# Lumps Of Old Coffee or Rubber from group head? (CMA Marisa)



## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

This is something I've noticed at work recently, our CMA Marisa, 3 group, always gives out A LOT of sediment from the very left group when backflushed.

The other two groups have no issues, just the usual grinds in the blank basket.

But when I flush the left group, chunks of what I assume is either something from a seal up in the group, or just caked on coffee, are coming out. They're about 3mm across and flat.

Anyone know what this is? If it's just old coffee I'll backflush until it's clean, but whatever it is must be affecting the taste.


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

When were the group gaskets last changed? They need to be renewed every now and then. Or when was the last time the group was cleaned.. i.e. shower screen and holding plate (if it exists) removed?


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

I wouldn't doubt the fact they've probably never been changed, I'm not aware of it at the moment. They look very crusty and horrible though, and they leak. And the screens can be removed, but they never have been.


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## chequ3r (Feb 5, 2012)

Time to give maintenance a ring and get a service booked I think









It does sound like your group gaskets have gone. We have a similar kind of problem with our Lisa (you can now just pick away at them with your finger, quite horrible really).

Are the black lumps coming out of the drain valve or just from around the actual seal itself?


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Service is wayyyyy overdue!









The black lumps are ending up in the blank basket after backflushing, then when I rinsed the group after, a few more ended up in the basket again and one fell into the tray when I flushed without the handle in.


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

Amazing, James. So I assume it isn't standard Costa procedure to remove and soak the shower screens every night? It should be. Blurgh!


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

They really are shocking, the brand standards. I want to clean the doser for the first time in it's life, I'd get shot in the foot for that though. Although I think that's in the book, no one will do it.

Nope! They get backflushed; usually with too much detergent, and not rinsing. And a terrible on-off-on-off-on-off clicking of the button, instead of letting it labour for a few seconds. And the handles get soaked. There's nothing about water backflushing, or even purging the groups through the day. (Most people only purge when decaf is ordered, or a big lump of coffee is stuck to the screen).


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

Not rinsing the detergent out enough with water backflushes can really damage the machine, I've read. But sounds like there's not a lot you can do about it. Can you at least do water backflushes throughout the day when there's a lull?


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## chequ3r (Feb 5, 2012)

SlowRoast said:


> Although I think that's in the book, no one will do it.


I'm pretty sure it is indeed in the coffee skills workbook / barista core skills book / COSM.

I get why your SM / ASM might tell you off for doing something which isn't a brand standard but seriously they shouldn't tell you off for cleaning the doser. I mean you can lose marks on a COStA check if it's not clean.

You could always send an anonymous message to your RDM saying that those bits aren't getting done / the service is overdue. Don't know if you'd be shooting yourself in the foot if you did that though.

Sorry but it annoys me that you get treated like this


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

MikeHag said:


> Not rinsing the detergent out enough with water backflushes can really damage the machine, I've read. But sounds like there's not a lot you can do about it. Can you at least do water backflushes throughout the day when there's a lull?


Yeah I've heard about that too, it's pretty nasty stuff the detergent. But so nice for the machines when used properly! Not at all, it'd be considered time wasting - along side group purging before shots and basket cleaning. Blurgh.

I might clean the doser myself on a close, and just point that fact out, thanks.

Yep, reporting anything like that would just be shooting myself in the foot


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

I've spoken to Costa customer relations once about a rubbish coffee I received. They were great. Genuinely interested in finding out the details so they could ensure it was resolved in future. If you want to PM me details of the store I'd be happy to give them a call without dropping anyone in it. I reckon they'd appreciate it.


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

I've noticed the Costa customer relations on Facebook are very good, maybe if we could lead them into thinking the lack of basket cleaning is such a bad practise.









Pm sent.


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## xXDaedalusXx (Oct 24, 2011)

I would imagine it to be quite damaging to the people drinking the first coffees on the next day too!

You would of thought a chain to be servicing their machines properly, especially with the amount of drinks you probably throw out a day.


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Luckily they have a system in place of running blank shots down the drain in the morning, with the old coffee from the doser, so luckily the Cafiza shouldn't be too residual in drinks.

Well, I can assure you, it's a lot. Most days the order count is probably between 150-300, most orders there is more than one drink. On some Saturday's around Christmas we've taken probably 500 orders. The machines must have felt the burn that day...


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## brun (Dec 26, 2011)

id bet when Costa first started out, everything got done, but as companies get bigger and sites get busier, its little details like this that get brushed to one side


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

Sounds to me like they got it wrong from the start if their brand standards are so far from optimal. But 'wrong' is subjective I suppose. A whole nation can't be wrong. (But they can be misguided!)


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Apparently the technique or something is the same as it always has been. I'm sure the Italo brothers wouldn't be tamping with a spring loaded tamper and not flushing the groups.

Misguided indeed though!

The new marketing, is "Love Costa" and they're doing the thing again with flat whites, along the lines of "don't like it, bring it back and we'll make you your usual drink for free", I didn't get to see much of it as I had to come home after falling ill. But it looks like they're pushing the boat out, on the website there's things about how they roast their coffee and batch produce the cakes.


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## brun (Dec 26, 2011)

SlowRoast, whats actually in a Costa Light, i had one a few months back and it was awful, never again


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

For a small plain one, we just a 12oz jug, fill to the lip with skimmed milk, add a single shot into this, then steam it like traditional cappuccino milk, pour and add a blob of skinny capp milk. You get about a quarter to half the shot of coffee.

You can get it looking quite smooth and silky, but I quite often just see giant frothy messes. Either way it tastes terrible.


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## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Im here only break now and have encountered a new problem! The middle group is spitting everywhere when flushed out. I'm not sure what to do about it. I cleaned it with the brush, but to no avail. Will give it a really thorough backflush tonight.


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