# Letlit Elizabeth - Beginner issue



## dirge (Dec 12, 2010)

Hi,

Just purchased the Lelit Elizabeth after reading the forum for a long time. Need some guidance however as following manual and we're getting liquid much earlier than expected. The pressure doesn't ramp up to 9 bar and we're wasting a lot of coffee.

Using a Iberital MC2 grinder, but also just tested with supermarket espresso ground and the same issue's happening. Can anyone offer some guidance on where we're going wrong?

Sorry for the video quality having trouble getting it uploaded in the size limit.

/monthly_2021_07/lelit2.mp4.65ffb825bdb67ac0abbe98b9a6f7b83f.mp4" type="video/mp4">
View attachment lelit2.mp4


----------



## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Can't see much on the video, it's better to upload in HQ to YouTube as unlisted and paste the link here. Sounds like you're not grinding fine enough.


----------



## dirge (Dec 12, 2010)

Thanks Dave, I've never used youtube like this but wasn't too tricky thanks for the tip.


----------



## Mike Graham (Dec 30, 2020)

The grind looks too course, based on that photo? No idea what espresso supermarket grind is like? Are you applying enough pressure when tampering.

ps I'm a newbee, and after a decent start I have started to get a similar problem, though less extreme, so I will be interested in the outcome.


----------



## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@dirge - Grind finer.

You are wasting your time and money by using pre-ground coffee. It won't work.


----------



## dirge (Dec 12, 2010)

Thank you for confirming supermarket espresso ground is a waste of time. We thought grabbing a bag made sense just to compare against the Iberital MC2. Expected the Iberital to get us there as it used to be a recommended grinder for entry level. The Niche isn't available until September if I purchase now. Should I show the grind and results?


----------



## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@dirge - So, the thing with the Iberital is that it retains quite a fair bit of coffee - Imagine a sausage machine. So you grind, but what you get might be the previous grind. So, when you adjust it finer, what ends up in your portafilter might still be what you ground previously. So, in a way, you are always 1 grind behind. This means that, if you adjust the grind, you you will only really see the effects after 1 shot or 2... Or you do a purge.

The Niche, in comparison, retains virtually nothing (e.g.: 0.5g max).

Also, the worm screw of the Iberital doesn't help much. You need to do a few turns in order to get any result in terms of difference.

I know it's painful... But, keep grinding finer until you get approx. 36g - 40g in the cup in approx. 35 seconds (that's just guidance and a starting point).


----------



## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Yeah, clearly need to grind finer. Also as above pre-ground is a waste of time. If you're using stale supermarket coffee you'll need to grind very fine and may not get anything good out. Best get something fresh roasted. Take a look at stuff from forum sponsors and try to get something medium to dark. I think you'll struggle with lighter roasts and the MC2.


----------



## dirge (Dec 12, 2010)

After pulling half a douzen attempts I'm now seeing this error and have stopped now.


----------



## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

😞

If that's the same as the Bianca - which uses LCC - then it means..

Source: https://www.1st-line.com/technical-support/lelit-technical-support-page/lcc-error-codes-lelit-bianca/?__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=7effb92ccf21f05eb4cdcbc8af50b9d52040055f-1625503373-0-ATXncCV2L2SkZnyPKMl3bzkxi8rPebxEo3rU3BXGpUxP-oBXbTYRN_rk9NYdjnVRWFqNOx-gK1EkcFVrFrBPk6HYKMlc2M3E5tR7kCwwZe8YA086TYIK6jXyxTCm6UMhcyiyAIidtjojRpRO_1mA4dhAYEhh6__JC_-Ej4LTs94iorvgegWX5oX5BZG6LwJdBRebYQVYGjEKgrvCmONQebCx091kiavg7MZ4ABMFDCCN2iPwNSbHx_wNXbs6ApzzuLre4qFmmOP6yhNnqv4JLT7CSRQydZ0p5eV71OjUhYRP-jE-xqVgB3gYbppuzSYOJqT1FIwOxEN-a2WHVOrMrj8-LMFRTjU8TmnvqKAA8fukkipIMKOdROQlJ5avkzHw0QalF8wRcql2y9ToKrJSSfxeoGk6T2TzinEaguV51ZKN-2rdwKFDGr0lHaX4w-HFvnwG3emLWxl8pr1J_pAFE9wPMQbNL3qMx0CuO-uULKJjJhrJoc-beAleBjAcSEAhyHypTKFpqqk532SC1Ub197eNJbW2OA_Eh_f1T9quKWNyV_cJQO2MEYFgOjl3wCIPGMneiHpf7Vv_zaxSQCUiOIFmm_6TGi79Z0zMFdf4XpmSWiOeJZkNtgSWuNf_7MnCmhgqPXhHnKaEXvqA80HfixAhzYrAtcZPAun3sO-sU4rr9-pw2a2Df10yUQNh_ua4VMzYAA7qh8fb2yJ9pElXzNvrPU4HNJRGS5revto4nCTNyOOfMOyRlmaOaDOqBPaULcrmMsrSPtnUE7yG_8VMras

