Izzo Alex Leva

[Hoggers]

Hello to all and a very happy new year.

Well I am 2 weeks in with the leva and loving it but I don't feel as though I am getting the best pour from it.

my routine is to place about 21g into the basket, tamp and then infuse for a count of 10 (have tried less but same outcome).
i then slowly raise the leva (I let go by accident one time and it was not pretty) but there seems to be very little resistance from the puck and the pour is over in less than 10 seconds. With the naked I tend to get little spurts shooting out at odd angles..

I have tried grinding finer but I find the grinder struggles and little comes out of the shoot. I have a eureka Atom which is sitting between the 0 and 1 on the scale (I adjusted as fine as I could and then adjusted courser until grinds started to come out and the texture was like gritty flour.

Anyway.. long story short that resultant taste in the cup is more metalic than anything else and not overly pleasant. The problem is that I am not sure what I need to do to improve it.

I am all ears to suggestions from the seasoned leva pros.
Cheers all

Alastair

[Javaphile]

Sounds like another case of old stale beans.


Java "Gotta be fresh!" phile

[Rolf]

Sounds like another case of old stale beans.


Java "Gotta be fresh!" phile

which coffee are you using and how old is it?

[Dr_Dave]

Hi Alistair,
10 seconds is way too fast, you may need to upgrade the grinder to get a finer grind!. As a start to fixing it, How about going to your local coffee shop and asking them to grind some of their beans and trying that first. See how that goes
Also - as others Rolf and Java, fresh beans may help
Let us know
Cheers
Dave

[WhatEverBeansNecessary]

Have to disagree with the doctor with regards to the doctor about the grinder. The atom should be more than capable if there is nothing wrong with it. However getting a cafe to grind some beans is good idea. Will more than likely rule out the grinder.

Beans seem like a more obvious problem at the moment.

[>Casa Espresso]

I would also be very, very surprised if the grinder is not up to the task.

Looking back over your posts a few weeks ago you appeared to be getting "liquid gold drops " from the naked filter. Whilst it may not have been a perfect pour, reading between the lines it seems something has changed the last few weeks...

Suggest beans to me as well

Cheers

Antony
www.casaespresso.com.au

[Hoggers]

Thanks all for the comments and now that I think about it the first few pours after adding fresh beans are a lot better than the later.

I realise that this is a topic of contention but I have been filling the hopper with approx 250g of fresh beans and using them over a few days. This maybe affecting the quality quicker than if I was to pour a smaller amount and decant back into storage when not in use. Would beans deteriorate that quickly ?

I have just tried a shot with the grinder set to a finer setting and the pour is much slower... down for 10 and then up to put pressure on the puck. From there about 5 seconds or so to the first drops which turn into a steady stream. I will measure but guessing around 30ml in 25 seconds.

Anthony... I have adjusted the grinder by running and turning until grind stopped coming out and then backed off until grinds started again. From where it stopped to started again puts me at about 9 on the adjuster.

Having gone finer there is a lot less grinds in the basket as less comes out for the same time period but the pour seems to be the better for it.

Will keep playing and am very much enjoying the journey.

Thanks all

Alastair

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Thanks all for the comments and now that I think about it the first few pours after adding fresh beans are a lot better than the later.

I realise that this is a topic of contention but I have been filling the hopper with approx 250g of fresh beans and using them over a few days. This maybe affecting the quality quicker than if I was to pour a smaller amount and decant back into storage when not in use. Would beans deteriorate that quickly ?



Alastair

Yes,storing the beans in the hopper, particularly in hot weather, will increase the speed at which they go stale by quite a bit. Anyway, until you sort yourself out, why not just eliminate this as a possible source of the problem, and put 2 or 3 shots worth of genuinely fresh beans in the hopper each session?

[WhatEverBeansNecessary]

Hoggers - many of us just single dose. I have a cheap scale from Ebay that goes to 0.01g (fully aware that it won't be 100% accurate) but dose exactly 16g each time (give or take a bean). It has improved my game a lot. Even if I am making coffee for 6 or so people, i still do it and weigh between shots or while its pouring. I don't really even think twice now. That way my beans keep fresher for longer.

[LEVERSFOREVER]

Hello everyone, after evaluating various brands, I decided to buy a Alex leva, so to avoid connecting it to the water network,
I wanted to ask you if a bottle placed 50 or 110 cm above, has enough pressure to refill the water in the tank without having to use a flow-jet pump.


Sorry for my bad english ...


Thanks all.
Stefano

[WhatEverBeansNecessary]

Hello everyone, after evaluating various brands, I decided to buy a Alex leva, so to avoid connecting it to the water network,
I wanted to ask you if a bottle placed 50 or 110 cm above, has enough pressure to refill the water in the tank without having to use a flow-jet pump.


Sorry for my bad english ...


Thanks all.
Stefano

there are a few Izzo owners here who would know better, but I would think not. You would need enough pressure in the line to overcome the back pressure from the boiler, which wouldn't be enough from 1m of head pressure.

[Dimal]

if a bottle placed 50 or 110 cm above, has enough pressure to refill the water in the tank without having to use a flow-jet pump.

Welcome Stefano...

Yes mate, that would work fine; lots of CS members have done exactly that with their Lever Machines.

Mal.

[LEVERSFOREVER]

Thank you all. Within the next month I should make the purchase and in the meantime I will look for the circlip in stainless steel, thanks to the indications I found in this thread which is one of the most interesting about the Alex Leva.
As soon as I have Alex, I will insert some pictures.
Then I'll have to find a suitable grinder ... Mahlkonig EK43 / S or Ditting 804? This is the dilemma.


See you soon.

Stefano

[Dodgy-Account-Grillsy]

Izzo Alex Leva

Hey there Stefano, have you seen an Izzo in action ? Very nice, very powerful

[Dodgy-Account-Grillsy]

Post pics wen you get your beast.