# Brewtus Ritual



## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

After now having my shiny new Brewtus IV for a week I have noticed that the group head/shower screen retains more grinds than on my cherub. I think this is partly due to the fact that temperature is possibly more stable and running hotter (I get perfectly dry pucks every time on 18g dose compared to wet pucks on cherub with exact same basket and dose) Also I think possibly the shower screen sits closer to the grinds in the basket.

Anyway, that's all by the by. I was wondering what your ritual cleaning routine is after each shot is pulled. At the moment I'm keeping the blank basket in my naked portafilter and doing a flush + wiggle so clean in and around the group.

Any better suggestions?


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Thats the way I was taught to do it. Seems very effective at cleaning out the L1's group head at the end of each day


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

So you're only doing it at the end of each day? I'm doing it at the end of each brew as the spent grinds stick up there. Not sure how significant this is? Perhaps I'm being over 'anal' about it.. ?


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## painty (Jul 25, 2011)

poona said:


> I was wondering what your ritual cleaning routine is after each shot is pulled. At the moment I'm keeping the blank basket in my naked portafilter and doing a flush + wiggle so clean in and around the group.


That's quite a time consuming routine to do after each shot. I just run some water through using a blip of the pump switch, then a quick wipe over with a bar towel. I also rinse out the basket under the hot tap, though that's probably overkill. Finally a PF wiggle and water backflush at the end of the day.


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

Do you chaps leave your spent pucks in as I hear it helps regulate group head temp. I'm not so sure however..


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

The lever machines do not have back pressure so the grind is not sucked back up. Never herd about leaving pucks in the pf before. I think that is a case of coffee bollocks of which there are many examples!


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## painty (Jul 25, 2011)

I don't like the idea of the spent puck being left in. I think the reason for it is cafes wanting to reduce workload and just knocking out immediately before pulling another shot. No problem in that environment, but at home if it's a high dose, the grounds will continue to expand and get forced into the shower screen and maybe even cause breaks between the holes in the basket. When you occasionally hear about broken baskets, it makes me wonder if this is the culprit.


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

It's def messier than my old Cherub. This is after a pulled double and quick flush afterwards.. See the amount of retention. Almost like I need to do a blank basket wiggle after every shot.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

What does your basket look like before you insert the portafilter to pull a shot?

Mine never looks that messy, even after a whole days shot-pulling


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

Looks normal to me. No different to when I puckered up for the Cherub. Basket nice and clean with a finger sweep across rim, quick flick of the finger to clean any grinds off the lugs before fitting. I'll post a pic in a bit.


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

painty said:


> That's quite a time consuming routine to do after each shot. I just run some water through using a blip of the pump switch, then a quick wipe over with a bar towel. I also rinse out the basket under the hot tap, though that's probably overkill. Finally a PF wiggle and water backflush at the end of the day.


+1

backflush at the end of the day

backflush with purly caff at the end of the week

was that photo above taken just after a shot?


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

Yep but also a small purge flush too


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

I do a small flush, a wipe with a damp sponge and then another flush, then empty portafilter back in for the next shot - whenever that may be!


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)




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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

With flash - same puck


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Nice n clean....hmmm.


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

Yeah bizarre really. Perfectly level puck too. Clean sweep over rim with finger and also flick the two lugs free of any grinds before inserting into group. I'm baffled really. I'm using a LM basket, maybe the dimensions are little wider than VST (clutching at straws now)


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

duplicated post.


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

Hmm, the basket is ridged. I'm thinking this is the cause..

My guess is the grinds are filling inside the ridge and then when I release pf, the grinds are sticking to the sides of the screen.


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## painty (Jul 25, 2011)

From your first post, it sounds like the end-of-shot pressure release cycle is more effective on the Expo and therefore also more violent. So perhaps it's picking up grounds with the removed water, and they end up impacted on the screen and side of the group?


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Maybe the portafilter/showerscreen combo just sits more flush than your faema/Fracino previous one.

I just pulled a shot with a darker roasted londinium TDSOL and this dose sits higher in the basket, my shower screen looked like yours but a quick wipe with a damp spongy cloth and a flush looks as new again


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

Even with pulling off the 10bar and using a 5 second infusion to end the brew, I'm still getting it. Also this perhaps doesn't answer why Gary et al. are not getting same symptoms. I'll try the ridgeless VST and see from there. Can only rule out one thing at a time and go back to the drawing board. Have a real suspicion it's the ridge in the basket but could be wrong.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Is it causing a massive headache? Adds a few seconds to wipe with wet cloth/sponge and little flush. Back flush end of day/session. Chemical back flush once a week


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

No huge headache at all. However the ridgeless has helped a great deal as has putting a little bit more leverage on the pf handle.

20g VST is sublime. Can't believe the explosion of flavours I've just had from Cayetano. 20g into 32g at 32secs @ 93c. Grinds need to be a little tighter but the crema is to die for. Don't think i'll use my 18g ever again now.


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

My gawd, just pulled another shot on the 20g comp VST.. I can't begin to describe the difference!


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

I use a ridged basket - I wouldn't have thought it was that...

it sounds like you're happy with the 20g ridge less one anyway!


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

I was saying to coffeechap yesterday, the 20g VST compared to the 18 on the Brewtus is night and day. The mouthfeel (presumably due to higher TDS) and layers of flavour is simply stunning.

You can see why they use them in the comps now


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

poona said:


> No huge headache at all. However the ridgeless has helped a great deal as has putting a little bit more leverage on the pf handle.
> 
> 20g VST is sublime. Can't believe the explosion of flavours I've just had from Cayetano. 20g into 32g at 32secs @ 93c. Grinds need to be a little tighter but the crema is to die for. Don't think i'll use my 18g ever again now.


Cayetano is great. Much more subtle than the yirg naturals


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

I literally can't believe the difference. As you say, night and day. The flavours are so much more intense and punchy. The crema seems darker too. Fantastic. Been using Volvic.

Although I'm currently climbing walls due to caffeine overload...


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

Right, I'll break out the 21g VST then... Just about to pull a shot...


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

Intense is the word!

I'm not sure what I'm tasting, as I haven't got my taste buds around the Londinium TDSOL yet but it is deffinately more intense!

Weird!


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

How was it? It's the 20g competition VST I have.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

How you finding the spouts dude?


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

Yeah spouts seem real good. I like the pour from them, seems thicker and less turbulent. I've gone naked again to check my 20g pours today however. Adapted quickly.

Machines only brewing at 9.5 bar so might up that to above 10.

Also find with the steam pressure, it ramps to 1.3 bar when heating element kicks in and drops to just below 1.2. Yours doing this?


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

After reading around, seems machine is bang on. Why try to fix what isn't broken I guess..


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## MarkyP (Jan 10, 2013)

It's funny, I had the same doubts back in January, when I got mine... Now it just proves to me more and more that it's operator error. Or is it the grinder?


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

Haha, that's the thing. My pours are perfect and my shots are beautiful. Not sure why I even thought for a second about changing the brew pressure ha.


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## gman147 (Jul 7, 2012)

I stupidly went and made another double 20g in the new vst. I'm never getting to sleep tonight! Just keep making shots in amazement as to show much better the competition basket is compared to my old 17g LM.


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