.

Check temperature, should be around 200f by now, if it isn't let it cool to 200f. For certain coffees a bit cooler.

Screw portafilter in.

Lift lever all the way up. Very light pressure until resistance, pull back up. Just to be sure as much air is replaced with water as possible.

Pull until first drips, wait between 5s-20s depending on freshness.

Pull the rest of the way through.

Put catch bowl under it for some reason even though the drip tray on the Caravel is removable and easy to empty.

Unplug before I forget to do that.

Admire shot for a bit, usually looks very nice.

Sometimes I weigh the shot, not usually, it's pretty consistent with one pull.

Give a cleaning flush and wipe everything up.

Shot should be just cool enough to not burn me now.

Enjoy shot. Usually very good.

Grab everything I need and leave door at 6:00. Weekend or evening routine is much more relaxed, usually involves more than one shot, and often involves sparkling water. Sometimes I wake up a bit earlier and feel awake, and get to have two or three shots on a weekday morning too.

Want to bring my second one to work after I convert it to 110v like the first. Just afraid that I'll go through three times as much coffee. Or that I'll find some way to justify that a Mahlgut for work is totally a good idea.

pafcio0
Posts: 77
Joined: 10 years ago

#4: Post by pafcio0 »

Morning Due Cappuccini Routine. Total time 6-7 minutes, might be quicker if Bonavita could...
1. Get up
2. Fill in an electric kettle with fresh water, turn it on to 100*C
3. Meantime - discard last pucks from the bowl under the group and clean baskets and pf
4. Take the milk from the fridge, fill the manual milk frother (french-press like) and put it on the stove, dont't turn it on yet.
5. Empty the caravel' s boiler
5. Fill in the boiler (about 80% of its capacity) with boiling water (not yet boiling, actually, because you didn't want to wait till this slow bastard reach 100*C), turn on the termometer, turn on the caravel.
6. Clean the grinders chute grinding couple of fresh beans.
7. When the thermometer shows 97*C - turn off the machine
8. Weigh the two doses with little overweight
9. Grind, weigh, distribute and tamp two baskets with 13g of coffee
10. Turn on the milk, low fire.
11. Thermometer shows about 95-96C - make one or two warming frushes for the group and portafilter (I dont't prewarm the cups)
12. Pull two shots to cappuccino cups.
13. Milk is warm now, froth it.
14. Don't bother with latte art ;)
15. Enjoy!

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ravco (original poster)
Posts: 75
Joined: 9 years ago

#5: Post by ravco (original poster) »

Thanks for the replies.
ilker wrote:I suggest you to pull the lever down completely and if you want more volume, you can raise it and pull one more time.
In this way, you will not suck coffee into the boiler.
That's a point. Do you do a preinfusion (pull wait and the complete the pull)? Haven't had any problems with coffee in the boiler.

ilker
Posts: 106
Joined: 9 years ago

#6: Post by ilker »

Yes I do pre-infusion. 5-10 seconds. But I don't let go the lever during the preinfusion stage. I keep applying pressure slightly and keep the lever still at the top. After pre-infusion, I don't raise the lever again to replace the air with more water. If I do it, I mostly see coffee in the boiler later. But my machine is first version, have a small hole on the piston. Yours is last generation, there is no hole on the piston.

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grog
Posts: 1807
Joined: 12 years ago

#7: Post by grog »

I have both a Caravel 1.0 and a VAM 1.0. The VAM has no hole in the piston and if I do a Fellini on the VAM, I definitely get coffee in the boiler. On the Caravel, which has the hole in the piston, this is much less of an issue and my routine is virtually identical to that of the OP.

But, the VAM has a different configuration for the holes at the bottom of the boiler that allow water into the group, so that could account for coffee inflow as well.

I think the VAMs with the second version of the piston - with the hole in the piston face - are the ultimate Arrarexes. Best build quality and best piston config. It's very difficult to change the seals on the first gen piston with no hole because the piston face isn't removable from the rest of the piston body.
LMWDP #514

User avatar
ravco (original poster)
Posts: 75
Joined: 9 years ago

#8: Post by ravco (original poster) »

What temperature-rage are you guys brewing at? Do you regularly check the temperature or use visual cues? I haven't done much testing yet, but approx. 94 C in the boiler seems best for my dark espresso blend. Seem to remember reading in the Caravel-mega-thread that the temperature-drop to the group is approx. 8 F after a flush, which is about 4.5 C. So actual brew-temperature should be around 90 C. Haven't tried light roasts yet.