Simonelli Oscar - Technical Advice Please

[yabba]

I have brought my Oscar back to the bench after a 2 yr retirement. After numerous awful shots today i decided to test the temp from the brew head in the cup (no coffee, just water). Max I was able to get was 75 C. I also have the heat light coming on after as little as 100mls from the brew head but not that quickly from using the steam. Some history on the machine - I bought this secondhand and it was put into retirement shortly after I bought it because i was running a restaurant and stopped making coffee at home. I don't remember ever really being happy with it when i first got it so I think this problem was there when i bought the machine. In shipping the unit, the lagging around the boiler crumbled so the boiler doesn't currently have insulation / lagging.

HELP! Apart from needing to get the brew temp up (or check it a different way to be sure) I am wanting to perform the mods to allow for using a timer etc.

Questions- What is best to use for lagging around the boiler? What would you suggest re resolving the temp issue. I am handy enough to work on the old girl however I'm not familiar with problem solving them. Are there things I can check / replace? What steps would you recommend?

Can someone remind me of the "standard mods for the Oscar including those to allow timer usage.

Thanks for any advice etc.

Cheers Yabba

[sprezzatura]

Increasing brew temp can be as easy as increasing tension on the pressostat. Maybe raise your water level probe up and let the boiler fill a bit more - especially if you have good steam already.

[Dimal]

G'day Yabba...

If you have access to a DMM that can read temperature via a bead type t/couple, measuring (accurate) brew water temperature is as simple as preparing a shot as per normal but place the bead of the t/c about midway between the centre of the puck and the basket rim, and then lock your PF in nice and tight.

Start the shot and monitor the reading on your DMM for as long as it takes to get a steady-state reading, then voilà - an accurate brew water temperature measurement.

Mal.

[yabba]

G'day Yabba...

If you have access to a DMM that can read temperature via a bead type t/couple, measuring (accurate) brew water temperature is as simple as preparing a shot as per normal but place the bead of the t/c about midway between the centre of the puck and the basket rim, and then lock your PF in nice and tight.

Start the shot and monitor the reading on your DMM for as long as it takes to get a steady-state reading, then voilà - an accurate brew water temperature measurement.

Mal.

Do I have a DMM with a bead sensor lying around......Nope.... But thanks for mentioning another toy i might never need again..........:-). I can roughly rig up something that should do a similar job using some accurate instant read thermometers I have. Short of that I'm starting to face the repair shop me thunks.

Thanks for the suggestion.

PS, I notice your from Warwick. Camped there once, I have never been so cold in my life. You can keep it.

Cheers Yabba

[Dimal]

I dunno about the "use once" category of the DMM and t/c.
If you ever take up home roasting then it can be a Dual Purpose unit then...

Yep, it can be a bit cold here at times. The coldest we've seen here is -7.5C but some time ago they had a really cold spell that pushed towards -10C quite regularly. That's getting a bit cold for sure. Nothing like Javaphile sees in his home town though, down to -35C in his neck of the woods...

Mal.

[Javaphile]

'Tis been a very mild winter here so far, the coldest we've seen has only been about -27C.


Java "Still in shorts" phile

[flynnaus]

'Tis been a very mild winter here so far, the coldest we've seen has only been about -27C. Java "Still in shorts" phile

That sounds quite barmy, sorry, I mean balmy.

[yabba]

'Tis been a very mild winter here so far, the coldest we've seen has only been about -27C.


Java "Still in shorts" phile

If we were meant to live in freezers they would be made with beds in them. Clearly this proves that you're mad.

[gonzo89]

If we were meant to live in freezers they would be made with beds in them. Clearly this proves that you're mad.

I wish I slept in a freezer, lucky Java.
Meanwhile in brisbane....:thumbdown:

[sprezzatura]

::nods:: It's hot up here in Bananabenderland

[Javaphile]

If we were meant to live in freezers they would be made with beds in them. Clearly this proves that you're mad.

Clearly you don't understand the value of living here. We don't need freezers, that's what porches are made for! And for those with-out porches just leave a window or door open.


Java "Freezers? We don't need no stinkin' freezers!" phile