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  • Silvia flow up and down

    Have been making some great shots with my new Silvia but am running into problems with the flow rate changing for no apparent reason.

    I suspect the grinder of being the culprit.  I am using a Sunbeam 0480.

    I have what I think is a very consistent grind, dose/tamp routine and produce nice looking/tasting 30 ml shots in 20-25 seconds.  Then all of a sudden the flow rate will slow right down.  It will take 10-12 seconds for anything to appear out of the portafiller and then another 30 seconds or longer to get a 30 ml shot.

    It seems to happen when the hopper in the grinder has run out of beans and I fill it up.  Although I havent changed the grind setting, usually a 9-10 on the Sunbeam, the flow rate slows down as described above.  So then I have to bump up the grind up to 12-13.  This will work for a while but then I find I have to creep the grind back down to slow down a too fast flow.

    I am using the original Sylvia double basket and Im sure my dosing/tamping is consistent.

    Could my grinder be producing variable grinds without me actually changing the setting.

    Steven

  • #2
    Re: Silvia flow up and down

    Mmmm...

    You are priming the boiler, right?

    Is this occurring with one sitting? As beans age, it can change the flow rate.
    I also find that as the machine warms or ambient temp warms I need to adjust the grind coarser. But this is half a step on a LaCimbali Junior. Not much.

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    • #3
      Re: Silvia flow up and down

      Originally posted by 61667764777C71120 link=1241048427/0#0 date=1241048427
      It seems to happen when the hopper in the grinder has run out of beans and I fill it up.
      That sounds pretty normal from my experiences. Without changing the settings on my grinder, grinding just enough beans for a double shot (with no extra beans in the hopper) will give a coarser grind than if the hopper is full (the beans are pushed down more, leading to a more consistent grind with no pop-corning). I always make sure my hopper is filled to a minimal level for every shot, to ensure consistency.

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      • #4
        Re: Silvia flow up and down



        Bassway - boiler is always primed. I always flush the group head after every shot till there is a steady stream of water.

        Caspa - your theory makes sense, execpt that I have the opposite effect. After the hopper runs out and I refill it, the flow seems to slow down, suggesting a too fine grind...



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        • #5
          Re: Silvia flow up and down

          I use the same setup as you and find that the flow rate varies a little depending on how full the hopper is and bean age although I usually dont have to change more than a click or two (I also use half clicks when necessary) to maintain 25 second doubles.

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          • #6
            Re: Silvia flow up and down

            Originally posted by 3B3C2D3E2D262B480 link=1241048427/3#3 date=1241065299

            Caspa - your theory makes sense, execpt that I have the opposite effect.  After the hopper runs out and I refill it, the flow seems to slow down, suggesting a too fine grind...

            Hi Steve,

            My first post might have been a little unclear - my flow also slows down after re-filling the hopper (the grind becomes finer).

            Cheers,

            Anthony

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