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  • ECM Barista Problems

    Hello all,
    I have a ECM Barista machine and I’m struggling to get a great tasting coffee.
    I seem the have have my grind ok but I have noticed my brew pressure is high at 12 bar when pulling my shot.
    Will this be the cause of my problem and can it be adjusted down to 9 bar. I have put it in for a service but haven’t picked it up yet as I’m still away.
    I went to visit my mate a few days ago and he made me a coffee on his Breville machine and the taste was great and I couldn’t believe it.
    So any help would be much appreciated as this is doing my head in with bad tasting coffee!!!!!!!!

  • #2
    Hi Anthony,
    Need a bit more info to help troubleshoot here.
    • What coffee are you using and how old is it?
    • It sounds like you are grinding it yourself, but need to also confirm this (and is it being ground just prior to making it)?
    • Are you getting the ballpark 30ml in 30 seconds (or 60 ml for a double) when doing the extraction?
    I'm not really sure if a slightly higher brew pressure should have a significant impact on taste, but others may have more insight than me.

    B.

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    • #3
      I am using Merlo fresh blend expresso blend and grind prior to shot
      I am using 18-19 grms of coffee in my basket Pullman and time 30 sec for a double shot

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      • #4
        What's the roast date Antony?

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        • #5
          Using a eureka mignon specialita grinder as well

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          • #6
            The roast dates are always less than a week after roasting

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            • tompoland
              tompoland commented
              Editing a comment
              Pretty lively then. Lots of people enjoy espresso soon after roasting but it's much more challenging to get a well balanced, full flavoured espresso at under 7 days.

          • #7
            It's a bit long but worth checking https://1drv.ms/w/s!AvxWEnBrdvahhtoZNLZCvy_f5NcdKg

            Also, a video of the pour using a naked basket would be helpful for diagnosis.
            Last edited by tompoland; 1 January 2023, 09:41 PM. Reason: Typo

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          • #8
            using 18-19 grms of coffee in my basket Pullman
            How long have you been using this basket, out of interest?

            Mal.

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            • #9
              I have been using this basket approximately 2-3 years I would say

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              • #10
                Rightio, all good there then....
                These baskets can be particularly sensitive to dose variation, shower-screen clearance, etc.

                Mal.

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                • #11
                  Hi Mal
                  My machine has just been serviced and I will pick it up this week and start with my basics and see how I get on and I don’t know if there were any issues with the service yet either

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                  • Macca2210
                    Macca2210 commented
                    Editing a comment
                    A naked portafilter was a big help for me learning how to pull a god shot ?
                    I turned the E61 pressure down to 8 bar. I use the finest grind setting I can, with a very light tamp, and target 38g shot in 25-30 seconds (from first drop).
                    I was struggling with channeling until I started using the naked portafilter - it’s easy to see the results of a poor puck prep

                    Good luck

                • #12
                  If as you mentioned you are seeing 12 bar this can be adjusted by reducing the OPV valve pressure. Usually there is a flat screw slot which can be adjusted to reduce the spring pressure. This can be done yourself but easy for a technician to do.

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                  • #13
                    If it’s still reading12bar post service then its either serviced poorly or there is something wrong with the gauge.
                    A good test it to lock in the blind filter and start the machine. Should be about 10 bar on the gauge. If this is the case then could be your grinder settings.
                    Did you inform the service tech of your pressure concern?

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                    • #14
                      Whilst the leva owners will verify that great things can happen at 12Bar (or 6Bar for that matter), the internet has an expectation of 9Bar, because that's what it tells us we must have.

                      My thoughts are that your issues more likely relate to technique- dosing, distribution and grind. By all means ask your service person to set the pressure to 9Bar as it's something which should have been done anyway.

                      If there's a reason that it was set otherwise, you should at the very least have participated in a discussion regarding pros and cons of a brew pressure change.

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                      • #15
                        Yes I told them when I put it in for service the the pressure was too high

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