I'm glad you brought it up too. I had discounted getting the adaptor for the thermocouple because I didn't want to deal with the cord, finding a display, then figuring out how to mount everything. I like the turn-key digital thermometer kit solution much better...sign me up!

So Eric sells the adaptor and thermometer as a kit? Just plug and play? Sweet! That sounds perfect. I was picturing having to buy the adaptor, shop for a thermometer, install the thermometer myself with some clumsy splicing and soldering, then having to calibrate the whole mess to get it to work right. If Eric's already done all the work, then I can't see any reason not to get one. Eric, let me know when you get a new batch with the thermometers installed. I'm all over it!

Received my thermometer adaptor kit and installed with no problem.

For people using this for flush N go technique how are you getting your target temp? I assume you have to flush past your target temp and try to predict how much the temp is going to "bounce" back to the target temp at the GH. This may take some practice as I watched mine bounce back from 5-10 F depending on if the machine has been idle or pulling back to back shots.

What's the difference between this and a PID kit? Eric...does this set up work well on Silvia?

No, the digital thermometer adaptor kit was not designed for nor would it be possible for Silvia. It is designed for E-61 - ish machines having a fully exposed grouphead, i.e. Anita, Vibiemme, Expobar Leva, etc., etc.

You can visit my FTP site for additional info:

http://users.rcn.com/erics/

A very reputable source for Silvia PID kits is:

http://www.pidkits.com/

Thanks Eric. I've been in touch with Jim at http://www.pidkits.com but was reluctant due to the cost $240.00 and lack of great skills to connect it.
Folks on this site seem to think it's better just to upgrade machines than install the PID kit to Silvia.
I'm paralyzed by indecision and have done nothing. Thanks for the reply.

Another round of cheers for Eric's adapter.

I purchased a brand new Andreja and spent a month pulling terrible, awful, undrinkably acid shots. Several hours after installing it, I was able to see that my pressure gauge was underreporting boiler temperature, leading to very low brew head temperature. Bump up the pressure, up goes the brew head temp and the first drinkable shot arrived in my cup.

Super!

Cory

Beavis wrote:Thanks Eric. I've been in touch with Jim at http://www.pidkits.com but was reluctant due to the cost $240.00 and lack of great skills to connect it.
Folks on this site seem to think it's better just to upgrade machines than install the PID kit to Silvia.
I'm paralyzed by indecision and have done nothing.

Having now seen Jim's instructions and the kit contents for the QuickMill Alexia, I think that just about anyone can install his PID kit. While it may not be terribly clear on his website, EVERYTHING should be ready to go, meaning you're not going to be soldering or splicing, etc. I wouldn't let your skillset scare you too much.

PIDkits does have some like new, used controllers for lower cost.

The advantages to the kit are good concise instructions, everything is sourced for you, reversible, and the coup de grace in my mind is the custom enclosure.

All that said, it is a somewhat tough call to make. Silvia sells well used, so should you dump it and upgrade to something better? Or, should you invest in the PID installation? FWIW, you should be able to recoup a good portion of the PID kit cost should you decide to sell the Silvia later. Good luck in your indecision!

Beavis wrote:Folks on this site seem to think it's better just to upgrade machines than install the PID kit to Silvia.
I'm paralyzed by indecision and have done nothing. Thanks for the reply.

If you're happy with Silvia's performance, but want to eliminate the tedium of temperature surfing, Jim's PID kit is a turnkey solution. But of course you know this (Thinking of adding a PID to Silvia).

With Eric's help I installed his type of adaptor on my La San Marco single group machine (built in 1993-Model 85). It has a 5 litre boiler running about 1750 watts with an external pump. I was fortunate that the LSM had a nut on the group head that went down to the water path. The thermosyphon is different from the E61 and behaves much differently then what I have seen here and on CG. I do not have a Scace device since one isn't built for the 55 mm PF.

Here is how mine works, using a thermocouple in a portafilter with a tight fitting sponge to hold the thermocuople right underneath the dispersion screen.

With my boiler at 1.1 bar (250 degrees on my PID'd boiler) I flush to 206 on the adaptor -- then wait 30 seconds. The adaptor reading falls to about 202 during the wait. I start the shot. The thermocouple in the PF tracks the adaptor at 202-201 degrees all the way to the end of the shot (I simulate drawing water through the portafilter for 25 seconds (2-3 ounce). I can vary the beginning temp in the PF by varying where I stop the flush.

I found better tracking and much less of a fall off in temp in the PF by waiting the 20-30 seconds after the cooling flush. Also, I know that it is the relative values that count, however, what surprised me was that the tracking was consistent throughout the entire shot and that I can adjust the intra shot falloff by varying the "wait" period after the cooling flush.