My Take On Cremina - From Start To...

[OCD]

Sounds like a good name for a novel or poem.

"Fifty Shades of Lime Scale".

[OCD]

What is it exactly about your flushing routine that you reckon might be allowing coffee of some form back into the boiler? Genuinely interested, in case I'm doing it too.

After I've finished pulling my shots I:
* block the portafilter off with a rubber disk.
* lock the blocked portafilter into the group head.
* back it off a few degrees.
* lift the lever forcing the 1 BAR boiler water through the gap between the blocked portafilter and the group head.
This flushing technique has kept my group head clean - up until now.
I was under the impression that, although this technique opens up a direct path between the boiler and the brewing chamber, the pressure difference would prevent cross contamination. Maybe it doesn't.

Ps best laid plans of mice and men...

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Limescale can be brown

Sounds like a good name for a novel or poem.

[flynnaus]

Limescale can be brown

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

I use a 1 micron nominal* under sink water filter for Cremina. This same filter has reduced visible lime scale in my kettle to near zero.
So why the buildup of crud (I say crud because I'm not sure it is lime scale) in Cremina? Maybe my technique needs to be reassessed - especially my flushing regime which could be allowing coffee back into the boiler. Come to think of it, the crud looks more like coffee (brownish) than lime scale (whitish).

*50% to 98.6% efficiency as opposed to absolute at 98.7% plus efficiency.

Ps thanks for the feedback.

What is it exactly about your flushing routine that you reckon might be allowing coffee of some form back into the boiler? Genuinely interested, in case I'm doing it too.

[OCD]

I use a 1 micron nominal* under sink water filter for Cremina. This same filter has reduced visible lime scale in my kettle to near zero.
So why the buildup of crud (I say crud because I'm not sure it is lime scale) in Cremina? Maybe my technique needs to be reassessed - especially my flushing regime which could be allowing coffee back into the boiler. Come to think of it, the crud looks more like coffee (brownish) than lime scale (whitish).

*50% to 98.6% efficiency as opposed to absolute at 98.7% plus efficiency.

Ps thanks for the feedback.

[SanderP]

Wow, I've only descaled my Cremina once in 6 years and that was when I purchased it and did a full bare metal restore.

The first signs of build-up is normally the sight glass - either visible 'crud' or being obstructed.

The water/steam path to the steam wand isn't that restricted to become obstructed easily.

I inspect mine every six months to check for build-up.

I'd be very concerned at the speed of this build-up.

I strongly agree with Barry - you need to fix your water.

Cheers

[EspressoAdventurer]

I am only posting OCD as a way to cause you to reevaluate, and for the luv of good coffee....yours for you!
Now I only have your posts and Caffienators post above, and my continued exposure to many sites with water issues.
I also question in some cases whether 'coffee std' water filtration at 15microns is really now good enough*.

Referring to your post #25 OCD, and the need to descale again at the 12months timeline should instigate how is the scale arriving in my boiler!....thoughts.

* my current knowledge base , where I am very open to further education from the collective here and elsewhere.
Also depending on the quality of water in obv!

[Caffeinator]

Conclusion: 12 months between descales is way too long.

I disagree. It's waaay too brief. Suggest you examine the water quality issues which are leading to this. I'd think that good cafes in Ballarat are on remineralised RO. If I was in your 'hood and had a cremina, I'd be on bottled I'd think.

[OCD]

Cremina's first chemical descale was at 6 months - from new. In the 12 months since then, she has accumulated about 50% of the crud that she did in the prior 6 months. I can only speculate that the manufacturing process left a residue of some sort.
Over the last 12 months Cremina's efficiency has imperceptibly deteriorated. When the penny finally dropped, the reduction in steam pressure and loss of coffee clarity could no longer be ignored.
Thankfully this has all been put right with her second descale - as per posts #24 & #25.
Conclusion: 12 months between descales is way too long.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

How is the pour?
I've never bothered doing a Fellini as I use two baskets to pour two shots rather than trying to pour a double from one.
Worthwhile investing in as naked portafilters (if you'd prefer not to chop off the bottom of your current one.

I don't have two 49mm baskets (well, I do have a single.......).

I have a naked portafilter on the way.

Since I've sorted out the rest of my routine the 'Fellini' thing seems to work well for my current purposes (i.e. forming the base of a flat white) and bean. The pour looks pretty good to me, it was a bit irregular at first but I think my distribution was not spot on. Have worked on that the pour is very even and viscous. Looking forward to getting back to using the naked though, and that might tell me a little more. All tasting good, which is the main thing.

[flynnaus]

How is the pour?
I've never bothered doing a Fellini as I use two baskets to pour two shots rather than trying to pour a double from one.
Worthwhile investing in as naked portafilters (if you'd prefer not to chop off the bottom of your current one.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

OK. So a bit of an update. I now have the pressurestat set to range roughly between 0.76 and 0.90 bar. Seems to be a happy medium for my requirements thus far. After a bit of experimenting I'm presently using two different methods:

For espresso (ristretto really):
1) Wait for group to reach 75 C, if idling at 80c, give it a good seeing to with a damp discloth.
2) Grind / dose / tamp
3) Raise lever to 2pm (or 10pm if you're a left-hander).
4) Lock in portafilter
5) Slowly raise lever to top, wait about 5 seconds, the slow bring lever down so that total pre-infusion is about 10-12 seconds
6) Lower lever to bottom with sufficient pressure to achieve slow, even flow.

For a flat white:
1-4) as above
5) Slowly raise lever to top, then lower and raise lever (to about 2pm ) two or three times to bring more water into group.
6) as above.
7) check that pressure is at least 0.8 bars, steam milk.

Working well for me with the Colombia Esperanza Geisha (which is ok in milk, but not its best use). I have some Ethiopia Bensa coming up next.

[flynnaus]

To put things in some perspective, the best coffee I've made (for my palate) has come from my Bacchi and my Flair.......so I'm a bit of an outlier.

It took me a couple of months to develop a consistently good technique to the stage that all my best coffees have come from my Cremina. Before that, it was a Yemen prepared in an Aeropress.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

What beans have you been using Barry? I have pretty much restricted my use of the Cremina to single origins at their peak and then resorting to my Profitec for the other days.Some blends have shone - one I can remember was 2/3 Eth Harrar Longberry, 1/3 Costa Rican, surprising in that I wasn't expecting much from that blend.

To heat my grouphead, I wait until the boiler comes up to temp and then half fill each of two cups (typically Duralex 250ml) then prepare my shots. By then, the head has reached 75deg.
I also have a warmed 70mL cup on hand as one pull of the lever will usually dispense more than a shot's worth of espresso. I pull the rest into the espresso cup to relieve pressure enough to allow me to carefully remove the portafilter (and I drink it).

At the moment I'm using a 50/50 blend of Ethiopian Bensa / PNG Wahgi, taken to a bit before second crack. Waiting in the wings I have 400g of Colombia Esperanza, again taken to about 20 seconds before second crack. I haven't been 100% consistent with my brewing method thus far....just trying different things that I've seen in various places.

I have one shot as an espresso, and a later one with milk. And then maybe another one of either variety. To put things in some perspective, the best coffee I've made (for my palate) has come from my Bacchi and my Flair.......so I'm a bit of an outlier.