# Crema Disappears quickly with Sage Bambino Plus



## Can y (Jul 15, 2021)

This may not be machine related question but machine is the main actor here i wanted to create the topic here.

*Problem :*

I've been having hard time to pull shots with good crema. I get good crema at the beginning but it disappears quickly till i steam the milk.

What i use and tried:



I use fresh coffees from a local roastery.(They are not too fresh as i waited a week or so)


I've got well adjusted grinder. (1Zpresso JX-pro)


Sage Bambino plus with preprogrammed single and double shots.


I use distributor


Stock tamper


Water that i filtered from my brita filter and i also have the filter in water tank


I tried to pull blank shots with portafilter to get better brewing temperature.


I recently did the back-flush and descale the machine.


*The issues i suspected:*



Pressure may not be correct but not sure how to test it on bambino plus


Brewing temperature (I measured it around ~75 celcius on the cup)


Any suggestion is appreciated.


----------



## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

Have you tried pulling the shots manually? If you press and hold down the 1 shot or 2 shot button it will pre-infuse the puck until you let go. I do this for 8 seconds and then release. If you haven't got any scales maybe get some (with a timer). Try weighing the shot produced and stop the shot once you get to double the weight of your dose in.


----------



## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

If the coffee is a robusta blend, crema disappears faster than with 100% arabica. If your'e using the 'double wall' pressurised basket instead of a proper single wall basket then 'crema' might disappear then too but I'm not sure. Otherwise the only issues would be fairly obvious for you to see, if the machine ins't coming up to pressure then your grind will be obviously coarser than it should be. Even with 5 bar pressure you'll get crema. Temperature is probably fine too based on the supplied information.

How long do your shots take? What ratio are you using? What is your dose? Low doses and low ratios will produce shots with less crema.

Using a bottomless portafilter will get more oils into the cup/break them up less compared to a spouted portafilter.

Finally, crema isn't really an indicator of anything. It tastes awful by itself and should really be stirred into the espresso, some even skim it off. Is there an issue with the way the coffee tastes?


----------



## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@Can y - Which basket are you using? Single? Double? Pressurised (dual wall) or unpressurised (single wall)?


----------



## Can y (Jul 15, 2021)

Thank you for quick answers.

@dutchy101 I tried pulling shots manually with ~8 seconds pre-infusion and kept it running for 20 seconds and got much better crema and lasted quite a long and volume was ok this time. Thanks a lot! I have scale with timer so it helped me to keep time and measure the volume at the same time. So it's definitely quite useful with manual shots. So probably, i need to change preprogrammed shots.

@Rob1 Thanks for interesting information about coffee beans. Taste was ok but i don't really trust much my taste bud about correct espresso but i was definitely happy with the last one. (I actually just get single espresso shots from random coffee places to improve my taste so that i can compare  ). i am using stock portafilter from bambino plus, i'll consider having bottomless one.


----------



## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

Try to aim for a 2 to 1 ratio. The Bambino works best with 19g dose apparently so try to pulling a manual shot with 8 seconds pre-infusion and then let it run until you get 38g in the cup - you should aim to get this between 30 - 35 seconds don't worry if it is a little more or less, but a good range to give you an idea if your grind is the correct size.

Ultimately do what tastes best for you but this is a good starting point to get consistency with your shots.


----------



## Can y (Jul 15, 2021)

@MediumRoastSteam Thanks for reminding. Though it seems issue is solved now, sharing extra points in case it may be help for someone else.



Using Sage/Breville bambino plus stock 54mm portafilter


Using double dose Unpressurised basket


16 grams of coffee


----------

