GarethA Senior Member Joined: 3 May 2011 Posts: 2 Location: UK Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue May 3, 2011, 12:26am Subject: a spitting baby (gaggia)
I have just bought a babia gaggia and have probably gone through as much kitchen cleaning product as coffee. When I turn it on it sprays coffee from the sides. I tried tampering it aggressively , loosely and not at all and I've also tried using Illy and lavazza coffee. An aggressively tampered Illy appears to be the least problematic though only marginally which is troubling as I have no intention of sticking with one type of coffee. Is it a defective machine or are there a number of gaggia tricks that I can use to resolve this issue? I would very much appreciate any advice on this rather frustrating problem Many thanks
HollyS Senior Member Joined: 3 May 2011 Posts: 7 Location: Auckland Expertise: Professional
Posted Tue May 3, 2011, 2:40am Subject: Re: a spitting baby (gaggia)
Hi there, just a guess here but you might be using too much coffee in the coffee basket and maybe also not engaging the portafilter all the way in the group , nice and tight. If you are using the single bascket try to use 8 g of coffee, this way you'll know that you are not using too much. Also close the portafilter as tight as you can. Another problem could be a dent in the busket , in the area that should seal around the inside of the head.Have a good look at it.
GarethA Senior Member Joined: 3 May 2011 Posts: 2 Location: UK Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue May 3, 2011, 3:53am Subject: Re: a spitting baby (gaggia)
Thank you H
You may well be right - I have been rather eager on the coffee dosage. I will clean it out, add a smaller quantity and wrap it up tightly for my next espresso which I think I am due soon.
iowaboy Senior Member Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Posts: 93 Location: Ankeny, IA Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Gaggia New Baby; Vev & GB... Grinder: Preciso, Solis Maestro+ Drip: Melitta Pourover, Krups,... Roaster: Behmor, FR8+
Posted Tue May 3, 2011, 8:25am Subject: Re: a spitting baby (gaggia)
Be sure you're using the little black rubber "frothing jet device," in the bottom of the portafilter, if you're using one of the "perfect crema" (single hole in the bottom--hold it up to a light) baskets, and be sure you're not using it, if you're using a "regular" (lots of holes in the bottom) basket.
I have the same machine and love it, but the manual is not eccelente.
washburned Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Posts: 29 Location: napa Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: La Nuova Era Cuadra II Grinder: Baratza vario
Posted Sun Dec 2, 2012, 1:30pm Subject: Re: a spitting baby (gaggia)
I have the same machine, and sometimes the same issue. I think what happens is if you wait too long to pull the shot the boiler overheats and a combination of water and stem come out making a mess.
SStones Senior Member Joined: 24 Nov 2012 Posts: 234 Location: Canada Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Giga 5, ECM Giotto, Rocket... Grinder: Anfim Milano-Best Vac Pot: No :( Drip: Some $30 thing from Walmart Roaster: I buy pre-roasted.
Posted Sun Dec 2, 2012, 9:03pm Subject: Re: a spitting baby (gaggia)
GarethA Said:
I have just bought a babia gaggia and have probably gone through as much kitchen cleaning product as coffee. When I turn it on it sprays coffee from the sides.
As dramatic as this is, it might be better to actually describe the problem. If a Gaggia is spraying coffee from the sides, then your problem is serious. The gaggia has seams in the sides of the machine through which coffee should never spray. If you mean that the cross-drilled hole in the dispenser on the bottom of the portafilter is spraying steam-propelled coffee out sideways, that is very different, and is an indication that your boiler is way too hot, perhaps overheating due to a bad thermostat, cracked element or brewing with/immediately after steam-button used. If you mean coffee is escaping between the machine and the porta filter and splashing about, then believe the filter suggestions, portafilter installation tightness suggestions and replace the group gasket.
spraythecurtains Senior Member Joined: 30 Nov 2011 Posts: 1 Location: South NJ Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Baby Gaggia Grinder: Baratza Virtuosso
Posted Sat Dec 8, 2012, 12:25pm Subject: Re: a spitting baby (gaggia)
Well I think I may have had both forms of spraying.
Gave up & put the New Baby into basement storage a year back & have just decided to have another go at sorting out what was happening.
After reading that it might be an offshoot of grind, coffee bean age or tamping pressure.
Then again have also read the New Baby is quite sensitive to all of those.
Have ordered fresh beans & will try the different suggestions in this thread.
Grinder is Baratza Virtuoso, which I know is not top of the line for espresso grind, but anyone using one of those with a new Baby Gaggia & happy with results?
If so what grind setting, & tamping soft?, hard?, & how do you measure your tamping pressure??
tracerbullet Senior Member Joined: 13 Feb 2012 Posts: 156 Location: Saint Paul Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Mon Dec 10, 2012, 1:22pm Subject: Re: a spitting baby (gaggia)
I'm having trouble picturing where any of you guys have spray coming from.
2 things may be relevant here: 1) I have a backflushing basket that's simply a normal basket completely sealed over. I use it to backflush the machine of course, which is to say it forces water through the 3-way solenoid when I turn the pump off after pretending to pull a shot. The whole time during this the machine is maxed out for pressure, around 165psi by the gage I've added. Nothing sprays anywhere even under that kind of pressure. With coffee in the basket, even finely ground and tightly packed, you shouldn't be seeing spraying. 2) I have worked on a number of Gaggias from ebay, in all sorts of sad conditions whan I got them. After any repair I always torture tested things to make sure they worked correctly - no loose hoses or anything else to worry about. Even left to heat for a couple hours and pulling shots I never had any leaking.
I guess what I'm saying is - having it turned on for a long time, or having finely ground coffee plugging the basket - neither of these should cause any spraying.
What exactly are you guys seeing, and where is it coming from?
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