# Air bubbles through portafilter - la pavoni europiccola



## Andy__C (Nov 4, 2015)

Hi all, I'm wrestling and learning with my Europiccola, which I picked up a few weeks ago (and still struggling to get a decent shot), but having fun/making mess none the less.

One thing I am noticing in trying to nail this machine is that I get a lot of air bubbles in the flow of the espresso when pulling the lever, especially towards the end of the pull. Does anyone else experience this or any ideas what might be causing it?


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

possibly air still in the group head.

when you go to pull your shot, lift lever, wait till it fills with water, give it 5 - 10 seconds and start your pull, the second you feel the water being cut off by the piston from the boiler OR when you get that 1st drip, return the lever to to the top to fill the group head again and continue the pull .... it can get rid of any air in the grouphead


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## Andy__C (Nov 4, 2015)

cheers H1udd... I'll give that a go when next at the machine and report back.

Can I ask another quick Q, at what point of the level raise should I feel the water enter the group?

I can definitely hear/feel this but it's not until quite high in the ark of the level... a few cm from the top. Is this standard?


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Yes, there isn't much room to wiggle.

To avoid disturbing the puck when you're filling the group you can use a permanent marker to put a small blob on the piston rod when you raise the lever and the first drops of water appear. When you're pulling a shot and you need to make sure the group is full for a double you can pump the lever up and down and make sure the blob doesn't drop below the group slot, avoiding applying pressure to the puck and sucking dirty water back into the group when you pull up.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

I sometimes get a bit of bubbling at the end of a shot, usually indicates that the brew water is too hot (can happen after the second or third shot..)

I find one pull, done properly, gives a near as dammit 1:2 ratio when using 15g. I have done the above though (press slightly until the lever goes firm, then gently lift again - you hear the water fill up) and it works quite well without splitting the puck.


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## insatiableOne (Jul 29, 2015)

Upon heating up, you should open the steam wand to relieve false pressure.

If you hear water bubbling at the end of the shot, it is flash boiling, pull the demitasse , end the shot prior if possible_

The Europiccola & Pre-Millennium had heating issues. La Pavoni has since fixed this from the Millennium to Stradivari models respectively.

You will have to take extra steps with pre 1970 era technology, members here will surely give sound advice to your woes. Good luck in your journey.


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## Andy__C (Nov 4, 2015)

Thanks for the further advice. I tried the pull to water-cut, lift and pull again this morning.... but this gave me bubbles from the off. I was in the usual morning rush so didn't rehearse the technique, but I'll give it a couple of runs later.

I'll also be wary of overheating... in my mind I was wondering whether I'd underheated as I read on the net of somepeople letting the Pavoni heat for 20+ mins before even attempting a pull. I have the two element switch version.... I always use the 2nd element to heat quickly, which has steam pouring out of the pressure valve within minutes.... I'll also try not being so keen with this!


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

I only had the professional model on for a max of 13 mins before pulling a shot and that would sometimes be too hot. 20+ minutes might work if you don't purge air from the steam wand or run water through the group prior to pulling the shot, but I wouldn't bother trying it.

And Pavoni never solved the over heating issues.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Mine's a 2007 model, and it overheats after a while. The use of a damp, cold cloth over the group can help - as can cooling the portafilter in cold water.

For mine, it's switch on until the light goes out. Purge false pressure, pump the lever several times to get the group upto temp, purge a bit of water to flush anything out of the group and good to go.


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## insatiableOne (Jul 29, 2015)

Use a heat strip, or like I do, used to use a meat temperature probe tip ziptied to the bell above the portafilter.

Get issues when you try to guess, lighter roasts require less temperature than darker roasts. Try light roasts at about 170 F for really light to 180F for light.. 190 for roasts about just under city roast. full city or above when it can handle the most temp. as the beans are mostly cooked anyhow.

Higher elevation, plays a role in temperature stable as well, guess that's why the Sherpa's drink buttered tea. Remember *Pure water begins to boil at about 157 degrees Fahrenheit at the top of Mount Everest.* At sea level, water boils at 212 degrees, and the boiling point drops about 1.8 degrees for every 1000-foot increase in altitude. I was forced to turn my boiler down since I'm almost at 3,000 elevation & my water starts to flashboil off the portafilter at 193f or so it seems.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Just been using mine. Filled it up with Volvic, switched it on and went for a shower as my better half asked if she could have a coffee (I'm slowly converting her). By the time I'd come back down it was up to temp. Didn't even have to purge the steam wand as I was getting full pressure (still gave it a purge though). Made three shots and no bubbling with any, though I do rinse the pf through with cold water after every knock-out just to wash any coffee residue out.


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