How to Adjust Brew Pressure on the Rocket Appartamento! - OPV Mod
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- This is everything you need to know on how to modify the brewing pressure (OPV mod) on the Rocket Appartamento! At stock, the Rocket was 13-14 bars but I've been able to bring that down to 9 or even under if you prefer lower pressure shots.
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#RocketAppartamento #OPV #Mod - Навчання та стиль
As noted below by others, there is a difference with dynamic vs static pressure. I think this implies you should set your bars with the blind basket a little higher than you'd like. As always, feel free to add corrections to this pinned comment :)
I installed a pressure gauge on the group head and so I was able to set 9 bars
Hey Xris, I set it to 9bar with blind basket. And then when I perform the real extraction with regular flow (18g>36g in cca 25sec), I also get 9bar reading on the pressure gauge. How is it possible if there is difference between static and dinamyc pressure? Am I missing something? Thanks a lot on the answer 🙂
@@ficokan with the blind basket you have a closed system and without you have an opening in one end where water is escaping the system so the pressure would then be a little lower.
@@UA-camr-ku4nk hi Tony, thanks for reply. But the thing is that gauge was showing 9 bar both static (with blind basket) and dynamic (during real extraction), so I still don't figure how is that possible if there should be some pressure lost. In the mean time, I set it to 9.5 with blind and now when extraction is performed it indeed drops to 9 - 9.3 depends. But anyway, still remains the question why was the same blind/regular basket when I set it to 9 at the first place 🙂
@@ficokan Well, in theory it should be lower when pulling a shot :)
As beautiful as the Appartamento is I'm beginning to look elsewhere. I think I want to go with one built-in pressure gauge and temperature control.
Just did this... Thanks for the video! Quick recommendation, when removing the top, you can just undo the two hex bolts in front and then just the 2 phillips head bolts at the bottom, under the reservoir (not the 4 on top of the reservoir). then the whole reservoir housing and top plate come out in one piece. Just makes it simpler and faster to undo and put together.
Many thanks Xris! And to think I've been running my Rocket at 12 bars for the last 1.5 years! Ugh. Pair this adjustment with the Coffee Sensor temperature gauge, and I noticed an immediate difference in the smoothness of my shots.
One note of caution for anyone attempting this: be VERY careful when screwing the gauge into the brewhead! Take it slow and make sure it's aligned properly. On my first attempt, I had the angle slightly wrong, immediately noticed resistance, and backed it out. But for a frantic 15mins, I couldn't get anything (the gauge or the original nut) to screw back in, and I thought I stripped the threads in the brewhead! It eventually did work it's way in, but it was a worrying experience.
This is awesome. Thank you for inspiring me and many others to do this! Just finished it on my machine. Including the correct hardware sizes below so folks don’t damage their hardware:
-Allen/hex bolts on the top lid: 2.5mm
-Bolts on top cover (underneath lid): 7mm
-Nut on OPV: 12mm
The hardware on these machines is metric, and the screws on top are not torx. Using the correct tools will make you less likely to round out hardware, and thus less likely to make Rocket realize you’ve been tampering with your machine.
Thanks again! Warming my machine up after adjusting the OPV now.
pinning this comment! yep, don't strip your screws people!
Hey Xris! Thanks for the mod! Followed it step by step, finished in about 30min!
For all the folks out there, I had mine at 12 bars, did 1 full rotation (1x360) and got down to 9-9.5 bar range. Exactly where I wanted to be!
Cheers,
J.
What improvements did you find after lowering the pressure?
Xris - phenomenal video, seriously. I watched a James Hoffman video in which he did a comparison of a bunch of prosumer machines and he noted how the Appartamento is set to 13-14 bars stock as you mentioned. Not sure why it doesn’t come properly set from the factory (sigh) but I loved how this video shows how to easily adjust that. Thanks again
He mentions in the video that he wanted to compare the machines how they are out of the box. For one, because machines at that pricepoint really shouldn‘t need to be tinkered with to make good coffee, but also because it would be a disadvantage for the machines that worked properly right out of the box like the silvia pro.
I think it was a pretty good decision to test that way, because people who don‘t want to open their machines will know what not to buy, but people who are fine with adjusting the opv won‘t be deterred.
Just made the change. I don’t have a pressure gauge yet, but anything can be better than what I’ve been experiencing with 12-13 bars. No matter how much I dosed or how find the grind, it was lunching massive holes all throughout my puck. The marker trick was genius and the only reason I decided to test before my gauge comes. I can always roll back.
Great video as many show the adjustment but not removing the panels required to access it. My only constructive criticism would be that Step One for me would be installing the pressure gauge to get a benchmark / check your machine actually needs adjustment.
