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Breville dual boiler pressure too low

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Discussions > Espresso > Machines > Breville dual...

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lushtastic
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Joined: 23 Mar 2013
Posts: 3
Location: Houston TX
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Sat Mar 23, 2013, 7:12am Subject: Breville dual boiler pressure too low

hi all, We just bought the Breville Dual Boiler and have a vario-w grinder (set to 2L grind), but during extraction we are only getting 6-7 bars of pressure using the manual setting with about 10 seconds pre-infusion. We are definitely not pros and I have searched everywhere and have only really seen issues with machines coming from the factory calibrated too high (which seems to be fixed now). Any thoughts? Using the dual wall filter basket, 18g of fresh beans, tamp pressure 30-40lbs. Am i totally missing something?

hotwasabipeas
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Joined: 19 Aug 2011
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Location: Ohio
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Espresso: NS Oscar
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Posted Sat Mar 23, 2013, 9:03am Subject: Re: Breville dual boiler pressure too low

I don't think you want to use the dual wall filters...those are for when you use a pre-ground coffee or if you don't have a capable espresso grinder. Use the single wall double-basket and I bet you'll get much better results.

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Contrabass_Bry
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Joined: 3 Jan 2013
Posts: 19
Location: Omaha
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Espresso: Breville BES900XL
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Posted Sat Mar 23, 2013, 9:23am Subject: Re: Breville dual boiler pressure too low

An easy test would be to insert the backflush disc into the single shot, double-wall portafilter basket (and leave it there. It's about the only sane use for that basket!) Now run a shot with this, now sealed, portafilter. It should be a good indication of where the pressure is set. Mine tops out at 10 bar. If it reaches around 10 bar, you're likely OK. Just need to grind finer. Cheers, Bryan

lushtastic
Junior Member

Joined: 23 Mar 2013
Posts: 3
Location: Houston TX
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Sat Mar 23, 2013, 9:29am Subject: Re: Breville dual boiler pressure too low

i will give it a shot! when i researched the gronder, the setting i used was common but will adjust and see if that helps. thanks!

lushtastic
Junior Member

Joined: 23 Mar 2013
Posts: 3
Location: Houston TX
Expertise: I love coffee

Posted Sat Mar 23, 2013, 9:30am Subject: Re: Breville dual boiler pressure too low

i tried both and got better pressure with the dual wall, but will try again. before with the single wall, I hadn't used manual pre-infusion.

biochemgawd
Senior Member

Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Posts: 63
Location: Canada
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Espresso: BDB
Grinder: Vario

Posted Sat Mar 23, 2013, 10:02am
Subject: Re: Breville dual boiler pressure too low

lushtastic Said:

hi all,

We just bought the Breville Dual Boiler and have a vario-w grinder (set to 2L grind), but during extraction we are only getting 6-7 bars of pressure using the manual setting with about 10 seconds pre-infusion.
We are definitely not pros and I have searched everywhere and have only really seen issues with machines coming from the factory calibrated too high (which seems to be fixed now).
Any thoughts?
Using the dual wall filter basket, 18g of fresh beans, tamp pressure 30-40lbs.
Am i totally missing something?

Posted March 23, 2013 link

The answer is likely very simple - and it is very unlikely to be your machine. You are not grinding your coffee fine enough. Here is my advice:

BEANS. Stay away from grocery store or Starbucks' beans. For real results, you will need beans that are maximum 2-3 weeks from their roast date, preferably from one of the favorite sources on this board. Independent coffee shops in your area might stock good beans or roast them.
Use the single wall double shot filter. Make sure your machine has been warming up for at least 30 minutes and the portafilter is in the grouphead until you are ready to pull your shot.
Start with a grind setting on the fine side - a few clicks finer than you are currently using. Grind into your portafilter until the grinds are at the lip of the basket. Use a needle to "mix" the grinds until they are even and clumps are gone. Tamp straight down (no twisting, etc) firmly but evenly (doesn't have to be 30lbs). Remove the tamper straight out. Treat the portafilter with care at this point - no tapping, etc.
Before you put the portafilter in the group head, press and hold the double shot button for 5 seconds. This will clean the grinds from the screen and may help temperature consistency.

