Rocket Giotto Plus V3 PID - Amazing

[dumiya]

Just got our new Rocket. We replaced a Rocket Premium 2008. The V3 is coupled with a Mazzer Kony.
Quick note, Simply amazing. Very stable temperature, fantastic steam making silky froth. Looks good, guages helpful. On delivery the PID was set to 123C which is higher than recommended but pressure is around 1.3 bars max. Coffee taste excellent. No cooling flush required. But the body casing screws are hidden! More later

[ibiza888]

Congrats! dumiya. I got my 3 AUS in June and pulling god shot as well. I paired it with Quamar M1/Q13, works great! As for pressure, it stays at 1 bar most of the time, not more than 1.1 so far. when doing multiple jugs of steaming/brewing, it goes under 1 bar for a little while, then back to 1 bar in less than a minute. so whats your liking shot when setting the PID temp?

[dumiya]

My 3 AUS came with the PID set at 123C. I purchased it from Dimattina in WA. According to them it is bench tested. I will check with them today if they set it. I think the PID temp and the boiler pressure relate to each other. My old Premium also was set high at 1.3 max when set up by Talk Coffee. I would have bought from Chris again but distance it the problem. I usually make 2 large take-a-ways at a time. I use a rather rare 750ml SS jug for the milk. Expensive but worth every cent. The pressure eventually drops to around .8bars, but recovers within the minute. It also does great lite mild froth, we use Bannister Downs local milk, highly favored with local coffee specialists. I presently grind 14gms but wife says not strong enough. Now the Kony is run-in nicely (took several years!) it's grind is now nice and incredibly even, I will experiment with Reducing the milk (diet reasons) so the taste will strengthen. Currently it takes 35 seconds to extract 55 ml from 14gms. Colour is a mid brown rats tail shape into shot glasses. Very dark liquid in the shot glasses. The main problem is that our local coffee shops produce really pointy end coffee so the standard is incredibly high. Just occasionally I equal them.

[dumiya]

Update: the coffee just gets better and better. The steam is quite different. It is much stronger and works the milk much easier to get a good tight froth. We have gone back to full cream milk it is so much better. I really like watch the brew pressure guage showing first the preinfusion pressure then build up to 9 bars then drops just under for the brew. My grind and tamp seem just right. The 123C/1.3max boiler temp seems okay as the extraction tastes good. I do like the utter simplicity of being able to adjust the brew temp using the PID, but so far it is okay as set. Extraction rate is 55ml in around 30 secs.
Good if there was some information regarding brew temp - grinds - beans.
Wife happy - happy wife, happy life.

[dumiya]

Update and three cheers for Rocket:
I am happy to say that the Rocket PID and the Kony flat whites have now surpassed all of our local coffee specialists bar one. The challenge being Cimbalino, Napoleon St, Cottesloe (grrr)!
The PID registers 123C, but no steam. I feel it was keyed into the Dimattina beans. (I bought Rocket from Dimattina WA)
The old Rocket Premium and Rocky at work are also doing very well, not quite there - yet! Flat Whites greatly appreciated - work force seems to increase around coffee time!
Local Harvey Fresh makes very silky froth.

[barri]

My PID is on 119C and 1.05bars and there is definitely steam. More, when idling for a while as expected. I'm even thinking of dropping to 118C and 1 bar providing I get adequate steam pressure. There has to be some steam when we're talking about a temp over 90C. I still find it hotter with more steam than my VBM Jnr. If put mine on your setting, dumiya, I would get an explosion of steam when purging. I'm glad you're still enjoying your new baby. You'll have to make me a cup one day. The other day, I dropped the group handle onto the drip tray and it left a tiny scratch which destroyed my day. Most people can't see it but I know its there. Any clues on removing a small scratch.

[dumiya]

@barrie, that is really strange. My new Rocket definitely reads 123C. But the boiler pressure is around 1.2bar. There is absolutely no steam only hot water. The old Rocket Premium boiler pressure is around 1.1 to 1.25, rarely 1.3. Likewise absolutely no steam in the brew water. Neither machine needs a cooling flush. Well I don't give one before a brew.
A post further up the thread also has excess steam.
Is it possible that the siphon that keeps the water flowing around the group is too restricted - that is the water is not siphoning fast enough to lose its heat so it is closer to the boiler temp. .
So as you say to lower the temp (pressure) might work. If you are worried then perhaps make a new thread as see if any of the sponsors can help.
It does not matter if it makes good coffee as that is the object.
Dremel with a buffer and metal polish (Bunnings) and about 5 hours might remove the scratch - not not! See the scratch as a mark of good coffee, a battle scar, and smile!

[barri]

Chris @ coffeetalk , who I bought it off, advised to drop the pressure which I've done. I'm not worried about it because my shots are good, steaming and making microfoam is great, plenty of youtube videos have shown similar amounts of steam and many posts including post #2 above have pressure set to 1 bar. So I don't think the behaviour of my machine is abnormal. As for the microscopic scratch, I'll put it down to that first scuff mark you see on your brand spanking new ferrari You forget about it after a while

[dumiya]

All good, with Chris you are in the best of hands. It is the taste that matters. I bought my first Rocket from Chris and he has been a huge help with the after sales service. Just a bit uneasy with getting the new one from Melbourne as shipping to Perth can be problematic.
OMG a new Ferrari! All the very best coffee for 2015.
Cheers

[barri]

Check this video from "in the cup" at the 1:57 mark and note the steam when purging. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZbzTKnSVY4
Also this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO5RqkE66nc

All his videos have this amount of steam when purging. This is what mine's like
I know this is the evo version and has a different pump. Also his pressure seems about 1 to 1.1 bars as mine is.

Is this amount of steam normal?

[dumiya]

barri, I misinterpreted your steam comment. I took it to mean spurting steam like out of the steam wand. I looked at the videos and then I did a "cooling" shot from the Group. I do get some whispy steam like in the videos and at the moment our ambient temp is around 25C so I would expect so see more if it was colder. As you may have said earlier at ~95C there will be some steam given off from the water. My steam @123c PID is just like the videos. There is no spurting steam just the water with whispy steam. I don't do a cooling shot first. It seems the beans like it hot.

[barri]

Thanks dumiya, your post has relaxed me somewhat. Having had a VBM jnr for 4 years with virtually no steam from the group head while purging, I was surprised with the steam from the giotto. It does run hotter but I'm now convinced that there isn't anything abnormal here.

[barri]

Currently it takes 35 seconds to extract 55 ml from 14gms.

I just reread your post above. 14gms in a double basket seems like a small amount. You must have a very fine grind. I use 18 to 20gms, also with 55mls in about 30 seconds. You could try a higher dose, grind coarser and you may surpass your local cafes. SWMBO might be happier too.

[dumiya]

I will certainly have a go. Wife says there could be more of a punch so long as I can retain the sweet chocolate taste that she loves. I think I actually use about 17gms. I will weigh today's grind. Thanks for keeping the Rocket thread alive.

[dumiya]

Ground exactly 18gms. The grinds did not quite touch the group filter. Extracted 55ml including the creama froth, I did not time it but it was around 30secs. Coffee was stronger but tasted good. It will need a little refining. Thanks for the suggestion.
I notice few Rocket owners post unless they are having a problem. I guess there is a vast number of happy owners. I am posting occasionally to keep the Rocket on the forum list.