I was reminded the other day when two Briel espresso machines were recently brought into us that I first did a blog on this topic back in August 2006, however we still seem to be getting the same issues.
HEALTH WARNINGBefore you attempt any of the following take great care to ensure that you are aware of which surfaces are hot and give them time to cool down. When using any chemicals flush the machine thoroughly with clean water afterwards, and should you splash any chemicals on your person wash away immediately as they can be quite aggressive on the skin.
A further issue though was brought to my attention, that of the steam wand becoming blocked. This part is usually blocked for one of two reasons:
1. Scale
If it is a scale problem, "pray" that you can still get some water through the wand. If you can it means that you can get descaling solution into the heart of the wand by filling the water tank, then turning on the water pump and opening up the steam wand immediately. Once you see a trickle of water coming out of the end of the wand switch off the pump and turn off the machine. Leave for 10 minutes, then switch on the machine repeating the process of switching on the pump and opening the steam wand valve. If there's any justice the flow of water should increase as the scale falls away or is dissolved. Run plenty of clean water through the machine afterwards prior to using it.
2. Milk
The problem occurs because after the steam wand has been used no attempt has been made to "flush out" any milk that may have gone up inside the steam wand. Gradually this builds up to the point where it is impossible for any steam to escape.
We have tried chemicals in the past to clear these types of blockages, however because nothing is moving it has not proved to be a good approach. As usual the simplest methods tend to be the best.
You will need to dismantle any plastic attachments found on the end of the metal part of the steam wand. Check if any of the holes are blocked, they tend to be very small and usually only a pin or "unbent" paper clip will do the trick.
You can very quickly establish if the problem lies in the plastic section by checking if any steam is coming out of the metal part of the wand, if it is all problems lie within the plastic section.
However should the metal part of the steam wand be blocked you will once again need to use (and I have found this to be the best) an unbent paper clip to try to dislodge any congealed milk. Once you think you've removed any solid bits, let the machine heat up again and open up the steam wand valve. Pay a lot of attention at this point as you might find that nothing will come out immediately, however after a few moments the steam pressure may suddenly blow out the last vestiges of crusty milk so don't have your hands or face too near the end of the steam wand.
This process may need to be repeated a few times if the blockage is really bad, however do persevere we've usually got everything working again after a few attempts.
The lesson ultimately is that when you have finished foaming or steaming your milk always flush out the steam wand to air, otherwise you face the challenge of the above activity.
The following is a copy of my earlier blog
Briel espresso machine maintenance (Aug 2006)
We've had a couple of machines in recently which if our customer had been more sensitive to the maintenance requirements of their machine, we wouldn't have seen, so I thought it would be a good idea to highlight a couple of things you can do to increase the longevity of your machine.
The following refers in particular to Briel coffee machines, however the principles can be applied to all domestic machines.
1. Maintenance of the group head
When you take out the group handle and inspect the area from which the water emanates, you will notice a large brass screw. Around the edge of the screw there are a series of notches at regular intervals. It is vital that these remain clear of any debris, otherwise the machines pumps will be put under severe pressure, and you will struggle to make a coffee.
The main causes of blockages are ground coffee, and limescale.
When the machine is cold, use a short handled screwdriver to remove this brass screw. It's important that you get the right sized screwdriver, otherwise you are in danger of damaging the screw.
If you experience problems removing the screw, it's sometimes a good idea to descale the coffee machine first. This can help to remove any scale that might be causing the screw to stick.
When you have released the screw you will find that there is a spring and rubber "bung" that comes out at the same time.
This bung helps seal the boiler so that no water escapes into the group head whilst the machine is heating up. The spring helps keep the bung in position. So suffice it to say, don't lose either of these parts.
There are now a couple of things you can do. If you haven't already, now is a good opportunity to descale the machine, following carefully the manufacturer's instructions.
Once you have done this clean the notches that surround the screw with either an old tooth brush or some other tough scarifying material. Wash thoroughly after you have finished.
Once everything appears clean, replace the screw, spring and rubber bung. Hand tight should be sufficient.
Switch on your machine and flush through with water to ensure that any remaining loose material is removed.
If you use your machine regularly then you should look to do this procedure I would suggest once a month. In hard water areas probably weekly.
Remember, if you do have to switch on the machine at any point during the cleaning process ensure that you leave an appropriate amount of time for it to cool down before you continue working on it.
4 comments:
Interesting that you should comment on cleaning Briel machines.
I've had one for some time, using it on and off when the mood takes me. I have used a descaler on it in the past, since I live in a hard water area.
Have you any comments or opinions about the removable part that goes above the 'gear head' (apologies if terminology is wrong). This is a fine screen that allows water/steam through under pressure and is removed via a small screw.
Holding this up to the light, a number of the holes appear to be blocked and cleaning makes little difference.
Should this part be replaced, or the holes re-opened in some way, for better filtering?
Thank-you for your enquiry.
You could try soaking the "screen" in descaler solution which might help to unblock some of the holes.
However when you run the pump of the machine as if you were making a coffee, does the water appear to come through the screen normally?
If this is the case any problems with water flow will be caused by one of two issues. The first could be that the coffee has been ground too fine and as a result is not letting the water flow through it.
The second and more common problem is that the "insert" that is the part in the group handle that holds the coffee is not functioning properly. There is a valve in this part which can become clogged. The only solution that really works is to get a replacement insert. Your supplier should be able to help you with this.
Over the years Briel clearly have had a problem with this part as it has been modified on many occasions. The last modification appears to have been the most successful.
I hope that helps, I've assumed that when there is no screen in place that the water flows out without any problem, if it doesn'tyou clearly need a really good descale - however it's very unusual for no water to come through if the pump is working properly.
Thanks for comments. The machine does flow well enough, but I just wondered about the fact that the perforated disc doesn't seem entirely open when held up to the light.
Did have trouble in the past with some pre-ground coffee that was too fine, but mostly grind my own nowadays.
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