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Recently on the web I encountered some sources that say that Cleancaf which is a descaler and cleaner is not safe to use on an espresso machine. I want to use it on my new month-old Rancilio Silvia. Even though I have just purchased the Cleancaf for $5.95 I don't know for sure now if it is safe to use on my Silvia and I would like to descale my machine as soon as possible but I can switch to something else. Someone recommended Soli Soli Pol to me ,which is a liquid but I cannot find anywhere on the web proper instructions for its use on an espresso machine. Anyhow I just want to know if it is safe for me to descale my Silvia with Cleancaf this evening.
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colin
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Re:Cleancaf - 2008/01/30 15:21cappuccino1 wrote: Hi everyone,
Recently on the web I encountered some sources that say that Cleancaf which is a descaler and cleaner is not safe to use on an espresso machine.
Nonsense. Please cite your sources.
I suggested to you in e-mail that you use good old citric acid (dehydrated lemon juice) -- about 10$ a kilo from many pharmacies and health food stores... enough for the life of the machine...
1 teaspoon in a liter of water.
Why anyone would pay $10 for an ounce of powdered aluminum citrate (or whatever it is...) is beyond me.Colin is the Senior editor and creator of the CoffeeCrew.Com Website
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Bobby
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Re:Cleancaf - 2008/01/30 16:06Whole Latte Love has a good demonstration video on how to descale the Sivlia:
+1 Colin - CleanCaf is harmless. According, to Jim Schulman's Insanely Long Water FAQ it's just citric or tartaric acid. It's harmless though it may come out of the machine with a greenish tinge due to dissolved copper. In case you don't want to check out the whole FAQ here's the relevant bit:
Descaling Solution Generally, a flush through descaler uses about .5 to .75 fluid ounces (1 to 1.5 tablespoons, or 8 to 12 grams) of citric or tartaric (grape) acid powder dissolved in 1 liter of water. This is a 2.25% to 3.5% solution, equivalent to 33% to 50% dilute lemon juice. Cleancaf and other coffee manufacturers' descalers use this formula. Theoretically, these amounts will dissolve about 12 to 18 grams of scale per liter, but that would require leaving the solution in for several days; in practice, it is used for an hour or two to dissolve up to 5 grams of scale.
The formula is mild enough to be harmless to espresso machine components, but it will come out of brass or copper machines with a slight greenish tinge. This comes from milligram levels of dissolved copper and is no cause for alarm.
Five pound bags of citric or tartaric acid cost about $10 at home brewers' or soapmakers' supply stores. This is roughly a 20 year supply
Descaling Intervals Know the hardness of the water you're using, and how much you use the machine. Descale when accumulations are between 2.5 and 5 grams. More often is a waste of time, less often may result in scale build up. Check out section 1.7 for instructions on determining your set up's scaling rate.
Single Boiler Machines For single boiler machines, preventive descaling is no problem, just follow the instructions given by the manufacturer. In general, this involves filling the boiler, letting the solution work for about ten minutes, and replacing it by running it out of the steam wand under pump pressure. This procedure is repeated three to five times, until about a liter of descaler is used up. Then the machine is flushed with water until any taste is gone.
Manufacturer's recommendations differ on whether the brewhead should be flushed or not. This is not surprising. The water's temperature drops and LI rises as it moves from the boiler to the head, so scale won't form there. In scaled machines however, fragments can move from the boiler into the head, fouling the gicleur valve. My guess is that with regular descaling, flushing the head is unnecessary but harmless.
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cappuccino1
Visitor
Re:Cleancaf - 2008/01/30 16:35I have already seen the video by wholelattelove on descaling the Silvia.
Thanks anyways guys.
cappuccino1
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colin
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Re:Cleancaf - 2008/01/30 20:38I am going to pick on you cappuccino1:
Pay attention and read the words.
I will break you of the habit of e-mailing everyone with the same question, trust me.Colin is the Senior editor and creator of the CoffeeCrew.Com Website
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Setting it straight
Visitor
Citric acid is not dehydrated lemon juice - 2008/02/25 05:03While I'm sure it's safe for your coffee machines, Citric acid is NOT dehydrated lemon juice. It is made from fermented forms of a safe type of bacteria, like the cultures in yogurt are made, as this is MUCH cheaper for manufacturers than actually powderizing and selling lemon juice in dehydrated form. When you buy citric acid powder, it isn't from lemons.
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Thanks for the mention Colin, FYI we are closed until Wednesday July 2. Moccamasters are $199.00 includes 3-1/2 lbs. of coffee.
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