From: CoffeeKid <mark@takethisout.coffeekid.com>
Newsgroups: alt.coffee
Subject: New Rocky Owners - read this...
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Date: Wed, 03 Jan 2001 20:28:01 GMT
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Okay. I've had to send this info out in email 5 times now, which I
think maybe qualifies it for a public posting. I wrote up simple
instructions for new Rocky owners to tune their machine to the Silvia.
If you have a machine less expensive than a Silvia, you should adjust
the starting point up a few extra clicks. If you have a machine more
expensive than a Silvia, down a click or two (lower number).

Here ya go:

Empty the Rocky of beans completely if you have already put some in
the hopper - hold it upside down and shake em all out. twist and turn
till they all get out.

Now set you rocky at 10.

Turn it on. Keep everything else VERY quiet - the Rocky is extremely
quiet without any beans - one of the perks of a high end grinder.

Now. with it on, keep adjusting the selection down to 9, 8, 7, 6 (you
have to push down on the notch thing as well as you adjust).

Do this until you hear a FAINT whisper of the grinding wheels touching
each other and turn it off right away. You will be able to distinguish
this sound. This is your actual "zero" point - not what you see on the
dial. Remember it. Mine is at 3. DONT go below your own zero point -
the Rocky's motor is strong enough, I suspect, to tear the two
grinding disks apart....

BUT... keep this in mind. While my zero point is 3, some people have
reported their "zero" point is actually at -2, -3 etc. It all is a
variable, depending on how the machines are set at the Factory.
AND.... this variable can potentially change when you do your thorough
cleaning of the Rocky once every few months. (see
http://www.coffeekid.com/howtos/rocky.htm for cleaning instructions)

Okay, back to the task at hand. Once you find your personal "zero"
point. Then crank it back up 7 points - so if zero for you is 3 (like
me), go back to 10.

Then put your beans in. Grind enough for a double shot (15 grams of
coffee - do you have a scale? if not, use the Rancilio spoon, but make
it two big heaping spoonfuls - a level spoon using the Rancilio spoon
is roughly 5.5 grams). Do not use the doser as your measurer. And if
you have the La Marzocco basket, you will need closer to 17 grams.

Tamp at about 30 lbs of pressure. Don't know what 30lbs is? bring your
portafilter, your tamper, and a cloth up to your bathroom scale, put
the cloth down on the scale, then your portafilter with coffee on top,
and discover it :-)

Lock and load the shot - make sure your portafilter has been preheated
(you leave it locked in the machine while you heat the machine up for
30 mins). 

Hit the brew switch, and start counting off right away in your head
(don't wait for the shot to start pouring - start counting as soon as
you hit the switch).... as soon as you reach 25 seconds, kill the brew
switch.

If you've gotten 3 ounces of beverage in that 25 seconds, all your
variables are GREAT. Try the shot.

If you haven't gotten 3 ounces, still try to shot, but make the
following adjustments:

if less than 3 ounces, grind coarser on your rocky - 11, instead of 10
(or 12, if your shot was way too fast)

if more than 3 oz, grind finer - 9, or 8 (or 7 if you got a lot more
than 3 oz).

These are tweaks for ESPRESSO, not ristretto. If you perfer to brew a
ristretto, eg, 1.5 oz or less from 15 (or 17) grams of coffee, your
target should be about 30 seconds pour for that 1.5 oz total liquid
volume in the cup.

Finally - how to measure 1.5 or 3 oz? cheapest way (and something you
will continue to use) is to buy 2 shot glasses that are 1.5 oz to the
rim, 1 oz line markers. www.espressosupply.com sells great glasses for
this purpose, and they are $1.77 each.

Mark
-- 
Mark Prince - Web Developer and Coffee Kid
mark @ coffeekid dot com 		 Work: www.webmotif.com
Home: www.spiffle.com/webthing		 Fun: www.coffeekid.com
Consumer Reviews for Espresso machines+: www.coffeegeek.com