On my Slayer mod, today I noticed now the pressure gauge doesn't change whether coffee or blank when adjusting knob, it just goes to 9ish and stays, if I lower to 1st bar for example pressure stays in that range and doesn't drop anymore, or fluctuate period when adjusting knob. Already replaced solenoid, I just don't know what could be issue now. Water flow is same as before when adjusting (water debit), but now I don't know whats up with the pressure/gauge. That was fine this morning, turned later in afternoon when I got home and that's when it started this issue. I'll have to check again as I was so pissed already (haven't had 1 good shot out of this machine in a month since this setup) I turned it off, but I could swear when I turned the knob to shut water off, the pressure still said 9 etc

Tried searching but I don't see anything unless the search system is borked (some stuff doesn't show but does when you Google with HB)

Whats really weird besides every shot just tasting thin and watery still, better once I stopped using RPavlis recipe, but still too thin, but everything almost taste similar whether light natural or a medium dark blend, makes no sense to me.

Edit - vids

Checked this morning, ramps up and stays there whether water knob just cracked or full open, water debit still controlled but the pressure doesn't change. Ughhh

Added vids, hope someone can help as it sucks having thin crappy shots for over a month lol.

Nobody lol? Is it the needle valve? I can't find replacement anyway as even the place I ordered solenoid from doesn't have it and it says discontinued part elsewhere, wtf?!? There has to be a replacement.

Not sure what else to check or what could still be wrong. I'm pulling a darker roast right now from Atomic and it's mehh also. Not sure what else to do minus chucking it in the trash...

I did see something about take the needle valve apart and regreasing but can't find the post again.

Yeah I can start and stop flow, it's just no profiling, ramps to 9 barish like a normal machine, but even if I crack the valve to barely open no difference in pressure vs before where I could go from 9 bar and pull back to 5 bar etc. Shots are just terrible on this thing even with a Monolith and letting it run normal (no PI, no profiling, even the dark roast goes thin and blond fast).

Is there instructions in a post on how to remove the water knob and adjust the valve? HBs search system is wonky and can't find anything.

Jake_G wrote:The outer knob just pops off and then there is a screw that holds the insert onto the valve shaft

However...

If you can stop the flow, the pressure should fall unless you are choking the machine. It should not fall if you are using a blind basket, nor if you are grinding super fine.

I think this may of fixed issue, pressure is changing again moving knob, I don't think it's 100% perfect like before this started but I'll have to play around further. I don't have anything light right now, just Atomic Intesi blend that I randomly ordered to see if it'd be more forgiving as for whatever reason since I got this machine anything light or light-med roasted even with Monolith sucked (also DF64 and aligned Vario), even when I did Slayer style out 60 seconds etc, everything has this super thin taste/body to it. Same beans and grinder(s) on a Slayer were flawless, and was still great on an old beater CC1 I keep around lol, how the beat CC1 that leaks and doesn't even steam pulls better shots than this BDB and Slayer'd is beyond me lol?!? One bean was a Berry bomb but on the BDB tasted mehhh and thin, whether pulling normal, PI, slayer style.

Baskets primarily my old trusty HQ21, have the 14 as well but pretty much never use that. My VST 20 is completely useless on thr BDB, just channels and sprays no matter what. HQ was always a forgiving basket, this is the 1st machine where I've had issues with it (minus a pos Profitec finally got rid of)

Jake_G wrote:60s shots are not often the best for thickness nor body. If you want some balance, I'd stick to the 30-45s range. Finer can really thin things out.

Yeah I've done all over, changed all variables, PI, no PI, adjusted PI pressure % up and down, profiling, normal just letting rip as if normal vibe pump machine etc. Even today tried dialing in around 45 seconds. Almost 3 months now and haven't had a single good shot even with Monolith, but also hyper-aligned Vario and aligned DF64. All roasters in recent months same issues so that rules out beans, Cat Cloud, Klatch, Anodyne, Atomic, Chromatic etc

Stopped using RPavlis recipe as imo that was making things bland and thin even on the CC1 and Profitec (but the Profitec was a faulty machine period that replaced so many parts and even two locals shops couldn't fig out what was wrong with it nor Clive), and pour over. Switched to bottled spring and already noticed a difference for the better there (had another post about that, RPavlis was far worse for pour over though).

Jake_G wrote:This suggests a prep issue. I'm not a VST fan, but if the basket is spraying, your prep needs work, no matter the basket, no matter the machine.

This said, I surmise that you could prep this basket and drop it into the CC1 or the Slayer without issue? If that's the case, there is some reason why the BDB is more demanding on puck prep, and I'd come back to the grind being much finer than it needs to be.

How are you pulling your shots with the BDB?
Can you walk us through a shot from weighing the beans through taking the first sip?

Thats the issue, been doing this like 10 years. Same wdt etc I always do, and those HQ baskets were always known as forgiving and great baskets in general, and this is the 1st machine I've had issues with them. Not the CC1, not the Lucca, not GS3. This has the brass diffuser, IMS screen. Far as pulling just weigh dose, grind, wdt, tamp and pull, anywhere from 16g to 21g latter on lighter roast. Even on light roast I've tried so many different parameters some of which others said on here, IE crack valve and manually PI at say 70%, hold at 3 bar, ramp to 9, pull back to 5 and dozens of other ways except this machine just refuses to do that. Even today I ground coarser, temp at 197 (darker roast) and the flow was mehh at 18g and 35g out in 37 seconds, than 45 seconds etc, and just tasted mehh and thin even on dark roast. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what the BDB Slayer'd is b/c it was made out to be the be all end of setups unless you go to an actual Slayer like my buddy, but this thing doesn't pull even remotely near a Slayer even mimicking a true pull around 60 seconds which is mind blowing good on slayer. When I measured last time my water debit was about 5g/s or just under which seems to be in range from what others said.

I have other gauges but can't check as my other PFs don't fit the weird measurements of the group. I can't believe how frustrating this thing is to try to use, my girl even joked before like don't get a Breville (after our Pizziola and Smart Oven both died), sure enough strike 3 now with a Breville DB ughhh lol. One amazing thing, steam holes drilled out .40 and it steams amazingly, blows away the last Profitec for steaming and super dry steam. I so regret selling the Lucca and GS3.

Like heres a pull of a dark roast, that also looked incredible, and we've pulled similarly on an actual Slayer with dark roast like Chromatics Opus and was phenomenal, but I can't get anything even 1/4 like this on mine. My pressure just doesn't change or look as smooth to minute movements like others do or vids