brentvdg wrote:Hi Jim, Just wondering if you've had an opportunity to try it on a Cuadra yet. If you were me, what would you recommend buying (as far as optional accessories go), to install this on the V1 Cuadra (purchase date of December 2011).

Thanks,
Brent

Sorry, super super busy. I do not think I will have the time... I have not even taken a vacation this summer as it has been so busy.

JackHK wrote:Quick Mill Vetrano 2B Evo, just perfect

<image>

thanks for letting us know it works on the 2B! I have the old version but they are identical in most ways.

Do you have any tips or other items I should be aware of before installing? I assume you didn't need any optional items except for the copper washer and gauge, i assume?

JackHK wrote: I find the paddle position for 50 to 60 ml/s first 20 / 30 sek and move paddle to normal flow

Could you elaborate on the position? Such as maybe the degrees? with 0 being all the way to the right and 180 all the way to the left? Also, how long do you let it run after the first 20/30?

I just installed the kit on my OG Vetrano 2B and had a couple comments/questions.

-My first shot: I opened the paddle all the way until it was at 2 bar and then kept it steady there for around 20s. I fully opened the paddle after that but the gauge never seemed to go above 6 bar. resulting shot was soft with some acidity.

-Second shot: I added more coffee to increase the resistance. I did the same as above except it went to 8 bar. resulting shot was more aggressive but not bitter. still tasty.

What I noticed from above is that perhaps my first shot the grind was too coarse? would that be the reason why it didn't reach 8 bar after the 2 bar preinfusion? The softer taste of the first shot leads me to believe this was the case.

Another general comment is when I have the backflush disc in the portafilter, it takes a pretty long time for it to reach 8 bar (it could have always been this way as ive never had the group gauge before). The pressure gauge for the pump (not group) is at 8 bar the whole time. Would raising my rotary pump to a higher pressure speed things up?

I just want to verify that everythings good with the install.

Sounds like things are working properly. Correct, on your first shot the puck did not have sufficient resistance after the 20 second PI. Grind finer.
With the installation of the valve, there is an immediate impact on the flow rate to the grouphead. This will be the reason the ramp-up time was longer with the blind basket. I believe the majority are setting their pump or OPV to around 10 bar. This will allow for a broader pressure range and will improve the available flow through the gicleur.

If the machine allows, try to set it slightly above 11 bar.

Same 11 bar recommendation for both rotary and vibe?

Yes.

Does anyone have experience with both the Lelit Flow Control and the ECM/Profitec Flow Control? Specifically, I'm interested in the precision/ease of manipulating the Lelit flow control to get the pressure you want. I'm using the ECM Flow Control and I'm finding that if I want to maintain 6 bar, and then gradually reduce pressure to 2 bar, the movement space of the valve between 6 and 2 bar is so razor-thin it ends up being more of an off/on experience, resulting in bouncing around above/below my target pressure vs. smoothly intercepting my desired pressure.

In the videos I've seen of the Lelit flow control, it appears that you can predictively set-and-forget to get the desired pressure, and adjusting the pressure seems very smooth. This has not been my experience with the ECM flow control kit. It is very jerky, and not linear.

Cross-posting in the ECM/Profitec Flow Control Thread to maximize exposure.

I have the Lelit kit installed in a Pro 700 and that is my experience as well. I have been at it for two months and I can't control the pressure.

I'm using the ECM Flow Control and I'm finding that if I want to maintain 6 bar, and then gradually reduce pressure to 2 bar, the movement space of the valve between 6 and 2 bar is so razor-thin it ends up being more of an off/on experience, resulting in bouncing around above/below my target pressure vs. smoothly intercepting my desired pressure.

I have the ECM kit on my Synchronika and have no trouble dialing it to any pressure I like, within the following limitations. As for the pressure staying there, I suggest you're chasing a will-o-the-wisp. The pressure at the gauge is not set exclusively by the setting of the flow control kit. The density of the coffee puck plays a major role. As the pull proceeds, coffee solids are removed and the resistance of the puck will reduce, resulting in the flow increasing. The pressure will then drop somewhat. For example, if I put in really fine grinds (almost Turkish) and crack open the control to about 60-degrees, the pressure will very slowly build over a long time, rising eventually to 8 or 9 bar. On the other hand, if I put in much coarser coffee, I might not get anywhere near 8 or 9 bar, even if I open the flow kit up a turn and a half (equivalent to a stock mushroom).