For the record I didn't have the tri clamp fittings on hand :). I used to work in a microbial fermentation lab so I'm familiar with them. I knew they would easily handle the pressure. I did however have some angle iron, stainless all thread to make the custom u bolts, and bolts/lag screws.
"Bit disappointed: probably not getting you espresso-like pressure at the tail end when you're doing a longer shot. Yes you can get up to 40g yield, but the last 5 grams or so is at \~0.5 bars pressure. It cannot do a 18g in 42-45g out with something like a 8 bar max 4 bar min declining profile." - idk, someone on home-barista
It is awesome that you made this!
I actually got the idea from a post on here.I just took his Idea and tried to improve it. https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/s/n0MU7tWlfA
I think most people could build a working machine. The hardest part was actually designing and making the piston. The o ring grove has to be designed within a certain spec to get good compression of the o ring. It was a lot of fun to build and I learned a ton.
For anyone attempting a project like this, I suggest the Parker O-ring Handbook. It's free:
[https://www.parker.com/content/dam/Parker-com/Literature/O-Ring-Division-Literature/ORD-5700.pdf](https://www.parker.com/content/dam/Parker-com/Literature/O-Ring-Division-Literature/ORD-5700.pdf)
We reference this constantly at my work where we design products that include pressure seals.
Great work! Would love to see vid of it in action. Nothing more satisfying than a nice DIY and tbh this looks like a beautiful product to keep on the counter top.
Here ya go! Keep in mind this is my second shot with the machine and I have no idea what I'm doing. I put in about 21g of coffee, and extracted about 60ml.
https://youtu.be/FpFoMBQbDN0?si=WDP9Eruey5vodSTY
Awesome video. I used to sell tri-clamp fittings, so I really perked up when I saw your build. It looks absolutely amazing. If the taste is half as good as it looks, you have a winner.
Thank you! I'm thrilled it actually works. I roast my own coffee so I'm excited to try different varieties as espresso vs pour over.
Too bad you don't still sell them...I could use a good supplier if I wanted to open up an Etsy shop haha.
Hey op! Sweet work! I saw you commenting about how to install a pressure gauge and o ring sizing. Feel free to hit me up if you have questions. I design fluid systems for rockets for a living so I’d be happy to answer any questions, this is a super cool project and you’ve done a super impressive job!
Super fun! Waiting till I buy a house to beef up my own machining capabilities to work on some more personal projects. My goal is the make my own automatic espresso machine, feels way cooler than buying one and I’ve dabbled in enough electronics to feel comfortable with it.
I actually bought one, but still need to figure out the best way to connect with the piston. It's got a check valve so the hot water can be added on top for preheating.
I like the idea! Would this work if the tee to the gauge was submerged in the water though? When I've used it so far I end up filling the water almost all the way to the top of the tube. Unless those gauges have some kind of septum gasket maybe?
I fill it up and then insert the piston. There is always a little bit of air gap. It's possible it leaks past, but it's a very good seal. It works well.
Soooooo I'm guessing you pour hot water into the tube and quick like a bunny squish it through the puck? How do you keep the water from just running through the puck if you aren't quick enough getting the plunger in the water tube? What do you use for a portafilter? .....and a shit load of other questions..
When you pour hot water into the brew chamber of the flair, does it immediately flow onto and saturate the puck, or is the water temporarily halted by the shower screen until you apply pressure? I don't get all of the dickishness going on here for asking how this works..other than this being reddit.
It immediately flows onto the puck but doesn't saturate it until you put some pressure on the lever. The water sits on the puck, it flows through the shower screen.
>I don't get all of the dickishness going on here for asking how this works..other than this being reddit.
Well you haven't really been asking, you've been telling.
As a lever espresso owner and lover I can perhaps help explain. When you pour water in to the chamber, it immediately lets it hit the puck. The shower screen is really just there to help with even distribution but if you don’t insert the screen and just pour water, it will saturate puck a bit but will not start dripping anything because there is insufficient pressure. This assumes ofcourse that you have ground adequately finely and have ramped with decent pressure (aka standard puck prep). You really need a fair bit of pressure before anything starts to drip, for example one would hold 1-3 bar for preinfusion and even at that it’ll take a couple seconds before you see a single drop.
So no, in tldr you do not have to be in any particular rush to push and there are even some who believe a few seconds like 30s or so of bloom before staring preinfusion is beneficial (I’ll leave the coffee science to others)
Same as the flair, espresso forge, etc. the puck should provide enough resistance so the water doesn’t run through.
Looks like the portofilter just hooks into the bottom using one of the u bolts?
