# Anyone still doing a cooling flush on a Fracino machine?



## Mister_Tad (Feb 9, 2015)

After reading a few suggestions (namely here: http://londiniumespresso.com/blog/e61-machines-with-heat-exchangers-that-dont-need-a-cooling-flush and here http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?22180-Thinking-of-a-Cherub-or-am-I-ARG!&p=270216#post270216) that a cooling flush may not be required on some Fracino machines, and to verify that this was also the case with the Ariete, I put it to the test.

Step 1: Acquired an el-cheapo thermometer like so http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TM902C-K-Type-Digital-LCD-Thermometer-Thermodetector-Meter-50-C-1300-C-UK-Selle-/301471404613?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item4631189245

Step 2: Allow machine to idle for an hour (or thereabouts)

Step 3: Remove shower screen and insert probe into the group

Step 4: Flush

The probe read 90c from the start, so good to know.

Caveat: There are undoubtedly more scientific and accurate (read: expensive) ways of doing this, but this was good enough to satisfy my curiosity and I'm now enjoying a flush-free espresso workflow.


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Thanks for testing and confirming what we've been told elsewhere (by Fracino).


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Worth adding that the same applies to recent Rocket HXs. They have a flow restrictor in the thermosyphon circuit which keeps the temperature down. I was getting sour shots from my Rocket Evo when doing cooling flushes until I spoke to Claudette at BB. Now I don't and it's fine! (Your mileage may vary depending on how the pressurestat is set. Mine is on at 0.9 Bar and off at 1.1 Bar.)


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Interesting stuff. I have an E61 HX with an Erics thermometer. Left idle for an hour this reads 101c, after giving a 5 sec cooling flush it will read 96c 2 mins later.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

My experience is similar to yours Urban, using Eric's Thermometer the machine idles at around 100c after an hours warmup and if flushed, this immediately rises to around 102-103c and requires a good 6 or 8 second flush to get it down to 98c which is when I usually start to pull my shots (based on the advice that Eric's thermometer will read about 5c higher than brew temp after a cooling flush).

My machine is an Isomac Tea and I guess the flow restrictors on the other machine are just some form of narrowing of the copper tubes that feed the thermosyphon. I think I remember reading about someone fitting after market ones to their machine and they were just small copper discs with a small hole in them at the centre. I think they went inside the screw on compression nuts, effectively capping the end. I assume the trick is in knowing what size hole you need to tune the temperature on your machine?


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

It's a nice cheap way to test your group that, and lets you get an idea of where the temp sits in your group without spending eye watering amounts of money on a grouphead thermometer from Eric.

Simply enough however, even without a thermometer, if the group doesn't splutter when you flush it, its below 100deg and this is a good indication its in the right temp range.


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## Mister_Tad (Feb 9, 2015)

Rob666 said:


> Worth adding that the same applies to recent Rocket HXs. They have a flow restrictor in the thermosyphon circuit which keeps the temperature down. I was getting sour shots from my Rocket Evo when doing cooling flushes until I spoke to Claudette at BB. Now I don't and it's fine! (Your mileage may vary depending on how the pressurestat is set. Mine is on at 0.9 Bar and off at 1.1 Bar.)


Interesting - I thought that it was directly linked to boiler pressure, and didn't realise there was a bit more at play. I remember reading in BB's write-up of one of the Rockets (could have been the Evo?) saying that the pressure stat was set to ~1bar at stock and they recommended upping it to 1.2bar, which would presumably raise the brew temp?

EDIT: Ah, here is it - http://www.bellabarista.co.uk/pdf/Rocket-Espresso-Evoluzione-v3.pdf - The machines come factory set at 1.0 bar, this is not high enough for proper bew temperature or steaming. I have recommended that all Bella Barista machines come factory set to 1.2 bar.


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## Bruce Boogie (Dec 1, 2014)

My little Piccino gets a "cooling flush" as I rinse the basket before filling it for the second, third, fourth espresso.

Well I think that's what you might call it ~ I only do it to clean the last few grinds out. I'm probably doing it all wrong, after all I'm still new at all this.

Help always appreciated.


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