Posted Thu Apr 5, 2012, 5:40pm Subject: Re: How does an HX work?
hopefully someone will come by with some real help. one thing i thought was normal was that you need to do a cooling flush before pulling the shot on a heat exchange machine. i think some of that is described in this article Click Here (www.home-barista.com)
i wonder how the steam and water shot out of the compressed coffee puck...
is there any way to determine the pressure or temp on that machine?
JDHarding Senior Member Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 1,099 Location: WA, USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Ascaso Steel Pro PID Grinder: Nuova Simonelli MDX,... Vac Pot: None Drip: Hario v60 Roaster: Behmor, Fresh Roast
Posted Thu Apr 5, 2012, 5:50pm Subject: Re: How does an HX work?
Well, the flow was sort of slow, so I'll back off a bit on the grind setting, but I'm guessing the steam caused extra pressure that released while pulling the shot, or something like that. I don't know why it also shot out the exit pipe, but some coffee/water/steam did come out of there, not a lot.
And yes, it's at around 212F degrees without a cooling flush.
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,679 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Fri Apr 6, 2012, 5:54am Subject: Re: How does an HX work?
I am not quite following, did you intend to say that the pump kicked in DURING the shot or was it running the whole time and there was a sudden boost in pressure?
The pump should be ON the whole shot, it should be providing constant pressure and it sure sounds like that is a single basket in the PF. I trust you when you say it isn't but every double I have seen holds at least 16 to 18 g after tamping and not touching the screen.
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JDHarding Senior Member Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 1,099 Location: WA, USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Ascaso Steel Pro PID Grinder: Nuova Simonelli MDX,... Vac Pot: None Drip: Hario v60 Roaster: Behmor, Fresh Roast
Posted Fri Apr 6, 2012, 12:54pm Subject: Re: How does an HX work?
The pump is on during the shot, but I heard what sounded like a kick, or a surge, and sudden rush of water through the puck.
As for the tiny double basket, I think it has something to do with the grouphead gasket. The portafilter, when locked in, doesn't sit at a T, but instead it's way off to the right. I think the gasket is the wrong size. It's not "thick" enough.
JDHarding Senior Member Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 1,099 Location: WA, USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Ascaso Steel Pro PID Grinder: Nuova Simonelli MDX,... Vac Pot: None Drip: Hario v60 Roaster: Behmor, Fresh Roast
Posted Fri Apr 6, 2012, 4:14pm Subject: Re: How does an HX work?
Turns out either the portafilter's ears/tabs or the group bell is worn and is causing the portafilter to seat too far to the right. Espressoparts suggested I add some paper shims in over the group gasket to make it thicker or get a new portafilter. That sucks. :/
JDHarding Senior Member Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 1,099 Location: WA, USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Ascaso Steel Pro PID Grinder: Nuova Simonelli MDX,... Vac Pot: None Drip: Hario v60 Roaster: Behmor, Fresh Roast
Posted Tue Apr 10, 2012, 1:52pm Subject: Re: How does an HX work?
Got the shims in today, installed them just now, and now the PF is locking in at a perfect T. I'll try pulling shots on it later. I'm glad those shims worked, otherwise I'd have to buy a new portafilter, which would cost me $90 from Nuova Simonelli.
JDHarding Senior Member Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 1,099 Location: WA, USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Ascaso Steel Pro PID Grinder: Nuova Simonelli MDX,... Vac Pot: None Drip: Hario v60 Roaster: Behmor, Fresh Roast
Posted Tue Apr 10, 2012, 2:55pm Subject: Re: How does an HX work?
Okay, I figured out the problem with pulling shots with this thing. The double basket has a crack in it. It wasn't noticable at first, but on inspection there's a crack going across 5 holes on one of the sides. My theory is that while pulling the shot, it starts off okay, but then the water finds that crack and forces not just water but coffee grounds through that crack at a furious pace. I know this because when I tried drinking the shot, there was a ton of coffee grounds in it.
Currently, I don't think anyone carries double baskets for this machine. I bought what I thought was a double basket from espressoparts, but it turns out it's a double POD basket, for I guess double PODs, or putting 2 pods in a single basket, I don't know.
I tried fitting one of my other machine's double baskets into the Elli's PF, but it's too tall. I guess I should send the PF to one of you guys, if you have the means, and have it modded to be bottomless. I don't know what else to do.
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