I am new to this combo. I previously had a Jura Ena 9 and I am sure many can testify is a big difference. The reason for my post is to determine if what I am experiencing is normal and part of the learning curve? The problem that I am seeing has to do with the grind, tamp and extraction process. I have read many posts and watched many videos on this process and what I am seeing is my settings are nowhere close to what I am seeing others are using. I understand that every machine is going to be different and that there are may factors that come into play when it comes to this topic.
What I have found is any grind under say 16-15 will choke the Rancilio with little tamping. Anything above that setting I can tamp but it is nowhere close to 30lbs. This morning I had a really good double shot (after 5 unusable shots, arggg! :) The Rocky was set to around 17 and I put some pressure on the tamp but not 30 lbs. My exaction time was 25 seconds and it pulled real close to (2) = 1.25 oz shots. The crema was good but not great. The shot tasted good too. I am using beans from a local roasting company that are really fresh. I live in the Midwest and I would assume the air would be considered dry for the time of year we are in. Most of the places that I have visited have the Rocky well below what I have my settings at. I typically see it under 10.
I want to be sure that this is normal and I don't have a problem with the Grinder and or the Silvia's pressure. Is it typical to have the Rocky at a setting like this in order to tamp and pull a shot that does not choke? Is this even something that I should be concerned with? What I am trying for is a fine grind that I can tamp with 15-30lbs of pressure that can generate a good double in a time of around 25 seconds. In order for me to hit all three I am going to need to change the Grinders setting above 16-17 and for some reason that does not seem right?
I've never seen a post from anyone reporting their Rocky grinding for espresso at a setting in the teens. It may be yours is not calibrated properly. Alternatively, you could be dosing much more than you should. Rather than focusing on the numbers, try for a moment to focus on what's in the cup. If you like it, all is well. If not, then continue to seek the source of your "problem". Many people, myself included, no longer consider the Rocky to be very good for espresso grinding. For me, the main reason is the steps are too wide, such that to get the proper extraction you need to alter the dose slightly most of the time once you get the grind set approximately where you want it. For that reason, I would recommend you consider an upgrade.
Thanks for the post. The problem with an upgrade is that it is brand new. I am so new to this I just want to make sure that the equipment that I have is working correctly. Either the settings are off, I am grinding wrong or the pressure in the head is not enough and is choking the machine (if that is even possible?)
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