Hi Ken, I am similarly lax in my routine. I clean monthly-ish, and somehow still get great shots. I'm sure if I pulled a shot, then went through the full cleaning routine and pulled another shot, I'd be blown away. But for now I do it when it strikes me, not on any particular schedule.
There is something to "seasoning" things--my roaster works a lot better with buildup inside it, etc., but there's a limit when you hit rancidity as you pointed out. bmc "Faith will move mountains, but you'd better bring a shovel....." > From: ken k <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: <[email protected]> > Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:09:23 -0700 (PDT) > To: Brewtus <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: Your cleanup routine > > > Our steam boiler stays very clear without any turbidity or odor. I > have been careful over the years to keep my TDS below 50 (we dilute > Crystal Geyser as needed to keep that level. I had posted on > alt.coffee a few years ago that Crystal Geyser varies their sources > both around the country and regionally, so it is necessary to use a > TDS meter to check from time to time. Presently, the source that is > shipped to the mid-coast in California is about 54-58 TDS) as I don't > feel like muscling my B-I around to flush the boilers with citric > acid, recognizing that according to the SCCA, the near-perfect TDS > should be 125 for the best coffee extraction. (If they want to come > over and decalcify my steam boiler, I will be happy to use hard > water). But we are outliers. In addition to using soft water, we are > also guilty of actually FREEZING our coffee beans (long before the > blind tests that showed the inability to perceive differences between > fresh and short-term frozen beans). > > Our "routine" cleanup: > > 1. I remind my wife that bacteria grows on the milk protein on the > steam wand, aided by the presence of the cold water in which she > leaves it soaking. It gets cleaned off every day or two. I try not > to think of it when she brings me a delicious cap in the morning. Good > politics... on the other hand, the bacteria may add to the overall > flavor... > > 2. Wipe out the PF every day or two if it has not been washed. Gets > rid of the small amount of coffee debris that has accumulated. Wipe > off the rim of the PF with a finger or palm before mounting to assure > a good seal (although I must say that having not changed my 3-year-old > gasket until just recently, I had not realized how stiff and non- > compliant it had become, although the gasket did not leak on either > the grouphead side or the PF side.) > > 3. Backflush with Cafiza every few weeks or when I suspect some > rancidity ("J*****, have you backflushed the Brewtus lately?", to > which the answer is invariably "No". The PF is soaked at the same > time. > > 4. Clean the grinder ad.lib. (usually every few weeks). > > 5. At 3 years (approxmately 150 lbs) we have not replaced the grinder > burrs. > > 6. Refill the water reservoir daily after a session. > > How we have such good espresso I will never know... > > > > > On Sep 17, 9:09 am, Ben McCafferty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> Hi Mark, >> Yes, you're correct--temp is too low to push water out. As I dump the water >> out the wand, the pump is already filling the boiler again with room temp >> water, so the boiler is never anywhere close to empty. >> >> Interesting that your steam boiler stays nice and fresh. When I say >> "funky", I mean that the water gets a bit turbid and lightly discolored. If >> I check total dissolved solids it is way high, because the water is getting >> removed (as steam), but the minerals are staying behind. I guess I could >> see where not recycling the water from the steam boiler would help keep >> flushing fresh water through the system, but isn't the water from the OPV >> coming from the brew boiler, not the steam boiler? If so, I'm not sure this >> theory makes sense, since the steam boiler wouldn't be getting flushed in >> that case. >> >> Perhaps you just have really soft water and so it takes a longer time to see >> the buildup of TDS in the steam boiler? I have pretty hard water here near >> Seattle. >> >> Also, if you use the hot water wand regularly (i.e. for tea), you wouldn't >> see this problem either. >> >> bmc >> "Faith will move mountains, but you'd better bring a shovel....." >> >>> From: Mink <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> Reply-To: <[email protected]> >>> Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:23:10 -0700 (PDT) >>> To: Brewtus <[email protected]> >>> Subject: Re: Your cleanup routine >> >>> Barry and Ray - this PF wiggle or sneeze (assume that's the same >>> thing?) I can see how this would clear out grounds from the gasket and >>> outside of the screen, but when I take the whole screen and seal out >>> (which I do daily) there's a fair accumulation of residue on the >>> inside of both the screen and the grouphead. My concern is that your >>> method doesn't get that - or have I misunderstood your method? >> >>> Ben, on your flushing of the steam boiler, two questions. When you run >>> the hot water until it stops coming - I assume that's because the >>> water in the hot water boiler is too cold to produce pressure, rather >>> than because the boiler is empty (not a good idea, esp with power to >>> the element?). >> >>> Secondly, I have the (220v European?) configuration which doesn't >>> channel water back from the OPV to the reservoir, but vents it instead >>> to the drip tray (and it's a LOT of water - more than the amount that >>> lands up in the cup). But after more than 18 months the hot water from >>> my HW wand is still perfectly fresh and good - no trace of funk - and >>> I wonder if this is the reason? > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Brewtus" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/brewtus?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
