We just bought a new house and it came with a wicked espresso machine. I think it is a Brasilia (pic attached)?? Worked excellent for the first few months now when i make espresso grinds come up over group head. Figure needs new gasket?? I have found this website:
i am sure my terminology is wayyyy out of wack. when i put doser into grouphead (i honestly had to google that) grounds come out of doser (above doser) and 'spill out'........i have checked the screen and its fine.
ps resized pic and it shows above now. anyone know exactly what type of machine this is (brand, make, model?)?
Ok, that is a 2 gp commercial machine, much like the one I have. I think our terms are still a "bit" off LOL! The doser is on your grinder. It is a chamber that the grounds go into while waiting to be DOSED into the grounds basket which is then placed into the PORTA FILTER which is then placed into the GROUP HEAD of your espresso machine.
I am guessing that you are placing ground coffee into the basket and when you place the basket/porta filter assembly into your machines group head, you are spilling coffee. Am I close?
Are you tamping? This will reduce the volume of coffee in the basket and it also compresses the grounds so that the coffee bed presents an even and consistent resistance to the flow of water from the shower screen in your group head. Have I used enough terms to really confuse you yet? LOL!
You should be grinding your coffee fresh, just before you put it into the coffee basket to pull your shots. You can NOT use pre ground coffee, it won't work, you need a grinder that is able to grind for espresso and that is not a whirly blade type "grinder".
I don't know where you go to get a manual but it is a generic HX dual group commercial espresso machine and unless you need to repair specific parts inside, a manual really isn't need as they basically all operate the same way.
Where did you buy a new house that came with a two group commercial espresso machine? I want to move there!
I guess it is also possible that your group head gasket has worn out, that is normal maintance and they need to be replaced about every 6 months or so in a home environment, more often in commercial use. If the gasket is leaking, you will get water oozing or leaking from above the porta filter and making a mess but no coffee will be mixed in as this is only fresh water.
Please don't be afraid to answer back, we really want to help you get this worked out. Everyone starts in the same place in this hobby, it is through sharing that we learn and if you don't ask questions, we can't help you learn!
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
After really looking at your picture, I see your tamper and your grinder so you are off to a good start! Is your coffee FRESH, as in less than two weeks from the day it was roasted on?
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
yeah, i am kind of familiar with espresso machines. I used to have an older Saeco when i Lived in Montreal. We try to use the finest quality beans we can buy because I truly do like a really really really good espresso shot. We kinda skimped on the grinder (Breville) but i thought I would try it out (will most likely get a rocky one day) - it has been working OK so far.
BUT I have this machine which i know nothing about and as much as i love it am in over my head a bit. When living in a small town far from a large city one has to rely on google to troubleshoot these things. I ASSUME its the gasket (rubber?) in the grouphead (right terminology?)? And have found the link above in my first post there.
Would LOVE to know what you guys think......hope my initial complaint/question is clear enough (grinds overflowing out of the porta filter)
No I am not spilling grounds from the grinder to the grouphead. Wet grounds are coming out of ("up") the porta filter when placed into the group head and the "button" is turned on (water pressure activated). the wet grounds just kinda come out and go everywhere (probably 15% of total grounds that were put into the porta filter 'escape'). The result is a mess and a horribly weak espresso shot.
we kinda gave up on it for a while because life got busy and now am finally getting around to trouble shooting it.
Ok, we are closing in on the problem. Is the porta filter coming off the machine while pulling a shot? Are you saying that grounds are sticking to the dispersion screen after a shot is pulled and when you remove the porta filter they create a mess? Are the grounds escaping WHILE pulling a shot?
I have read your last post several times and it seems to be saying that while pulling a shot, grounds come out of the portafilter through the space between the portafilter and the group head. The only way I can see for that situation to happen is if the rubber gasket is missing between the group head and the portafilter, this would allow the water pressure to push grounds up out of the basket and over the top of the portafilter between the portafilter and the gropup head. Remember, the brew cycle is water pushing into the basket at about 140 psi, this is enough pressure to push coffee grounds through small spaces.
Your gasket may also be broken, has it been leaking for a while or have you had to really crank the handle tight to keep it from leaking? when was the last time the gasket was changed? They should be changed about every 6 months or so as they get hard from the heat and in extreme lack of matinance, the can crack or break. If there is a crack or a chunk of it has fallen out, it will make a mess for sure!
For grinders, rocky has had better days and his steps are pretty wide for most people so adjustment is tough. The Vario is a great home grinder. I am not familiar with your Breville but my hands on with that maker has not impressed me much. The grinder is MORE important than your machine and to get the best from your machine which is of high quality and has the possibility for GREAT shots, you need a grinder to match. That should be the first thing you upgrade after fixing this issue you have on your plate, which to me, is looking more and more like a bad group head gasket.
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
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