Yes you can get as good an espresso from your machine. Actually it is easy to get a great espresso from the Brewtus You should not be loading the double basket that came with it the same as VST go for 14g-16g. That is overloading and could be part of your problem. Start by weighing your coffee. I have the VST basket as well. Is it worth it you ask? My answer. Begin with good consistent shots with the basket you have. Use the double basket. VST will not give you the missing technique. No insult, but you need to question your own statement about your technique been good then questioning if the brewtus will produce great espresso. You don't have to work harder just rethink your methods. As for what you see others tamp,forget it. You do not know what load and grind they are using. Try to start with one base, the tamp weigh,t I suggest 30lbs (to start). Slowly change your grind until you get within 25-35 seconds and 8-9 bar. Do it with a cheap coffee. When you are there then use your good coffee. Fresh coffee will need finer grinding as each day goes on (very small change). Once that works for you start playing around to find what you like. I use epic coffee very fine grid and much less tamp pressure with it (for that coffee, I find it suits the fruity flavour). I purchased my naked portafilter from zcafe in BC
Here is a great guide http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-guide.html A lot of great information Good luck John On Jun 7, 4:04 am, gshokar <[email protected]> wrote: > I appreciate the responses Judge and pgs, your comments have renewed > my hopes in the machine. First question is will this machine provide > the same quality of espress that I would get from a La Morocozo or any > other commercial machine? Just so I can either curb my expectations > or work harder to achieve the desired results. > I believe my technique is pretty good, I ensure the beans I purchase > (usually 49th parallel) or from Coava, and I ensure the roast date is > within 3 days of purchase. So bean freshness is certainly not an > issue. > > Next question, there are two baskets that come with the Brewtus, the > small single shot one and the larger one which looks similar to the > VST? I fail to see the difference. I am able to comfortably get > 17-18.5 grams in the basket and it does look flat and the perforations > are quite even. Is the VST worth it? I read the CoffeeGeek article > and it seems the jury is still out. > > I definately need to work on my tamping weight, but I see some > Barista's at Cafe Artigiano, or JJ BEAN, that tamp the hell out of the > coffee, and it doesn't seem to slow down the shot? And should the 9 > bar or 150 PSI of pressure from the machine negate any sort of tamping > effort? > > I think I do need to purchase a naked portafilter, what brand or type > works best with the Brewtus iv? > > Best Regards, > > Gary > > On Jun 6, 11:06 am, pgs <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > I agree with Judge's comments but I'll add my own $0.02. Some of it is > > nearly identical to Judge's but I've repeated it for completeness. > > > It looks like you live in Canada. I highly recommend People's Daily > > espresso beans from Social Coffee Company. They ship for free if you order > > over $25 and the beans are always freshly roasted and consistent. These > > beans or similar will eliminate one of the variables in fixing your > > problems. > > > For that coffee, I have the temperature set to 94C. I've tried 93C and 95C, > > and they were okay so I'd say this setting isn't too important as long as > > it is within that range. > > > Dose is very important but I find that if the portafilter basket is about > > full after levelling -- without tamping or settling the grounds by banging > > or shaking -- then the dose is good. (I have a scale but I rarely use it.) > > Note: I currently use a bottomless portafilter and a VST 18g basket which > > is probably different from what you have. If you have a scale, use it to > > determine the dose. > > > Distribution of the grounds in the basket is also very important. I level > > mine by stroking my finger over the top without compacting. Then I tap the > > portafilter a few times on the counter and the grounds will visibly compact > > but should end up level without any gaps around the edge. Tamping can > > correct for minor distribution errors. Use a good tamper that is the right > > size for your basket. I have never measured my tamping pressure but it is > > probably higher than the generally accepted value. Reports from > > home-barista.com are that tamping is not a very important variable as long > > as it is consistent and doesn't disturb the distribution. > > > Temperature, dose, distribution and tamping are all constants for me for > > the same beans. Even for different beans it is really only temperature that > > might change out of those four. > > > The fifth variable is the grind. It is the most critical in my experience > > and the one that can change even without changing beans. > > I have a Compak K3 grinder which I think does an excellent job, although I > > have not tried others so I can't compare. > > I find that the grind setting can vary a lot between beans but the right > > setting is always within a very narrow range. What seems like a minor > > change in the grind setting can add or subtract multiple seconds from the > > pull. > > > So, finally, my advice: > > 1. Standardize on the things easiest to probably get at least approximately > > correct without even pulling any