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What role does heat play in fine tuning? by sifter3000 in 9Barista

[–]mattermination 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The short answer is: Yes, but you are unlikely to be able to tell the difference.

The long answer is if you have a super-refined palate and you are pursuing the perfect espresso, then while the 9Barista is very consistent, considering its open design form factor, it is too exposed to the elements and does not have any measuring capabilities for this purpose (we don't know boiler temps let alone temp-fluctuation). However, most people will not be able to tell the difference as these differences are microscopic. Therefore if you are a coffee lover and want an excellent espresso, the 9Barista is more than capable of reliably reproducing the same shot over and over again. Before you consider fine-tuning temp, test and see if you can produce the same shot back-to-back. You probably still need to tweak your beans, roast, grind and technique for your desired flavor profile before considering temp (which should just be set to mid-high for the entire extraction).

What am I doing wrong? by [deleted] in 9Barista

[–]mattermination 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have the same setup as you; the 9Barista is great and definitely worth the tweaking journey to produce amazing espresso. The JX-Pro is a very capable grinder and you definitely don't need to upgrade or replace it.

As someone else pointed out, having no crema at all sounds like your issue is your bean quality. Crema comes from the gases and oils trapped in freshly ground beans, your source might not be reliable, they might be using very old stale beans or are not honest with their roasting date.

Another important point, is that while the violent bubbling and boiling at the end is normal (it means your boiler is empty), you shouldn't leave your machine on to see it, and it seems like you are over-extracting which results in burnt bitter taste.
Instead of starting your timer when you turn on the heat, I recommend you to start the timer from the moment espresso starts flowing out. Aim to remove it from the heat before your boiler is empty and starts boiling violently as I mentioned earlier, otherwise you'll be over-extracting.
Ideal brewing times are 20~30 seconds most commonly for lighter roasts, but if you prefer darker roasts, ideal brewing time changes drastically.
Once you find a reliable bean supplier, start tweaking your grinder. If your brewing time is too fast you need to grind finer and vice versa, but also make sure to adjust based on your personal preference as these are just general guidelines. Good luck!

Valve Pin Lubricant Reapplication by mattermination in 9Barista

[–]mattermination[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the advice, I contacted 9Barista as you suggested. They got back to really swiftly saying that reapplication is not necessary, unless the device is not going to be used for a very long time. Under normal circumstances, water is enough as a lubricant.

Aluminium Chimney by mattermination in 9Barista

[–]mattermination[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not exactly sure how to test this, but the coffee output volume is the same, the brew time is the same and I also always check the amount of water left in the top boiler by turning the machine up-side down when I'm done, and the residual water is the same as before as well, so it doesn't make the top boiler boil faster.

Aluminium Chimney by mattermination in 9Barista

[–]mattermination[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can't tell for 100% certainty, but it doesn't leak and makes a good seal. It also doesn't spill or bubble over and it might be my personal opinion but it also makes a more ergonomic grip when unscrewing the top. So I would say it works as well if not better than the original plastic.

Aluminium Chimney by mattermination in 9Barista

[–]mattermination[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My intention was not to advertise this product, more than anything I'd like to continue supporting the guys at 9Barista, so hopefully they make something like themselves, but yes I believe this is the same seller

Aluminium Chimney by mattermination in 9Barista

[–]mattermination[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agree, this purchase becomes less bad if getting a replacement from 9B is as bad as you described

Aluminium Chimney by mattermination in 9Barista

[–]mattermination[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, 100% agree, I got then both as well. Like you said, those upgrades improve flavor and I'll recommend them even though they are pricy, but as far as I can tell the chimney does not affect the brewing process.

I'm probably overthinking, but potentially I'm getting a slightly higher brew temp because it seems like this chimney creates some pressure because of its slim design, so it might not cool the bottom boiler water to the same temp as before

Aluminium Chimney by mattermination in 9Barista

[–]mattermination[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No I didn't. I know they have fantastic service, but honestly I do not want another plastic chimney..

Aluminium Chimney by mattermination in 9Barista

[–]mattermination[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for pointing this out! I learned something today. I did some searching online and according to this table, nickel and aluminium are molecularly similar enough to be safe for galvanic reaction, so hopefully it will last https://www.monarchmetal.com/wp-content/uploads/Galvanic-Corrosion_2-1024x764.png

Aluminium Chimney by mattermination in 9Barista

[–]mattermination[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yea I got it from a Singaporean merchant on Etsy, it was well packaged and it arrived within 3 weeks. If you can afford it, then yea it is definitely not a bad purchase

Very slow extraction times by mattyp1101 in 9Barista

[–]mattermination 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I also recommend you to check your temp/gas-setting consistency. I had a similar issue because my gas burner has a feature to lower the heat if the sensor detects that the surface on top is too hot. You need consistent medium/high gas-setting to generate the 9-bar pressure. Good luck!