PVE/SAMA Questions and issues. - Page 3

A haven dedicated to manual espresso machine aficionados.
tjkoko (original poster)
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#21: Post by tjkoko (original poster) »

I watched it with my own eyes: the pf unscrewing itself slowly - to build the tension of anticipation! Seriously I must not have "locked" it into place with sufficient tension.
TJK

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orphanespresso
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#22: Post by orphanespresso »

that must have been quite the moment indeed! Brings to mind the first time I rebuilt an antique guitar tube amp and the online instructions made a lot of admonishments about getting the big capacitors installed in the right direction and if you did it wrong the whole power unit could blow up....600 volts DC did seem like a lot of power to be fooling with....so when I got it done we plugged it in to a 100 foot extension cord and rigged up a 100 foot guitar cable and let her rip....no explosion but the thing was set on reverb and entered a continuous feedback cycle on the first big strum....made us glad we didn't have neighbors.
Must've been quite a sneeze!

grong
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#23: Post by grong »

tjkoko wrote: Lock the pf into place and preinfuse 10 seconds. Release lever and nothing happens. Then, a few drops appear while the pf works to unscrew itself.

Your portafilter is not locked in sufficiently, and you are grinding too fine if only a few drops appear after releasing the handle. If it is not an extra thick gasket, the ears on the portafilter need to be filed on their underside, maintaining the geometry and symmetry so that the portafilter gets more rotation as it locks in further. If you use a file, create a safe edge with some tape so that you don't simultaneously file into the side of your portafilter.

grong
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#24: Post by grong »

In my experience, as portafilter gaskets get old they get hard and so compress less, so that the portafilter handle locks in with increasingly less rotation, and with less squish factor, an increase in portafilter lock-in failure.

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sweaner
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#25: Post by sweaner »

You should try to post a video of this phenomenon.
Scott
LMWDP #248

tjkoko (original poster)
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Joined: 16 years ago

#26: Post by tjkoko (original poster) »

Scott stated:
You should try to post a video of this phenomenon.
So sorry but as with Vlad Dracul and his non-reflection in the mirror, the image of my magnificent pf sneeze failed to be captured on film. :evil: :twisted: :lol:
TJK

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peacecup
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#27: Post by peacecup »

I've seen this happen once on my Caravel, because I did not lock the PF firmly.

I little olive oil on a Qtip will help keep the group head seal supple - may help to avoid the problem.

karlscheider said it happened once to his Elektra, and that he always kept his hand on the PF handle during pulls thereafter,

PC
LMWDP #049
Hand-ground, hand-pulled: "hands down.."

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timo888
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#28: Post by timo888 »

tjkoko wrote:Scott stated:

So sorry but as with Vlad Dracul and his non-reflection in the mirror, the image of my magnificent pf sneeze failed to be captured on film. :evil: :twisted: :lol:
According to Bill Compton, that's an untruth vampires spread about themselves so they can safely pass among mortals -- see, there's my reflection in the mirror.

Regards
T

tjkoko (original poster)
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#29: Post by tjkoko (original poster) »

Using 12g of Vaneli's Cremosa ground finely in my Zass turkish grinder.

When loading the pf, it takes less than the 12g of grinds fo fill it. Approx 8g are loaded into it, followed by side tapping, vertical tapping and then a medium tamp. Then, I pour in the remainder of the grinds, side tap and vertical tap, then finally a hard tamp.

Preinfusion lasts about 5-10 sec until drops appear, the compression-extraction with the appearance of dark crema takes about 5-10 sec. followed by blonding. Crema blondes at the end and it lasts about 1 minute. Total volume is .5 - .75 oz.

Flavor: kind of a viscous sweetness with flavor oils that are both delightful and coat the inside of the cup - that coating doesn't seem to exist with coffee made turkish style.

Espresso is a way way different enjoyment than my Turkish coffee. The latter is really a suspension rather than being liquor extracted under high pressure. With turkish, we note 1/4 inch of fine grinds at the bottom of the drinking cup with a liquid suspension covered with long lasting foam. Using Peets Arabian Mocca Sanani made turkish style, the flavor comes across as chocolaty but without the viscous flavor oils that espresso entails.

Apples versus oranges and that's not a bad thing with my needing more practise at this art.
TJK

tjkoko (original poster)
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#30: Post by tjkoko (original poster) »

Several shots later with no sneezing (whew!), I'm now pulling 1-1.5 oz doubles with slightly blonde crema that lasts around a minute and a half. Not bad tasting. Ain't quit as intense and viscous like the 0.5 oz ristrettos pulled initially, however.
TJK