The S1 Cafe - Helping Your Espresso Dreams Become Reality

jfrescki

MDL wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:42 am I have found that the solenoid valve for the hot water tends to develop scale that makes it drip. Open the valve and clean with white vinegar and you should be set again.

I've been living with that leak for a long time. I'm going to fix it now dammit!

jfrescki

jfrescki wrote: ↑Fri Jul 21, 2017 2:27 pm
I leave a tiny gap between the plastic and the front face of the tank so it's not air tight.

jfrescki

After reading over time that closed tanks stay cleaner, i tried putting plastic wrap over the top of my mini tank. It's working well. No more pollen/dust floating on the water and no sliminess in between weekly cleanings. I leave a tiny gap between the plastic and the front face of the tank so it's ...

jfrescki

Just a thought, but maybe something that converts rust to a protective coating, like Rust-Oleum?

jfrescki

Chris' website says "These hardness test strips are not only perfect for testing the total hardness in your tap water but also the effectiveness of filters such as Brita." So I think that's GH, but if your water test reports calcium carbonate, that's what you want. Sounds like you should b...

jfrescki

Are you testing KH (carbonate hardness) as opposed to GH (general hardness). I believe KH is the scaling culprit. If your KH is low enough, you probably don't need to soften.

jfrescki

Welcome. 1)Can't really help you on the offset. It will be different from machine to machine, but once you have it set the temperature you choose should be the temperature that hits the coffee. 2) 1:2 is a good starting place, meaning 16g dose yielding 32g espresso. Adjust to taste. 3) I routinely u...

jfrescki

If it's the same setup as the Mini, you have no choice but to remove the top, then the sides, then the back because that's where the pump is and the pieces come off in that order.

jfrescki

Looks great. Good luck.

jfrescki

Thanks for the info.

jfrescki

Ideally, weigh your output espresso so you know what your extraction ratio is. 20g espresso (1:1 or 100%) is going to taste very different from 40g (2:1 or 50%) espresso extracted in the same amount of time. Both (or anywhere in between) are fine depending on your taste.

jfrescki

I'm surprised they build the machine with such a tight tolerance between the element and the boiler wall. If you're worried it looks like you could create enough space by bending the element down slightly. That's what Chris Coffee initially suggested to me.

jfrescki

The grind really depends on the coffee and your typical roast level. My medium to darker roasts max out about 16g, and my preferred dose is 14.5 - 15g. However, I've easily fit 18g+ with lighter roasts. (I think) many users feel that slightly longer shots (30-35s) can yield good results with this gr...

jfrescki

I struggled the first time I opened my brew boiler. I did not want to use a penetrating oil "just in case". I actually dislodged a ribbon connection from a board with all the banging, etc (I thought I killed the machine until I found the loose connection). Eventually I relented and it made...

jfrescki

Cool, thx for posting.

jfrescki

I have the precision shower screen and ridged IMS double basket from Chris for over a year. I'm not sure I ever noticed that my shots were markedly better. Maybe I should double back with the original basket and test.

jfrescki

My only guess about all this is when they manufacture the boiler, they cut the threaded end as a finishing step and mine was cut a 1/4" too short or so. Maybe there was a small defect La Spaziale cut off during the finishing instead of scrapping the boiler, and I ended up with a boiler just a h...

jfrescki

Chris Coffee contacted La Spaziale about my boiler element problems and ordered some new elements to see if they got a shorter version. La Spaziale didn't get back to them, and the six or so new elements were all the same length. Tim suggested the only thing left to do was gently bend the element do...

jfrescki

Roger at Chris Coffee sent me another element. He went through the bin and said some were longer, but no one else has complained about the fit. Well the new one is the same size and too long!! :oops: I'm wondering if I have an abberant boiler. I sent the picture below to Chris Coffee tonight. Does a...

jfrescki

Ugg, so I received the new boiler element from Chris Coffee and it's bit bigger than the old one, so that it's touching the end of the boiler and I can't tighten it down. Also there was an alignment pin that stuck out of the element plate that went into a receiving hole in the boiler, the new elemen...

jfrescki

Good idea. I'll try it this go-round if it gives me trouble.

jfrescki

So I spoke to Chris Coffee and was told the following useful information. The tech told me that if you leave the Mini on 24/7, and don't use it for a few hours, pressure builds in the brew boiler. Of course pressure in the boiler can lead to water infiltrating the boiler element. He suggested that i...

jfrescki

Well, it seems like my brew boiler element just failed almost exactly 3 years since I replaced it and created this thread. My Mini is tripping my GFCI again, and if I take the leads off the element, the machine will power up, so I'm pretty sure it the element. It was also about 2.5 years old when it...

jfrescki

I reached up and pulled my silicone gasket out with my fingers this morning while doing the routine screen and disbursement block cleaning! Looks great after 6 months with a little discoloring. So if you're interested in checking yours and have a vivaldi, it practically fell out.

