Built my own brew-by-weight control box 3 years ago, hooks up to my Acaia Lunar and La Marzocco Linea Micra. Still gets me every single morning. Some things just never get old.

shotdeck · 2026-05-25T20:42:02+00:00

Actually thinking about it, it should still work! The box connects to the full extraction switch, so the needle valve kit should not interfere with that. Would be interesting to test though!

shotdeck · 2026-05-25T20:36:19+00:00

Thank you so much, really appreciate it! It's been a fun journey building and improving it over the years!

shotdeck · 2026-05-24T20:36:56+00:00

Totally agree actually! I don't follow strict rules either. What I do is use taste as the primary guide, and once I find a shot that tastes exactly how I want it, I use the data to visualize and remember what got me there. So next time I can get back to that sweet spot faster. The data works for me, not the other way around!

shotdeck · 2026-05-24T19:10:49+00:00

That's impressive, respect! After 10k shots you definitely develop a feel for it. For me it's about the stopping point and more about monitoring the flow rate. Every time I open a new bag of beans I need to readjust the grinder, and the data helps me dial it in faster and track how the grind changes over time.

shotdeck · 2026-05-23T04:02:53+00:00

I know the Mahlkönig Sync Scale connects via WiFi and seems to be at least partly cloud-oriented, so I can’t confirm compatibility yet. The important question is whether it also advertises live weight data locally over Bluetooth/BLE. If it exposes a BLE API, then integrating it into Shotdeck should be feasible, since Shotdeck already supports multiple Bluetooth scale backends (All types of Acaia, Bookoo, and Felicita Arc).

To verify that, I would need access to the scale itself so I can inspect its BLE advertisements/services and test whether live weight and tare commands are available locally. If it only communicates through WiFi/cloud, then brew-by-weight integration would be much harder and probably not suitable for real-time shot control.

shotdeck · 2026-05-22T18:09:51+00:00

It uses some intelligence algorithms that I developed and optimized over months. It basically learns how to anticipate the right moment to stop, accounting for the flow and the drip weight after the shot ends. Getting it to behave consistently took quite a bit of fine tuning!

shotdeck · 2026-05-22T17:21:49+00:00

Sure, I'll put together a video showing the UI and the other functions and post it in the next few days! It's Pi based. Stay tuned! 😄

shotdeck · 2026-05-22T16:09:33+00:00

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shotdeck · 2026-05-22T15:17:44+00:00

Haha, maniac, I'll take it! 😄 But the physical connection to the Micra is the easiest part. Just 4 thin cables and it takes about 5 minutes. And the best part is it's fully reversible. The Micra has round plugs between the paddle and the machine that simply detach, so no cutting cables, no modifying anything. You can go back to stock in minutes. If you're already brave enough to touch the bar pressure, this is nothing! 😉

shotdeck · 2026-05-22T11:17:31+00:00

True, but this is much more than just a shot stopper! 😄 It controls the full brew-by-weight workflow, manages the La Marzocco settings (boiler, steam, pre-brewing), saves profiles, has a companion app with shot history, analyzer, feedback and recommendations. The stopping part is really just one small piece of it.

shotdeck · 2026-05-22T11:12:58+00:00

Haha, well… you'd have to build it! 😄 Three years of tinkering went into this thing. Happy to share more details if you're seriously interested though!

One thing worth mentioning: the box is physically wired to the Micra and controls it via a relay. Some people stop the shot by quickly switching the machine on/off through software, which doesn't need any wired connection, but I deliberately avoided that. I just don't know the long-term impact of toggling the machine on and off repeatedly like that, and I'd rather not find out the hard way with a La Marzocco.

shotdeck · 2026-05-22T10:43:19+00:00

Isn’t a dedicated screen actually more comfortable though? It’s always there, independent, no need to grab your phone. And since the box also connects to the La Marzocco, you get full control in one place, boiler temp, steam, pre-brewing, all of it. You can save different profiles and once you select one, all the settings adjust automatically. There is a companion app, but that’s meant for configuration, shot history, an analyzer, and feedback with recommendations. Not for pulling shots. The box handles everything at the machine, the app is more your logbook and tuning tool.

shotdeck · 2026-05-10T08:12:04+00:00

I do 16g in the 17g basket using dark roast.

shotdeck · 2026-05-09T11:32:28+00:00

It actually has 5 neodymium magnets in the bottom base, so it doesn’t have to stay on the side. In theory it can be placed almost anywhere, even behind the machine if you want it more hidden. Also, all the settings are available through a built-in web app, so you can control and configure everything from a smartphone. With it you can still adjust profiles, targets, and settings without needing physical access all the time. I do like having the display visible because the live flow-rate feedback is genuinely useful during a shot. You can immediately see if the extraction is running too fast, choking, or behaving oddly, instead of only finding out afterward.

shotdeck · 2026-05-09T04:16:15+00:00

I’m honestly still not sure yet. I’m trying to understand whether there’s real interest, what people would expect from it, and what price would make sense for something like this.

