# brass dispersion plate - yay or nay..?



## yardbent (Aug 8, 2015)

there was a ''group buy'' earlier

any comments please on its benefits/problems....?


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## timmyjj21 (May 10, 2015)

Depending on the type of beans, I get jetting marks on the puck surface. The brass puck has smaller outlet holes than the aluminium. I notice it most with the less oily light roasts, but all other beans have been fine. No naked portafilter to verify channelling or poor distribuition


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## GCGlasgow (Jul 27, 2014)

I have brass one from espresso services

http://www.espressoservices.co.uk/gaggia_seals__shower_plates_an.html

Whilst it didn't make a vast difference I felt there was a smell/taste from the aluminium one.


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## Syenitic (Dec 1, 2013)

Can't say I noticed the jetting effect, though I have seen pictures of what timmyjj21 describes, and I do (did) use a bottomless portafilter and probably got the same number of spritzers I did from the original 12 year old aluminium one.

I neither noticed the change in taste, if any flavour was to be imparted would not a brass plate be just as likely as an aluminium one? Thinking of the metallic smell I notice after handling 'copper' coins.

So for me no problems, no observable benefits either, but I was hoping to minimise the amount of cak (one for MrBoots there) that stuck behind the shower screen - including scale, whether this has been achieved I don't yet know. I have not yet removed the screen to look, but expect I will over the xmas break.


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## yardbent (Aug 8, 2015)

timmyjj21 said:


> Depending on the type of beans, I get jetting marks on the puck surface. The brass puck has smaller outlet holes than the aluminium. I notice it most with the less oily light roasts, but all other beans have been fine. No naked portafilter to verify channelling or poor distribuition


i presume you're at 9/10 bar rather than 15.?

thought about drilling them out +1mm - seems to me the 'water volume' above the puck would still be at 9BAR so no excess water would be travelling through the puck - -- maybe....









building a naked PF as we speak.


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

Ok so I got one for the same reason as Syenitic. Old one was mankey and I'd read that the brass one allegedly helped improve the temperature stability.

No scientific evidence but I do feel the machine gets to a stable temperature quicker than with the old aluminium one.

I too get the marks on the puck, however like the brazen I don't believe this has any impact on the shot (someone suggested it may be caused by the pressure from the OpV when you end the shot). Using a naked pf the shot doesn't look any different. Someone would really need to do a side by side video of before and after but the before needs to be with a clean aluminium block.

The one thing you will notice is that it isn't a great copy of the original one with regard to hole position and other features being in the same place. Whether this actually has any impact though is hard to know.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

GCGlasgow said:


> I have brass one from espresso services
> 
> http://www.espressoservices.co.uk/gaggia_seals__shower_plates_an.html
> 
> Whilst it didn't make a vast difference I felt there was a smell/taste from the aluminium one.


What Im finding hard to understand is why the aluminium one is actually dearer than the supposed upgraded brass one:confused:

ally £18.25 brass £11.65

http://www.espressoservices.co.uk/gaggia_domestic_spares.html


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## unoll (Jan 22, 2014)

The science as I understand it is that brass is less thermally conductive than aluminium and this means that brass will change temperature more slowly. The thinking behind using brass for dispersion plates is that the plate won't wildly fluctuate in temperature and that can help you achieve a more consistant water temperature at the shower screen. In addition to this, some people like to avoid aluminium as a few studies have shown a link between aluminium and Alzheimers although there are studies which show the opposite. Current scientific opinion is that aluminium consumption does not cause Alzheimers disease.

I switched mine to brass and noticed more consistant shots (provided everything else remained consistant).


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## yardbent (Aug 8, 2015)

gcglasgow said:


> i have brass one from espresso services...............


thank you...order placed.........


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## timmyjj21 (May 10, 2015)

Despite noticing the jetting issue, I have not changed back. The brass is so much nicer to clean than the rough pitted aluminium.


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

Jumbo Ratty said:


> What Im finding hard to understand is why the aluminium one is actually dearer than the supposed upgraded brass one:confused:
> 
> ally £18.25 brass £11.65
> 
> http://www.espressoservices.co.uk/gaggia_domestic_spares.html


Judging by the look of the 'aluminium' it looks as though it is possibly cast in some way before machining.

The brass one I have looked just like the brass bar I use at work. I suspect manufacturing costs for the brass one may be less.

Also, we don't know the exact composition of the 'alloy' one as it is called on the espressoservices website. Material costs may be higher.

It's hard to say, you would presume that Gaggia would use the cheaper part in their manufacturing.

Alternative is that the alloy one is Genuine Gaggia and you are therefore paying a premium for an original part? Though it doesn't say that anywhere.


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## yardbent (Aug 8, 2015)

Jumbo Ratty said:


> What Im finding hard to understand is why the aluminium one is actually dearer than the supposed upgraded brass one:confused:
> 
> ally £18.25 brass £11.65..................


just ordered a 'brass' --- with VAT and postage the final cost is £18.72


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