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  • silvia PID

    Hi All, I bought a silvia/rocky combo about 5 weeks ago and have improved greatly in this time.TG! However, I of course I have well and truly been bitten by the bug and am considering buying the PID kit to add. Do you guys think it really does make the whole process easier to master? The machine seems to me to get very hot sometimes, resulting in lots of steam from portafilter and bitter coffee.
    Andrea.

  • #2
    Re: silvia PID

    Originally posted by Andrea link=1208986294/0#0 date=1208986294
    Hi All, I bought a silvia/rocky combo about 5 weeks ago and have improved greatly in this time.TG! However, I of course I have well and truly been bitten by the bug and am considering buying the PID kit to add. Do you guys think it really does make the whole process easier to master? The machine seems to me to get very hot sometimes, resulting in lots of steam from portafilter and bitter coffee.  

    Andrea.
    Worth every cent Andrea- A PID will make the bullseye much larger.

    We recommend the S3DC kit from esteemed sponsor www.PIDkits.com which can be purchased with or without steam control.

    Money well spent and lots of fun (easy) to fit. All the wires are pre cut, the PID is configured and the whole package is a beautiful piece of work.

    Go for it!

    Chris

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    • #3
      Re: silvia PID

      Hi Andrea
               I wholeheartedly agree with comments made by Chris. I purchased my Silvia from Chris and added a Watlow 96 PID with brew and steam control from PIDkits. A very easy addition which changes a great machine into a suburb one (IMHO). Go for it.

      Ken

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: silvia PID

        Hi Andrea,

        Another YES vote for the PID mod to Silvia.
        The boiler temperature variations are controlled so well with a PID compared to the standard arrangement. The whole process of pulling shots becomes so much easier to be consistent.

        Many of us make do with brew control only, which is bit cheaper, and
        the temperature display on the PID will allow you to manage steaming,
        such that you can steam with heating element always ON, giving great steaming.

        Check out the PID kits site for more info.

        Regards
        Bullitt

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        • #5
          Re: silvia PID

          Hi Andrea,

          I PIDd my silvia a few months ago after owning Silvia for a few months and its another yes from me.

          I got my PID kit from Jim and the whole process was very uncomplicated. I like the fact that the temperature controller has taken a variable out of the equation for me and simplified the puzzle of how to improve shots (so im not wondering if the shot was bitter/sour because of the temperature). A big plus! I temperature surfed for a while but got sick of all the timing etc plus wasnt actually sure if I was getting it right. I got the SD3C version and it is also much easier to steam milk and get good results. The real purpose is for controlling brew temp which the brew control only version does but I decided to go the SD3C. So to answer your question; I think it has made the whole process easier for me (have not nearly mastered anything yet though!).

          One thing im sure you will have realised though is that it does/may (technically) void the warranty. Some people put-off doing the PID for 12months (until the warranty has expired), but im a bit impatient

          Cheers
          -Sanch

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          • #6
            Re: silvia PID

            Yup another vote here.

            Once warmed up, you pull a superb shot whenever you want.
            [provided the rest of your barista skills are up to speed]
            You can tweak the temp to get the best out of each bean/blend.


            I used to think it would be better to wait for your barista skills to reach a certain point before realising the benefits of a PID, but in reality if the variable of machine temp is resolved, your barista skill development will be very much fastracked.

            It will improve your palate very quickly too.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: silvia PID

              Yes, my thought too was that am I getting ahead of myself wanting a PID already, but surely with the best equipment even an amateur can make a better go at it. (idiot proofing it a bit???!!!). Mothers day coming up, sounds like a PID kit for me!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: silvia PID

                I also PIDed my Silvia with Jims kit.
                Great kit and it saves me from the time and effort of temperature surfing. However I was pulling OK shots before and after. Your shots should not be bitter.

                > The machine seems to me to get very hot sometimes,
                > resulting in lots of steam from portafilter and bitter coffee.

                Seems like the machine may be too hot or there are some technique probs. See if you can get another Coffee Snob to help you out or look at the machine to see if its OK first.

                Mike

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: silvia PID

                  Heya,

                  My silvia used to do the steam spitting thing from the portafilter; im not sure if that means there is a problem though. I asked Ofra and Renzo at DiBartoli (where i bought her) and they said it was normal for a Silvia and Chris (2mcm) said i had a hot silvia!!

                  Hope that helps
                  -Sanch

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: silvia PID

                    Just order a S3DC brew/steam kit from Jim for my 3 month old Silvia. Cant wait to give it a try.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: silvia PID

                      I love the adjustability on mine and the support you get. I found the lights in my house dimming every second as the heater came on and off so a quick email to Jim directed me to the appropriate parameter in the PID and now Ive wound it out to a 20 second timebase. Obviously it takes slightly longer to stabilise its setpoint but the PID algorithm obviously takes the timebase into account and does an excellent job at supplying just the right power to hold it at setpoint. The lights in the house now only dim once every 20 or 40 seconds and then for a couple of seconds at a time rather than 0.1 of a second each and every second which was annoying.

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                      • #12
                        Re: silvia PID

                        Greg - it affects your lights in your house?!?!?!??!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: silvia PID

                          Originally posted by Kasa link=1208986294/0#11 date=1209087113
                          Greg - it affects your lights in your house?!?!?!??!
                          Yep, that worried me also! I have a 4KW load (the twin group) switching quite frequently.... and on the dodgy power in WA..... and it makes no difference.......

                          There is something a little strange in the house wiring if a 1KW resistive load is causing light dimming :-[

                          The only thing which makes the slightest difference here is the inrush of current on one of our large air conditioners at compressor start up.... and even that is barely noticeable. And the PID control on the HT (up in the shed some distance from the power board....) also makes no difference.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: silvia PID

                            the Botts PID makes for a lovely light show on the 240V component of the bus system...the rangehood is the only 240V light in the system and it pulses in sync with the PID.

                            then again, we are juiced up through a 15A extension cord

                            L

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                            • #15
                              Re: silvia PID

                              Originally posted by Lizzi link=1208986294/0#13 date=1209088259
                              then again, we are juiced up through a 15A extension cord

                              L
                              Yep, that will make quite a difference as your lights are on the same (relatively low current / high impedance ) circuit as your Bott....

                              But in the case of Gregs and my house..... they are on seperate runs back to the meter where they are joined - but onto a 90+A run from the street = very low impedance...... and a 4/5 A sudden increase shouldnt cause a significant voltage drop on a line of that capacity.

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