*
The steam boiler filling phase has exceeded the maximum time of 150 seconds. Contact the service center.
*


----------



## dirge (Dec 12, 2010)

I've emailed bella barista turned the machine off and will wait their instructions. What a letdown today has been.


----------



## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@dirge I'd check a few things.

First ensure the tank is full and if you have a water filter, remove it from the end of the tube. Switch the machine off at the wall, wait 30s then power it back on and see if the pump runs as it tries to fill the steam boiler. If the pump runs, observe the level of water in the tank, see if it's gradually going down

It's also worth checking the tube to see nothing is blocking it, it's not kinked/twisted, or split and its end definitely underwater.


----------



## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@dirge - That's very annoying. 😞

I have noticed recently - whether it's due to Covid, or due to more people buying coffee machines - there seems to be quite a few faults coping up. Interestingly, this is not only related to Lelit. We was a Londinium with a faulty group, a Rocket that would simply not dispense water through the brew head, a few temp sensors issues, etc.

It's just very unfortunate.

However: You could try turning the machine on and see if the fault is still there?


----------



## dirge (Dec 12, 2010)

Thanks guys, I've checked water levels and it was at the bottom third of the tank, there isn't a filter fitted. I pulled the tubes out and think they're in as best they can. Switched back on and watched as instructed and its behaving itself.

So the two tubes, ones quite a bit shorter than the second with the valve on the end, they both need to be under?

Using a hario hand grinder now in the single basket and went too fine so advice 100% correct. Grind was too coarse, coming from a gaggia cubika plus surprised there's such a difference.


----------



## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@dirge no, the shorter tube doesn't have to be under. If you pull a shot against a blind filter, you should see water going back to the tank from the shorter tube.

If you don't, and you get that warning when the short tube is not under water.....then someone at tha factory might have got the tubes on the wrong way round


----------



## dirge (Dec 12, 2010)

What's a blind filter? Is that the same as a backflush? So with the solid basket installed pull a shot and the water will pass back into the tank from the shorter tube?


----------



## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@dirge yes


----------



## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@dirge - just expanding on the always sound advice from @DavecUK : On the Elizabeth, similar to your Gaggia, have two tubes going into the tank. the long tube draws water; the short tube is the return from the expansion valve. That means, whilst the pump is drawing water through the long tube, and the circuit pressurises, any excess pressure is vented out via the expansion valve, and any excess water returned back to the tank via the short tube. When you use the blank disk, you will notice water will come out of one of the tubes: the short tube.

Bear in mind, on my machine the tube was slightly shorter, meaning the machine would never detect low water as the tube was shorter than the height of the sensor threshold. I just spliced a bit of silicone tube and everything has been great since (one year on!). And, at the time, when I told Dave, he said that a simpler solution would be to just grab a bit of more tubing from inside the machine as there's often a bit of slack 🙂 .


----------



## dirge (Dec 12, 2010)

That does sound like it would cover off what's happened, thanks for your help explaining this. I've just held the fill tube and lifted it up and down and its tapping the bottom of the tank so can't imagine I'd need to start with the DIY thankfully. I'll test the backflush tomorrow morning to be sure.


----------



## dirge (Dec 12, 2010)

Okay update and making progress. Issue hasn't reoccurred.


----------



## RobDGio (Jun 17, 2020)

Do you have a 2 second pre infusion pump run followed with a second of pump off pre infusion?

not saying this has anything to do with issues you had just seems odd that the pump sounds like it switched off for one second at the 2sec mark


----------



## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@dirge - check out Dave's review and the wealth of information in his review of the machine:

https://coffeeequipmentreviews.wordpress.com/2020/05/08/lelit-elizabeth/

lots of valuable advice there, including best parameters for the LCC.


----------

