Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005
Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/853621
HELLO AGAIN, FRIENDS, and welcome to the late summer season. It seems like just last week when we were posted at Barista Magazine's booth at the Global Specialty Coffee Expo in Seattle. We want to say thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello and chat about equipment with us. We were super surprised by the turnout, and stoked to meet everyone and chat about everything from some impressively well-thought- out technical questions, to pondering the meaning of life. We defi nitely solved that mystery, but we told our editor, Sarah Allen, that she has to wait to get that scoop until some later issue. We fi gured this round of "High Maintenance" would be better spent answering more important questions like the ones that follow. Here we go! You know that rattling sound on the [Mahlkönig] EK43 grinder? What is that sound and what does it mean? Does it affect the grind size and/or ex- traction? There are many things that could cause a rattling sound in a grinder. Have your trusty coffee technician check for bad bearings, loose motor mounts, and any screws that are not tightened down all the way. These are all things that will potentially make rattling sounds on any grinder (or really anything with a motor), not only an EK. Bad bearings or motor mounts could possibly affect the grind quality and/or consistency, but general loose screws and such are likely just being loud. Good luck! —Alex What kind of maintenance or service issues should I be aware of for my draft-cold-brew setup? Finally, a draft (draught) question! As always, cleanliness is king. It is super important to keep your product lines, couplers (taps), and faucets sparkling. We all know how quickly coffee oils can build up on various surfaces, and those draft lines are no exception. In most areas, it's easy to fi nd a cleaning service willing to come in once a week and take care of it for you. However, if you feel like it's something you want to take on yourself, it's pretty simple to do but a little time-consuming. If you're using Corny or Soda kegs, all you need is an empty keg, some coffee cleaner, and a couple of small brushes. If you are using standard Sanke kegs, you'll need to track down a pressure bottle from Keg Outlet or your local homebrew supply store. The process is the same no matter which type of keg you're using. Hook- up the keg with the cleaning solution to the product line and gas supply, then simply let it fl ow through the system. Think of it like backfl ushing: Open and close the faucet a few times and let the solution sit in the line for a bit. Once the line looks nice and clean, be sure ILLUSTRATION BY PHIL MARKEL 92 barista magazine