John

jfrescki

mdecorte wrote:Hi,

I was wondering where you purchased the gaskets from? I don't see them on CCS. Is it from Steve per the below post?

viewtopic.php?t=2081

thank you in advance

Yep

jfrescki

Mine is in just over 6 months with no problems, but I'll definitely report back if the portafilter moves.

jfrescki

The person who sold me my Mini went to a GS/3 & K10, but I didn't keep in touch with him to find out how things went. Let us know.

jfrescki

That's incredible that it happened, and then continued to work.

jfrescki

I make about 3 doubles a day, and backflush with cleaner about 1/month.

jfrescki

Just want to point out (in case it matters to you) that unless they changed it recently, the Vivaldi does not use a PID to control temperature, but a La Spaziale built control. It works great, but it is not technically a PID. The Dreams do use a PID.

jfrescki

I haven't heard of anyone doing it. Also, I think some may prefer the knob, because the Mini lever doesn't work progressively. It's almost off/on. I have a mini, and it doesn't bother me, but it does some people.

jfrescki

Great tip. I just did this myself and although the basket is still firm, I can pull it out with my fingers now.

jfrescki

Yeah, but I might be soon. I'm heading to Lake George next month and my wife said "why don't we stop in on Chris Coffee since Albany is on the way, in case you want something."

jfrescki

How did you make out?

jfrescki

The Spaz (as I'm sure you know) leaves the side gasket showing with the shower screen removed, so I've taken to pushing a small brad into the gasket side, then using pliers to pull down on the brad. Works wonders, no chance of damage to the group and a small pin hole in the gasket if you intend to r...

jfrescki

I just bought three. I figured even if they last forever, I'll probably change them out every decade anyway

jfrescki

Since you did tear the machine apart, it might also be what happened to me. A year ago, I had to replace the group boiler element, and went about beating on the retaining ring on the back of the boiler trying to open it (before resorting to penetrating oil which worked). My banging dislodged a conne...

jfrescki

Some of the units of your vintage were mistakenly shipped with a plain steel spring instead of the standard stainless steel spring in the tank outlet valve that the o ring attaches to. I purchased my machine from Clive Coffee. They sent me the replacement part with the correct stainless spring encl...

jfrescki

I'd thought about insulating my machine for a while, but as I only leave the brew boiler on, I never bothered.

jfrescki

Of course, the part on the left actually looks like part of the preinfusion chamber so perhaps this video was taken while you still had the PI attached and the drip was the reason you removed it??? Exactly. The squeal you heard at about 3 seconds was the chamber failing (along with the drip). The c...

jfrescki

It's the sound that happens between 4 & 5 seconds here. EDIT: The sound still occurs even though the pre-infusion chamber is gone, so I assume it's the flow meter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUPXHp8BfiA

jfrescki

So I've mentioned the "aoogah" sound my flow meter makes in previous posts (when my pre-infusion failed). I've turned a blind eye to it, but is this something I should fix now because the sound means imminent failure?

jfrescki

I had purchased a few myself, and although I didn't notice softening problems, they were sealed in plastic with paperwork that had a staple. The stapled rusted terribly during storage and I threw the last cartridge out because rust was all over.

jfrescki

I can't tell from the picture. Is there a hole in the body without the backing plate, or is it just for a finished look?

jfrescki

Something doesn't seem quite right. For instance the video of the shot I posted yielded 24g from a 15.5g does in 28 32 seconds. If I let it run, I would have had 31g, a technical normale, in about 35 seconds. Most of the shot was about 8.5-9 bar, and never went below 8 bar. I'm not sure why you need...

jfrescki

I'm no expert, but yes, I think you're right. 9 bar is no espresso promised land, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. As long as you're in a reasonable proximity of it, you should be fine and have a reasonable flow. Also keep in mind that the consensus on the La Spaziale group is that longer extr...

jfrescki

No channeling. It's typical for the shot to start running a bit faster as it progresses. You may have some. Try the Weiss distribution technique if you're not already.

