# New setup!



## Olljones

So i caved and overhauled everything!

Rancilio Silvia v3

Baratza Vario Home Grinder

(both from myespresso - I know theres some negativity towards the site but the prices were fantastic and delivery was in not time at all)

Ive got a nice tamper and knockbox on the way from madebyknock.

Thanks mr Taxman!

Anyway, just wondering if anyone is running the same setup and got any nice do's, dont's or suggestions to get the best out of it all.

Weird question, but how much will the tamp pressure against the fineness of the grind bare up? I picked up some red brick from square mile and have got it running on almost the finest grind it can run, which seems to be a lot finer than a lot of places say to start with.

When I get away from the horrible plastic tamper that comes with it, will I see a dramatic difference in shot timing based on grind? Does that make sense.

i dont know.


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## Mrboots2u

Hi for basic running the silvia tips, if you look at the Silvia thread , there is a post on there as to what to do when first getting your silvia . Read that it's very useful. Always make sure your tank is full, remember to flush some water through the brew head or arm to refill the boiler if you leave on. The boiler does not auto fill! Left on without water in it will lead to boiler burning !


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## Mrboots2u

Next to get the best out of your shots then , get a decent tamper , the plastic thing is rubbish. Next get your head around temperature surfing, to allow you to pull the best shot . If making milk drinks I would recommend pulling your shot first , then steaming milk.

There is a good video on youtube re temp surfing . Search Seattle Coffee Gear Silvia Temp , should bring it up and explain it far better than me . There are differing opinions on how to temp surf on the net with a silvia.

The two big things with the silvia are dialling in the grind correctly , and getting the right temp to pull the shot at ( due to boiler temperature fluctuations ) . You may know how of do these already so I won't go into detail .if you need more help then just ask on here .

When you get the variables right the Silvia is capable of producing some great espresso , get a photo up on the set up board .

PS I have a different grinder to you. Think TSK ( The Systemic Kid ) may have had a vario and and SIlvia at some point. I sure whence pops up online he will be able to give some insight for you .

W


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## AussieEx

Olljones said:


> When I get away from the horrible plastic tamper that comes with it, will I see a dramatic difference in shot timing based on grind?


Yes, all else being equal. For me a 12 second gusher was transformed into a very passable 22 second shot after I received my Motta tamper. This despite all the advice online which suggests tamping is about the least important thing (after grinding, dosing temperature surfing etc etc). I put it down to a much more consistent and even tamp. And boy does that tamper feel good in the hand!


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## 4085

I do not know how well this will go down, but.......i have seen Spanish coffee shops who do not tamp at all. To me, the tamp is sealing the puck before the water infuses. Therefore I would pay more attention to your grind and tamp lightly but because of all the variables, it is hard to make exactly the same shot twice until you become a bit more experienced


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## AussieEx

dfk41 said:


> Therefore I would pay more attention to your grind


I don't disagree at all, but I think all else being equal (same grind, same temp, same dose, same basket etc etc) the tamp does make a difference. Or at least it did for me!


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## mike 100

I have a Silvia/vario combination and find it works very well for me, you do need to put a little work in to get excellent coffee, I would recommend sticking with one bean for a while and keeping notes on any changes you make to grind, dose etc. if you haven't got some already get a small set of scales that read to a tenth of a gram, weigh each dose, that removes one of variables, if each dose is the same.


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## Olliehulla

mike 100 said:


> I have a Silvia/vario combination and find it works very well for me, you do need to put a little work in to get excellent coffee, I would recommend sticking with one bean for a while and keeping notes on any changes you make to grind, dose etc. if you haven't got some already get a small set of scales that read to a tenth of a gram, weigh each dose, that removes one of variables, if each dose is the same.


+ 1 - Silvia is quite sensitive to dose size


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## The Systemic Kid

Also had Silvia V3 plus Vario. It will take time to dial in the grind for any bean as the Silvia can be quite sniffy if things aren't just so. But don't be put off, this just takes a bit of time and patience. Aim for 25-50grm output in around 27secs. To get the best out of my Siliva I used to temp surf to get optimum brewing temperature. Here's a link which show and explains the technique.






With tamping the secret is to be consistent. You don't want to be changing your grind and tamp at the same time. You can get some idea of tamp pressure by using some bathroom scales - think CoffeeHit offer a pressure mat which is excellent. With the Vario, grind for espresso is somewhere on the second finest setting on the macro bar - with the micro setting at its coarsest setting. This is obviously a ball park setting as bean variety, degree of roast etc can affect the optimum setting for your set up. The quality of tamper doesn't affect shot quality - it allows you more control over the process of tamping. Tamp firmly and don't rotate the tamp whilst exerting pressure. OK to spin the tamper to smooth off the puck though.

