# So... It's here... Brewtus IV-R



## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

Will let the pic do the talking!


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Great set up Shrink.


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## DavidBondy (Aug 17, 2010)

Very nice set-up!


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Nice to see a machine away front the usual kitchen worktop!

Very nice.


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

Looks great Shrink. Watch out for builders queuing outside your window for a coffee


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Daren said:


> Looks great Shrink. Watch out for builders queuing outside your window for a coffee


Open the window and charge them!


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

What! Waste good beans on the public!? I don't think so!


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

ohhh them and us is it?


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

So far going well. Fairly well dialled In. Rave sig pulled nice and tight , 18g to 27g in 27 seconds at 95 degrees. Rich and smooth with a hit of acidity to keep it interesting. Flavours the gaggia could never find.

Very quiet, very consistent, and with the two hole steam tip, the power is brutal. Takes a little getting used to.


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## seeq (Jul 9, 2011)

Nice! And I'm somewhat jealous! How do you find the grinder.... Do you find it a bit overkill for home use?


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

If im honest, I find doser grinders a bit faffy and messy. It's likely I'll be changing the mazzer for a larger on demand grinder soon as they suit my usage patterns much better.

To get the mazzer usable for me, I'd need to do the nozzle on the doser exit, the cocktail shaker mod, and add an auber timer. In order for me to really be happy. I'd rather spend that money on getting something on-demand.


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## seeq (Jul 9, 2011)

I was thinking the same when I upgrade. I have no idea what to as of yet. These big grinders look so pretty! It's a huge dilemma!


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

Check out the fiorenzato f64evo

Bout the same size as the eureka zenith everyone's going on about, but much much faster and less clumpy. I used a few a while back in a coffee shop and found them deeply impressive and very well made.


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## Tiny tamper (May 23, 2014)

Congratulations m8 it's always nice to see someone getting a boss set up, sounds like the benefits where instantly visable in the cup and that's what id want with a great set up like yours







enjoy


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

Oh and also I'm using an IMS precision shower screen and Strada 17g basket


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

Compared to the little gaggia, this thing is a dream to work with. So much less guesswork, just a quick flush to bring the group to temp and warm my cup and off we go. Even with my lazy distribution I get shots with depth and flavour that have been missing.

It's also such a doddle to keep clean. Compared to a standard gaggia with no pressure release valve, this thing with IMS screen refuses to get dirty.

This was really my whole reason for going dual boiler And getting all the extra bits and bobs. I want making good coffee to be easy. No guesswork.

I know my temp is stable, and as long as I keep my brew parameters the same, I get good results

Using up the last of my rav sig. 18g to 29g in 27 seconds. Nice!


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## Mike mc (Apr 10, 2012)

Great set up.i shall have the same set up from Monday when I collect my brewtus from Charlie.

Looking forward to it


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## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

Looks great. A plumb-in rotary is pretty much the main reason I changed from a vibe Leva to Spazmond.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Glad you're enjoying it - just wait til you're plumbed in!


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## DavidBondy (Aug 17, 2010)

shrink said:


> Oh and also I'm using an IMS precision shower screen and Strada 17g basket


Glad the IMS screen is OK for the machine. I thought it would be!

DB


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

Yeah it's sooooo easy to keep it clean. What disappoints me though, is that for a £1300 machine. You get one portafilter, a plastic tamper and no proper blank basket! A bit shit if you ask me!


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## DavidBondy (Aug 17, 2010)

David: to keep it absolutely pristine I really recommend this: http://www.bellabarista.co.uk/stainless-steel-cleaner.html

Actually, I think I bought mine from Amazon but I don't think they still stock it so the above is a link to BB. You spray it onto a cloth, wipe it on and then polish with a soft cloth and it always comes up just like new!

David


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## Eyedee (Sep 13, 2010)

I had my reservations about this product but I splashed the cash and bought some.

It lived up to what people were saying about it, the machine looked great after a session with this, heartily recommended.

Ian


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## seeq (Jul 9, 2011)

shrink said:


> Yeah it's sooooo easy to keep it clean. What disappoints me though, is that for a £1300 machine. You get one portafilter, a plastic tamper and no proper blank basket! A bit shit if you ask me!


I'd agree. I would expect at least something the quality of a motta tamper and a blanking plate. Maybe not a second PF, although it would be nice.


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

I keep stainless steel clean by wiping it with a microfibre cloth after each use. Worked for my cherub for 6 months, and it'll work for this I'm sure









You can also use any old glass cleaner, which evaporates very quickly and does a great job at cleaning metal.

As for accessories, I do thinking a second PF woulda been nice, all the rockets come with two, even the ones around the same cost as the Expobar. But hey, it's a good machine. To get a rocket DB woulda cost me £500 more, so I'll shut up now


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

How'd you get in over the rest of the weekend?


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

yeah very well... it wont be plumbed in until tomorrow, so still running off external tank. Overall it seems very quiet, consistent and easy to use.

With the IMS screen installed, it just doesn't get messy, absolutely no grinds up and around the group. Love that the temp is just always going to be what I've asked for, and steam power is excellent.

I upped steam pressure to about 1.2 bar (it was set at 0.9 from the shop) and found the two hole tip a little bit of a handful at first, so I'm back on the one hole tip for now.

Looking forward to getting it plumbed in.


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## NeilR (Oct 1, 2013)

Looking forward to hearing how you get on, particularly how you find the Brewtus works with the SJ.


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## shrink (Nov 12, 2012)

fairly well.. any issues with the mazzer are more down to my own preference in grinders. I don't like dosers as I'm not a "single dosing" kinda guy. All that sweeping chambers out between shots just makes the creation of multiple drinks a stupid faff.

That said, now that i've fitted the schnozzola, removed the plate that covers a few of the doser vanes, and can thwack away a lot more aggressively, it is a tad easier to live with. Ultimately I'll still be selling it soon enough to buy something else, something with a chute and a timer on it!

The machine so far seems excellent. My own expectations were perhaps (understandably) high for a £1300 coffee machine, and I still feel that for that kind of money, it should be a slightly better finished product. The edges of the drip tray look a bit untidy, the top panel is visibly distorted around the screw hole, and one of my gauges wasn't completely straight (easilly fixed). Small quibbles I know, but we're talking about a lot of money here. For £1300, id expect most luxury goods to be fairly well finished. Lets be clear £1300 would buy a bloody good watch







(and I wouldn't need to straighten the face).

Operationally however the expobar is so far excellent. Very quiet with the rotary pump, very consistent, very powerful from a steaming perspective and easy to look after. I have no complaints about its usability.


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