I own the Rocket Appartamento (four years ago) and I understand the remark made by James Hoffman in one of his reviews. The buyer should not, as soon as he receives the machine, open it in order to make adjustments to optimize the extractions. As far as the pressure in the boiler is concerned, this can certainly depend on the types of coffee consumed (origins, roasts, etc.) but we are still on a group E61 which, in my opinion, is at its best in a medium + to very dark roast range. I lowered the pressure of the boiler to 1 bar. I don't lose steam compared to my use, even when I have a few milk drinks in a row (never more than 2 in a row according to my domestic use). For the extraction, I played with the OPV to be at 9 bars. These two settings have brought an obvious qualitative gain. And it is indeed surprising that Rocket delivers the machine with settings that do not enhance the quality of this "small" machine. Thank's for videos.
I checked with the retailer and they adjusted my machine before shipping. That might be an easier way to go for those who haven't yet purchased their machines, and it happens before your warranty is applied.
I followed your instructions. I dialed down from 12 bars to 9 bars. It took 1.33 turns roughly. Thank you. Also as a side note a 6mm wrench will also work.
Pressure can't be set with a blind basket. You need flow roughly equivalent to to actual brew to see the real dynamic pressure. This method with blind basket will result in 2-4 bar under desired result.
yo! i compared my shots before and it was bitter. after, it made my shot sweeter and nutty. thank you!
The link to eBay with the white gauge in description has a large disclaimer from seller
> Please note the gauge will not fit ROCKET APPARTAMENTO!
I've had my Appartamento since 2017 and I NEVER knew this... Unless it's something of a new mod or discovery. I've been happy from what I've seen with my shots however It could just be because I'm used to it being incorrect. I think I got mine from Seattle Coffee Gear or Whole late Love which I think are the same company just one east and west coast but reguardless I'm almost sure my brew pressure is higher than 9 bar. I don't necessarily get watery shots but I'm grinding on a Silencio and it's usually pretty fine grind setting and the shot does come out quite fast and spluttery sometimes and is inconsistent. I'm using a 20g naked basket and usually pretty consistent roasts and the brew times are usually pretty fast with larger volume of coffee I think resulting in more of a bitter shot. I usually have a pretty wet puck after brewing too. I think the brew pressure lowering to 9 will slow the extraction and give the coffee more time to be extracted for an even shot pull.
UPDATE! Just installed my pressure gauge and my factory Appartamento pressure was at 12.5. Turned the knob about 1.5-1.75 turns left and it tested right at 9 BAR with a blind basket in. The difference IMO is NIGHT AND DAY with espresso flavor. Leaving everything the same ie:
Using a triple naked basket with 20g in and shooting for 40-45g out in 25-30 seconds yielded about 40ml of espresso with about 20ml of crema using fresh coffee. I noticed slightly older coffee I was still archiving the same results but in about 20-25 seconds and the flavor was a bit flatter.
On the nose of the fresh coffee I was able to smell so much more flavor and taste way more nuances than before the BAR change. I feel that even though prior I was still getting almost the same volume the coffee was being pushed out much faster and extraction was happening way faster thus producing a thinner more bitter shot.
My gauge came with 3 shims washers and I still can't get it to sit perfectly straight up and down on the machine but It's not that noticeable. Now that I have the pressure set I could change it out for a temp gauge if I wanted to have better control over brew temp.
I highly recommend people with the Appartamento lower your brew pressure.
Just as heads up to those trying this. I got my appartamento to in October 2021 and mine didn’t have the star pattern screw holding the top panel on. It was a 2.5mm Allen key. If you are looking at yours and it isn’t the star pattern, give the Allen key a try.
Same as mine bought April 2021
Be aware, i just installed a manometer on my appartamento. The pressure with the blind basket is 12.2 but during an extraction it is only around 10 Bar, so not that far off
You Also have to be aware that the pressure ist still lower in the basket than in the installed manometer, so 10 should be good
My Appartamento hasn’t even arrived yet and you’ve got me planning upgrades 🤣🤣
I just adjusted pressure from 12 down to 9 bars, and now getting much more consistent results, especially with the bottomless portafilter 👍 Remaining question is: Why did Rocket set it to 12 bars in the first place?
Because they set properly using dynamic pressure, not static pressure as incorrectly described in this video.
@@robertreynolds4040 Just did mine, twice. First, set to 10.5 static.. then pulled shot and GH gauge still showing 10.5. Didn’t align with my understanding of dynamic vs static pressure. Went back in and set to 9 with the blind basket and pulled another shot with gauge indicating 9.