jfrescki

I just pulled a shot to compare, and you're pretty much on. I don't have pre-infusion and I come to full pressure in 6 seconds. You can see a very slight decline from 9 bar to just below as the shot progresses from a slightly increased flow. Don't mind my aoogahh horn sound, it's the flow meter. Red...

jfrescki

That does seem like an awful long time to build pressure.

jfrescki

There was a thread on HB a while ago where someone with a vibe pump could reach 9 bar against a blind filter, but had problems during extraction. The problem WAS a bad pump. So it certainly could be your case here. As far as the tank Spaz, I have a Mini Vivaldi and have no problems with my extractio...

jfrescki

I didn't change my total shot time after removing preinfusion. A stereotypical shot is 15.5g dose, 22g out in about 29s. I tend to err on the side of longer timed shots as I just prefer that taste profile. Interestingly, my father was over after the pre-infusion failed. I was pulling Compass' Deliri...

jfrescki

I dose using an OE funnel and then WDT (Weiss Dist. Tech.) to distribute before tamping, so it doesn't matter that my dose doesn't mound above the basket.

jfrescki

I think most long time Vivaldi users stay <16g in the double. The triple can work, but makes it harder. My standard dose is 15.5g in the double, and I only change if the coffee really requires it. I remember one person on HB (I think) who said he routinely used 18g in the double, but for the life of...

jfrescki

So I properly dialed in the Bodka Guatemala, and it's great. At least as good as when I had the preinfusion

. My results from the last post were simply because the shots ran fast.

jfrescki

Thanks, I'm running a good track record. What's next?? nod1 , I basically stick to 15.5g dose unless a coffee really calls for something different. I'll aim for anywhere from 21g - 29g out depending on the coffee, and I rarely stray from 92-93C (unless the blend is mouth puckering). I tend to play w...

jfrescki

Day two: Finished the Bodka Main Squeeze and opened SO Brazil Recreio. I received it 1/8 and froze the 6oz I just opened. I used the other 10 fresh. Without a doubt it's much better in the cup now. More flavor and more flavor separation.

jfrescki

It's pretty easy to take off. You need to remove the face plate. Then you need (I think it was) a 13mm & 14mm box wrench to remove the chamber. You need a 5mm hex wrench to put the original nut in that plugs the hole in the group plus some teflon tape. If you've been in the machine before, it co...

jfrescki

I've always run my Mini without the in-tank softener, just the small particle screen. I use softened/filtered water from Chris' Coffee product that I run to a filtered water tap at the sink. You certainly can use bottled water. There are a few recommended ones you can search for, but Poland Spring i...

jfrescki

I had been hearing a sound like an old "aaaoooga" horn for a while while pulling shots. I thought it was the flow meter. In the last few weeks I started also hearing a squeal at the beginning, end or both parts of a shot. I finally investigated today. Turns out both sounds were from my fai...

jfrescki

I'd been installing my rubber gaskets chamfered edge up, but I read that was wrong somewhere recently. So I just replaced the group gasket (with rubber) and did chamfered down. It seems to me that having the chamfered edge down allows the gasket to deform more, and as a result there's more degrees ...

jfrescki

I'd been installing my rubber gaskets chamfered edge up, but I read that was wrong somewhere recently. So I just replaced the group gasket (with rubber) and did chamfered down. It seems to me that having the chamfered edge down allows the gasket to deform more, and as a result there's more degrees o...

jfrescki

Orphan Espresso is the place if you don't want to go with a cut yogurt container or the like.

jfrescki

Keep your eye on the buy/sell forum at coffeegeek. That's where they're going to pop up most often.

jfrescki

smuseby wrote:WDT - ?

Weiss Distribution Technique - essentially stirring the grounds with a very thin implement (ie wire or unbent paperclip) to evenly distribute the grounds.

jfrescki

You could try to grind a bit finer and do a light tamp using only your fingers on the tamper. It's very easy to tell if you're level with your fingertips. I've just adopted this method very recently because I feel like I'm getting better flow and shot clarity. I either grind finer / increase my dose...

jfrescki

I dose about 15.5 grams in the double. I do a quick WDT and shake to level before tamping, and almost always get a nice extraction.

jfrescki

The brew pressure on my Mini rapidly oscillates from approx 8 - 10 during brewing. I think it's just the vibe pump.

jfrescki

Don't forget it's going to take quite a few pounds of beans to break in the new burrs so your shots settle in.

jfrescki

Can't wait to hear how they work out. Been waiting on someone to be a guinea pig

jfrescki

2. That doesn't explain why it'll lock on the side with the tape and not on the other side... I think when I first got mine, I had trouble locking it on the right side (opposite the tank). It was already a year old, so it wasn't a newness issue. I just had problems. Then, after about a month, I had...

jfrescki

richardcoffee wrote:No tape on the front of my tank - 2 1/2 years old. Are you getting a good connection at the back of the tank? No small water leaks onto your counter top?

