# Metallic tasting boiler water - Using Ashbeck bottled



## JackBlackmore

So I've be trying to get to the bottom of a poor tasting shot and I think I've found it!

I did a cooling flush earlier and noticed the water had a tinny metallic smell, i've then tasted it and it has a fairly strong metallic taste.

I purchased the machine about a month ago from snakehips who I believe did a full descale before hand so could the taste be coming through from the boiler being too clean? I've only used Ashbeck bottled water since I've got the machine if that makes a difference.


----------



## JackBlackmore

So water from the group head i.e. through the portafilter tastes metallic where as water from the hot water tap tastes absolutely fine. I've pulled about 30 - 40 shots since I've got the machine


----------



## Mrboots2u

JackBlackmore said:


> So water from the group head i.e. through the portafilter tastes metallic where as water from the hot water tap tastes absolutely fine.


Daft question i know but you clean the pf , basket and shower screen


----------



## JackBlackmore

no daft questions







I've literally just tried without the PF and basket and it's still the same taste. I wipe down the shower screen and grouphead every time and backflush with water every day


----------



## Mrboots2u

Have you talked the shower screen off ?


----------



## DavecUK

Mrboots2u said:


> Have you talked the shower screen off ?


I think that's been his mistake...talking to the shower screen, rather than a physical response...e,g, removal and cleaning it and behind it..


----------



## JackBlackmore

*facepalm* soooooo the answer is no! I took the screen off and it had a brown film on the inside, I've cleaned it all off, run some water through without it on and it instantly tastes better!! I'll report back on the shot


----------



## JackBlackmore

DavecUK said:


> I think that's been his mistake...talking to the shower screen, rather than a physical response...e,g, removal and cleaning it and behind it..


so screaming "WHY WON'T YOU BE DELICIOUS?!" isn't a tried and tested method? It's the only variable I hadn't changed!


----------



## Dylan

Personally, I talk to the shower screen every time I pull a shot. Even with our regular banter I can never talk it off when it comes to cleaning, have to pry the bugger with a spoon.


----------



## risky

Related note: ashbeck really isn't that good for making coffee.


----------



## JackBlackmore

risky said:


> Related note: ashbeck really isn't that good for making coffee.


wwhhhaaaaaaaa? I've only been using it because I've seen it recommended quite a lot. What would you suggest?


----------



## risky

JackBlackmore said:


> wwhhhaaaaaaaa? I've only been using it because I've seen it recommended quite a lot. What would you suggest?


It's suggested probably because it's so soft it won't cause any scale, but being so soft can also make it hard to get tasty coffee. I'd probably recommend volvic for starters.


----------



## dan1502

That's interesting. I recently started using Ashbeck to save the faff with using filtered water (I'm in a soft water area).


----------



## h1udd

JackBlackmore said:


> wwhhhaaaaaaaa? I've only been using it because I've seen it recommended quite a lot. What would you suggest?


Panic not young Padwan ...... Ashbeck isn't as bad as risky is making out, well not to me anyway ..... on paper volvic or a volvic / waitrose mix is ideal ... but in the real world ??.

Ashbeck is a million miles away from Bristol tap water ..... as an example, using filtered tap water I have to use about 17g of coffee in the CCD compared to Ashbeck or Volvic at 14g of coffee ... and even then the tap water doesn't have that sweetness

Ashbeck vs volvic ... well there is a difference, its small, but I do agree there is a difference between 2 cups made back to back all other variables the same .... however which is better ? ... I just dont have an opinion, I can taste a difference, but I couldn't tell you which one I prefer

As for espresso .. There is a difference between tap and Ashbeck / Volvic .... Bristol water is exceptionally hard it seems to kill any acidic or sugar in the pour .. but between the 2 of them I really could tell no difference ... perhaps my taste buds arnt up there with the best, perhaps my espresso skills are weak ... but really no difference to my pallate.

I buy what ever is available ... if I go to Waitress I buy essentials ... if I got tesco I buy ashbeck .... if I am somewhere else, its normally volvic as everywhere sells that ......

Give it a go though and let us know if you can tell any difference,


----------



## froggystyle

61 full stops.

Yes im bored at work.


----------



## h1udd

never been fond of the semi colon, and a single "." never really expresses how long I want a pause to be .... I like excessive use of dots to signify pause time, its punctuation at its best.

That and I am wired on caffeine 90% of the time and fingers cant stop when I type ....... so when I think I tap out the dots !


----------



## froggystyle

...............................


----------



## hotmetal

An ellipsis (for that is what the punctuation mark with 3 dots is called) is actually different to three full stops. A proper ellipsis character has more space between each dot. Random numbers of full stops not equal to 3 get my pedantic typographic goat ?

Back on topic, I tend to swap between Ashbeck, Waitrose Essential and Volvic, sometimes mixing them. They're all safe in terms of scale. I live next to Tesco but carting several litres of Waitrose water on my bike is an arse. I can get volvic from Tesco next door so now I mix volvic with either Ashbeck or Waitrose, or just pure volvic. To be honest, the mix of Waitrose and Volvic is the best, pure Ashbeck being a bit 'drier' tasting, but to my palate it's not night and day.


----------



## 7493

My palate just isn't up to this. So long as the machine stays scale free and the punters (my family) don't complain, I'm happy with Ashbeck. I also drink the carbonated version and enjoy it.


----------



## hotmetal

Yep - pretty much same here. Most of the time I'm using vaguely 50/50 Ashbeck/Volvic. Also drink the fizzy Ashbeck with a bit of fresh OJ. Cheap and cheerful. Nobody I've made coffee for has ever said "eww, that's not that Tesco water in this coffee is it? "


----------



## teejay41

hotmetal said:


> An ellipsis (for that is what the punctuation mark with 3 dots is called) is actually different to three full stops. A proper ellipsis character has more space between each dot. Random numbers of full stops not equal to 3 get my pedantic typographic goat 


...different from... (now I'm being ultra-pedantic)!

Tony

"To boldly split more infinitives than man has ever split before."


----------



## urbanbumpkin

JackBlackmore said:


> *facepalm* soooooo the answer is no! I took the screen off and it had a brown film on the inside, I've cleaned it all off, run some water through without it on and it instantly tastes better!! I'll report back on the shot


How did the shot taste? Metallic taste is a sign of the group/ shower head needing a clean or a back flush.


----------



## JackBlackmore

So I thought I'd finally report back! It's been a road on incremental increases but I'm finally pulling consistently good shots and couldn't be happier!

First step was taking off the shower screen and cleaning the inside of that, embarrassingly I didn't know it had to be done. This improved the metallic taste significantly but the shots were still coming off sour.

Next I upgraded from the standard tamp and basket to a Knock heft (58.5mm) and 17g strada basket which has made a huge different. No more NSEW/nutating tamping to get a good puck just a straight forward press and jobs a goodun, shots were decent but had the odd sour one here and there which I tried correcting with grind size to some success.

Finally I've upped the boiler temp from 121 to 123 thanks to the PID on the v3 and this has now given consistently good shots (maybe slightly on the strong side) and has improved the machines steaming capabilities no end with the pressure now sat at 1.3 rather than 1!

Thanks again for all the advice and suggestions, I finally feel like i'm getting the most out of this polished chrome beauty!


----------



## JackBlackmore

so hopefully this will be the final report back, just for completeness it turns out the burrs on my grinder need replacing, I've just pulled a shot grinding with my feldgrind and it's smooth, syrupy and creamy! Got there eventually


----------