Am I missing something? Seems like people are setting 10-10.5 and getting 9ish when pulling shots. Thanks
@@mrbr1dges same situation with my machine. I did testing with blind basket and regular extraction. Both are showing 9bar, I am also confused now about static vs dinamyc...
can we talk more about your intro, its bangin
The only tricky part is that the tapped hole into the brew head, where you put the pressure gauge, is NOT drilled perpendicular to the tube, the angle is slightly higher than you expect. In order to get the threads to engage you have to tip the pressure gauge slightly UP compared to where your instincts tell you to put it, then it will start to screw in. Take it slow and don't cross-thread it or you have a real mess on your hands. I put a tiny bit of PTFE plumbing dope on the threads and didn't have any leaks.
I found the same - to the point I thought the screw on the gauge was too large for the thread of my machining. Bit of jiggling more vertically and it finally went in.
Xris , you do not need to remove the four screws at the top of the water reservoir as the whole unit comes out as one.
oh, that's good to know 😂
Would Teflon tape help around the pressure gauge threads?
7mm wrench, t-10 torx, ph1 Phillips head 1:25
I think I’ve figured out why all these Rocket machines are dialed high (up around 13 bars). I’ve noticed if I’m using my Apartamento heavily and pulling 3-4 or more shots back to back. It does eventually settle in around 9-9.5 bars. But if you are like me and pull only 1-2 shots each morning (and those an hour or so apart) then it always pegs out around 13-14 bars.
So… I think Rocket is making the assumption that most people (Italians) will be pulling multiple shots and has dialed the machine in accordingly. But at my house, that’s just not the case.
I was still confused by which direction to turn the valve. Your instructions made it less clear. "If you're standing at the back of the machine, facing the front, turn counter clockwise"
If i'm at the back of the machine I'm facing the back. If I'm facing the front of the machine I'd be at the front. Clockwise is relevant.
To anyone who is confused, the nut you have to turn is going into the valve. So stand at the back of the machine. Clockwise is more pressure, counter clockwise is less pressure.
Also, the machine doesnt need to fully heat up to check the pressure. You can make an adjustment, turn on the machine to check the pressure, turn it off and make another adjustment as many times as you need to.
Hi. A month ago i took my Appartamento to the local service center for maintenance. I also asked them to reduce the brew pressure to 9 bars, it was around 12 bars i guess. For a month i was sattisfied with new pressure, taste was better in my opinion.
Last week i pulled a shot and next day the coffee was not coming through the portafilter. But i did not change my grinder settings. Also the gauge was not stable.
I brought my machine back to the service and they told me that everything seems normal. I have got back to home and changed my grinder settings almost half way to courser. ( eureka mignon).
The Taste feels normal now but when i check the water flow it seems too high. It was like water drops before, now too much water coming through the grouphead.
Also it is not normal to change the grinder settings around half way.
Something is wrong, do you have any idea ?
Thx
Thank you so much! Just ordererd the parts and I can‘t wait until I can fine tune my machine.
Thank you, and about boiler pressure : 0,9. 1.0 1,1. ?
Thanks! Really appreciate this video. I will definitely be moding my appartamento.
Really quick question and hope someone can shed light, if I decrease the pressure to 9 bar, would that affect my steam wand pressure? Thanks
KEEP THE METAL WATER TANK HOUSING ATTACHED TO THE TOP OF The MACHINE. JUST TAKE OFF FRONT Two SCREWS ON TOP AND TWO IN THE BOTTOM OF THE WATER TANK CASING. LIFT WHOLE TOP OFF . There's NO NEED TO Separate THE TOP AMD THE CASING.
wish I knew about this 2 years ago. played around with all other things with baskets and have a load aftermarket kit. got stuff pretty results but still sigh with some channelling now and again. I'm sure my machine must be around 12-13 bar.
Probably too late now but if you have an Acaia Lunar you could've just downloaded the SE Profiler app and if you run water without a portafilter, it'll tell you the brew press that the machine is pulling
Hi! Tks for your videos! I really enjoy them. Any idea if this can be done to the new appartamento tca ? Since it can adjust the boiler pressure, I wonder if changing the pump pressure would affect negatively the machine. Tks!
You've got it all wrong, the OPV pressure should be set higher than extraction and it's there for the pump safety. It's job is to release water in case Your puck is grinded too fine or there's a blockage, so Your pump doesn't brake or wear out prematurely. Your puck is suppose create the proper pressure not OPV. If You set OPV to the same pressure as Your extraction how do You know if You didn't grind too fine as Your OPV won't let the pressure go any higher than 9 bar? That's why factory's OPV setting is higher as pressure up to 12 bar is considered safe for vibration pumps.
How do you even know how many bars your machine is pushing?
Just did it, thank you so much! Merci
Great video, makes the opv mod seem less daunting. Just a small question. When you say 2 full rotations, what does that exactly imply? Two 360 rotations of the nut? Or two rotations of the wrench? Thanks.