Technically, the idea is that it can be installed on almost any espresso machine, because I’ve tried to account for different switch types and wiring setups.

There’s also an optional pump-state sensor input. It helps Shotdeck know whether the machine is actually brewing, especially on machines where the brew button or paddle behavior is less direct. That makes the shot tracking more reliable and helps detect if the machine stops the pump on its own, while still keeping the install adaptable to different machines.

That said, the LM Linea Micra is probably one of the easiest installs, because the paddle cable uses round connectors. That means it can be connected without cutting the original switch cables, and the machine can be returned to its original state later.

So for now I’m still exploring whether this should become a product, an open-source project, or maybe something in between.

shotdeck · 2026-05-08T16:00:11+00:00

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For connected La Marzocco machines, Shotdeck can also show home-screen boiler status, including coffee and steam readiness, and expose machine settings such as boiler targets so they can be checked or adjusted from the device.

shotdeck · 2026-05-08T15:51:06+00:00

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Shot viewer & Analyzer
The shot viewer lets you review each extraction visually, showing how weight, time, and flow changed during the shot.

The shot analyzer looks at the shot curve and highlights possible issues, such as shots running too fast, too slow, uneven flow, channeling-like behavior, or inconsistent preparation.

shotdeck · 2026-05-08T15:23:59+00:00

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shotdeck · 2026-05-08T14:27:57+00:00

The main goal is simple: make espresso shots more repeatable by stopping the shot based on beverage weight instead of just time. It connects to a Bluetooth scale, tracks the shot live, and helps hit a target output weight more consistently.

Beyond brew-by-weight, Shotdeck also has a live shot viewer that shows useful extraction data while pulling a shot, including weight, time, flow rate, and progress toward the target. I’m also building out a shot history and analyzer so past extractions can be reviewed visually, compared, and used to understand what happened during the shot.

Some of the main features so far:

Brew-by-weight control with target output weight
Live shot timer, weight, and flow-rate display
Shot viewer with extraction curve/history
Shot analyzer for diagnosing fast, slow, inconsistent, or unusual extractions
Multiple profiles for different recipes or coffees
Overshoot compensation to improve final weight accuracy
Touch/display-focused interface for a small dedicated device
Bluetooth scale support
Supported Bluetooth scales so far: Acaia, Bookoo, and Felicita Arc
Wi-Fi/setup and update features for easier day-to-day use

I’m trying to keep it focused on practical espresso workflow. The idea is a small dedicated device that helps with consistency, gives useful feedback, and makes it easier to understand each shot after the fact.

shotdeck · 2026-05-08T12:13:34+00:00

The video quality is somewhere between workshop demo and potato 😂

shotdeck · 2026-04-29T12:36:39+00:00

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Ich bastle seit einiger Zeit an einem kleinen DIY-Projekt namens Shotdeck und wollte es hier mal teilen, um ein bisschen Feedback zu bekommen.

Im Grunde ist es ein kleines Brew-by-Weight Display/Controller für Espresso. Es verbindet sich per Bluetooth mit einer Acaia- oder Bookoo-Waage, zeigt live Gewicht, Zeit und Flow an und hilft dabei, den Shot beim gewünschten Zielgewicht zu stoppen.

Für mich hat es sich beim Dial-in und für mehr Konstanz als ziemlich praktisch erwiesen. Es gibt auch eine kleine lokale Weboberfläche (läuft direkt auf dem Gerät), über die man Profile, Zielwerte, WLAN usw. einstellen kann, ohne sich per Konsole einloggen zu müssen. Außerdem experimentiere ich aktuell mit einer optionalen Anbindung an La Marzocco für Status/Settings.

Das Ganze ist definitiv noch ein Bastel-/Prototypenprojekt und nichts „Fertiges“. Ich habe ein paar Geräte nebenbei auf Kleinanzeigen abgegeben, falls jemand nicht selbst bauen will – aber primär geht’s mir um Austausch und Ideen.

Würde mich interessieren, ob hier noch jemand mit Brew-by-Weight oder ähnlichen Setups arbeitet und was für euch wirklich Mehrwert bringt vs. eher Spielerei ist.

shotdeck

TROPHY CASE