Markarian Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 474 Location: Seattle Area Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Modded Nuova Simonelli Oscar Grinder: Vario-W, Mazzer Super Jolly Drip: Moka, Aeropress, Melitta 102 Roaster: Wear-Ever Popcorn Pumper
Posted Mon Mar 11, 2013, 4:29pm Subject: When to use my triple basket? Shot volume?
Okay, so I have two triple baskets, including a VST 22g ridged. I see some of you use yours quite often, but I'm almost always using my VST 18g ridgeless. I make straight shots, milk drinks, including big 16oz iced lattes. So far, I've been using the same kind of shot for every one: I pull until it starts to blond, which is about at 40-45ml, including crema (is this good?). However, I have not one, but two nice triple baskets and am wondering if I should use them more and what I should do for my dosing/tamping routine to get the most out of them. Thanks again!
Markarian Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 474 Location: Seattle Area Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Modded Nuova Simonelli Oscar Grinder: Vario-W, Mazzer Super Jolly Drip: Moka, Aeropress, Melitta 102 Roaster: Wear-Ever Popcorn Pumper
Posted Mon Mar 11, 2013, 9:54pm Subject: Re: When to use my triple basket? Shot volume?
I got fantastic results with my VST triple on the first try. I was now curious as to why I was having such miserable luck on my 18g ridgeless. After some thought, I realized the 22g was new. The 18g couldn't just come completely clean by running hot water from the group over it and wiping it with a towel. I decided to clean it with hot water and dishsoap and a soft sponge, making sure all the holes were nice and clean. After that, I pulled an absolutely heavenly ristretto with my favorite single origin Tanzanian Peaberry, a coffee I had been struggling with over the last few weeks. Aside from feeling like an idiot, how often and how exactly do you clean your baskets? What's the proper care and feeding of a VST?
germantownrob Senior Member Joined: 2 Dec 2007 Posts: 2,017 Location: Philadelphia Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Duetto 3, A Dead Oscar Grinder: Vario-W, Preciso w/Esatto,... Drip: Brazen Roaster: Diedrich IR-1, HT B
Posted Tue Mar 12, 2013, 4:00am Subject: Re: When to use my triple basket? Shot volume?
I like rlidgless baskets because they are easy to pop out and wipe the basket and PF down once a day, sometimes I go longer but then the oils get baked on with the PF locked in on a hot machine. The group is the same thing, oils getting baked on, it doesn't matter if you do 1 shot or 20 shots a day the left over oil is going to go rancid and bake. My E-61 keeps a cleaner screen then the Oscar, all sorts of grinds get inside the screen an diffuser and get baked on. If I do miss a day or two of water cleaning for baskets and group ( at least for Oscar) I would go with a chemical back flush and soak of PF and basket.
Consider this, if the water you are brewing with passes over all the crud and baked on rancid oils you are getting this in your cup, the amount depends on how dirty you have let your water path get.
Markarian Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 474 Location: Seattle Area Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Modded Nuova Simonelli Oscar Grinder: Vario-W, Mazzer Super Jolly Drip: Moka, Aeropress, Melitta 102 Roaster: Wear-Ever Popcorn Pumper
Posted Tue Mar 12, 2013, 4:24am Subject: Re: When to use my triple basket? Shot volume?
Good point. To that end, I did a full JoeGlo backflush routine tonight and got some crazy crap out of there. I'm still not sure it's all out, but it's certainly better than it was before. How often should I clean my basket with dishsoap (seemed to work great) and/or JoeGlo? I don't think I had ever cleaned it with anything other than water, though I wiped it down quite often. I probably didn't notice it until recently, because I wasn't keeping the PF locked in the group until the last couple of weeks.
germantownrob Senior Member Joined: 2 Dec 2007 Posts: 2,017 Location: Philadelphia Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Duetto 3, A Dead Oscar Grinder: Vario-W, Preciso w/Esatto,... Drip: Brazen Roaster: Diedrich IR-1, HT B
Posted Tue Mar 12, 2013, 4:44am Subject: Re: When to use my triple basket? Shot volume?
The Oscar group I chemical cleaned once a week, a way to do it less is to drop the screen and diffuser every 2-3 days for a hot water scrub, when you can no longer wipe it it is time for chemicals. Same with the PF and basket, best thing you can do is wipe it every time but I don't do that, once a day keeps it clean for over a week before chemical clean. Not sure about dish soap, not all cleaning agents are equal. Ever leave an empty coffee mug around, no heat needed for those oils to dry and get hard on the surface.
Markarian Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 474 Location: Seattle Area Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Modded Nuova Simonelli Oscar Grinder: Vario-W, Mazzer Super Jolly Drip: Moka, Aeropress, Melitta 102 Roaster: Wear-Ever Popcorn Pumper
Posted Tue Mar 12, 2013, 11:18am Subject: Re: When to use my triple basket? Shot volume?
Wow, that's certainly more than I've been doing. I water backflush once a day, and chemical backflushed every two weeks, and that's after three sessions throughout the day. Up until last night, I had never cleaned my VST with anything other than water >.<
I think I'll greatly step up my cleaning schedule now.
CMIN Senior Member Joined: 14 Jun 2012 Posts: 501 Location: South FL Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Crossland CC1 Grinder: Baratza Preciso
Posted Tue Mar 12, 2013, 12:19pm Subject: Re: When to use my triple basket? Shot volume?
Markarian Said:
Good point. To that end, I did a full JoeGlo backflush routine tonight and got some crazy crap out of there. I'm still not sure it's all out, but it's certainly better than it was before. How often should I clean my basket with dishsoap (seemed to work great) and/or JoeGlo? I don't think I had ever cleaned it with anything other than water, though I wiped it down quite often. I probably didn't notice it until recently, because I wasn't keeping the PF locked in the group until the last couple of weeks.
Cafiza (JoeGlo should be same), I put a TS or two in a big bowl (enough to fit two PFs, some baskets, screen, screws, diffuser block etc). Hot water, and stir so it's mixed then place above in the bowl. Will get any gunk, and especially oils off that you don't even really see.
I backflush with a blank basket usually every two days, and always run the PF after a session with the group to get any left over oils off. Do a Cafiza backflush every 4 weeks (alarm set in my phone calendar otherwise I forget lol).
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