whistling brewgroup

[floydpink]

I'm just wondering if anyone experiences a high pitched whistle when pulling shots from their machine?

I tend to pack my portafilter pretty tight and grind fine in order to keep my shots about 25 seconds long on the extraction.

I've sorta figured out a system to give me a 25 second pull and yield about 2 ozs,

Anyway, I seem to also get a whistle, more often than not, once the pump starts and occasionally even get a little squirt from the top, regardless of how tight the pf is on.

I'm guessing it's not a huge deal but am wondering if it might be overworking the pump?

I'm also wondering if I might be overthinking the 25 second rule and should ease up a little on the tamp and dose......

[germantown rob]

I use a brush on the gasket and head after every shot to keep clean, with the pressure any debris or even oil build up will keep you from a tight seal. I also backflush with just water after every round of shots and scrub with brush.

I've never experienced this from my Anita, and it doesn't sound normal to
me. I'd the place you got
it and ask them

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by germantown rob

I use a brush on the gasket and head after every shot to keep clean, with the pressure any debris or even oil build up will keep you from a tight seal. I also backflush with just water after every round of shots and scrub with brush.

Clean gasket and wiped basket rim before each shot?

[floydpink]

Backflushed with Cafiza this morning and it seems the problem ended, so it must indeed be some buildup on the gasket as suggested.

Thanks gents.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by floydpink

...and occasionally even get a little squirt from the top, regardless of how tight the pf is on...

By the way - a little squirt of what, Fl'ink? Water, steam or coffee? And I'm not sure I know what you mean about where it comes from on "top." Top of what?

Seems like a bad seal of gasket and basket rim would involve some dripping of coffee.

[Mister Moo]

A bad seal between gasket/basket rim usually involves pretty obvious downward dripping of coffee or coffee-spew you can easily trace as it dries on the grouphead or pf. Are you able to witness a steam, water or coffee leak when you hear the sound? Is the sound behind the housing or coming from the grouphead?

Since you now live in the exotic world of big boilers, heat-exchange systems and siphoning E61s you're a bit out of my range. For all I know there is a periodic whistler built into each and every Brasilia specifically to indicate everything is working spot on. But I doubt it. You want to track that down when it happenes next - something is almost certainly leaking.

[floydpink]

I think the bottomless portafilter might be the source of some of the leaking.

It is supposedly for "all E61's" but doesn't seem to fit nearly as snugly as the other portafilter the machine came with. It came from espressoparts.

In other words, the Brasilia portafilter is snug when the handle faces almost directly at me, or 6 o'clock.

The bottomless pf needs to go almost a 1/4 turn further to fit snug.

Oh, and it's a tiny stream of coffee that sometimes squirts from the pf where it locks into the grouphead.

I believe the whistling might be normal and a sign of built up pressure as it occurs when the pressure builds during a backflush

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by floydpink

I think the bottomless portafilter might be the source ... doesn't seem to fit nearly as snugly ... needs to go almost a 1/4 turn further to fit snug... a tiny stream of coffee that sometimes squirts from the pf where it locks into the grouphead.

Ah. Aftermarket pf doesn't fit or seal properly? Coffee and pressure leak? Get your money back. Life without a naked pf is fine.

[floydpink]

Life was so much easier with a small aluminum boiler and one on/off switch with a 5 minute warmup.

Unpredictable espresso shots and poor temp stability, but much easier.

Who talked me into this upgrade again???

Just joking, I love the Brasilia and this was a temporary bump in the learning highway.