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Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

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  • bvlabrenz
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    hi ya mrtayls

    im in new york city and found your post. im having the exact same problem with my lucy now. i too bought her used and now she just wont get hot enough. there was a period when i had to reset the thermostat often, but now it just doesnt get hot enough. warms up consistently to 70 or so, but then tops off.

    did you figure it out? hope so...

    brock

    Leave a comment:


  • mrtayls
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    i think the problem is coming down to temperature, ive been doing a bit of research and i think to install a PID controller is the way to go.
    Im a sparky by trade, i reckon i can get one in for about $40, ill keeps yous posted on the install.
    Daniel

    Leave a comment:


  • scarey
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    I didnt bother screwing mine on - just jammed it between the thermostat bracket and the boiler (so the bead was against the brass) then cable tied the wire to other wires to make sure it stayed there.

    Must have been good contact because the boiler was reliably on at 90*C and off at 100*C which I think the same as the thermostat rating.

    With the thermal lag between the element and the outside of the boiler the temperature will keep rising to ~116*C - I used to flush water about then, aiming to bring it down to my start point (~102*C) when Id lock in and pull the shot. You can try different start points to see how the taste changes.

    Leave a comment:


  • mrtayls
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    yeah that does sound like a good idea. So that temp sensor is only sensing the temp of the boiler casing? it seems to be a lug that is looped onto the bracket holding the element in?

    ive turned this into my mission to solve this!

    Leave a comment:


  • scarey
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    Originally posted by 76696F7A6277681B0 link=1289460284/6#6 date=1289629792
    lucy does not have a boiler light
    Ah, sorry... wasnt aware of that difference between Lucy & Silvia.

    I can recommend gronking for improving the consistency of your shots - its simple and much better than a boiler light

    Leave a comment:


  • mrtayls
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    scarey
    i dont really have a surfing technique because the lucy does not have a boiler light, the light on the main switch just indicates low water level. But yes, i do get spitting steam.
    Im starting to think that these beans may have just been a sour or under roasted batch? im not too sure, im no expert.
    Ive recently purchased another batch from and they seem to be better.

    Leave a comment:


  • Yash
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    Not sure if this is the answer youre looking for but I believe there are some barista tricks to fixing issues with shots (eg. sour ones).

    To reduce the sourness you could run the shot for a tad longer (the bittnerness at the end will counteract the sourness). You can also try doing a short start dump where you let the first couple seconds of the extraction fall into the drip tray (most the of sourness will be from the beginning of the shot).

    Anyway just some thoughts from a newbie, got the info from a link on this forum and tried it out myself successfully. More of a band aid fix but usefull none the less.

    Leave a comment:


  • scarey
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    Originally posted by 637C7A6F77627D0E0 link=1289460284/0#0 date=1289460284
    what to check... any ideas?
    I presume your surfing technique hasnt changed - when in the cycle do you pull the shot?

    If you flush water just after the boiler light goes off do you still get a bit of overheated water (spitting steam) at first ?

    Does the boiler cycle still seem the same - ~40secs on, ~10(+?)min off?

    To get a more accurate temp you need to minimise the drop and use an insulated cup - the traditional way was half a styrofoam cup held up to the group head with the thermometer pushed through the side.  A much better way is to get a digital thermometer with a quick response bead thermocouple (eg. the one in BeanBay or a Jaycar QM1602) - you could also later use this to gronk the boiler which helps identify where in the cycle you get the best shots.

    Im no expert on thermostats but I think they would be more likely to fail completely than drift temp significantly - unless it has come adrift from the boiler... but that would lead to over-hot water, hmmm

    Lots of other threads on similar problems - eg Rancilio/Rocky gone sour

    Leave a comment:


  • mrtayls
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    well thats the measurement when its in the cup, id imagine that theres a loss of temperature from the grouphead into the cup.

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  • trentski
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    Is the water coming out of the group at 70C?

    It should be more like 93ush, the cold water would account for the sour shots.

    Not sure what part is playing up though, thermostat?

    Leave a comment:


  • mrtayls
    replied
    Re: Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    o yeah, the beans i usually use are from 7 seeds, ive also tried atomica beans and the same deal.
    Ive used these beans in the machine previously and they have come out great...

    cheers Daniel

    Leave a comment:


  • mrtayls
    started a topic Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    Rancilio Lucy (silvia + rocky combo) sour shots

    Hi all
    I purchased a Lucy a little while back, it was a second hand machine that had been let go and never cleaned. I cleaned it up, new shower, descale and other bits and bobs and got it working well. Was pulling some fantastic shots.

    Just recently it started pulling some sour shots, i gave it another descale, checked for any leaks and done everything i could. Ive gone through a heap of beans on different grinds to see if that was the issue, i can grind them so fine that the machine struggles to pull a shot and its still sour.
    I understand that sour shots is generally related to water temp being low, i put some water through the group head and tested the temp and it was around 70oC.

    Im running out of ideas what to check... any ideas?
    Daniel
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