# New problem with Gaggia new Baby - with video!



## bigstick (Sep 6, 2014)

I'm hoping that some of the forum gurus can help me with this.

Until a couple of days ago, my machine was working just fine. I have been using pre-ground coffee (a necessary evil until I get a proper grinder) but I've been getting crema and reasonable results, all things considering.

Recently however, I have been getting a problem getting a shot that's even barely acceptable.

The water is pouring out of the brew head far too quickly, see here. The shot that comes out looks nothing like espresso, it looks like filter coffee. Here's what happens when I try to produce a shot. You can see that water comes out of the brewed after stopping, and the coffee puck is soaking wet.

When I empty the portafilter, the puck of coffee is wet, the top surface looks a bit slimy, and the residue is also wet.

I recently had to clean the solenoid valve. Milk froths fine, and the switches all do what they ought.

I'm doing nothing differently to what I used to, but this excessive water problem is new. I have a proper tamper and a new brew head seal and screen.

Does anyone have an idea what might be wrong?


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Perhaps your solenoid valve had a "partial" blockage for quite a time and it was restricting the flow until you cleaned it.

Fast flow is normal with pre ground, especially if it is stale / old /dry. Have you checked the brew pressure with a gauge?


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## bigstick (Sep 6, 2014)

I haven't checked the pressure, I plan to do that. My wife has banned me from eBay for the moment









And Amazon, and all online shopping sites...

I don't think your view sounds right. It doesn't seem logical that it only brewed properly with a dry puck, because the solenoid was partially blocked. That fails the 'common sense test' to me.

There's clearly too much water in the puck, and the fact that the water isn't sitting off completely seems suspicious too.

But - perhaps you're right, let's see what others say.


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## cracker666 (Jan 17, 2015)

Have you been using the same brand coffee, how are you measuring the dose.

Do you tamp.

Mine only did this when too course and naff tamping.


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## bigstick (Sep 6, 2014)

No, as I say, I'm doing everything the same as normal. It's nothing I'm doing differently.

This is a recent problem. It has been working fine for months.


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## cracker666 (Jan 17, 2015)

Ok you mention you had to clean the sol valve.

What method did you employ.


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## cracker666 (Jan 17, 2015)

Ideally you need to check the pressure from the pump.

Get your self a gauge and test. Stage 1.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

There is a great guide from marcuswar on making a simple pressure gauge from a blanking basket, you will need a naked PF however for this one.

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?17102-Making-a-pressure-test-gauge-using-a-single-basket

There are a couple of gauges in the Payitforward forum, not sure if they are still doing the rounds however.


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## cracker666 (Jan 17, 2015)

There is some doing the rounds for opv mods.

For a donation you can borrow one.

Its in the pass it on


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## bigstick (Sep 6, 2014)

Bit of poking around the holes with a thin wire, blowing and flushing with lots of water!

It wasn't that clogged, that I could see, but it wasn't working before and is now. It worked just fine until a couple of days ago.

One thing I'm doing now is letting the machine warm up for 15 minutes before I use it. I read somewhere recently that it was the right thing to do.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Depending on where and what you "poked" with the wire, you could have damaged a seal inside the S/V. Your blowing through would have little or no effect as the pressure from the pump is about 15 bar = 221 psi. I would suggest you remove the S/V and disassemble to examine the components.


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

I've read that the machine should be pumping circa 600-660ml of water per minute.

Remove the portafilter, put a measuring jug under the group head and get timing!


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## bigstick (Sep 6, 2014)

I did try to poke about very carefully, and took the solenoid valve apart as far as I could. I would be surprised if I lost a seal, because I have removed those before and they aren't loose.

Thanks for the information about the water volume/flow rate, I'll check that!


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## bigstick (Sep 6, 2014)

Update, the flow rate was spot on, so no specific problem with the machine.

However, I discovered 2 things:-

1. I found it better to run some water through the brew head first. My machine doesn't have the OPV mod (yet) so this releases a burst of heat & pressure when the machine is warm.

2. I don't have a grinder (yet) so I'm using pre-ground Lavazza coffee. It's fine for the first 3 days or so, but the longer you leave it, the worse the results. After about a week, I get the results in the video.

I tried it with fresh coffee, and it was fine.

Everyone says how important grinding your own beans is, and we just accept this on the basis that it makes better coffee. What most people won't tell you is that using pre-ground coffee that is a week old produces almost undrinkable coffee!

This is probably why the long time gurus say that a grinder is essential









Thanks for all your help!


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## cracker666 (Jan 17, 2015)

Get yourself a handheld grinder, fresh beans, cost around £35.00

Taste = priceless.

Happy you've nailed the problem.


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## bigstick (Sep 6, 2014)

Update- this has started happening again. I bought a Gaggia MDF grinder on eBay for £35 (awesome deal, sent from Italy, works nicely) and it does make a clear difference!

However this issue has reoccurred.

I've tried changing the grind and tamping force but nothing seems to make any difference.

It used to make great crema with a grind setting of 5 and a very firm tamp.

I'm doing nothing different, the flow rate is spot on, but when I put the PF in, I get a shot in around 4 seconds, which seems much too fast, certainly faster than it was.

I can get crema, but not the nice rich crema I used to get.

After using the steam wand, there is a gurgling from the group head, with a little steam coming from it.

I have backflushed twice with Puly Caff and I'm wondering if this may have damaged the group head seal.

I've ordered a new solenoid valve and 2 new seals, but I have no idea if these will fix the problem.

Any ideas?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

If the flow rate is spot on as you says - it's the level of grind that's the problem - not fine enough and/or the grind isn't consistent, i.e. particle size is too wide.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Also, don't go by the look of the crema. Are you weighing your dose? Should be aiming for a ratio of 1:2, e.g. for a dose of 18grms, getting 36grms of weighed espresso in 25-30secs from moment you hit the brew switch.


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## bigstick (Sep 6, 2014)

Thanks a lot for your response! I'm not doubting that you are correct, but I wonder if it's true in this instance.

First of all, I'm doing nothing different to before. I'm using the same grind, same tamp.

Instead of say 15 seconds to get a double shot, it's taking maybe four or five.

This is indicates to me that I'm not getting a proper seal on the PF, and that the water is going through much too quickly - but I'm certainly no expert. In fact rather the contrary, I'm another idiot with some reasonable espresso kit, trying to learn









I'm not dosing by weight, I'm using a measuring ladle thingy. I always use 2 level scoops of beans, and that fills a double PF basket (unpressurised) enough so that when tamped, it's not over-full.

I tried a finer grind when I first got the grinder, and a setting of 1-2 was really fine. It took noticeably longer to get a shot, but the espresso wasn't better for it.

I searched the forums and found that most people with the Gaggia MDF use a setting of around 6. When I changed to 5 I got noticeably thicker crema and better coffee.

That has been how I've made my espresso since then. It might be that my beans aren't quite fresh, maybe the air had got to them, but that doesn't seem to explain why it now takes maybe half the time to get a double shot.

If my beans aren't fresh enough however, and they don't have enough oil, then I guess the coffee might not compress properly when tamped, allowing the steam to go straight through.

It's a process of elimination at the moment, when I get back to where I was, I'll definitely try your suggestion of weighing the coffee.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

What are you tamping with

What coffee are u using now


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