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Espresso: Espresso Mods and Restorations
Barista's Nightmare

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Discussions > Espresso > Espresso Mods > Barista's...

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IronBarista
Senior Member

Joined: 13 Mar 2004
Posts: 708
Location: Rapid City, SD
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Ginsu Silvia
Grinder: Ginsu Super Jolly & Rocky
Vac Pot: Ginsu Nada
Drip: Ginsu Melitta (pourover)
Roaster: Ginsu Behmor

Posted Sat Sep 26, 2009, 5:47am Subject: Re: Barista's Nightmare

Just make/get some aged brass or copper panels and give it that steampunk look.

I drink espresso so I can work longer, so I can make more money, so I can drink more espresso, so I can work longer, so I can make more money, so I can drink more espresso...

ethorson
Senior Member

Joined: 4 May 2009
Posts: 50
Location: Port Townsend
Expertise: Just starting

Espresso: Bunn ES-1A, Bezzera BZ35
Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Roaster: Homemade

Posted Tue Oct 6, 2009, 6:27pm Subject: Re: Barista's Nightmare

Thanks for all of the comments on my creation. After fixing many leaks I finally got Barista’s Nightmare running and it actually makes some pretty decent espresso. I look forward to seeing how different temperature and pressure settings effect the taste of the shots. The pressure switch and pump pressure regulator have knobs so it will be easy to make changes. The instrumentation actually works and seems to be accurate. The flow meter is calibrated to 500 ml/minute full scale. The boiler level gauge is set up to read zero when the level is below the bottom of the probe and full scale when the level just reaches the steam discharge port. A custom designed hand-wired circuit board in the black box on the right side drives both meters. Since I raised the boiler above the group I had to devise a way to purge the thermosiphon loop of trapped air. I added a line from the top heat exchanger port to the water dispenser valve. The valve is also connected to the normal water dispensing port on the boiler through a check valve. To purge the thermosiphon I turn on the pump and open the water-dispensing valve. The temperature of the dispensed water in this mode is about 200 F. With the pump off the water comes from the boiler and is at boiling temperature. The machine is going to stay in the corner of my shop as part of my “guy’s espresso bar”. Now I just have to come up with a matching grinder. Here are some additional photos: http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll71/ekthorson/bna01.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll71/ekthorson/bna02.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll71/ekthorson/bna03.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll71/ekthorson/bna04.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll71/ekthorson/bna05.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll71/ekthorson/bna06.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll71/ekthorson/bna07.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll71/ekthorson/bna08.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll71/ekthorson/bna09.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll71/ekthorson/bna10.jpg http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll71/ekthorson/bna11.jpg

benshot
Senior Member

Joined: 9 May 2009
Posts: 84
Location: west valley salt lake UT
Expertise: I live coffee

Espresso: modified Delonghi...
Grinder: cuisinart conical burr/ hon...
Vac Pot: Yama 2 cup
Drip: Tiamo stainless dripper
Roaster: variac controlled poppery 1

Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009, 12:01am Subject: Re: Barista's Nightmare

you know, when i saw the title i was thinking more on the lines that this was a place to post things that go wrong when they should not, like the pump failing right in the middle of a pull, chared espresso beans, or spilling you bag of fresh coffee just as you go to open it for the first time and did not even get to smell it before they hit the floor. or maybe its that view of the local starbucks as you drive past it! XD cool machine though!

itsallgood
Senior Member

Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Posts: 23
Location: Arkansas
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: LeLit PLO41
Grinder: Vaneli Mini Pro II,Virtouso
Drip: Technivorm KBT-741

Posted Mon Nov 9, 2009, 1:39pm Subject: Re: Barista's Nightmare

That would make any science geek blush and get all giddy with excitement! I'm sure it is an awesome site in action and looks way cool. I'm thinking you could also add some sort of Richter scale type drum graph with a needle bouncing to the pump pressure! Oh Yeah! That and an obligatory mirror ball circling above. Great job.

azerik
Senior Member

Joined: 6 Jun 2009
Posts: 278
Location: tempe
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Expobar Pulser, Cuisenart...
Grinder: Compak K6
Drip: Hario Pour over
Roaster: Bemhor

Posted Wed Nov 11, 2009, 12:45pm Subject: Re: Barista's Nightmare

Thank you for my nice new desktop pictures. This is perfect for me to use as a "Well atleast my thermometer on the top of the Expobar is not as bad as this, do not tempt me woman, I have plenty of gauges!"

Everman
Senior Member

Joined: 25 Nov 2004
Posts: 1,043
Location: Coffee Land
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Valentina Levetta, Elektra...
Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Roaster: Hottop

Posted Fri Nov 13, 2009, 11:16pm Subject: Re: Barista's Nightmare

I like it! I find it inspirational for a future project....

Iluvdabean
Senior Member

Joined: 7 Mar 2005
Posts: 1,057
Location: California
Expertise: I live coffee

Espresso: La Nuova Era Cuadra/Gaggia...
Grinder: Baratza Preciso/K-A Pro...
Drip: Capresso MT 500/Pour Over
Roaster: Nesco 1010/Behmor 1600

Posted Sun Nov 15, 2009, 7:12am Subject: Re: Barista's Nightmare

Is it made in Khazakastan? It looks like some of those gauges must be for show..

Posted Sun Nov 15, 2009, 8:35am
Subject: Re: Barista's Nightmare

Iluvdabean Said:

Is it made in Khazakastan? It looks like some of those gauges must be for show..

Posted November 15, 2009 link

It was actually made right up here in the land of milk and coffee. On a clear day (rarely) I can see Starbutropolis. The gauges are all functional, although the two electrical meters used for flow and boiler level are not labeled correctly. They are old Westinghouse WWII vintage items picked up at my local antique store. A custom designed PCB in the little black box converts the flow sensor and boiler level probe signals to DC voltages to drive the meters.

Barista's Nightmare really does make espresso. I am still an amateur when it comes to dosing, tamping, and temperature management, but here are some photos of a typical shot. It looks like the extraction is uneven and it blonds out a little soon - still working on my technique.

(Click for larger image)

JoeTheZombie
Senior Member

Joined: 13 Nov 2009
Posts: 17
Location: Idaho
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Le'Lit PL041
Grinder: Baratza Vario
Vac Pot: No, Bodum Press
Drip: Chemex Classic

Posted Tue Nov 24, 2009, 1:12am
Subject: Re: Barista's Nightmare

ethorson Said:

I am still an amateur when it comes to dosing, tamping, and temperature management

Posted November 15, 2009 link

You're also an amateur when it comes to hitting the cup... LOL! All in fun there. I must say that is an impressive piece of kit. I've only had my PL041 for a few days, and I'm thinking of ways to add analog gauges to the blank metal front. Yours is a thing of ultimate geekdom, and beauty. I'd be too busy watching all the dials to be bothered with coffee.... :D

jammin
Senior Member

Joined: 25 Nov 2009
Posts: 658
Location: Boise
Expertise: I love coffee

Espresso: Speedster, Cremina
Grinder: K10, Vario-W with Ditting...
Vac Pot: Hario
Drip: manual
Roaster: quest m3, hottop b

Posted Wed Nov 25, 2009, 8:22am Subject: Re: Barista's Nightmare

i'd sure like to see some videos of that bad boy in action!

roast your own

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