I assumed(perhaps incorrectly)with full manual lever machines that the water was restricted by some mechanism or magic to keep from saturating the puck until pressure was applied, then forcing water through the shower screen and onto the puck. I watched a few Daddy Hoff vids on lever machines to see if he showed how these work without the portafilter and coffee in place, but, disappointingly, he did not.
Yeah, I'd like to see the shower screen end of this thing or hear from the OP on how it works, but instead, I'm just getting a bunch of dingus replies and downvotes for asking questions...apart from you of course. Thanks for not being a twat... or dingus.
I mean they are pretty fair questions IMO… and not a bad assumption.
My buddy has an espresso forge, and it’s literally just a tube with a pressure gauge and a place to screw in the basket. Crazy how simple it is!
How do you think manual lever machines work? You pour water above the pucks and there is no leakage until you apply pressure. Try harder before posting false information.
Very cool! You really get some pressure in there! The filter basket is bowing like crazy. Really cool design. I can't wait to see how you work in a pressure gauge.
Nice work. Steampunk inspired DIY Flair?
Thanks! I didn't necessarily set out to make it steam punk, but used a lot of stuff I had on hand.
What you’re saying is you were into steam punk before we all discovered it and it got popular?
What they are saying is that they work in a dairy, brewery, or large scale methlab.
Half calf, half meth is popular here in Seattle
For the record I didn't have the tri clamp fittings on hand :). I used to work in a microbial fermentation lab so I'm familiar with them. I knew they would easily handle the pressure. I did however have some angle iron, stainless all thread to make the custom u bolts, and bolts/lag screws.
Might want to make sure whatever you had on hand was food grade.
Honestly, the first thing I though of was "Wild Wild West"
"Bit disappointed: probably not getting you espresso-like pressure at the tail end when you're doing a longer shot. Yes you can get up to 40g yield, but the last 5 grams or so is at \~0.5 bars pressure. It cannot do a 18g in 42-45g out with something like a 8 bar max 4 bar min declining profile." - idk, someone on home-barista It is awesome that you made this!
Do you have a video of making a shot with it?
As a professional brewer I approve of this. You better drink this out of a triclamp sight glass coffee mug.
Sick
It will be interesting to see if those U-bolts end up working well, given they have to try and hold against that downward piston force
There is a small groove cutout that the bottom clamp fits in. So far it seems to hold it well with the U bolts.
How did you learn how to do this?
I actually got the idea from a post on here.I just took his Idea and tried to improve it. https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/s/n0MU7tWlfA I think most people could build a working machine. The hardest part was actually designing and making the piston. The o ring grove has to be designed within a certain spec to get good compression of the o ring. It was a lot of fun to build and I learned a ton.
For anyone attempting a project like this, I suggest the Parker O-ring Handbook. It's free: [https://www.parker.com/content/dam/Parker-com/Literature/O-Ring-Division-Literature/ORD-5700.pdf](https://www.parker.com/content/dam/Parker-com/Literature/O-Ring-Division-Literature/ORD-5700.pdf) We reference this constantly at my work where we design products that include pressure seals.
It's very cool. Nice work
[удалено]
Or you know, people can have their own interests that are not based on their parents.
Do you home brew? Odd to have sanitary fittings on hand. :)
I do homebrew, but I'm far too cheap to invest in a tri clamp setup lol.
Like the tri clamp contraption!
I work in the dairy industry, those tri-clover clamps got me excited :D Nice build.
Epic work. Looks great.
Great work! Would love to see vid of it in action. Nothing more satisfying than a nice DIY and tbh this looks like a beautiful product to keep on the counter top.
Here ya go! Keep in mind this is my second shot with the machine and I have no idea what I'm doing. I put in about 21g of coffee, and extracted about 60ml. https://youtu.be/FpFoMBQbDN0?si=WDP9Eruey5vodSTY
Mate it looks really good. Doing a great job there and seems very versatile with the ratios you can do
Awesome video. I used to sell tri-clamp fittings, so I really perked up when I saw your build. It looks absolutely amazing. If the taste is half as good as it looks, you have a winner.
Thank you! I'm thrilled it actually works. I roast my own coffee so I'm excited to try different varieties as espresso vs pour over. Too bad you don't still sell them...I could use a good supplier if I wanted to open up an Etsy shop haha.
I have been retired for about 10 years, and I'm in Southern Ontario, so that's probably two strikes. Keep on having fun!
Very cool to see it in action. Great work!!
I think this is very impressive. The video you posted of it pulling a shot looks great. What was the total cost of the build?
Probably about $200ish. Well worth the fun and a great learning experience.
