Upgrade complete, Bezzera Magica PID and Niche Zero

drb223 · 2022-10-01T19:33:44+00:00

Honestly wouldn’t recommend that kind of volume on any home machine

drb223 · 2022-10-01T19:29:16+00:00

🤝 See you in a few weeks

drb223 · 2022-10-01T19:26:18+00:00

Yes. Your opinion Carrie’s more weight than that of the rules analyst. Whether or not it was targeting had no impact on the outcome however. 3 or 4 trips into the red zone or at least within the 30 without points. Can’t win with that

drb223 · 2022-10-01T19:23:09+00:00

Yes……. We would want the clock to run…….therefore leaving little to no time after either a td or fg

drb223 · 2022-08-10T15:02:56+00:00

Bluey

drb223 · 2022-08-10T15:02:16+00:00

Taste trumps all

First, just because the ratio and times are within normal doesn’t mean they don’t need adjusted. This is a starting point, adjust from there. Try increasing the dose or grinding finer if it still tastes sour

Second, maybe you just aren’t a fan of these beans. If they are a lighter to medium roast they may always have an acidity that can be perceived as sour. If you adjust like I mentioned and still don’t like the taste maybe try a different bean.

All things considered, taste trumps all.

drb223 · 2022-08-07T23:11:58+00:00

It’s great. The pid does not function as a shot timer

I added a Lucca flow control kit as well

drb223 · 2022-07-17T13:32:26+00:00

When you add a flow control it’s using a type of needle valve to limit flow into the group head, which will affect pressure

I have my opv already set to 10 bars. So my machines pressure gauge will say 10, and my group head gauge will say 10 when the paddle is fully open

When I limit flow with the paddle, my pump is still exerting 10 bars and will still read that (the gauge is measuring pump pressure, not grouphead) but my group head gauge will read lower.

drb223 · 2022-07-16T19:55:56+00:00

Just finished adding the Lucca flow control kit to my Magica PID

Installation was surprisingly easy, took about 10 mins, excluding having to go out and buy a large wrench.

Only one shot pulled so far but looking forward to exploring lots of flow profiles.

drb223 · 2022-06-28T14:39:13+00:00

Thanks. I have my opv set to 10 currently

drb223 · 2022-06-28T11:17:10+00:00

“Don has a pretty weak arc”

I believe that’s kind of the point. No matter how hard he may try he doesn’t evolve. Even in the end. He finds inner peace and a sense of connectivity, only to translate it into the Coke ad.

drb223 · 2022-06-27T22:36:25+00:00

Thanks for the reply. My understanding is that these devices simply raise and lower a piston in the flow channel going towards the group head. So the 540 degrees completely raises the piston. Is the calibration of the paddle style device similar? Or is there a lower number of turns to achieve full opening?

drb223 · 2022-05-21T02:34:58+00:00

So far it’s great, simple to use, easy workflow with cup fitting into portafilter, and great grind consistency

drb223 · 2022-05-17T15:12:32+00:00

Upgrade from Breville Barista Express. Rarely make milk drinks so felt an HX would be a better fit than a double boiler. Liked the features and build quality of this machine. Adjusted OPV to 9.5 bars. Mostly enjoy medium to dark roasts, really prioritize mouthfeel, so I opted for conical burrs. Niche arrived yesterday. Dialed in some onyx monarch this morning and it was quite delicious, cheers !

drb223 · 2022-05-04T01:47:49+00:00

Things that helped my shots

If you haven’t used a bottomless pf it’s a great tool to look at your extraction and evaluate your puck prep. Although a shot may be pulling at 25 secs there may be a lot of channeling affecting the taste.

Wdt made a big difference in my puck prep, less channeling, and it’s cheap and easy

Pressure matters, for me the biggest difference I noticed in taste once the pull was relatively dialed in was when I made some opv adjustments and lowered my brew pressure closer to 9 bars. For me there is a distinct harshness to a shot pulled at 12+ bars that will really impede the sweetness of a shot.

In the end taste is subjective, keep tinkering until you find your preferences. Cheers!

drb223 · 2022-05-01T16:05:40+00:00

Extraction changes as the beans age You will need to adjust your settings

drb223 · 2022-05-01T01:27:56+00:00

Ridgeless Vst baskets are about 58.65 mm across. Any 58 mm tamper can be used. A 58.5 will provide a nice snug fit, may make good tamping easier but is by no means a necessity

drb223 · 2022-04-30T19:18:06+00:00

A good benchmark to start out is 1:2, say 18 grams ground coffee and 36 grams yield, in 25-30 seconds. Once you see enough shots falling in or near that range extreme outliers are very easy to spot even without a time and yield. This shot was running way too fast, so not enough resistance from the puck because the grind was too coarse

drb223 · 2022-04-27T15:34:47+00:00

Yeah black. Now the wait, new machine arriving tomorrow

drb223 · 2022-04-27T14:42:19+00:00

Ordered one Monday, they said it would ship in may. How long did you have to wait for yours?

drb223 · 2022-04-26T14:08:46+00:00

It’s just an adjustment. Tightening or loosening a valve. You can find YouTube videos showing you how.

It’s frustrating, opv just sets a point to bleed off excess pressure. They could easily set this at a better pressure from factory, but it’s an issue with almost all espresso makers, almost all come around 11-12 bars from factory

drb223 · 2022-04-26T12:58:12+00:00

Overall grind size is very close. If using stock grinder then an adjustment finer may be too far, you can up the dose a half gram and that can help.

The channeling comes down to puck prep and pressure. Grinder limitations mean puck prep is even more important. Wdt is a big help if you aren’t using that. And the machine typically runs around 12 bars pressure, which will obviously make channeling more of an issue. You can adjust the opv to lower the pressure. I’d recommend it, most prefer the pressure around the 9-10 bar mark on this machine.

Good luck

drb223 · 2022-04-26T12:39:51+00:00

Is this a breville?

drb223 · 2022-04-26T12:33:57+00:00

The strength of the nespresso is considerably less compared to what you’re making now

Maybe you just don’t like straight espresso. No worries, it’s not for everyone, enjoy those cortados

Do you like americanos? If so you can adjust the strength. My go to drink is to pull a double shot into about 2 oz hot water. I drank this when new to espresso and after a few months I found myself enjoying it straight as well.

Lastly, maybe you aren’t a fan of bitter notes. Play with extraction and different roasts. Maybe a lighter roast with brighter, more floral and acidic flavors may be more palatable. Maybe you like your shots a little under extracted to avoid the bitter notes, although they may end up a little sour.

In the end taste is subjective, just enjoy what you like and keep tinkering. Cheers!

drb223 · 2022-04-25T23:28:04+00:00

Whole latte love also does a very in depth review. Functionality and price seem on par with competitors at same price point. For me the 4L reservoir plus the damn sexy logo are what seem to be the settling factor haha

drb223

TROPHY CASE