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Permalink Reply by Jasmine Arielle Grantham on August 24, 2011 at 11:11am

yea, it is the pressure. it is set at a 6 bar. but i think that is what the corporate spec is calling for so its going to be alot more difficult to get it changed... we aren't allowed to mess with the machines... 

 

-Jaz

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Permalink Reply by Michael Buhler on August 24, 2011 at 11:18am

Well, Jazz, hopefully you can find a barista job in a non-corporate cafe down the road.  With your kind of dedication, I know you'd be happy and successful in that environment!

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Permalink Reply by Jasmine Arielle Grantham on August 24, 2011 at 11:23am

Thanks!  i appreciate the info. :D

 

- Jaz

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Permalink Reply by Bryan Wray on August 24, 2011 at 4:17pm

Michael I don't think the pressure has a thing to do with the poor espresso.  In my opinion it's obviously stale beans that are being pulled too quickly.

 

Jasmine are you taking your readings while the machine is idle or while it is pulling a shot?

 

-bry

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Permalink Reply by Jasmine Arielle Grantham on August 25, 2011 at 7:34am

while the machine is idle... should i be doing so when it is pulling a shot?

Bryan Wray said:

Michael I don't think the pressure has a thing to do with the poor espresso.  In my opinion it's obviously stale beans that are being pulled too quickly.

 

Jasmine are you taking your readings while the machine is idle or while it is pulling a shot?

 

-bry

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Permalink Reply by Brady on August 25, 2011 at 9:38am

Generally, there are three pressures that we may care about in the case of espresso machines:

1. Steam boiler pressure.

2. Brew water pressure during an extraction (pump pressure).

3. Idle brew water pressure - brew water pressure when the pump is not running.

 

As you might suspect, steam pressure is the pressure of the steam+water mixture inside the steam boiler. We care about it because it effects steam power and on some machines brew water temperature. Generally speaking, steam boiler pressure is in the range of 1.0-2.0 bars. The lower to middle end of that range (1.0-1.5) for traditional machines, and the upper end of the range for some superautomatics (Frankes tend to run around 2.0). Not sure where the Jada runs, but I highly doubt that it is the 6 bar pressure you are referring to.

 

Likewise, brewing pressure (or pump pressure) is the pressure of the water that will be used to make coffee while you are actually pulling a shot. Brewing pressure should be around 9 bars, but remember that this is only when the pump is running. Pump pressure is not digitally controlled, rather it is adjusted by turning a screw on the brass pump itself. This may be necessary to accommodate higher or lower than average house line pressure, because pressure supplied by the machine's pump adds to the line pressure to create brew pressure.

 

Idle brew water pressure is the pressure of the water that will be used to make coffee while the machine is idle (pump is not running). On many machines, this is the same as the pressure in the shop's water lines - house line pressure. Once the machine has been installed, we generally don't care about this pressure if it is consistent and within a certain range. Something along the lines of 2-5 bars is nice. 6 bars seems high enough that the pump might have needed to be adjusted down at installation. It is useful information for a tech though.

 

That's an awfully long post to say "Yes, you should read brew pressure while pulling a shot".

 

As I write this it occurs to me... pump pressure may or may not have been adjusted properly at service. Some supers don't have a pump pressure gage, so this may not have been on your tech's radar. Frankly, not too many customers really care about it anyway - all they want to see is stuff coming out of the spouts. Overly high pressure may well be part of your problem, but that is pure speculation without seeing the machine and coffee firsthand.

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Permalink Reply by Bryan Wray on August 25, 2011 at 10:15am

A 5-6 while the machine is idle is normal.  When you activate the pump by pulling a shot of espresso where does that needle move to?  My guess is that it will drop slightly for 1-2 seconds and then climb up to between 8.5 and 10 bars.

 

The issue is the beans guys, don't make this more complicated than it needs to be.  Are we really surprised that stale, commodity coffee is producing pale, thin crema?

 

-bry

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Permalink Reply by Dave Schaefer on August 25, 2011 at 11:42am

I agree with Bryan it sounds like you are in a store that is just not up to the standards that you want to be at. I would suggest looking for a more local shop without an automatic machine. Even one that roasts there own coffee. You will find way more satisfaction in your job knowing you are serving great coffee to customers who actually enjoy it.

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Permalink Reply by Jasmine Arielle Grantham on August 25, 2011 at 12:57pm

I really wish I could.  There isn't but one around here and it's just a localized shop but they aren't hiring.  In order to work in a better cafe, I would have to move and give up the day job that is paying my bills. If only there were a cafe that payes well enough to live off of!! 

 

-jaz

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Permalink Reply by Mickael on August 25, 2011 at 8:30pm

The link below is for adjusting the grind on the Jada (hopefully that's your machine).  Everything else is controlled by the machine so thats about all you can do.

 

 

http://vimeo.com/6613729Jada Video

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