When you've steamed milk, run the brew switch to make sure the boiler is refilled as, when you're steaming, the boiler is not being refilled. It's OK to switch off the machine after the spluttering and steam have died down - doing this will prolong the life of the boiler's heater element.

Other than that - you've got a great set up - capable of delivering excellent coffee.


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## Olljones

The Systemic Kid said:


> Also had Silvia V3 plus Vario. It will take time to dial in the grind for any bean as the Silvia can be quite sniffy if things aren't just so. But don't be put off, this just takes a bit of time and patience. Aim for 25-50grm output in around 27secs. To get the best out of my Siliva I used to temp surf to get optimum brewing temperature. Here's a link which show and explains the technique.


Thanks for the response! Im aiming for 19g in 31/32 out - in around 27secs, but one thing ive noticed, even when ive tried to choke the machine up with the finest grind the vario can put out is the flow rate from the machine. I cant seem to the pour to slow down any, so I feel like every shot is going to be under extracted and or lack the serious body/mouthfeel I can get out of a commercial machine. I dont doubt that im not in the same league as la marzocco at home, but still I seem to see a lot thicker espresso from a lot of other rancilio users. If that makes sense...


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## The Systemic Kid

Olljones said:


> Thanks for the response! Im aiming for 19g in 31/32 out - in around 27secs, but one thing ive noticed, even when ive tried to choke the machine up with the finest grind the vario can put out is the flow rate from the machine. I cant seem to the pour to slow down any, so I feel like every shot is going to be under extracted and or lack the serious body/mouthfeel I can get out of a commercial machine. I dont doubt that im not in the same league as la marzocco at home, but still I seem to see a lot thicker espresso from a lot of other rancilio users. If that makes sense...


What beans are you using as this can affect flow rate? What setting are you using on the Vario? The Vario should be able to grind way fine enough to choke the Silvia. When using a Vario with a Silvia, I had the macro setting on '2' and used the micro scale to tweek until I'd got the extraction time right. The other variable is tamp pressure. Are you tamping lightly - if so, you could try tamping harder going up to 30lbs pressure if necessary. You can get an idea of what force this is by pressing down on the bathroom scales but it is a good idea to forewarn your wife otherwise she will think you've flipped!


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## Olljones

Ive had it down to 1 and then E with a fairly decent tamp pressure. When I first got it after a few shots it seemed to be struggling to grind, so I took the burrs out and gave them a clean, Im concerned theyve gone back in but maybe not aligned properly?


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## The Systemic Kid

First off, don't adjust the macro and micro settings towards the finer setting *without* the motor running. If you're having to set to 1e, you might need to do a burr re-alignment. First though, might be an idea to take out the top burr again, clean thoroughly and then replace making sure the burr is fully locked into position. There is a brilliant tool for doing this but it's only available from the States.

http://www.baratza.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=8550

To check your present burr alignment, set your macro scale to around 4 and the micro scale to coarsest. With the motor running, move the macro lever up one notch and then slowly move the micro adjuster upwards until you get to the top. Listen carefully to the motor noise as you're moving the micro lever. If it doesn't change, move the micro slider back fully down and move the macro scale up another notch and, again, move the micro scale upwards until you hear a dip in the motor noise indicating the burrs are beginning to touch. You must do this very carefully to avoid damaging the burrs, drive belt and motor. If you find you are having to set the macro scale on the top setting to get the motor noise dipping, you might need to do an burr adjustment. Here's a clip showing how to do this.






You don't need the tool shown in the clip - you can use an Allen key. The tool just makes the job easier. It's available from the Baratza US site. I've ordered a couple of times from them - they are incredibly helpful and had no problems with shipping.


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## Olljones

Thanks again for the in depth response.

Ive taken the burrs out and make sure they are all clean and there are is no left over mess in the hopper or chamber.

I ran the motor and checked to see if i could hear a change in the motor and I can hear movement as you go from coarse to fine.

However, trying two different espresso roasts, I cant seem to get it down to super fine espresso grind, I actually can get finer on my hand grinder.

I didnt tried the recalibration part as it will void the warranty (theres a little patch over the entry part as show on the video)

Not quite sure what to do, I really want to try and get my espresso better at home and I dont know if its me, the machine or a bit of both!


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