Faema Carisma S1?

[cafelazio]

Hello fellow CS's. Not sure if i should start a new thread re: low water reading, can anybody please help?
My faema carisma s1 the led window turned orange and h20 symbol appeared when i turned it on and stops all functions. The water level sensor in the tank is magnetic, i checked it's not sticking, removed the tank, flushed it out put a new water filter in and 8 o 9 attempts later it turned on. Now a week later same thing except i was in the middle of pulling a perfect shot, the tank was 2/3 full. I would be grateful if there is information that will solve this.
Thankyou, cafelazio.

[adam0bmx0]

Yea ok, there are a few sizes options hence i though i'd ask!

https://www.jetblackespresso.com.au/...coffee-tamper/

[sharkroman]

58.35mm? Just standard size

[adam0bmx0]

Without being able to measure accurately as I don't own any verniers, and wanting to order a new tamper, what is the diammeter of the standard baskets that come with the Carisma S1?

[Greenlai]

Yeah, grouphead thermometers aren't cheap. You can try DIY for a fraction of the price if you are handy with a welding torch. A guy on Home Barista made one. I was considering it at one stage but because of their lack of availability, I just settled on going by taste.

Temperature is only one variable, tweaking the grind and dose will also affect the taste. I guess if you want better flavour separation, the grinder will be a factor with big conicals apparently better for that.

[AlastairMcG]

After adjusting the brew pressure to sit just under 10bar, I was running with a boiler temp/pressure of 123degC/1.1bar. I felt it was extracting more darker taste, although smooth still, with beans that should have more varying tones. Therefore, I then adjusted the boiler temp/pressure to 120degC/0.9bar and it helped a little it seemed to get some of the lighter flavours.

One natural down fall of the lower boiler temp is that when it drops below around 115degC during the operating process, the steam power noticeably drops a little too. Near 120degC the steam power is ok, which was better with 123degC set boiler temp.

I wouldn't mind getting a brew temp gauge to check. I was thinking one of the ones that screw into the front of the E61 group head. I thought it would be easy to purchase but they seem not so common and not so cheap as I thought. I might look into 'the bat device' or thermocouple a spare screw.

[Greenlai]

Just to clarify further, the boiler temperature/pressure determines the brew water temperature that sits in the heat exchanger




A boiler temperature of 120C might mean a brew temperature of 94C for example. Each machine will be slightly different. You can get a better idea of the brew temperature if you install a grouphead thermometer





Otherwise you go by taste. The brew temperature is usually quite stable in a HX after you do a cooling flush. I think the Carisma has a restrictor installed in the thermosyphon to reduce the cooling flush as I don't need much of a flush compared to other HX I've owned.

[Greenlai]

I guess the temperature you set depends on what you're tasting. Some beans call for higher brew temperatures, others taste better at lower temperatures.

The only user adjustable setting is the brew temperature. If you want to adjust the brew pressure on the Carisma S1 you need to open the machine and adjust the OPV. You can manipulate the brew pressure a bit by pulling the lever down half way to turn off the pump but still leaving the valve open. There will still be residual (lower) pressure from the pump to extract the coffee.

[adam0bmx0]

I think we are confusing boiler pressure that determines brew temperature and brew pressure controlled by the OPV. Excessive boiler pressure will pop the safety valve.

An 8-9 sec dwell time before you see a drop is quite normal and what you expect and want for the preinfusion from the e61.

I was under the impression the Faema baskets are 14-16g. I normally dose in that range.

Yea I realised I can't change the boiler pressure/brew pressure, only the temperature (which i've lowered, and it's now showing a lower pressure, from 1.5bar down to 1.1bar)

Will try a 19g shot and also down to 16g and tighten up the grind if needed.

I've come from a Gaggia Classic, which I was getting consistently awesome shots from, so hopefully it will come with time and tweaks.

[Greenlai]

From the Coffee Parts website, the Faema double baskets they sell come in 12g, 14g, 21g, I think that's why I thought these were 14g.

[Greenlai]

I can't remember where I got info to figure the single basket is around 12gm (I don't use it really so can't remember exactly) and the double basket being 18gm. I probably figured it was going with the more modern trend of larger basket/dosing sizes and seemed to pan out for me when I dosed like that. It works for me and I have my grinder tuned to it, but obviously the same can be said for yourself Greenlai. If you have it tuned in and happy then keep using the dose you are using.

Anyone feel free to correct me on sizing as it would be nice to officially know.

It may well be 18g as its deeper than my 14g basket that came with my Grimac La Uno.

I tend to dose 15-16g on the Faema basket. When I updose to 18g my portafilter has occasionally tried to unwind.

[AlastairMcG]

I can't remember where I got info to figure the single basket is around 12gm (I don't use it really so can't remember exactly) and the double basket being 18gm. I probably figured it was going with the more modern trend of larger basket/dosing sizes and seemed to pan out for me when I dosed like that. It works for me and I have my grinder tuned to it, but obviously the same can be said for yourself Greenlai. If you have it tuned in and happy then keep using the dose you are using.

Anyone feel free to correct me on sizing as it would be nice to officially know.

[Greenlai]

I think we are confusing boiler pressure that determines brew temperature and brew pressure controlled by the OPV. Excessive boiler pressure will pop the safety valve.

An 8-9 sec dwell time before you see a drop is quite normal and what you expect and want for the preinfusion from the e61.

I was under the impression the Faema baskets are 14-16g. I normally dose in that range.

[AlastairMcG]

Hi, as per the start of the thread, I have adjusted the original OPV a couple of times and it was easy enough if you don't mind taking the panels off. It originally was running anywhere between 14-16bar and after a couple of adjustments got it down to sitting regularly just under or on 10bar (which prob equates to around 9bar at the portafilter) which I myself am happy to leave it at and keep the original OPV without changing to an on the fly adjustment arangement.

At the higher pressure it was a bit more inclined to get the odd channel/squirt stream (naked protafilter). Also, it now seems to have a little bit more lighter tones in the taste better, where before when it seemed to draw out mainly darker tones.

The OPV is a pretty standard pop/blow off valve I pressume. Is designed to adjust the preload of the spring to change the required force/pressure to release pressure through a bypass I believe. Seems a reasonable quality OPV, so should there be reason if adjusted it can't hold consistent pressure? Mine is doing just fine....

@adam0bmx0
I run about 19g in the 18g basket. I think you'd get better gains form tuning/fining up your grind or the increased dosage to change shot timing. I don't think you'd get a sudden decrease in time till the first drops appear unless you went to far that you ended up with a real slow shot. It would probably stay at drips a touch longer before going to a stream. I don't weigh my shot out often but I would be around brew ratio of 2:1 in 30-35s I'd say. Maybe time to re-check, I prob should be 2:1 in 25-30s but it is a nice shot still. However, I do recommend the lower pressure still.

[adam0bmx0]

Yea, it's strange at the moment when pulling a shot. I weight out around 17g in the basket and pull a shot weighing around 32-35g

From turning on the pump takes around 8-9 seconds before the first drips from the portafilter, which is a bit longer than I want, but then it will blow through to 32-34g in the cup in around 18 seconds, so giving me a total brew time of around 25-27 seconds, shots are tasting a bit bitter on my med/light roast.

Will lower the pressure and see how it goes.