5.Put the portafilter in the group head and press the double shot button once. You may want to play with this later but at this point, you want consistency. Watch the pressure gauge, once the shot starts (after pre-infusion) it should shoot up to 9-10 bar and stay there for the duration of the shot. If it doesn't get that high, repeat with a slightly finer grind. If it pegs at 9-10 bar and no espresso comes out for a few seconds, you need a coarser grind.

You want to aim for a shot that pegs 9-10 bar but flows evenly. Once you have this, you can play with pre-infusion and shot timing. Obviously taste is the most important goal!

Good luck!

Iluvdabean
Senior Member

Joined: 7 Mar 2005
Posts: 1,057
Location: California
Expertise: I live coffee

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Posted Sat Mar 23, 2013, 7:42pm Subject: Re: Breville dual boiler pressure too low

If your double wall basket has one hole on the bottom its a pressurized basket and that is definitely your problem. You cant use tamped fresh properly ground coffee in that ,it will choke every time.Your on the right track I would see if it came with a double size single wall filter ( the kind you can hold up to the light and see through all those many holes) and load it with fresh properly ground coffee and go again. Keep tamping and adjusting grinder until a pull for a double wall basket is around 30 seconds.

AlexKilpatrick
Senior Member

Joined: 30 Jan 2013
Posts: 117
Location: Austin

Espresso: Breville Dual Boiler
Grinder: Bairtiza Vario

Posted Sat Mar 23, 2013, 7:51pm
Subject: Re: Breville dual boiler pressure too low

biochemgawd Said:

Make sure your machine has been warming up for at least 30 minutes and the portafilter is in the grouphead until you are ready to pull your shot.

Posted March 23, 2013 link

I'm curious about this one. I have made shots with a totally warm machine, and a machine just warmed up. I do run some water through it if it is just warmed up. I can't tell any difference at all. The BDB does have a group head warmer, which I'm sure does help.

By the way, the BDB shuts off automatically after an hour, so an hour is the longest you can warm it up.

biochemgawd
Senior Member

Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Posts: 63
Location: Canada
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: BDB
Grinder: Vario

Posted Sat Mar 23, 2013, 7:57pm
Subject: Re: Breville dual boiler pressure too low

AlexKilpatrick Said:

Posted March 23, 2013 link

One could argue that the portafilter (being solid metal) may take a little longer to stabilize at temp. Phil recommends running water through it if you don't want to wait 30mins. Most of us would probably have a hard time tasting a difference either way - but it certainly can't hurt to wait 30mins if you want max consistency.

danioro
Senior Member

Joined: 16 Sep 2009
Posts: 23
Location: Peoria Illinois
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Breville BDB, Gaggia coffee...
Grinder: Baratza Vario

Posted Sun Mar 24, 2013, 6:40am
Subject: Re: Breville dual boiler pressure too low

lushtastic Said:

Posted March 23, 2013 link

I bought a BDB and had the same problem. I messed around with grind, tamp pressure, dose and God knows for about a month. My pressure maxed at about 7.5 bars, and grinding finer on my Vario eventually just choked the machine. My shots were all sour tasting too. Always.

Breville offered to exchange the machine. I suspect that this was one of the earlier machines that was shipped with a too tight OPV, and then recalibrated, but they overdid it on the down side.

I sucked it up and adjusted the OPV myself, using the advice in the youtube video. Being a klutz, it took me longer than 15 mins. DO NOT drop the nylon locking sleeve into the guts. Particularly do not drop it in a second time or your expletives will blister paint, necessitating repaint kitchen walls and therapy for any kids nearby.

Anyway, I got it adjusted. Now sweet 9 bars, 199 degrees, 4 second preinfusion, heavy tamp, coarser grind, 18.8 g dose, resulting in a 26-27 second 45ml shot of absolute loveliness. My heart sings with delight when tasting the chocolatey aromatic goodness, and then palpitates when I cannot resist the second shot.

Oh and BTW, I think letting the machine warm with PF in place for 20 -30 mins is a good idea. I still run a little hot water through the empty PF before fillling. I think it makes a diff.

Cheers!

Dan

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