Ibrahim Well the other way would be to remove the thermocouple and use a syringe to remove the water. I wouldn’t personally want to be doing that.

For the service boiler I remove the anti-vacuum valve and use a syringe to get water in and out, which is what I mean by manually. The alternative, possibly easier and safer way is to drain through the hot water tap and fill using the pump and reservoir. My anti-vac valve is fitted with PTFE and is just a little more than finger tight so no risk of snapping threads off or anything - not everyone is so lucky. And I personally find it easier and less faff than emptying and refilling the reservoir, though with the Bianca that might be easier….

      Rob1

      Then following the easy path will be for emptying the service boiler.

      So I’ll be using rpalvis recipe until i become confident with machine, then might ask you later on in depth about your recipe.

      Plus refilling service boiler with distilled water every few weeks or days to ensure no scale build up.

      And lastly will be using lelit filter 70l as a guarantee also.

      • Rob1 replied to this.

          Ibrahim no, not clarity just an exaggerated ‘fruity’ taste/note from the coffee, as if a drop of fruit concentrate was added or something!

              JahLaza

              So fruitness is just like a flavor profile

              And clarity is the ability to distinguish between two or more flavor profiles and their popping in coffee.

                  Ibrahim I think so. I may not be using the correct olfactory descriptive terms but that’s the best way I can describe

                      JahLaza

                      As long it’s a delicious coffee, then it doesn’t matter.

                        Ibrahim If you’re remineralising to a spec don’t use a filter, it makes no sense. The filter will just alter the water in a way that is inconsistent. If you just use the bicarb recipe to get 40-50mg/l alkalinity then don’t bother with the distilled water step as you can’t get scale from bicarbonate alone.

                            JahLaza could be higher alkalinity - which buffers the acid and maybe makes the acids more balanced with the sugars (i.e fruity), whereas lower alkalinity may make the coffee ‘bright’ rather than fruity. The opposite could also be true (i.e now fruity because previous acids were too subdued).

                              Rob1

                              R pavlis recipe has alkalinity of 50 mg/L CaCO3 equivalent (full strength r pavlis).

                              In this case i can Remove distilled water step (i mean refilling service boiler) like you said and no need for filter.

                              Perfect!

                                13 days later
                                10 months later

                                I do find this water chemistry slightly over my head at times and complex. I use a distiller and basically use 0.1g of bicarb per litre of RO. I want to be as boiler safe as I can be but I likewise dont want to overly sacrifice espresso taste. Am I right just to keep going as I am (will this water be better with lighter, medium, darker beans?), I have food grade epsom salts but have been a bit paranoid to use them or maybe find a midway receipe?

                                  Bagpu55 - Im on the same boat as you. However, unless you have it side by side, you’ll find very hard to be able to tell the difference. Saying that, I remember when I started using the distiller (I went from Ashbeck to Distilled water) and I immediately noticed that my coffee was very “bright”. And then I remember speaking to Dave about it, and he said that our tastebuds get used to new tastes very easily. And he was right.

                                  However, try this:

                                  • Brew a Moka Pot, or Aeropress, or whatever else that’s not espresso with the water you use in your espresso machine;
                                  • Use Volvic, or Tesco Ashbeck, or Waitrose Essentials (Lockhills?) (stuff that people put into their machines) and then try something different, like Evian.

                                  It’s a very good way of asserting what difference water makes when brewing.

                                    6 months later

                                    Ro-Ro The man says 100ml shoots into the grouphead in minute 6 and five seconds!

                                    It’s a lever, that’s how they work. You need around 50-60 ml to make an espresso. If your water is expensive, then you need to consider different machines. I mean that’s why you’re here (not to advertise water I hope)? What machine have you got at the moment.

                                    Contact me

                                      13 days later

                                      Which one is a good bottled water to use in the UK?