Between an intense school schedule all spring and too many out of town trips this summer, I sort of forgot about cleaning my espresso machine regularly. The last couple of days, I realized that I couldn't taste the difference between 2 very different beans. Then I noticed that my espresso machine had a sort of bronzed look where I thought it should be stainless. To make a long story short, I got out the Joe Glo and soaked and cleaned everything. The espresso machine had a lot of gunk trapped around the shower head and even the basket holes were a bit clogged. What an amazing difference a clean machine made for the next shot I pulled! If you haven't cleaned your equipment lately, this is a gentle reminder not to let things go as long as I did. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
My strong suggestion is to have an extra PF that you keep a backflush blank in at ALL times and keep said PF on the drip tray. Then water wiggle with blank and water backflush after EVERY shot session, even if it's a single shot. This helps keep group clean between weekly or so detergent backflushings. Also rinse the PF thoroughly including spouts if you got 'em and basket with just off boil water after every single shot. I use hotwater on demand for this, if don't have one use your machines water tap or group. (Of course you should flush the group after every single shot anyway to clear the screen of any stray grinds, but that's before using group water for rinsing PF.) Helps keep the PF clean between detergent soakings and scrubbings. Make it a habit, it's been mine for many years and is second nature. Kona Konnaisseur miKe mcKoffeehttp://www.mckoffee.com/Ultimately the quest for Koffee Nirvana is a solitary path. To know I must">http://www.mcKonaKoffee.comURL to Rosto mods, FrankenFormer, some recipes etc:http://www.mckoffee.com/Ultimately the quest for Koffee Nirvana is a solitary path. To know I must first not know. And in knowing know I know not. Each Personal enlightenment found exploring the many divergent foot steps of Those who have gone before. Pacific Northwest Gathering VIIhttp://themeyers.org/HomeRoast/">http://home.comcast.net/~mckona/PNWGVII.htmSweet Maria's List - Searchable Archiveshttp://themeyers.org/HomeRoast/ <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
I do have an extra PF with a blank and backflush frequently with water only. What I hadn't done was the detergent (Joe Glo) backflush I usually do once a week or any time I pull a lot of shots in a day. I probably had more than a month's worth of gunk that had settled in around the shower screen and was dulling the taste of the shots I pulled. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
"Backfulsh 'frequently' with water only". How frequently was/is frequently? I was dead serious when I said after every shot session even if it's only a one shot session. If I'm not going to immediately pull another shot it gets the blank water wiggle followed by a couple quick water backflushes with a wiggle between each backflush. Everytime, long time force of habit now. Oh, always wiggle before first backflush to clear any loose grinds and not force them back into the group and or 3-way. If some of the basket holes where actually getting clogged I'd also review how well you're hot water rinsing and wiping the basket after each shot and especially end of shot session. But a month would indeed be a long time between detergent cleanings! miKe <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Normally, I'd use Joe Glo to backflush and to soak the PF and baskets at least once a week, but somewhere around the time finals hit in mid-June, I stopped doing it. I've been out of town more than 50% of the time since then, so there was probably about a month's worth of gunk built up since the last cleaning. I hadn't realized how much that could dull the taste of my shots! I backflush with water after almost every shot since I usually just pull one at a time. I was stunned at how much brown gunk came out when I cleaned with Joe Glo today. I actually ran detergent through twice to make sure I got it all. I have 4 baskets, so they get thoroughly washed (I thought) after each use, not simply rinsed each time. I was surprised at how much gunk must have been trapped in the holes, but they're sparkling clean now. Fortunately, I have a naked PF, so there's no place for gunk to collect in a spout. I haven't run minute rice through my Mazzer in a while either - that's tomorrow's project. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
I follow Mike's procedure and I am sure it is one of the reasons my machine (Expobar) is still going strong after 4 years of steady use. I have only had to replace a presurestat, and it was an easy fix. One needs to replace gaskets and maybe even the shower screen at least annually. Les On Wed, Aug 13, 2008 at 11:07 PM, Zara Haimo wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
At 10:55 PM 8/13/2008, you wrote: <Snip> I brush the dispersion screen clean, backflush after every shot and use Cafiza every month or 3 and on the occasional times I've pulled the screen before using Cafiza it seems unnecessary. It's always been spotlessly clean. Ira Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |