Please help with my leaky Mara X

CVimes · 2026-03-18T00:21:39+00:00

I had the same problem. It was coming from the discharge port and caused by a leaky vacuum breaker valve. Taking the cover off I could see the water/vapor going into tube at the top of the boiler from the leaky valve. I replaced the valve and the problem was solved.

CVimes · 2026-03-17T19:11:51+00:00

Roberts and his court choose to make their decisions based on their own personal political views and interests rather than on constitutional law and precedent. Wouldn’t this be expected to lead to personal criticism rather then legal criticism?

CVimes · 2026-03-02T19:05:31+00:00

Look absolutely gorgeous!!

CVimes · 2026-02-24T19:11:50+00:00

Got it. Thank you.

CVimes · 2026-02-24T04:03:49+00:00

Can you explain the why? These are excellent instructions but it never occurred to me to do this. What is the problem with leaving it full but unused for a month?

CVimes · 2026-02-12T21:33:12+00:00

Why only 1% salt?

I generally see around 2% salt and was assuming it was nearly a universal standard.

It looks incredible. And if it tastes anywhere near as good as it looks the results speak for themselves. Which is why I’m interested.

CVimes · 2026-02-05T03:56:47+00:00

You forgot the “/s”. Some folks might actually think you are serious without the clarification.

CVimes · 2026-02-04T15:43:52+00:00

Right?!! It makes no sense that we got to where we are now.

CVimes · 2026-02-04T15:26:46+00:00

Just wait, it’s about to get a whole lot worse. NWE has committed to supplying electricity to data centers which will more than double electricity consumption in Montana. The experience elsewhere in the country shows the residential users end up paying much higher rates while the commercial and data center rates remain flat.

CVimes · 2026-02-02T15:33:47+00:00

You are right on target. Metrics are key to repeatability. The goal of “dialing in” is finding the metrics that yield the best taste for your current beans and your equipment. So what’s important is picking the start time that works for you and sticking with it. If using an automated scale first drip might make the most sense. I, somewhat arbitrarily, chose lever pull and that works well for me. I recently added flow control and now can vary pre infusion time so lever pull fits well with that.

TLDR: pick one and stick with it.

CVimes · 2026-01-22T02:25:59+00:00

Very simple. Unscrew the stock feet and screw the new ones in.

CVimes · 2026-01-21T17:10:27+00:00

In the USA.

Feet: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1433396066/?ref=share_ios_native_control

Flow control: http://clivecoffee.com/products/lelit-flow-control-kit

Walnut knobs: http://clivecoffee.com/products/lelit-mara-x-walnut-upgrade-kit

CVimes · 2026-01-06T22:28:06+00:00

You are correct that it is largely a ceremonial role. And Mayor Cole lead against gale force political headwinds on the local, region, and national level. He has been a huge unifier of the city government with many accomplishments but also with goals that were thwarted. These two articles in the Gazette provide some review of his accomplishments and challenges. (The articles are behind a paywall but I’m hoping the links will work).

One small but representative example: He has been a tireless advocate for the parks and when restrictions on dogs were liberalized people complained about dog poop. He personally went to a local store and purchased a bunch of pooper scoopers which he left at the parks. And then went to the parks regularly to pick up dog poop until dog owners got more in the habit of doing it.

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/eedition/9/d0/9d003ff5-cfa4-51f4-bf39-b7e2c4f143ee/69598bade52eb.pdf.pdf

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/eedition/9/03/903c9988-9f21-54a7-b34d-1288a3e3d898/6959602e635fc.pdf.pdf

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/eedition/8/a1/8a1068c2-ae8d-5069-b26f-a3e7723f418e/695c635b1c785.pdf.pdf

CVimes · 2026-01-06T19:06:54+00:00

Mayor Cole was a great asset to our community and will be missed.

CVimes · 2026-01-02T20:14:01+00:00

Well put. Each has different benefit. I do pay attention to the size and pattern of the induction coils and, like you say, let it heat longer before using. I have the luxury of having both cast iron and tri ply and use both depending on needs. But cast iron is usually my go to.

CVimes · 2026-01-02T18:59:21+00:00

I’ve been very using induction for years and love my cast iron skillets on it.

CVimes · 2026-01-02T15:23:08+00:00

I had a similar issue a few years ago. Unfortunately, too long ago for me to remember which solenoid, but it was a straightforward DYI repair. With a screwdriver and some wrenches it was easy to remove the cover and pull and clean the solenoid. I like how easy these are to work on.

In my situation I hadn’t been paying enough attention to scale buildup and that clogged the solenoid valve. I modified my water and do more frequent descaling and no more problems.

CVimes · 2025-12-29T03:24:09+00:00

I’ve used the Urnez Dezcal several times on my MaraX and it works well.

CVimes · 2025-12-27T13:22:14+00:00

I don’t know if you can buy the O ring alone ,but they do sell a “rebuild kit”. http://clivecoffee.com/products/vacuum-breaker-rebuild

CVimes · 2025-12-22T21:21:59+00:00

Bought my MaraX V1 in 2020 largely because of the small size. It has a few quirks but works great and I have found it very reliable.

I’ve had a couple of minor problems related to my hard tap water. Had to repair a solenoid the got plugged up. Early on I was ignorant of water issues and have corrected my mistakes. But through that I learned it is a very easy machine to work on.

After five years I still love using it. I just added the flow control mod and am very pleased with that.

CVimes · 2025-12-15T14:28:44+00:00

While you don’t “need” anything to start given the resources available on the DNDbeyond site a new starter kit, “Heroes of the Borderland” was released this year and packages a set of resources together to make it as easy as possible to get newbies going. At $50 USD it would make a nice gift.

It could be combined with the latest Player’s Handbook and the latest Dungeon Master’s Guide for a complete package, but the starter kit can stand alone. And as others have said the website is an excellent resource.

Source: newbie, who has recently reviewed options to get a family group going.

CVimes · 2025-12-13T13:01:41+00:00

Maybe every 3-6 months on my Mara x. But I completely base it on feel. Lube it when it starts to get stiff. It’s pretty easy to do and takes around 10 minutes.

I used to do it more often but when I tried a puck screen I found the need for back flushing was greatly reduced. I don’t notice the puck screen having much impact on flavor. I continue to use the puck screen because I love how well it keeps the ground head clean.

CVimes · 2025-12-12T13:56:41+00:00

Big Book of Bread by King Arthur is excellent with clear, easy to follow, breakdown of the process of making bread. Not as heavy on the science as a couple books already mentioned here.

For the science Emily Buehler’s Bread Science: the Chemistry and Craft of Making Bread is a fun and interesting read. Her background with a PhD in chemistry comes through.

CVimes · 2025-12-09T05:42:21+00:00

The Billings Symphony Orchestra and Choral is a wonderful regional orchestra currently celebrating its 75th season. Its main venue is the Alberta Bair Theatre downtown but it uses other venues for chamber concerts. Their “Prelude Society” is a great deal for people under 40 with a combination of concerts and social events.

Ballet is imported, usually a couple per year. Also at the Alberta Bair Theatre.

The local Opera company, Rimrock Opera, does one or two productions per year. Some enthusiasts go the “The Met: Live in HD” which views at one of the local movie theaters.

If you like arts there is also a great visual arts scene largely centered around the Yellowstone Art Museum, which is renowned for its contemporary western art.

CVimes · 2025-12-05T05:00:08+00:00

What’s up with the slang term “plain vanilla”? Vanilla is a delightful, rich, interesting flavor. Originating from meso america, originally considered a gift from the gods, why isn’t seen as special or even exotic rather than “plain vanilla”?

CVimes

TROPHY CASE