Help with Barista Machine (Estro Vapore), please

[RocknPop]

I just converted my Barista (Estro Vapore) to non-pressurized by modifying the pf.


I pulled a test to see how much water comes through the shower in 10 seconds and I got between 2.5 and 3oz so I'm gessing that's relatively OK (I need to take it apart and clean the shower eventually).


My question is - my coffee has not been turning out as it had with the pressurized pf. It's slightly more bitter and it seems to be less concentrated.


Grinder: Gaggia MDF, fresh beans. Settings between 3 and 6: 3-4 too fine (I gave up on waiting for the coffee to flow after about 5-7 seconds so I don't burn the machine). Grains at 5-6 brew but the taste is not good.


How do I get a better shot? Is it in applying more pressure when tamping? Or is it finer coffee and less pressure? What else can I do?


Anyone else with a Barista that can help me with a step by step process?

 

[shadow745]

I think you should drop the shower screen and clean it along with the group valve. 2.5-3 oz of flow per 10 seconds is on the low end of satisfactory. Decreased flow and pressure could easily explain the issue(s) you're having.

FWIW underextracting is as bad as overextracting as you end up with bitter, unbalanced, thin espresso. The sweet spot between the two is a fine line indeed. Finding it is one thing, but doing so consistently is another animal.

OMT... sounds like you're expecting everything to fall into place after a handful of attempts/changes and that's never the case with espresso.

 

[CoffeeJunky]

I had barista machine few years ago and their seal also leaks. That could be also the problem.