# Problems with pulling a second shot on a Pavoni Europiccola



## Marcelo (Feb 2, 2016)

I've been using a Pavoni for a few months and still trying to master it. One issue that seems to have come up recently, is that pulling down the lever on the second shot is proving difficult, even though I am using the same amount of coffee, with the same grid and tamp. But while there is no problem with the lever pull in the first shot, it almost chokes (but not quite) in the second. Any ideas? Thanks.


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

How are you grinding ... Is the 1st grind made up of 50% old beans from the day before that wasn't purged, and the second shot from fresh ground????


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## Marcelo (Feb 2, 2016)

It's all freshly ground just before I use it, so no, there are no old beans (I even clean the grinder after each use). However, the problem started when I used different coffee beans to my usual - a lighter (and much more bitter) Peruvian roast, which requires much finer grinding than my usual darker roast to get a decent first shot, but not sure if that's the problem. But it wasn't happening with my usual darker roast (although the second pull was always a tad more stiff). I can attest though that the lighter roast I am using is freshly roasted, since it was bought from my usual roaster.


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

The only other thing I can think of is that it's heat related ... You could try getting your first shot hotter to see if it chokes or go for an additional heating flush before your 1st shot ?


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## Marcelo (Feb 2, 2016)

Thanks. I already tried flushing between the two shots as well as releasing some pressure via the wand and then waiting for the red light to go off, but it didn't seem to make much difference. Since it wasn't happening to the same degree with my usual coffee I thought it might be to do with the new coffee I was using, but can't really see why. I may just try to see what happens when I go back to my usual blend. But thanks for the suggestion. Much appreciated.


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## jtldurnall (Mar 16, 2015)

I've noticed this happens to a degree with each subsequent shot I pull. I notice they get harder and harder to pull, although I actually think they taste better (never gone beyond four) I'd be interested if anyone could shed any light on the phenomenon.


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## Marcelo (Feb 2, 2016)

The second and subsequent shots definitely taste and look better than the first, and are usually slightly harder to pull. The problem I've had with this new blend (which I think I will now abandon) is that the second shot almost chokes (I haven't even tried a third shot with this particular coffee). The question is why these second shots are harder to pull. Is it a pressure or heat thing?


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