Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

[Epic76]

Learned CSers!

Ive started getting a pronounced metallic taste in my shots and seek help diagnosing the problem. Having progressed though water, coffee and extraction (PEBFAG) possibilities, Im left with the machine (La Scala L1 Butterfly) being the source.

I flushed the rinsed and empty (no group handle) group till the cup below filled, let the water cool a little and *bleearck*! Clearly metallic. Input water is filtered Everpure (my inline Bombora filter is offline for the moment) and taste wise is flawless. The reservoir is clean and the gicleur chamber shows no visible signs of problems (just very VERY light pitting/scale).

Thanks in advance guys.

Epic76

[Luke_G]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

How old is the machine and when was the last time it was descaled?

[A_M]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

Learned CSers!

Ive started getting a pronounced metallic taste in my shots and seek help diagnosing the problem.  Having progressed though water, coffee and extraction (PEBFAG) possibilities, Im left with the machine (La Scala L1 Butterfly) being the source.

I flushed the rinsed and empty (no group handle) group till the cup below filled, let the water cool a little and *bleearck*!  Clearly metallic.  Input water is filtered Everpure (my inline Bombora filter is offline for the moment) and taste wise is flawless.  The reservoir is clean and the gicleur chamber shows no visible signs of problems (just very VERY light pitting/scale).

Thanks in advance guys.

Epic76

Give us some time... Am sure you will get swamped with any number of options..

Binary division.

Day or night time... Any other triggers ?

1: Separate the two main components.. YOU Vs Machine

Ie. Go and drink water from other sources etc.. The metallic taste can be a symptom of some interesting shit..

Last time I had that... I decided Russian roulette was not a good past time.... Some here should try it.. Gets the hart rate up a bit.

2: If can get a supply of good stuff (water) ya happy with...

OH... Assuming it not a health issue...

Start using it and slowly split ya machine as per teh rules of binary division (and one thing at a time) and see where it all leads to..

So many variables...

[Epic76]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

Hi Luke,
    Thanks for your response.
It would be approaching 4 years old now.  
Its never been descaled as its lived on filtered water exclusively and the shroom shows minimal scale.

Think its required anyway?


Hey AM,
Have applied said principle to get to where I am (ie great water in, metallic water out).  Will swap back to the Bombora filter to ensure its not an undetectable component of the Everpure water (pre-machine) thats reacting with heat/boiler/etc to become the metallic taste (post-machine).

P.S.  The possibility of it being a symptom of a brain tumour has been eliminated!  (ie. others can taste it too)  *phew*

[beanflying]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

Drop the top burr carrier out of you grinder just to make sure you can eliminate that too as a possible source, metal on metal rubbing should be easy to spot. I did have a bearing issue on one of mine a while back that was allowing the burrs to touch occasionally which was giving a metalic taste. Bearing wasnt obviously noisy but it had end float. Good chance for a proper clean while you are going even if you eliminate it

[damian1]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

Am sure you will get swamped with any number of options..

when I had a two group, I used to get this problem if I didnt move enough water through each group. In the end I used to use one side only, and flush the other side in advance when i knew I would be using both sides. It used to take a fair few cups out the the group to get rid of the taste. id try flushing lots out your group to freshen it up.

[Epic76]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

Drop the top burr carrier out of you grinder

Hi BF,
 Im hoping that flushing water only (ie no coffee) through has eliminated this possibility but like you say, a good excuse for a clean so will do - just in case!  Thanks  

[3fun]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

Could using the kyocera assist with eliminate the possibility of the grinder adding metallic taste?

Have you had others taste it to make sure it isnt your taste buds?

[A_M]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

P.S.  The possibility of it being a symptom of a brain tumour has been eliminated!  (ie. others can taste it too)  *phew*

Had to cover all bases... Ya too great a guy

[Epic76]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

move enough water

4L flush complete.  Not as strong now....but still present

possibility of the grinder

Thanks 3Fun.  The flush water is metallic so that eliminates the possibility of it being the grinder but keep the suggestions coming.  Gotta fix this!

all bases

Aww shucks!

[A_M]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

All bases..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taste

After that I am confused..

A: Remove the head / manual clean / Flush / of teh group head... Restrictor etc etc..

Considering how often ya fly and the amount of time it might sit with water in teh system... A good chance ya have some crap in one of those little places...

Now after some heat and flushes it may go away... Another flight and some time away and what ever it is get a chance to mass produce once again.

How long you had this unit ?

A good excuse to strip back to the very raw components

1: Bleach / wash ya water tank ..

2: Strip the E61 head - group jet etc...

3: Remove the group and replace teh large O-rings etc..

Not much else I can come up with... :-X

[Koffee_Kosmo]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

Throwing a curve ball
Sumatra Blue beans sometimes have a metallic taste

KK

[WSullivan]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

yeah but.....

The flush water is metallic so that eliminates the possibility

[Epic76]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

Update:

Theres been minimal change in scale on the shroom but it now has a pretty obvious green tinge to it - something it didnt have 9 months ago (around the machines 3rd bday). If Im not mistaken, copper oxide is green so that would suggest Ive got some corrosion in the boiler?

What to do??? :-[

[WSullivan]

Re: Metallic tasting espresso - help please!

Descale? How old are the filters in your system?