I’m using profitec drive with niche duo, 18g vst basket. Not with every beans but most of them I’m getting unpleasant harshness, bitterness. I know coffee is bitter but unpleasant. After adjusting grind setting when I start getting some sweetness then there is still that harsh bitter aftertaste. I’ve been using different roasters, adjusting temperature, ratio by 5 ml and still, again some beans I’m getting great results but with so many of them , and currently red brick I’m just not sure how to get it of that unpleasant taste.

@"MuddyOne"#p74438 Red Bricks is by Square Miles, right? What’s your typical ratio and shot time of your espresso? I have never used a VST basket. IIRC, @"Cuprajake"#144 have had VST baskets on his Bianca before. Water, Water temperature, grind settings, puck prep can be a contributing factor. Please load a video of your shot. I am sure we have a few members who use VST baskets. They may be able to assist you after looking at the video.

@"LMSC"#p74440 Maybe I’ll try with stock basket, yes red brick is by square mile but I had that with different roasters too. My typical starting point is 1:2 then I adjust once I get grind setting and temperature right. But sometimes nothing seems to be helping 🤷🏻♂️ I can post video of shot in couple days as I have couple of maintenance things to do with my drive .

Loose the vst, Temp will be your enemy

Make sure machine is hot, 45 minutes at least. Set temperature to 94C. Leave the flow control alone, fully open. I’m assuming you are using a bottomless porta filter. If not, do that, and work on your prep. Make sure the shot is extracted properly and evenly. Set the pressure to 9 bar (using the screw under the machine).

@"MediumRoastSteam"#p74444 So the machine is set at 11 bar right? I think I remember seeing that somewhere before, why do they ship machine like that? Why do you suggest to leave control vslvd fully open? Profitec says that normal flow is achieved at 1 And 1/4 , I’m asking these questions to have better understanding about your advice.

@"MuddyOne"#p74455 - judging by your comments, you need to diagnose what your shots have an unpleasant harshness and dryness. I’m suggesting you go back to basics and start from a common baseline. I wouldn’t take the manual as gospel. They also tell you to descale the machine, blackflush and never lubricate the cam.

@"MediumRoastSteam"#p74458 you say I shouldn’t be backflushing either?

@"MediumRoastSteam"#p74458 where do I start then ? You said go back to baseline ?

My current “ tactic” is that I pull a shot 1:2 ratio , taste and adjust grind accordingly . Once I find best grind setting then I lock that too and see if adjust ratio helps, if going either way by 5-10ml helps I lock it , if not I get back to 1:2 . After all that is locked I adjust temperature to see if that improves anything. Any advice here then I’m Doing stuff wrong?

if its not all beans then perhaps just crap beans?

I can’t seem to get rid of unpleasant harshness and dryness

MuddyOne

Adrianmsmith streamable lets you upload quickly video, I didn’t realise someone had issue here, I know Jake mentioned that the videos look small but I thought that he missed full size button on video?

Look this is a screenshot, played from video straight from comment I posted above it’s full size and good quality , you guys view these videos in smaller format?

Adrianmsmith

MuddyOne

Have to screen zoom and quality is 5 h 1 t but possibly me being daft!!

MuddyOne

Adrianmsmith

That advice you gave earlier about taping porta filter, a blank basket is going to work just as fine?

I should be able to borrow accurate device with wires from my work on Monday to measure temperature.

Cuprajake

its easier on pc, on mobile you have to hit the dots to enlarge, pressure reduces as the puck degrades so normal,

MuddyOne

That’s the YouTube video if that helps viewing

Adrianmsmith

MuddyOne

What position is the flow control valve in from closed. How many ¼ turns open

Adrianmsmith

MuddyOne

I didnt tape all the holes 🤓

Will be no flow at all

It Will tell you the temperature of that blind basket full!!

MuddyOne

Adrianmsmith

One full turn and a quarter from closed

Adrianmsmith

And can you confirm the knob is fitted correctly. I.e. confirm you have no flow when fully closed.

MuddyOne

Adrianmsmith

Yeah, I even did a test with scale how much water runs through,according to some German video on YouTube it should deliver around 210ml in 20s with full and quarter turn,mine does that. It also slows flow every quarter turn,confirmed with scale.

Looks like im not the only one,too bad OP quickly abandoned topic.

https://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machines/profitec-drive-coffee-offset-correction-t92429.html#p997495

MuddyOne

Adrianmsmith I tried to get into PID settings but the power off and two buttons is not working ,nothing is working. Left button only does not do anything, and the right one only factory settings.

Adrianmsmith

Ah sorry, so they changed rhe programming

From memory it takes a few seconds holding the buttons after power on to enter settings mode, but on the older models.

MediumRoastSteam

Adrianmsmith Ah sorry, so they changed rhe programming

I’ve been trying to tell you… 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Adrianmsmith

MediumRoastSteam but now its confirmed!!!

MediumRoastSteam

I don’t have the machine, but doing some googling… there seems to be advanced settings option and the PID values can be set there.

Interesting read here…. Similar issues to the OP:

The Drive and Synchronika II are sister machines (same as the Pro-700 and Synchronika). One Profitec, the other ECM. Both the same company, just different brands.

MuddyOne

MediumRoastSteam i don’t know if you checked that link , guy literally talks about my experience.

https://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machines/profitec-drive-coffee-offset-correction-t92429.html#p997495

MediumRoastSteam

MuddyOne I did 😊.

Are you able to find you P, I, D values in the advanced settings?

MuddyOne

MediumRoastSteam nope, neither of combinations works 🤷🏻‍♂️

MediumRoastSteam

MuddyOne - I mean… isn’t Advanced settings an opinion in the main menu? What do you have there?

https://support.clivecoffee.com/en/profitec-drive-espresso-machine-user-manual

MuddyOne

MediumRoastSteam

It’s bit different I think from old 700 , you can enable advanced settings straight from menu, but that still gives you limited access, you can change temperature unit , off set, simple things that are oddly hidden behind disabled “advanced menu”

But wait , after holding both buttons and turning on, machine been taking me to basic menu with brew temperature, I was expecting advanced menu straight out, but after scrolling down I got it.

It’s

P1 2.5

I1. 0.02

D1. 8.0

B1. 12

PP1. 2.0

Steam

P2. 4

I2. 0.00

D2. 2.2

B2. 10

PP2. 2.0

There are also more advanced settings allowing changing temperatures for fast heating which currently is 130c and some first installation menu, I wasn’t touching anything there.

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