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IMS Matrix Shower Screen First Impressions

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  • BanjoPaterson
    commented on 's reply
    As someone high 'on the spectrum' and making 2-3 espressos daily (18gm coffee; 36gm espresso 25-35 seconds); this is my routine:

    Daily
    - After each espresso flush brew group for 2-3 seconds with jug underneath
    - After finished with the morning espresso; 2 x blind filter (no detergent)
    - Clean the O-ring and shower screen*
    - Rinse VST filter (remove from portafilter) under tap and dry using microfibre cloth until there is no visible residue in the holes when held to the light
    - Rinse drip tray screen and drip tray, then wipe dry (wipe water off underside. My Silvia is a v6, but can't trust rust issues)
    - Wipe off any splatter on stainless steel back panel and dry
    - Quick wipe of scales, should they need it
    - Tea towel and blow out any fines in dosing cup and dosing funnel

    Takes about 3-5 minutes, but I feel it's worth it.

    Weekend
    - Back flush with blind filter - 5x detergent; 5x without; flush brew group
    - Put VST filter basket in plastic container with Cafetto while doing back flushing

    First Weekend in Month
    - Monthly routine PLUS
    - Take off shower screen, dispersion etc and soak in Cafetto; rinse when done
    - Clean Rocky Rancilio - discovered (last weekend) the little cleaning pellets are near useless for the Rocky as it doesn't remove the fine ring of coffee above the top burr. You just get a muddy ring above the top burr. These are probably good for other grinders, I suspect. I should put these pellets on 'forward it' at some stage for local pickup in Canberra.

    First Weekend Every Even Month
    - Descale using Dezcal (apparently good for brass boilers). Canberra's a soft water area, so once every two months should be fine

    First Month out of Warranty and Every Two Years After That (This is what I did with my old Gaggia, but will begin in 2024 with the Silvia)
    - Open boiler and inspect scale. Replace boiler O-ring; steam O-rings; descale. Check thermostats and replace if necessary; redo thermal paste on thermostats.

    *I use chux to wipe the group and O-ring; a different chux to wipe the stainless bits; and microfibre cloths, rather than dishcloths, to dry the stainless steel bits.

  • BanjoPaterson
    commented on 's reply
    Nice site V - looks like CP and AB have competition for my custom. :-)

  • amberale
    replied
    Thanks Guys.
    I water back flush usually once a week with a LB style device and then chemically back flush about one a month.
    I am over due to pull my mushroom and lube the FCD but I haven't felt the need to do more than once a year lubes on the rest of the E61/Bianca.

    Leave a comment:


  • coffeemachine
    commented on 's reply
    Thanks Dimal and FilthySudo. Appreciate the reply. We use about 250gm of coffee a week, will try the every 2nd week and see how that goes.

  • Dimal
    replied
    We go through roughly 350-500g of home roasted coffee per week. Extra roast batches are added in after the first bag nears empty...

    Currently don't use an E-61 based machine, but when we did (a couple over 10 years or so), stopped lubing the internals after the first 12 months as it wasn't really necessary, per Lyrebird's explanation above.This regime was adopted after regular inspections revealed that relubing just wasn't necessary, the coffee oils provided enough for that purpose.

    Water only backflushes between sessions and last session of the day, Cafetto backflush on the weekend with plenty of follow-up rinsing and a seasoning shot after that. Also use Portafilter 'sneeze' at the end of each session too, to remove loose particles from the shower-screen and lower group nooks and crannies.

    Mal.

    Leave a comment:


  • coffeemachine
    commented on 's reply
    Hey Mal what volume of coffee do you go through a week?

  • FilthySudo
    commented on 's reply
    My cleaning routine is ever 2nd month I teardown the e61 group head, soak all metal parts in cafetto for 15 mins, including shower screen, basket and puck screen, I also pull apart my niche grinder, and then every month in between this is grinder and cafetto chemical backflush of the machine. It’s probably overkill, but that’s my routine. I lube with Molykote 111 on the valves, cam and the group gasket

  • Lyrebird
    commented on 's reply
    I'm not Mal, but I stopped relubing the valves. I now find that they are a bit sticky when first cleaned, free up a lot during the rinse cycle (I judge whether I've rinsed properly by the way the lever feels) free up further with the first few coffees and are fine thereafter.

    I'm talking about a full CIP using the device I've shown before and a basket full of cleaning compound (I use straight percarbonate because I have kilos of it on hand).

    I do this weekly (except when I forget). We go through about a kilo of coffee in a week.

  • coffeemachine
    commented on 's reply
    FilthySudo how many coffees are you making a week?

  • coffeemachine
    replied
    That is true Dimal, it is quite cheap and lasts ages. Dimal what is your cleaning process? Do you back wash each week and then also remove the shower screen and soak in Cafetto? How many coffees are you making a week?

    Very keen to hear about others cleaning routine. I used to do a backwash with soaking of shower screen/baskets/portafilters every three weeks, now I am thinking of increasing the cleaning frequency.

    I make about 15 coffees a week, so I feel weekly cleaning would be over kill. I am thinking of the following routine.
    - every two weeks back wash with Cafetto (no strip down)
    - every month back wash as above and then also do a strip down, so remove the shower screen and soak in Cafetto along with the portafilters and baskets

    To others out there, what is your cleaning routine?

    Leave a comment:


  • amberale
    commented on 's reply
    how often do you relube the valves Mal?

  • Dimal
    replied
    Don't know if a Filter Paper will significantly reduce the volume of soluble oils through the Group, and it is the oils that cause most of the grief with regard to quality in the cup, over time.

    I suspect that coffee oils will still manage to get into the Group and begin oxidising and accreting as time progresses, getting more and more rancid in the process. Has been discussed many times over the years but given how economical Cafetto Espresso Clean and others are to buy and use (my last 500g tub lasted more than 10 years), cleaning more often with a reduced amount of the cleaner keeps the group in pristine condition and thereafter, terrific quality espresso in the cup. My regime is to clean with Cafetto EC once per week using about a quarter of a scoop of powder each time. Does an excellent job...

    Mal.

    Leave a comment:


  • coffeemachine
    replied
    I am noticing a lot less of gunk inside the shower screen now. I am using filter paper not the screen puck, means I just throw away the paper filter at the end of the shot. Less mess all round, so got to be happy with that. Will shift to monthly backwash with chemicals now as I think the machine is going to be a lot cleaner. Will see how that goes.

    Leave a comment:


  • FilthySudo
    commented on 's reply
    I backflush after each shot, and having only had it installed for 3 weeks I haven’t done a chemical backflush yet as I do a full e61 strip down including taking shower screen and soaking it in cafetto ( every 2 months) and then every month between I do a chemical backflush rather than a full tear down. But from doing the full clean I noticed hardly any gunk on the inner side of the matrix screen, I did notice coffee oil built up on the actual sides of the shower screen it’s self but that was about it. That can only just be from tightening the portafilter in and the coffee oil sticking to the sides

  • coffeemachine
    replied
    With the Matrix or the puck screen, as there is less coffee/oils going back through the group head, do you clean less often? When I say clean I mean backwash with espresso machine cleaner.

    I would have thought with less grim going back up the group you could extend the time between backwash cleaning.

    Leave a comment:

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