Weird, mine is about 2 1/2 years old too.

jfrescki

It is potentially dangerous, illegal and not a good idea to do what you are suggesting. Installing a 20A outlet on a 15A circuit sets up a situation where someone would plug in a device that will overload the wiring potentially causing at the least a fuse or breaker to blow and at the worst a fire....

jfrescki

The drip tray does "lock" into place. Don't know if they still do it, but mine has foam tape on the front of the tank to keep it from vibrating against the drip tray. Could it be the tape keeping the tray from going into place properly?

jfrescki

My bottomless locks in just around 6:00, but my stock portafilters are much tighter, and definitely lock in about 7:00 at most.

jfrescki

Any update on the brew temp problem?

jfrescki

Thanks Chas. It wasn't the fuse, but it was the ribbon coming from the front control panel. The connector had fallen out from the vibration. The spaz is up and running again. I am a little disappointed that the element failed just out of warranty. Especially since there was almost no scale. My water...

jfrescki

Thanks, I will check that tonight!

jfrescki

The good news: WD-40 and 20 minutes let me open up the brew boiler. There was almost no scale at all inside, and I was able to replace the element. The bad news: I guess all the pounding before I used the oil dislodged or broke something because the machine is dead :oops: . No lights whatsoever when...

jfrescki

I posted on an old thread about my Mini throwing a 15A GFCI. Turns out it's the brew boiler element. I received the new element and attempted to get the brass lug off the back of the brew boiler. NO WAY. I started off with a piece of scrap wood and a hammer like Endo suggested in his blog. That didn...

jfrescki

Sorry if this is old news, but I just picked up a SJ, and tried the S1 dispersion screen key on the bolt that holds the doser mechanism in....perfect fit.

: Doser w key.jpg (62.93 KiB) Viewed 13421 times

jfrescki

+1. I do use a convex tamper too.

jfrescki

Here's a pic after WDT:

: BeforeB.jpg (61.49 KiB) Viewed 13214 times

and after a few taps to settle. Not much of a divot anymore:

: AfterA.jpg (64 KiB) Viewed 13214 times

Sorry for the poor pic quality.

jfrescki

I haven't, but I put a pretty serious divot in there, then bump on the counter to settle. It would have to be quite a bit of glue, but something to think about. Or maybe glue something like a rubber foot. I'll try to take a picture tomorrow morning.

jfrescki

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this on the board before, or if it's even a good idea, but I noticed my extractions would tend to start at the edge of the basket (guessing because of the bolt in the middle of the group). So I recently started leaving a divot in the center of my puck during WDT, a...

jfrescki

I had every intention of buying an S1, but a 1 year old used Mini came up for sale about 1.5 miles from my house (he was upgrading to a GS3) with pre-infusion chamber and tampers (since he was going 58mm), so I couldn't pass it up. I'm perfectlly happy with the Mini, but I wouldn't mind the rotary p...

jfrescki

I think that's the route I'm going down (Pharos), and I'll probably inquire about the VoodooDaddy mods too. Is it a gateway drug to a k10 though?

jfrescki

You're right, it seems odd, so I googled it. This may be what I was remembering from the Elektra A3 review on HB: "Note: Chris Nachtrieb, owner of Chris' Coffee Service, asked the manufacturer to add boiler insulation to better meet his customers' expectations of energy efficiency. They replied...

jfrescki

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I had been warned, which is why I haven't picked it up, but for $340 with a few pounds of beans through it, I still might get it.

jfrescki

I love the Vario for it's size and convenience too, and I actually have had very few problems with it in three years. I needed the shim kit early on, and once in a great while, the grind doesn't adjust right going from coarse to fine, but otherwise it's been fine. That said, I've been thinking about...

jfrescki

Johnlyn wrote:Is there any down side to insulating the boilers? why do they not do that at the factory?

I think I remember a discussion on HB that factory insulation would affect the ETL certification, but don't quote me on that.

John

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