Good question - 2 full rotations of the nut (hence why the sharpie line helps to remember how far you've gone)
I have just done the mod a few days ago. Use a marker pen or scratch the top side of the nut so that you know when you have done one full rotation of the nut by turning it with the wrench. My rocket only needed one full rotation of the nut in order to get just over nine bar of pressure. I think it was just over 11 bar before I started. I hope that helps.
Thanks! I needed this video! 🙏🏼
Like always great post!
Maybe to early for ask but I wonder what would be your next upgrade after this appartamento
will you do a temperature video?
I bought pressure gauge and I noticed it just works when the basket is full. I bought another gauge the same thing happened. Is this normal
does lowering pressure affect frothing milk negatively?
no difference
Did you find after reducing the bars of pressure that you had to change your grind? I’d imaging you’d have to go coarser right?
Hey Xris, when brewing the blind basket I notice that is shows 13 bars but when brewing espresso it shows 10 bar - which is recommended for vibration pumps. Is this mod really necessary as I've read that 10 bar of pressure is where you want to be as some pressure is lost at vibration pumps? Is the blind basket gauge reading what we should be referencing here instead of brewing actual espresso?
That is because it was set properly in the first place. What you are referring to is the difference between static pressure (blind basket, incorrect method) and dynamic pressure (water flow through coffee, correct method). This video should be removed by xchris.
its xris*
dont think I'll remove it, but thanks for adding in that note
@@itsxris The problem with this is your lack of understanding of this fundamental aspect of machine calibration. As a technician I can tell you that the information in this video with regard to calibration is 100 percent incorrect. You have already been proven wrong by your own comment section. By following your instructions, unsuspecting people will be setting real brew pressure to something like 5-7 bar resulting in much courser grinds and lower extraction yield. If you like your espresso that way fine, but don't present yourself as a machine tech with the knowledge to teach others because you're not. Stick to what you're good at.
as mentioned before, again, thanks for your note, but I'm not removing the video
@@robertreynolds4040 I will pin one of your comments to the top for others to reference
I can not take off the water tank it is too hard !!
I’m confused. I’m pretty sure vibratory pumps should be around 12 bars. The rotary pumps in commercial machines should run at 9. Is everyone actually getting good results at 9? I think the video and most of the comments are just uninformed for not realizing this.
Are you still using a puck screen? If you are, does that mean your brew pressure ends up being a little below 9 bars
I'm still using it but unsure exactly how pressure on the puck is affected by the screen, if it is in fact below 9, i like it!
This screw driver it is not a common torx, it has 5 sides, torx has 6 like an Allen key. This is a 5 point star torx.
I call what he is showing a "star bit"
thanks for the info!
Take that intro to the hospital bc its freakin sick
call the manufacturer for extra washers or a maybe a crush washer.
Hey Xris, I've been struggling with my Appartamento (also purchased from Seattle Coffee Gear) producing shots which are too watery no matter how fine of grind I make or regardless of how much grind is in the puck. Did you find turning this brew pressure down helped make shots less watery?
Hey Niles! You could say a higher pressure could cause channeling at a finer grind size, causing under extraction of some of the puck and over in others, which could result in watery shots. That said, I haven't reduced my Appartamento's brew pressure from stock and pull some decent shots.
What's brew ratio are you working with and time it took to complete the shot?
Super video merci ! As-tu fait une video montrant comment régler la pression (température) de la chaudiere ? A quelle pression es-tu ? 0,9 ou 1or 1,1 bar ? Merci
Salut tu as réglé la pression sur la tienne ?
@@sebfitz3071 oui cela y est, c'est fait, pression de chaudière à 1 bar et pression extraction à 9 bars, résultat meilleur en tasse.
Je ne sais pas si tu as lu tous les commentaires mais certains disent que de régler la pression avec le filtre aveugle n'est pas à faire. Ça fausse les résultats. Du coup tu l’as fait comment stp ?
@@sebfitz3071 j ai monte un manometre sur la tete de groupe pour lire et ajuster la pression
@@back_to_the_bike8820 OK merci. Je vais regarder pour m’en prendre un. Mais la pression je la réglerais en dynamique (quand le café coule et non pas en statique avec le filtre aveugle).
Et la pression de la chaudière se règle sur le même écrous stp ?
wheres the 1 year review>?
Instructions unclear Elon Musk is at my doorstep asking about my rocket
What is the point? Rocket advise against this and also it will void your warrantee
I thought the point was pretty clear in the video, to lower pressure > better shots
And pretty sure it wouldn't void warranty given how harmless the mod is, not intrusive at all
@@itsxris Thanks, agreed. It should be set at factory.