shots. > > a) Fresh, consistently roasted beans that can be continuously purchased > > over time. > > b) Water temperature. Pick a number between 93C and 95C. > > c) Dosage. > > d) Distribution and tamping. > > > 2. Vary the coarseness of the grind until you zero in on the best setting > > while keeping the rest of the variables constant. This is not too hard to > > do but it might take quite a few pulls the first time you do it. If the > > pull is too fast, grind finer. If too slow, grind coarser. Simple as that. > > Once you have found the best grind, you will likely occasionally tweak it > > but only by very small amounts. (If you switch beans you might have to make > > a more dramatic adjustment. I tried 49th Parallel Epic espresso and the > > grinder setting was very different than for People's Daily. I also thought > > it made terrible espresso ... until I finally got the grind and temperature > > right. After that, I think, in fact that it makes just about the best > > espresso I've ever had. Hmmm. I should order some more.) > > > 3. If you've found the best grinder setting and the results are still not > > good then I would adjust the dosage. Once you do that, you will almost > > surely have to find a new grinder setting. In other words, go back up to > > step 2. > > > 4. If the results are okay but still not great, you can try changing the > > water temperature. For different beans and roast, this can definitely make > > a difference. > > > That ends my advice based on my personal experience with the Brewtus. I > > hope it helps. The Brewtus can make some exceptional espresso. Don't give > > up. > > > peter > > > On Wednesday, June 6, 2012 1:43:35 AM UTC-7, Judge wrote: > > > > Not a Vibe vs Rotatory pump issue. > > > > This is clearly a grind or/and tamp pressure issue. Or a coffee > > > freshness or type issue. Just because they sell you the same type of > > > coffee does not mean it is as fresh. An having said all that my new > > > Brewtus IV gives me more trouble than my older one (return unit). > > > Does not behave the same even though it is the identical unit. > > > > You need to work on one thing at a time. I would suggest using a > > > tamper on a bathroom scale to feel the right tamp weight. Once you > > > get that right start adjusting your grind so you get between 25-35 > > > seconds with the pull at around 8 bar. An this is with a double > > > basket. Do not start with a single basket, they are much harder to > > > get a good pull and crema with. > > > > Also find a place that sells coffee that they roast themselves. One > > > that gives a nice crema. Ask them before buying. > > > > Just keep it consistent and change only one thing at a time. Again > > > start with that tamp weight. It is the easiest to keep the same. > > > > As you go on you will find different coffees will like different brew > > > temperatures, tamp weights, and grind settings. But for now start > > > right at the basic step. > > > > An one last thing. If you do not have a naked porta filter you might > > > consider one. With it you can see if you are getting channeling or > > > not. Not a mandatory item by any means, but could be helpful. > > > > Good luck John > > > > On Jun 6, 3:43 am, gshokar <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I am having somewhat of a similar problem, I am constantly brewing at > > > > 4-5 bar pressure. I am not getting much crema out of my shots, they > > > > are verry dark, oil like, and the crema doesn't begin until my shot > > > > are about 3 quarters extracted. > > > > > I've had my brewtus 4 - Vibe machine for a few months now and I am > > > > not > > > > happy with it yet. I am giving it some time to try to work out the > > > > bugs but I can't produce consistent shots with any sort of crema. I > > > > am using a Bartaza Vario - W as my grinder, at setting 1:(S-Z). This > > > > is a pretty fine grind setting for those of you who don't use Baratza > > > > Vario's. > > > > > The problem I am having is the vibe pump almost always chokes if I > > > > were to tamp to hard or grind too fine. The Pressure bar raises up > > > > to > > > > 10-11 then the vibe pump almost sounds like it shuts off and the > > > > pressure drops to 4 then it slowly goes up again and then stops once > > > > the pressure gets up too high. Now the pressure drops as soon as the > > > > coffee begins to come out of the portafilter which would explain the > > > > pressure drop but I am wondering if this is normal. > > > > If I were to get a regular shot out of the Brewtus within the 25-28 > > > > second window the pressure gets up to 4 bar max. > > > > I am not getting much crema this way at all. > > > > > I purchased beans from a cafe that they just used on their La > > > > Morcozzo > > > > machine and the crema it produced versus my machine was night and > > > > day. Do I have false expectations of what a prosumer machine can do? > > > > > Will moving to a rotary pump do anything for me? > > > > > On Apr 14, 10:21 pm, guido <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > hello ben, > > > > > > sorry for the belated response, i've been ill. > > > > > > > Could it be that your grind finally gets saturated at the end, > > > > > > swells, and seals the puck allowing pressure to build? > > > > > > that could be, but if the pressure build because increased resistance > > > > > from the coffee bed, how does that explain an hugely increased flow > > > > > rate? that seem odd to me. > > > > > > best, > > > > > guido. -- 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.
