Coles notes on the PVL, this should get you started:
- Prior to pulling any shots you will have have to let the machine come up to temp, once it does the boiler light will go out and then you need to bleed off the false pressure by opening the steam wand for approx 2-3secs. The boiler light will come back on. Then pull approx .5oz water via a lever pull in order to start the thermo heat through the grouphead otherwise the grouphead will remain cool. From first power on till you can pull the first shot will take approx 10mins depending on how much water you have in the boiler, less water in the boiler will take less time to pull a properly heated grouphead and stable shot.
- Approx 14-16gms in the basket. Fine grind will pull slow, coarse grind will pull fast (that's one of the biggest generalizations I've made all week). Remember that grind and dose work together (of course) but now the lever 'magic' comes into play and completely impacts the general rules of grind and dose. For now, keep things simple and stick to the recommended dose and a grind that will allow a shot in approx 25-35sec, following the other guidelines below.
- Very light and even tamp, approx 3-5lbs.
- With the PF out of the grouphead pull the lever down about halfway (prior to any water coming out) then insert the PF gently and lock as you are pulling the lever slowly all the way down and listen for the water draw.
- Hold the lever down for 3-5secs and then let the lever come up gently.
- As the first couple of drops tumble out, pull the lever down again very gently to the bottom of its travel and release, this will be known as the first lever pull which will produce approx .5oz of espresso.
- At some point as that first pull is doing it's thing you will have to think about going in for your second lever pull which will also produce approx .5oz of espresso. Where to intiate that second level pull is up to you but for now let the first lever pull almost complete its travel.
Throughout the pull cycle you will want to keep the stream out of the basket as smooth and uninterrupted as possible, a bottomless PF really helps.
Total espresso extraction will be approx 1oz. In small milk (less than a 5oz cup) you won't need any more espresso - believe me.
That will get you going for the first 2-3wks.
***Spoiler***
From this point forward ignore everything else I'm going to write until you've pulled at least 100 shots on the PVL. Use the Coles notes above to dial in your techniques and observe the PVL trends.
Now for the fun stuff (are you still ignoring this until you've pulled at least 2-3wks worth on the PVL)... are you? Of you are sneaking in here and using the stuff below prior to 100 pulls I'm gonna know and you are gonna be in so much trouble mister.
- Preinfusion is fun, you can manipulate it by holding the lever down longer or shorter, letting no drops come out or letting more drops come out before you go in for your first lever pull.
- First lever pull is fun, you can manipulate the profile of the shot by letting the lever stroke go almost all the way up or cutting the lever path short and going in for the second lever pull. You will see how impactful this is once you understand the pressures involved and how it speed things up or slows things down. That won't make any sense now until you are reading this again in approx 1mth.
- Essentially you will manipulate the shot via preinfusion and lever stroke play. While still interplaying grind against dose.