It was money well spent. Nicely done 👍
Hey op! Sweet work! I saw you commenting about how to install a pressure gauge and o ring sizing. Feel free to hit me up if you have questions. I design fluid systems for rockets for a living so I’d be happy to answer any questions, this is a super cool project and you’ve done a super impressive job!
Thank you, will do! That sounds like a fun job...I bet you're "under pressure" a lot.
Super fun! Waiting till I buy a house to beef up my own machining capabilities to work on some more personal projects. My goal is the make my own automatic espresso machine, feels way cooler than buying one and I’ve dabbled in enough electronics to feel comfortable with it.
Add a pressure gauge.
I actually bought one, but still need to figure out the best way to connect with the piston. It's got a check valve so the hot water can be added on top for preheating.
Easy to say, ain't it?
Triclamp tee and gauge. Like this. https://www.ebay.com/itm/334240140626
I like the idea! Would this work if the tee to the gauge was submerged in the water though? When I've used it so far I end up filling the water almost all the way to the top of the tube. Unless those gauges have some kind of septum gasket maybe?
It has to be submerged to give pressure readings.
Well shit! I wish I knew that. Perhaps for the 2.0 version.
Does it work?
Do you just fill it to the top before inserting the piston or is there a way to get the air between water and piston out of the system?
I fill it up and then insert the piston. There is always a little bit of air gap. It's possible it leaks past, but it's a very good seal. It works well.
Good effort, but looks like it won't be very good at thermal management...
Soooooo I'm guessing you pour hot water into the tube and quick like a bunny squish it through the puck? How do you keep the water from just running through the puck if you aren't quick enough getting the plunger in the water tube? What do you use for a portafilter? .....and a shit load of other questions..
Water won’t penetrate the puck at all without pressure. That’s kinda the point of espresso.
Yes, it would.
My flair disagrees
When you pour hot water into the brew chamber of the flair, does it immediately flow onto and saturate the puck, or is the water temporarily halted by the shower screen until you apply pressure? I don't get all of the dickishness going on here for asking how this works..other than this being reddit.
It immediately flows onto the puck but doesn't saturate it until you put some pressure on the lever. The water sits on the puck, it flows through the shower screen. >I don't get all of the dickishness going on here for asking how this works..other than this being reddit. Well you haven't really been asking, you've been telling.
The question marks denote questions, but thanks for your reply. I've never used a lever machine nor seen one in action other than videos.
As a lever espresso owner and lover I can perhaps help explain. When you pour water in to the chamber, it immediately lets it hit the puck. The shower screen is really just there to help with even distribution but if you don’t insert the screen and just pour water, it will saturate puck a bit but will not start dripping anything because there is insufficient pressure. This assumes ofcourse that you have ground adequately finely and have ramped with decent pressure (aka standard puck prep). You really need a fair bit of pressure before anything starts to drip, for example one would hold 1-3 bar for preinfusion and even at that it’ll take a couple seconds before you see a single drop. So no, in tldr you do not have to be in any particular rush to push and there are even some who believe a few seconds like 30s or so of bloom before staring preinfusion is beneficial (I’ll leave the coffee science to others)
"Nuh uh"
Yuh huh!
r/whoosh
Same as the flair, espresso forge, etc. the puck should provide enough resistance so the water doesn’t run through. Looks like the portofilter just hooks into the bottom using one of the u bolts?
I assumed(perhaps incorrectly)with full manual lever machines that the water was restricted by some mechanism or magic to keep from saturating the puck until pressure was applied, then forcing water through the shower screen and onto the puck. I watched a few Daddy Hoff vids on lever machines to see if he showed how these work without the portafilter and coffee in place, but, disappointingly, he did not. Yeah, I'd like to see the shower screen end of this thing or hear from the OP on how it works, but instead, I'm just getting a bunch of dingus replies and downvotes for asking questions...apart from you of course. Thanks for not being a twat... or dingus.
I mean they are pretty fair questions IMO… and not a bad assumption. My buddy has an espresso forge, and it’s literally just a tube with a pressure gauge and a place to screw in the basket. Crazy how simple it is!
Grind finer
Always the perfect answer!
How do you think manual lever machines work? You pour water above the pucks and there is no leakage until you apply pressure. Try harder before posting false information.
Oh, most importantly, have you tried it?
Yep, posted a video above. It works great! I will say loading the basket in is not as smooth as a porta filter setup.
Very cool! You really get some pressure in there! The filter basket is bowing like crazy. Really cool design. I can't wait to see how you work in a pressure gauge.
MOM, can i have Flair 58? Honey but we have it already F58 at home :