Gaggia Classic budget PiD setup: Barrista Gadgets install on Pre 2015 GC with HiBrew G5 conical grinder.

[zupatun]

Found it used for $220 (plus $40 shipping). Decided Barrista Gadgets PiD fit my needs. Paired with my HiBrew G5 grinder I got for $162 It's a food budget base. The remaining cash will go toward another habit...trackday tires (pirelli Supercorsas) for my 2007 Yamaha FZ1 Anniversary!

Considered the Gagguino, but I really only need consistency, not experimentation so just PiD will work well. I have done automation on other equipment professionally (crystal growth, thermal processing et al) so I really liked the clean simple and compact aesthetic of Barista Gadgets install.

I've upgraded the portafilter and basket...and will likely upgrade the shower head as well. The 2011 GC was very clean inside and minimal use and scale. The HiBrew Grinder works very well for pour-over...much less fines than my old Breville Dose Control Pro. HiBrew medium grind range) for pour overs has replicated AeroPress and tasting evaluations I read in Sweet Maria's catalog tests...but we will see how it works for espresso...not looking fir miracles, but solid, reliable and consistent shots.

I'll post some of the shot development. Waiting on some Sweet Maria's beans/blends I've been eyeing for espresso. Moka Kadir (2lb) and Ten Speed (5 lb)...I'm partial to medium roasts rather than light or dark. Best of both worlds to me.

Wish me luck, just need to dial in my PiD...I use a PiD simulator, almost never rely on the "autotune feature" I find everyone's algorithms fall short of what I expect to be acceptable control behavior and predictability. I'll do it for kicks and then post wherevI end up !

Matt in Virginia.

 

[shadow745]

Who needs luck, just make it happen?!? Haven't tried the Ten Speed blend, but have been a fan of Moka Kadir for many years. No telling how many pounds I've churned out and still a favorite. I take all coffees to a full city range as some roast notes are developed as well as preserving inherent coffee notes. For my taste/texture preference anything lighter/darker just won't cut it regardless of the coffee being used.
A modded Gaggia should serve you well, not sure about the grinder mentioned. I'm a fan of increased fines as that gives more texture all things being as equal as possible.

 

[zupatun]

Who needs luck, just make it happen?!? Haven't tried the Ten Speed blend, but have been a fan of Moka Kadir for many years. No telling how many pounds I've churned out and still a favorite. I take all coffees to a full city range as some roast notes are developed as well as preserving inherent coffee notes. For my taste/texture preference anything lighter/darker just won't cut it regardless of the coffee being used.
A modded Gaggia should serve you well, not sure about the grinder mentioned. I'm a fan of increased fines as that gives more texture all things being as equal as possible.

Thanks. I'm looking forward to the espresso blends, I've tried their monkey blend in the past.
As for the grind on the Breville, I found some 120 micron stainless mesh and made a sifter....for a 16G shot of beans and sifted 1g to 1.5g of fines out. Pulling a shot on My old espresso machine shots went from sour to drinkable and even enjoyable. Once I got the G5, shots were consistently better, though the temp is all over tge place on the old espresso machine and pressure is 15 bar.

The fines on the Brevilld Dose Control Pro were just too many...and when I went coarser, the shots were too fast...the HiBrew G5 has a better ratio...I can sift out 1 gram of fines from a similar grind on the G5, but it takes me twice as long sifting (30 sec instead of 15?) to get the same amount of fines. It's easy to sift out a gram of the fines from the Breville...

 

[zupatun]

So, a year later the HiBrew G5 grinder does some Fabulous pulls with a setting of 5 on Sweet Maria's Ten Speed Blend I roast on my home made Air Roaster. About 43G pull with 19.5G into my Portafilter . Takes 36 sec on average to pull a shot...crema is nice, but overall flavor is wonder if I roast to just past Second Crack (City++) Some of the beans are down the road into second crack, some have just gone past first crack...it's creamy, sugary, nice acid mix and all the florals that come with some of the beans in the roast...but no "Roasty" or bitterness.

The HiBrew Grinder is very consistent...even if I would like some more precision too dial in a grind...it's fairly forgiving. BUT one full number up or down and you're out of your sweet spot. That said, it's easy to go past, and come back to your nice grind setting and BAM you're right on the good grind again. VERY CONSISTENT...

My Gaggia Classic with the Barrista Gadgets PID is set at 98C and it's churning out delicious consistent shots at that temp.

Matt in Virginia

 

[zupatun]

Setup pic...so ya know it actually exists.